On Christmas mornings throughout my childhood, after about half of the presents had disappeared from underneath the tree, their festive reindeer- and Santa-adorned wrapping paper carelessly strewn about the floor instead of wadded up and tucked inside of the designated garbage bag, and an almost equal number of chocolate wrappers from our stockings tossed aside on end tables, Mom proclaimed that we should take a short break.
While she grabbed the phone and dialed her sister, followed by our grandparents, in other cities to wish them a Merry Christmas (and then handed over the receiver to my brother and me to thank each family for our new gifts), another adult headed into the kitchen to whip up a coffee cake for us to enjoy after unwrapping the second half of the presents.
Typically, Grandpa did the honors and baked his famous Cowboy Coffee Cake, studded with rainbow-colored flecks of our favorite cereal (that was his secret ingredient!). With a thick layer of cinnamon streusel on top, we looked forward to big sky-high slices of that special treat almost as much as K’NEX roller coasters and Harry Potter LEGO sets!
But every once in a while, we convinced Grandma to bake her raspberry coffee cake instead. Whereas Grandpa’s looked like a traditional cake and was baked in a square pan, Grandma’s recipe called for rolling the dough into a large rectangle on a cookie sheet, slicing each of the long sides into skinny strips, and braiding them across the raspberry jam filling she carefully painted down the center. It took much more time and effort to make, but that buttery pastry was worth every minute of waiting!
Even when my grandparents stopped baking, we still enjoyed coffee cake on Christmas morning, courtesy of our favorite local brunch restaurant. They sold big sheet-cake-sized pans of their famous blueberry coffee cake, an extremely tender sour cream cake bursting with juicy berries and finished with a thick layer of cinnamon streusel (just like Grandpa’s!), which we picked up the day before on Christmas Eve.
So until a few years ago, I never realized that monkey bread was a traditional Christmas breakfast for many families. In fact, I didn’t even know what monkey bread was! I originally envisioned some sort of banana bread (monkeys… bananas… it makes sense, right??), but when I searched the internet, I nearly gasped. All of that butter and sugar… It looked absolutely irresistible—and so decadent!
Yet after lots of testing and tweaking, I finally perfected this recipe: The Ultimate Healthy Monkey Bread! With merely a fraction of the calories and absolutely no refined flour or sugar, it’s a treat that comes with the same irresistible flavors but none of the guilt!
And when my dad took most of one batch to work one day, he reported that it disappeared in minutes.… And that everyone gave it not just one, not just two, but three thumbs up!
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with monkey bread, let’s briefly go over what it is before diving into the recipe! Traditional recipes consist of small balls of dough (often store-bought canned biscuit dough, as a shortcut!) coated in cinnamon sugar and layered in a bundt cake pan, then drizzled with a mixture consisting of a lots of melted butter and more sugar. After baking and inverting the pan onto a platter, that mixture of melted butter and sugar turns caramel-like, and the dough balls easily pull apart.
As for how it earned its name… Nobody seems to agree! The most likely explanation is that the pieces of monkey bread are meant to be pulled apart and eaten with your fingers, just like monkeys eat with their fingers. If you know of the real answer, let me know in the comments section! ?
To make this healthy version, you’ll skip the store-bought canned biscuits and make your own dough. It’s a basic yeast-based whole wheat dough. Don’t be afraid of yeast! I started baking yeast breads as an eight-year-old, and if I could do it as a little girl, I know you can do it now. I have faith in you!
For the dough, you’ll need a handful of ingredients: whole wheat flour, yeast, warm milk, melted butter (just a tiny bit!), coconut sugar (instead of refined granulated sugar!), and salt. For the whole wheat flour, I highly recommend this brand. It performs the best in yeast-based recipes out of any type that I’ve tried! It rises taller and has a more tender texture, which makes it perfect for this monkey bread.
When it comes to yeast, I absolutely love Red Star Yeast! It’s the best yeast of any type I’ve tried, and it always ensures my bread, cinnamon rolls, and even this monkey bread turns out perfectly every time. I prefer their “Quick Rise” yeast, but their regular active dry yeast works just fine too. I can’t always find their yeasts at the grocery stores near my house, so I buy it online here.
