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Home » Recipes » Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle

Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle

by Sarah McMinn / Posted: December 16, 2019 / Updated: June 24, 2020 / Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Total Time: 3 hrs

2.5K shares
This Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle is the meal worth waking up for. It's made of enriched yeasted dough balls and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce and toasted pecans for a decadent vegan brunch. 
This Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle is the meal worth waking up for. It's made of enriched yeasted dough balls and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce and toasted pecans for a decadent vegan brunch. 

This Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle is a meal worth waking up for. It's made of enriched yeasted dough and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce and toasted pecans for a decadent vegan brunch.

Vegan Monkey Bread on cake stand

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

It's almost Christmas! Are you ready?

I'm here to help. If you still need some help with gift ideas for your loved ones, make sure to check out my vegan gift guide. If you need some vegan cookie recipes for your holiday cookie swap, I've got you covered. And if still looking for that perfect Christmas recipe to serve this holiday season, make sure to check out my absolute favorite holiday recipes.

Good? Great! Now let's turn our attention towards today's recipe.

With Christmas just over a week away, it seems like it's only appropriate to celebrate with something sweetly decadent. And I have just the thing! It's a delicious, sticky, sweet, pull-apart monkey bread drenched in salted caramel sauce and covered with toasted pecans. It makes the perfect addition to your holiday brunch table and I think you're going to love it.

Vegan Monkey bread with pecans

Table of Contents show
What is Monkey Bread?
Recommended Ingredients and Equipment
How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread
Serving and Storing
Tips and Tricks
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations of Vegan Monkey Bread
More Vegan Sweet Bread Recipes
Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Drizzle
Enriched Dough
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Vegan Caramel Sauce

What is Monkey Bread?

Monkey bread is a bread of many names. You might also know it as sticky bread, Hungarian coffee cake, pinch-me cake, and pull-apart bread. Monkey bread originated as a Hungary dessert which was brought to the United States back in the 1800s.

Monkey bread is a soft, sweet, sticky pastry. It is made with enriched yeasted dough, similar to cinnamon rolls or sticky rolls. The difference is how it's served. The dough is rolled into small balls that are coated in butter and cinnamon sugar then baked together to create a sweet pull-apart bread. In the United States, monkey bread is often served as part of a festive breakfast or brunch but can also be served as dessert.


Recommended Ingredients and Equipment

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Non-Dairy Milk - Any thick, neutral-flavored milk will do. I recommend soy milk but cashew, macadamia nut, and almond milk are great as well.
  • Active Dry Yeast -You can also use instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand. The two are interchangeable in function. The only difference is that active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in a liquid to activate whereas instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
  • Chickpea Flour -This is used as the egg replacement. I love the chickpea flour eggs because they have a serious binding and leavening powder, similar to that of eggs which gives the bread its structure and lightness. Chickpea eggs are also completely flavorless meaning it won’t affect the taste of the bread itself. This is the only egg replacer that I recommend.
  • Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
  • All-Purpose Flour - I’ve had several people ask me if they can make this recipe gluten-free. I haven’t yet tried using gluten-free flour, so I can’t recommend it. If you’ve tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, let us know how it turned out for you in the comment section below.
  • White and Brown Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars.
  • Maple Syrup
  • Coconut Milk - This is for the caramel drizzle. While I highly recommend coconut milk for its richness and flavor, any non-dairy milk will do.
  • Cinnamon
  • Pecans - Feel free to omit for a nut-free version.
  • Salt

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you will need a 10" bundt pan, mixing bowl, saucepot, and basic kitchen utensils. It is also nice to have a stand-up mixer for making the dough. If you don't have one, it can be mixed and kneaded by hand. (<<affiliate links)

Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.


How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread

It's important to note that this recipe requires some time. The bread has two separate rises as well as a 40-minute bake. But good news, if you are short on time, this vegan sweet bread can be made in advance.

