This easy vegan monkey bread is dairy-free and made from scratch with plant milk and vegan butter. Every dough ball gets coated in gooey cinnamon sugar, making it perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. No canned dough and no eggs needed!
Vegan Monkey Bread At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Easy Vegan Monkey Bread (From Scratch!)
- 🕒 Ready In: 1 hour 30 minutes (about 30 minutes baking)
- 👪 Serves: 14
- 🍽 Calories: ~263 per serving with glaze
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, oat milk, vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free swap available
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A real from-scratch yeasted dough, no canned biscuits, coated in gooey cinnamon brown sugar and baked into a sticky pull-apart loaf. Easy enough for any skill level and made to share for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
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Monkey bread was always one of my favorite treats growing up, so when I made a vegan version, I wanted it to taste just as good as the classic. The part I was most unsure about was the dough.
I tried the shortcut with vegan canned biscuits, and while it worked, it never had that soft, pillowy, almost brioche-like bite that makes monkey bread worth it. Making the dough from scratch was the difference, and it is genuinely easier than it sounds.
This is a recipe I come back to again and again, the kind I pull out for slow weekend mornings and holidays. It is gooey, sticky, and tastes exactly like the monkey bread I grew up loving, just without the eggs or dairy. If you are building out a vegan dessert spread, try it next to my vegan blueberry pop tarts or vegan lava cakes.
Jump to:
- Vegan Monkey Bread At A Glance
- Why Is It Called Monkey Bread?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread (Step-by-Step)
- Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
- My Best Tips for the Gooiest Monkey Bread
- How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Vegan Monkey Bread FAQs
- More Vegan Treats You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why Is It Called Monkey Bread?
Monkey bread is called monkey bread because you tear it apart and eat it with your hands, one sticky piece at a time, the way a monkey might pick at its food.
That's exactly why I love serving it. You set it in the middle of the table, everyone reaches in, and it's gone before the coffee has even cooled.
No one knows the exact origin of the name. Most people credit the hands-on way it's eaten, though the dish itself likely traces back to a Hungarian sweet bread called aranygaluska that immigrants brought to America in the late 1800s.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made from scratch, no canned dough. Real yeasted dough that bakes up soft and pillowy. It takes a little more effort than popping open a can of biscuits, and I promise it is worth it.
- Easy enough for any skill level. If you can stir and roll dough into balls, you can make this. No mixer required.
- w No eggs, no dairy, and it tastes just like the classic.
- Gooey and fun to share. Soft dough balls coated in cinnamon-brown sugar, baked into a sticky pull-apart loaf that everyone digs into with their hands.
- Easy to make, refined sugar-free. I use brown sugar for that classic flavor, but you can swap in coconut sugar if you want to skip refined sugar.
- Perfect for the holidays. This is my go-to for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or any time I want something a little special on the table.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This recipe was everything!!! So good and just amazing. My entire family loved it, and it was fun to make.
- Margaret
Ingredients You'll Need
- Oat milk. Use full-fat for the softest, richest dough. Any plant milk works, but full-fat oat gives it that almost brioche-like texture.
- Instant yeast. This is what makes the dough rise and turn pillowy. Make sure it is instant, not active dry, or your rise and timing will be off.
- Brown sugar. Sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast. I tested this with coconut sugar too, and brown sugar wins on that deep, classic monkey bread flavor. Swap in coconut sugar if you want to keep it refined sugar-free.
- Maple syrup. Adds a little extra sweetness and a soft, warm flavor to the dough.
- Vegan butter. Keeps the dough tender and easy to pull apart. I like Earth Balance for baking. You can use regular butter if you are not vegan.
- All-purpose flour. The base of the dough is the same flour I use in my air fryer cinnamon rolls. Do not swap in almond or oat flour here; they will not give you the same fluffy result.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance all that sweetness.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Plant milk. Oat milk gives the richest dough, but any unsweetened plant milk works. Soy and almond both do the job; you will just lose a little of that full-fat creaminess.
- Coconut sugar. Swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar to keep this refined sugar-free. The flavor is a little less classic but still gooey and delicious.
- Vegan butter. Coconut oil can substitute for vegan butter, especially in the cinnamon-sugar coating. For the dough, butter gives the best flavor and tenderness.
- Add-ins. Fold chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins in between the dough balls before baking for a little extra texture.
- Make it savory. Skip the cinnamon sugar and roll the dough balls in melted vegan butter, garlic, herbs, and a little vegan parmesan for a savory pull-apart version.
- Caramel drizzle. Instead of the vanilla glaze, finish it with a simple vegan caramel sauce poured over the top for an extra sticky, indulgent treat.
How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Make the dough. Whisk the warm oat milk, yeast, and sugar, then mix in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, salt, and flour. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes, until smooth, soft, and not sticky.
- Step 2: Let it rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Set it somewhere warm (I use the microwave, turned off, of course).
- Step 3: Let it double. Let the dough rest for about 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.
- Step 4: Make the coating. While the dough rises, stir together the melted vegan butter in one bowl and the brown sugar and cinnamon in another. This is what gives monkey bread its gooey, sticky shell.