Once you’ve made and kneaded the dough (I’ve found kneading by hand results in a more tender texture, and I also love how soothing that process can be!), you’ll divide it into 80+ little pieces. I recommend using a small serrated knife to do this! Cut the dough in half… Then half again… Then half again… Then half one more time… To get 16 segments! Roll each of those segments into a short rope, and cut each rope into 5 equal-sized pieces. That will yield exactly 80 small balls!
Before layering them in the pan, you’ll dip each dough ball into a mixture of warm milk and a tiny bit of melted butter. (This is how you’ll cut out lots of calories compared to the traditional recipes!) Let the excess drip off; then roll the ball into another mixture of cinnamon and coconut sugar. Set it in the bundt pan, and repeat with the remaining balls.
Tip: Use one hand for the milk and melted butter bowl and your other hand for the cinnamon and coconut sugar!
Now it’s time to let the dough rise until it fills at least ¾ of the bundt pan or looks about double in size. That should take around 30-45 minutes. Then pop the pan in the oven, set a timer, and just a few minutes after it rings…
Invert the pan onto a plate and enjoy! Just look at that sweet gooey caramel… Doesn’t it look amazing?? ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy homemade monkey bread!
| The Ultimate Healthy Monkey Bread | | Print |
- for the dough
- 1 ¼ cups (300mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp (36g) coconut sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 ½ tsp (14g or two ¼-oz packages) dry yeast
- 3 ½ – 4 ½ cups (420-540g) whole wheat flour
- for the coating
- ½ cup (120mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- To prepare the dough, stir together the milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and wait 10-15 minutes or until the mixture turns frothy. Mix in 3 cups of flour. If the dough is still wet, continue stirring in flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. Shape the dough into a ball, and let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
- Coat a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. To prepare the coating, whisk together the milk and butter in a small bowl. Stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the dough into 16 pieces (cut in half, then half again, then half again, then half one more time). Roll each piece into a short rope, and cut each rope into at least 5 pieces. (Re-flour your hands and work surface if the dough is too sticky!) This should yield 80+ small pieces of dough.
- Working with one small piece of dough at a time, dip it into the bowl with warm milk and butter with one hand. Let the excess drip off; then roll it around in the bowl of cinnamon and coconut sugar with your other hand. Place into the prepared bundt pan. Repeat with the remaining small pieces of dough, layering them evenly into the bundt pan.
- Lay a clean, dry towel over the top of the bundt pan, and place it in a warm draft-free place to let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size or fills ¾ of the bundt pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the sides of the dough pieces on top feel firm to the touch. Cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Brown or granulated sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar, but the monkey bread will no longer be clean-eating friendly. I do not recommend using any liquid sweeteners (i.e. honey, pure maple syrup, or agave) or stevia.
I highly recommend Red Star Yeast! Their yeast works the best out of any yeast I’ve tried, and I absolutely love their “Quick Rise” yeast. Active dry yeast, rapid or quick rise yeast, and bread machine yeast will all work.
I’ve found that Gold Medal whole wheat flour and Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour typically work the best because they rise better when letting the rolls double in size compared to other brands.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. (However, depending on the brands, the former two don't always rise as well. Just something to keep in mind!)
I have not found a good gluten-free flour blend or gluten-free substitute that will work in this recipe.
When allowing the dough to rise, I prefer to start preheating the oven to its lowest temperature (typically around 150°F) for about 3-4 minutes. When the inside of the oven feels warm (similar to the temperature you’d feel if you stood underneath a heating vent!), turn off the oven, place the towel-topped pan into the center of the oven, and shut the oven door completely.
{clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Skinny Monkey Bread Bites
♡ Healthy Classic Cinnamon Rolls
♡ 45-Minute Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Dark Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake
♡ Peach Streusel Coffee Cake
Could I use date sugar?
Yes, that should work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the monkey bread Sera!