Yeasted dough rising in a bowl

Step One - Make the Dough

Enriched yeasted dough often sounds far more intimidating than it is. While it takes time, the process is quite simple. To start, activate the yeast in warm milk. Note: it is very important that your milk is warm but isn't above 120F. Too hot and it will kill the yeast, making it unable to activate.

In a stand-upmixer, beat together 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter. With the motor running, add the chickpea egg and the activated yeast/milk mixture.

Once the dough begins to pull away from the sides, flip it out onto a floured surface and kneed it for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm area to let rise.

Step Two - Shape the Dough

After about 90 minutes, the dough should have doubled in size. Punch the dough down to release the air and flip it onto a clean surface.

Now, rip off small pieces of dough, one at a time, and shape them into balls about 1" in diameter. Dip each ball in melted butter followed by cinnamon sugar, rolling to coat completely. Place the balls in a 9" bundt pan as you go.

Cover and let rest the dough rest for an additional 30 minutes.

Enriched dough rolled into balls and placed in a bundt cake pan

Step Three - Bake the Bread

Pour half the salted caramel sauce on the top of the monkey bread, gently tapping it down for the sauce to reach the bottom. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and your house is deliciously fragrant.

Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before flipping it out onto a cake stand.

Vegan Monkey Bread in Bundt Cake pan

Serving and Storing

Serving - To serve, flip the monkey bread out onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle with the remaining vegan caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans. This bread is best served warm. Serve this vegan sticky bread as part of your holiday brunch alongside a vegan quiche, roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, and Christmas Sangria.

Storing - Tightly wrap leftover monkey bread and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Tips and Tricks

  1. Activate your yeast properly. To do this, make sure your yeast is not expired and the milk is warm but not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast will not activate and you will not get a pillowy rise on the bread.
  2. Add flour slowly. The dough should be soft but not so sticky that you can't handle it. This recipe calls for 4 ½ -5 cups of flour. Add it ½ cup at a time until you've achieved the desired dough.
  3. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
  4. Roll uniform balls for proper baking. Your dough balls should be between 1 and 1 ½ inches in diameter. You will need about 40 balls to fill up the bundt pan.
  5. Generously spray the bundt pan to avoid the monkey bread from sticking.
  6. Don't skip the 2nd rise. Let your dough rise for an additional 30 minutes for a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular flour instead of chickpea flour?

Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour is uniquely high in protein giving it binding and leavening powers that all-purpose flour simply cannot. You can find chickpea flour in most well-stocked grocery stores in the gluten-free aisle or you can pick some up online.

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes, it can!

If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the bread is rolled and shaped in the bundt pan, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Finished recipe on cake stand with caramel drizzle

Variations of Vegan Monkey Bread

  • Orange Cardamom - Add orange zest and cardamom to the caramel sauce. Top with Orange Glaze.
  • Chocolate Hazelnut - Substitute warm Chocolate Ganache for caramel sauce. Top with hazelnuts.
  • Chunky Monkey Bread - Top with caramelized banana and walnuts.

More Vegan Sweet Bread Recipes

  • Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
  • Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
  • Classic Lemon Pound Cake
  • Vegan Pumpkin Bread w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Vegan Monkey Bread on cake stand

Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Drizzle

This Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle is the meal worth waking up for. It's made of enriched yeasted dough balls and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce and toasted pecans for a decadent vegan brunch. 
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 572kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Enriched Dough

  • 1 ½ cup soy milk
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 standard package
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • 6 tbsp. water
  • ½ cup vegan butter, softened
  • 4 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • ½ cup vegan butter
  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon

