9 Unique Ingredients That Make Monkey Bread Irresistible

Cinnamon baked goods are always a safe bet. They're comforting and easy to devour with familiar flavors, and we'd say that something like monkey bread is already pretty scrumptious in its own cinnamon-laden right. The baked treat is often made in a Bundt pan to give it a distinct shape, but it can also be baked in a standard baking dish or even a loaf pan. So there's already variation in the way it's baked, but it doesn't hurt to add more flavors into the mix when you want to take the dish from traditional to captivating. 

Whether you make the monkey bread dough from scratch or use store-bought biscuits to streamline your time in the kitchen, we have a few ideas on ingredients to include to make the dish more complex and irresistible for any occasion. We compiled some options when you want to enhance the baked good, taking them to new heights in terms of flavors, textures, and visual appeal. We'll talk about what makes the ingredient so special and what it adds to the already-tasty dish. Follow your go-to monkey bread recipe and then incorporate the ingredients, or seek out a specific recipe with the add-in if you want step-by-step instructions. Transforming a classic monkey bread is easier than you may have thought because you likely have most of these ingredients in your fridge or pantry already.

Bourbon sauce is a simple yet scrumptious 3-ingredient sauce that can make your monkey bread even tastier. You only need bourbon, brown sugar, and some butter to create the drool-worthy and bold condiment. You can make it more complex with ingredients like heavy cream or spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon, but that's only to add more dimension — it's incredibly decadent and compelling with the three main ingredients. 

The unique sauce offers a lot of versatility in that you can apply it as a scrumptious glaze, pour it directly into the mixture before you bake it for added flavor and moisture, or even serve it on the side to dunk the pieces in. We like the idea of serving a few pieces of monkey bread on a plate and then drizzling the sauce over the top to create a rich pool on the plate. Fruit such as peach, nuts like pecans, or even chocolate work really nicely with a bourbon sauce-laden monkey bread. We also have some tips to create the best bourbon sauce if you need some pointers.

Forget about banana bread, it's all about banana monkey bread. You might typically use ultra-ripe brown bananas for banana bread, thanks to the sugar content. However, we don't have to go that route for monkey bread because the banana is an add-in ingredient that you want to hold the shape. The bananas can be ripe, but they don't have to be brown, mushy, and overripe. There are a couple of ways to approach adding the fruit to the monkey bread.

First is to employ it as a topper by placing an even layer of sliced bananas at the bottom of the pan, then arranging the prepared dough and the rest of the ingredients, and baking. You may include chopped bananas throughout the bread, too, but the main focus is that scrumptious banana top that will cook in the usual buttery, sugary sauce to create a caramelized banana of sorts. 

Alternatively, skip the banana top and only use it as a mix-in ingredient. Cut the fruit into pieces, then do an initial layer of dough balls, followed by banana, then repeat. The bananas also work well with walnuts or pecans for a slightly crunchy element to each bite, but we prefer chocolate chips for an additional gooey touch.

Although apple pie is usually associated with fall, there's no rule that you can't make it any time of year. If you have a can of apple pie filling hanging out in the pantry from your autumnal baking, try incorporating it into your next batch of monkey bread rather than a pie. Monkey bread already has those notes of cinnamon, so the moistness of the apples can truly transform and elevate a humble classic into a scrumptious, memorable dessert. Some apple pie fillings even have acerola and lemon juice to offer brightness and a tart touch to further heighten the flavors, so it's not a one-note sweetness. 

But you can make or own or further jazz it up with spices like clove, nutmeg, and allspice, or a splash of vanilla. The filling may be unusual, but it provides added texture, allowing you to enjoy those apple morsels along with the dough, sugar, and cinnamon. You'll wonder how you went so long without apples in your monkey bread because everything works together so well.

Ramp up the gooey factor by incorporating candy bar pieces in your monkey bread. There are plenty of options that you can pick from, so you can make a decision based on preference. Don't expect them to look picture perfect, though, because they will melt and not hold their exact shape, but ultimately, this depends on the type of candy bar you use. Sizing matters as well, so if you're using a full-size candy bar, then you'll want to chop it into more bite-sized morsels. Even mini candy bars require a little bit of chopping because they are still somewhat large in comparison to an individual monkey bread ball. 

Things like chopped Reese's or Butterfingers can add a nice peanut nutty and chocolatey profile, while the latter has that unique crunchy interior to bring your monkey bread to new heights. Snickers has even more dimension with the bits of peanut, caramel, and nougat, or Kit Kats with those wafer cookie layers. And yes, you can mix and match candies as you wish; try 3 Musketeers with Milky Way or Milky Way Dark for a softer candy addition. Just chop the desired candy bars and add the pieces as you arrange the dough balls. This non-traditional inclusion can really transform your baked treat (and is a great way to use up Halloween candy).