YUM!! Amy, this is unreal. You’ve outdone yourself this time!! I’ll tell you a secret: I’ve never actually had monkey bread although I’ve seen it around the internet for years! And it might be a while with me being GF these days… I’ll just salivate over these pictures instead! 🙂 <3
Awww, thank you SO much Andrea! That means a lot to me! ❤️ Whenever you’re allowed to eat wheat again, we’ll celebrate by making a batch of monkey bread just for you! 🙂
The last time I had monkey bread was waayyy back in middle school life skills class. We made it “from scratch” with canned biscuits, melted margarine, and heaps of brown sugar. This version looks wonderful! I’m impressed how you got it to slice so nicely – my monkey bread always falls apart.
Thanks Elaine!! I used a serrated knife to get that slice. It cuts through the bread dough much cleaner than a regular knife! 😉
This looks absolutely heavenly, Amy! I’d heard of monkey bread before, but wasn’t sure quite what it was – having now seen how delicious it looks, I’ve decided I could probably eat the whole thing!? It’s so lovely that your Grandparents would bake their own signature cake on Christmas day – speaking of which, only 22 days to go!! I was originally going to bake the orange and cranberry scones this weekend, but I’m thinking I might have to make this monkey bread first! Of course, I could make BOTH this weekend…?
You’re so sweet Katie! Thank you! 🙂 I wanted to eat the entire thing myself too… 😉 And I’m sure you already guessed my vote for your baking this weekend. As the most indecisive person in the world, I definitely say both!!
Hi Amy, I recently discovered your site and already have a list of recipes to try. Do you think this recipe could be used with homemade oat flour? Can’t wait to try this one! Thank you
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Norman — that means a lot to me! 🙂 I actually don’t recommend using oat flour in my yeast-based recipes, including this one. This is because my yeast-based recipes depend on gluten (a protein!) in order to rise properly and hold their shape after baking. Because oat flour lacks that, this monkey bread won’t rise well and will turn out overly dense. For the best results, I recommend using one of the two flour brands that I shared in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I’d love to hear what you think of this monkey bread if you try making it!
Never come across a healthy monkey bread before! Have been always difficult for me just to pick off bitesize portions from a monkey bread. Now, you just gave me an excuse to eat the whole thing (almost)! Keep it coming Amy
I was so tempted to eat all of the monkey bread by myself too, Maria! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!
This looks and sounds really good!
Thanks Bharat! I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!
Monkey bread is a Christmas morning tradition for my fam and I look forward to it every year! Unfortunately, it’s full of sugar and butter, so I would love to make this healthier version this year!
You’re so sweet — I’d love to hear what you think if you try this version Bethany! 🙂
Hi: I’ve made monkey bread many times over the years for holidays because it’s easy and everyone loves it but I’ve always felt guilty making my family such an unhealthy gloppy sugary bread. I want to try your version but with 36 ounces of refrigerated wheat pizza dough in lieu of the homemade (to save time). I want to know if I can assemble it the night before and then take it out in the morning and start the rising then. Would that work?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Caroline! I haven’t tried assembling it ahead of time, so I honestly don’t know. I’m sorry I can’t be more help — I just don’t want to lead you astray! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you and your family think of this monkey bread if you try it!
This is the first monkey bread recipe I’ve ever tried. Texture was great but the flavor was pretty one-dimensional. Next time I think I’ll try adding more cinnamon and play around with the spices, maybe adding some five spice or cardamom. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed this monkey bread, Ev! What type of cinnamon did you use? Was it the regular ol’ kind in a bottle with a red cap (not trying to name any brand names! 😉 )? If so, I highly recommend trying Saigon cinnamon, like this! It has a much stronger, fuller, and slightly sweeter flavor that makes a huge difference in baking recipes. It’s the only kind I use — I’m absolutely obsessed! 🙂
I see a comment above about making it the night before. Was there ever any update about that? I would like to do that but I’m not sure if I should assemble it and bake it in the morning or just make the whole thing and reheat in the morning. Any suggestions?
I’m so honored that you’d like to try this recipe Grace! I haven’t tried making it overnight, but I know your idea of making the monkey bread the day before and reheating to serve warm will definitely work. I think the best way to reheat it would be to follow the recipe exactly as written, including inverting it onto the serving plate (the monkey bread can stick to the pan if you let it cool completely in the pan!). The next day, put it on a baking sheet, cover it with foil (so it doesn’t dry out!), and reheat in the oven. I’d love to hear what you think if you do try this monkey bread! 🙂