Vegan Caramel Sauce

  • ½ cup vegan butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup crushed pecans, toasted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Generously spray a 9" bundt pan and set aside.
  • To make the dough, heat the soy milk over medium heat until milk is warm but not too hot to touch (about 100 degrees F). Stir in dry active yeast and set aside for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. In a separate bowl, combine the chickpea flour with 6 tablespoons of water, whisking it together until thick and gooey. Set aside.
  • In the large bowl of a stand-up mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter. Using the hook attachment, mix to combine. With motor running, slowly add chickpea flour and yeast/milk mixtures, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time and beat to combine. Once the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and is soft to the touch, the dough is done.
  • Transfer to a floured surface and kneed the dough for about five minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl, cover in plastic wrap, and place in a warm area of your house for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • To make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating, melt the vegan butter in a microwave. Place it in a shallow dish. In a separate dish, combine the cinnamon and sugar.
  • To make the caramel sauce, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut milk, and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes before removing from heat. Set aside to cool.
  • To shape the dough, punch it down to release the air. Flip it onto a clean surface and take small pieces of dough, one at a time, shaping them into balls about 1" in diameter. Dip the balls in the melted butter, rolling to coat, and then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the balls in the bundt pan as you go. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. When you're ready to bake the bread, drizzle about half the caramel sauce over the monkey bread, tapping it down gently so that the drizzle reaches the bottom. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove when the top is golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before flipping onto a cake stand or plate. Drizzle the cake with the remaining caramel sauce. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Notes

Serving and Storing - To serve, flip the monkey bread out onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle with the remaining vegan caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans. This bread is best served warm. Tightly wrap leftover monkey bread and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tips
  1. Activate your yeast properly. To do this, make sure your yeast is not expired and the milk is warm but not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast will not activate and you will not get a pillowy rise on the bread. 
  2. Add flour slowly. The dough should be soft but not so sticky that you can't handle it. This recipe calls for 4 ½ -5 cups of flour. Add it ½ cup at a time until you've achieved the desired dough. 
  3. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. 
  4. Roll uniform balls for proper baking.  Your dough balls should be between 1 and 1 ½ inches in diameter. You will need about 40 balls to fill up the bundt pan.
  5. Generously spray the bundt pan to avoid the monkey bread from sticking. 
Frequently Asked Questions
  • Can I use regular flour instead of chickpea flour? Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour is uniquely high in protein giving it binding and leavening powers that all-purpose flour simply cannot. You can find chickpea flour in most well-stocked grocery stores in the gluten-free aisle or you can pick some up online.
  • Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes, it can! If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the bread is rolled and shaped in the bundt pan, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 896IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg
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Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin says

    June 04, 2022 at 10:19 am

    5 stars
    I've made this recipe at least 10 times now, following the recipe exactly, and it comes out perfectly each time. My husband asks me to make it almost every weekend. For two people I do 1/4 of the ingredients - it makes 16 dough balls which is plenty!

    Reply
    • Katherine says

      January 26, 2023 at 12:57 pm

      Hi I am going to try this receipe this weekend but can’t do soy do u think coconut milk could be substituted or maybe another plaint based milk thank u 🙏

      Reply
  2. Misaki says

    February 23, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    This looks divine! I have a question - how many cups does your bundt pan hold?

    Reply
  3. cheryl says

    April 28, 2020 at 5:51 am

    Do you know if this would work this work with gf four?

    Reply
    • Sarah McMinn says

      April 29, 2020 at 7:01 am

      I haven't tried it so I can't advise you!

      Reply
  4. Kristina says

    February 16, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    5 stars
    I did not make the exact coating or caramel because I had a different intention for this recipe, but the sweetened, enriched dough is downright incredible. Light, airy, and a delicious flavor. I will absolutely make this dough again.

    Reply
  5. Suzy says

    January 12, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    This was awesome! I did halve the recipe and made it in a loaf pan. It was still a lot for the 2 of us. Can it be frozen? I'm wondering if I could freeze before the second rise. It's delicious though! We just loved it!!

    Reply
  6. Diana Medina says

    December 29, 2019 at 4:37 pm

    5 stars
    I was so excited when I first saw this recipe in my inbox. Especially as it calls for ingredients I usually have on hand. Finally got around to making it today.

    IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I had to use soy milk since my little one is allergic to coconut and all tree nuts. Still so delicious and presentation was beautiful. We could not stop eating it.

    Reply
5 from 4 votes

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