The BEST Gluten-Free Monkey Bread (Dairy Free Option)

I’ve been trying to bake tasty and gluten-free monkey bread for ages, and I’ve finally cracked the code with this recipe. It all started when I discovered the right flour; that’s when all the pieces began to fall into place. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Monkey bread is a soft, doughy, and sticky pull-apart bread that many people enjoy as a sweet breakfast treat or as an indulgent dessert. It’s called “monkey bread” because you pick it apart like a monkey would pick apart a treat.

Monkey bread is made from balls of sweet dough that are rolled in a sugar-cinnamon mix and then coated with a buttery topping and baked to perfection.

I never thought I’d be able to enjoy monkey bread again once I went gluten-free, and I was right. For many years, I tried making monkey bread using different flour blends and lackluster recipes I found on the Internet, only to be very disappointed each and every time.

But that all changed a few months ago when I discovered a new flour blend from an exhibitor at the Nourished Festival.

This new secret flour enabled me to make the most perfect gluten-free cinnamon rolls, a doughy gluten-free chocolate babka, and now the most delicious monkey bread I’ve ever had.

About Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix

I’ve been following a gluten-free diet since I was diagnosed with celiac disease for almost 10 years. since that fateful day when my doctor told me I had celiac disease and could no longer eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.

I think every person with celiac disease will agree that the hardest recipes to make without gluten are breads and pretty much anything that requires yeast.

For years, I tried making yeasted breads to no avail. The reason my yeasted breads tasted so awful is that I thought you could use an all-purpose gluten-free flour or a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend. You really can’t.

When I discovered Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix (formerly Lorraine’s Gluten-Free), I realized that yeasted breads – specifically sweet breads – were back on the menu.

This sweet dough mix contains the perfect blend of flour, starches, and sugar to ensure your recipe comes out perfect every time. Once you perfect the dough, a whole world of gluten-free baking opens up. Monkey bread, donuts, cinnamon rolls, and babka, all open up to you again.

Please note that you cannot make this recipe without Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix. It won’t work with any other flour. I don’t want you to waste your time or money with other recipes or try this recipe with another flour blend. It won’t work.

Ingredients for Monkey Bread

You’ll need a few ingredients to make this gluten-free monkey bread recipe:

For the Dough:

• 1 package of Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix (it comes in a 25.64-ounce package and includes 3 yeast packets)
• 1 1/4 cups warm milk or dairy-free milk
• 3/4 cups unsalted butter or dairy-free butter, melted (not hot – do not exceed 110º F)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 – 1 cup gluten-free 1:1 flour

For the Monkey Bread:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

You’ll also need a well-greased bundt pan or 2 9×5 loaf pans, along with a sturdy standing mixer with a paddle attachment, to make this recipe.

How to Make the Dough

A lot of people will use pre-made biscuits to make a shortcut version of monkey bread; however, because gluten-free biscuit dough doesn’t exist, those on a gluten-free diet must make their own dough from scratch. Hand + Heart has made this job a little easier with its Sweet Dough Mix.

Follow the following steps to make your dough:

(1) Empty the entire bag of the Sweet Dough Mix into the bowl attached to your standing mixer. Remove the three yeast packets, then empty the contents of the yeast packets into the flour. Whisk everything together.

(2) Combine milk, melted (but not hot) butter, and lightly beaten eggs in a small bowl and mix to combine.

(3) Set your standing mixer to low and slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients before turning up the mixer to medium-high for five minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky and smooth.

(4) Grease a clean bowl and then place the mound of dough inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise for about two hours. Immediately chill the risen dough for another two hours, or overnight, so it stiffens and will become easier to work with.

TIP! Make the dough a day or two in advance, and just leave it in your fridge until you’re ready to make your monkey bread.

(5) Add flour to your work surface, then knead the dough into a smooth ball, adding about 1/2 cup of extra flour or more, as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky and much easier to work with.

How to Make the Monkey Bread

Once your dough is kneaded and ready to go, you’re ready to make your monkey bread.

(6) Grease a large bundt pan with cooking spray. Set it aside. If you don’t have a bundt pan, you can use two 9×5″ loaf pans.

(7) In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix or shake to combine and set aside.

(8) Cut the dough ball into quarters so it’s easier to work with. Take one-quarter of the dough and roll it into a long snake. Then, cut the dough into about 1-1.5″ pieces. Roll each piece into balls, then coat each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before placing each ball inside the bundt pan. Repeat until all the dough is formed into balls, coated with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and added to the bundt pan.

(9) Cover the bundt pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for another 1-2 hours in a warm, draft-free space.

(10) In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup melted butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Mix it together to form a caramel topping. Once the dough has had its second rise, pour the brown sugar-butter mixture on top of the dough so it’s fully coated.

(11) Bake the monkey bread in a 350º F preheated oven for about 33-36 minutes until the top pieces of the dough are golden brown. Don’t worry if some of the tops get a little more browned. The gooey caramel will coat and soften those pieces when you invert the pan.

(12) Remove the bundt from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add a round, heatproof serving plate to the top of the bundt, then carefully flip the bundt over onto the plate (use oven mitts), allowing the gooey caramel to drape over the dough. Serve warm.

While this monkey bread takes a little effort to make, I think you’ll find that the effort is well worth the enjoyment you’ll get out of this recipe. This gluten-free monkey bread tastes absolutely incredible. It’s soft, doughy, sticky, and gooey, just as monkey bread should be.

Best of all, there is no grainy texture or gritty aftertaste. The dough holds together and is fluffy and even a little chewy. In fact, if you press the dough, it bounces back to shape. You won’t miss the gluten. In fact, you’ll never know the gluten is missing in the first place!

FAQs

Here are a few answers to your most frequently asked questions:

Can I use a different gluten-free flour? No. You must use Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix for this recipe. This dough already contains sugar. I’ve tried making gluten-free monkey bread with other flours, and it never tastes good. That’s why I’ve never posted a monkey bread recipe before this.

I’ve been baking gluten-free for a long time. I would never steer you in the wrong direction. In fact, I want you to have the best monkey bread experience possible because I know gluten-free ingredients are expensive, and it’s hard to throw away a dessert that you spent not only a lot of time making but also a lot of money.

I only recently discovered Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix and found this mix opened up an entire world of baking to me. I’m now able to bake yeasted sweet doughs with ease. And you can too.

I can’t find Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix anywhere. As I mentioned, this is a new mix and doesn’t have wide grocery store distribution at the moment. You can order it online on the Hand + Heart website.

Can I make it dairy-free? Yes, this monkey bread can absolutely be made with dairy-free milk and butter. I recommend using almond, cashew, or soy milk, along with Earth Balance vegan butter.

Can I make it egg-free? I have not tried to make this recipe egg-free. The dough requires two eggs, but I do think you’ll still get a great texture if you use an egg replacer. I cannot say for sure, though, as I haven’t tried it. If you do, leave a comment and let me know how it turns out.

Do I have to coat it with brown sugar and melted butter? Not at all. You can coat it with any topping you desire using any monkey bread topping recipe you find.

What pan should I use if I don’t have a bundt pan? You can use two 9×5″ loaf pans instead.

How far in advance can I make the dough? You can make the dough 1-2 days in advance. Just leave it in your fridge until you’re ready to make the rest of the monkey bread.

How do I store leftovers? Cover monkey bread with plastic wrap and store it in your fridge. You can microwave it for a few seconds, but it will even taste good cold.

More Recipes

You might like these recipes, too:

• Gooey Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
• Easy Gluten-Free Babka (with Chocolate Nutella)
• Gluten-Free Honey Cake Recipe for Rosh Hashanah
• Simple Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake Recipe