Monkey Bread Recipe from Jake Makes It Easy

Jake Cohen's Challah Monkey Bread is a delightful fusion of traditional challah and sweet, pull-apart monkey bread. This recipe transforms the classic braided loaf into bite-sized pieces, coated in a rich mixture of butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then baked to golden perfection. The result is a warm, gooey treat that's perfect for sharing at brunch or as a festive dessert.

Recipe by Jake Cohen on Jake Makes It Easy.

Executive produced by Rachael Ray. A Free Food Studios production.

Ingredients

½ batch Challah Dough (about 700g)
6 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

Directions

Make the monkey bread: Using a bench scraper, cut the half of the challah dough into 1-inch pieces, then transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the butter. In a separate bowl, stir together granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon of the salt to combine. Sprinkle over the dough and toss to coat, then transfer to a Bundt pan in an even layer. Cover and set aside in a warm area until puffed to fill the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Place a platter over the pan and carefully but quickly invert them together, then remove the pan to reveal the monkey bread.

In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, water, vanilla bean paste or extract, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt until smooth. Drizzle over the monkey bread and serve warm.