You may be wondering how bacon in monkey bread works, but it's in the same vein as other sweet bacon combinations. We're playing on those smoky, salty notes by combining them with the sweetness of monkey bread. You'll want to cook the bacon ahead of time, though, ensuring it's thoroughly crisp — they should crumble easily once cooled, and you don't want any soft, fatty bits. It helps to vary the sizing so the bacon adds a visual, textural, and flavor element to tantalize all your senses. You can use small crumbles or bacon bits, so to speak, but you'll want larger pieces as well. 

Do the normal monkey bread steps of dunking the dough in cinnamon sugar, then arrange in the baking dish, sprinkling the bacon chunks as you go. The final touch is to combine butter, sugar, and maple syrup for the ultimate sweet pairing, and pour over the arranged monkey bread before baking; we often see candied bacon made with the delicious tree sap, so that's the idea here, too. For a spicy touch, try adding cayenne to the sugar, maple, and butter mixture to make a truly unique combination.

We often see recipes for monkey bread with heavy cream, so using coffee creamer falls in that same line of thinking, although it's a little bit more interesting and unexpected. It still provides a richness that'll make your baked good all the more irresistible. You can apply the creamer in a couple of ways, depending on how you want it to taste.

For a creamier result, combine melted butter and creamer, then dunk the cinnamon-coated dough balls in the creamy mixture. This ensures each ball is coated in the rich concoction. For a subtler but equally delicious method, just use it as part of a glaze along with butter and powdered sugar; you'll top off your baked good with the glaze to give it an alluring drizzle and a flavorful punch. The bonus is that there are many coffee creamer flavors to pick from. For example, if you are making monkey bread for a fall or winter family gathering, you could use a holiday creamer — like pumpkin, gingerbread, or cookie butter to bring dimension without much added effort.

Cookie butter may seem like an odd choice to add to monkey bread, but it works, believe us. However, you're not popping a glob of the spread in the arranged dough balls. Instead, you're melting it with butter and sugar to be part of a sauce that you'll pour over your dough — that's how its flavor infuses into all the nooks and crannies. You won't even see it, but you'll know that it's there with every mouthwatering bite. 

Oftentimes, cookie butter contains gingersnap cookies and spices, so they may have cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and molasses, which complement the cinnamon aspect you'd usually see in monkey bread. You'll also find it made with speculoos cookies with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pick your favorite brand (or make homemade cookie butter) to use in your baked delight. This ingredient is great to use for the holiday monkey breads, but cookie butter is delicious any time of year. You can use crunchy cookie butter as long as you don't mind the little bits, but creamy is always the best place to start.

Cinnamon is a diehard classic in monkey bread, but it's harder to find the complex and aromatic chai spices in your usual recipe. That's why we think it can be a wonderful way to add a delicious touch to your average humdrum bread. Chai spice blends can vary, depending on whether you make them yourself or purchase them from a store. You might often see ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper, allspice, ginger, bay leaf, and fennel, which will transform the flavor and aroma of your monkey bread — ensuring a stimulating yet uncommon version. 

Guests will wonder what you did to make it so delectable, and it can be as easy as shaking pre-made ground chai spices into your sugar to coat every single morsel. But you could mix it directly into the melted butter and sugar mixture instead. Either way, it'll permeate every bite with fragrant spices. If you plan to make the spice blend from scratch, then we have a range of helpful tips if you're baking with chai spices – one of the top ones is to ensure you finely grind them so people don't get any woody morsels in a bite.

Monkey bread usually offers a slightly chewy but quite moist texture from the dough balls baked in the butter-sugar blend — it's what makes monkey bread such a delight to nibble on. Adding marshmallows (standard or mini ones work) to the mix can offer an airy, sweet touch to each bite when you want to veer from your normal recipe. As you're arranging the dough, delicately place marshmallows at somewhat even spacing. This ensures that you're not left with a clump of marshmallows in one section. Ramp up the marshmallow elements by melting them with butter and sugar to use as a glaze. This method is pretty uncommon, but it will thoroughly transform the flavor and texture of your baked treat with that added gooey layer dripping from the top.

Although sweet, the marshmallow is generally mild in flavor, which means it can pair well with other elements, such as candy pieces. Try pairing it with chopped peanut butter cups or mini ones. Or find inspiration from s'mores and include marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed graham crackers into the layers as you arrange your bread.