- Step 5: Roll into balls. Once risen, pull the dough apart and roll it into 30 to 40 small balls, about an inch each. Try not to overwork them, or the bread can turn dense.
- Step 6: Dip and coat. Dip each ball in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon brown sugar until fully coated.
- Step 7: Layer and bake. Stack the coated balls in a greased bundt pan, drizzle any leftover coating on top, and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes until puffed and bubbly. Cool for 5 to 7 minutes, then flip out and drizzle with glaze.
Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
My Best Tips for the Gooiest Monkey Bread
- Check your milk temperature. Warm the oat milk to about 110°F, warm like bathwater, not hot. Too hot and you will kill the yeast, too cold and it will not activate. This is the number one reason monkey bread does not rise, so it is worth a quick check.
- Grease the bundt pan generously. Get into every groove with butter or nonstick spray. The sugar coating caramelizes and turns into glue, and if the pan isn't well greased, you end up leaving half your monkey bread stuck behind.
- Flip it within 5 to 7 minutes of baking. Let it cool just long enough to set, then invert it onto a plate. Wait too long, and the caramelized sugar hardens and sticks to the pan. I learned this one the hard way.
- Brown sugar over coconut sugar for flavor. I tested both. Coconut sugar keeps it refined sugar-free, but brown sugar gives that deep, classic caramel flavor that tastes most like the monkey bread you grew up on.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Storing: Monkey bread is best the day it is made, when it is warm and gooey. To store leftovers, cover the bread in its baking dish with foil or move it to an airtight container. It keeps at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze it in two ways. To freeze the baked bread, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly and store it for up to 3 months. To get ahead on the work, freeze the uncoated dough balls instead, then thaw in the fridge, coat, and bake fresh when you want them.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until soft and bubbly again. For a quick single serving, tear off a piece and microwave it for 45 to 60 seconds. The oven keeps the texture closest to fresh.
- Make it ahead: This is my favorite trick for holiday mornings. Prep the dough and coat the balls the night before, then cover the pan and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking to ensure it bakes evenly. It is the same trick I use for my healthy cinnamon rolls.
Vegan Monkey Bread FAQs
Yes, you can make monkey bread with canned biscuit dough to save time, just check that the brand is vegan since many contain dairy. Some Pillsbury biscuits happen to be accidentally vegan, but always read the label. That said, this recipe is made from scratch, and the homemade dough is softer and tastes noticeably better than the canned version.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, and a 1:1 swap can be unpredictable with yeasted dough. If you need a gluten-free version, you are better off using a recipe developed specifically for it rather than swapping here.
The most common reason is yeast that did not activate, usually because the milk was too hot or too cold. Warm your plant milk to about 110°F, warm like bathwater, and make sure you are using instant yeast that is not expired.
You can get close by swapping the brown sugar for coconut sugar in the dough and coating. The glaze still uses powdered sugar, so leave it out or use a maple drizzle instead if you want to keep the whole thing refined-sugar-free.
Yes, assemble the coated dough balls in the pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking so it cooks evenly.
No, a bundt pan gives the classic ring shape, but a regular cake pan, pie dish, or loaf pan works too. Just grease it well so the caramelized sugar does not stick.
More Vegan Treats You'll Love
If you loved this gooey vegan monkey bread, here are a few more sweet vegan recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
The Dough:
- 1 ½ cups oat milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 1 packet instant yeast
- ¼ cup brown sugar, (or coconut sugar for refined sugar free)
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled (+ more for dusting)
The Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, (or coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, (yes Tablespoon)
The Glaze (Optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon oat milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Make the dough. Warm the oat milk to about 110°F, warm like bathwater, not hot. Whisk in the yeast and brown sugar, then whisk in the melted butter, maple syrup, and salt. Add 1 cup of flour and whisk until combined, then add the remaining 3½ cups and mix until the dough comes together. It will be sticky but should not stick to the bowl.
- Knead. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth.
- Let it rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rest somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Make the coating. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a bundt pan generously. Melt the vegan butter in one bowl. In another, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Shape and coat. Pull the dough into 30 to 40 balls, about 1 inch each. Dip each ball in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Layer the balls in the bundt pan, drizzling any leftover coating on top.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and bubbly. Cool for 5 to 7 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Do not wait longer or it may stick.
- Glaze and serve. Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Drizzle over the warm bread, then pull apart and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX - Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Shelly says
Note to all readers: this is great but SO much better with brown sugar vs. coconut. I used brown last year for New Year's morning and it was incredible. Decided to follow the recipe as written this year and it's not great. Brown sugar wins.
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Shelly - thank you for leaving this comment. I also love brown sugar but coconut sugar is there for those who want refined sugar free 🙂
Hannah says
My daughter and I made this and it was delish! So fun.
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Hannah - so so glad to hear that yay 🙂
Margaret says
This recipe was everything!!! So good and just amazing. My entire family loved it and it was fun to make.
Tati Chermayeff says
Margaret, thank you so much for leaving this review!! I am THRILLED to hear that. yay!
Sara says
Hello,
Hoping you can answer some questions:
Can I sub coconut oil for the butter? Can I sub an all purpose paleo flour? What else could I use for the yeast? I check the link you had and unfortunately the packet has acid, which I have to stay away from?