Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread is a pull-apart treat that is sweet, perfectly cinnamon-spiced, and drizzled with a cream cheese glaze.


author’s note
He Asked for This Instead of Birthday Cake!
My oldest son’s favorite treat is a homemade cinnamon roll. And while homemade is always his first choice, he’ll happily eat the canned ones if it means he gets a cinnamon roll. I can’t really blame him!
When he had a few friends over, I thought it would be fun to take my traditional monkey bread and make it with canned cinnamon rolls. Something easy to throw together, but a little more fun than baking the rolls the usual way. Plus, the icing is already included, which makes the whole thing even easier.
I cut the rolls into pieces, tossed them in cinnamon sugar, and added a buttery brown sugar sauce before baking. Once it was out of the pan, I drizzled the icing over the top and served it warm so everyone could pull off pieces.
It got two thumbs up all around the table, but the best part was my son asking if we could have it for his birthday cake.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tip |
|---|---|
| Canned Cinnamon Rolls | I use Pillsbury Grands, but any 17.5-ounce brand works. |
| Sugar & Cinnamon | Coats the dough for added sweetness & spice. |
| Butter, Brown Sugar, & Vanilla | Adds that classic cinnamon roll filling flavor. |
| Cooking Spray & Flour | Helps prevent sticking in the Bundt pan. |
| Icing | Use the icing from the cinnamon roll package to save time. |
Featured Comment
We have made this 2x in the last month and we LOVE it. It’s yummy, looks gorgeous and is really easy. Definitely a keeper!
– Autumn
How To Make Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Preheat & Prep: Heat oven to 400°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
- Cut Dough: Quarter the cinnamon rolls.
- Sugar Coat: Toss dough pieces in a mix of white sugar and cinnamon.
- Layer in Pan: Place coated pieces in the pan.
- Pour Sauce: Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla, and pour over dough.
- Bake: Bake 25-35 minutes until set.
- Cool & Flip: Let it cool, then flip onto a plate. Drizzle with cinnamon roll icing.
Storage
Leftover Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Store: Once cooled, cover tightly. Follow the icing package’s storage directions; refrigerate if the icing requires it. Homemade cream cheese icing needs refrigeration, too.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in short microwave bursts just until soft.
- Freeze: Wrap baked leftovers tightly and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator & gently reheat. The texture is best freshly baked.
Savory Breakfast Ideas:
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One Pan Sausage and Veggie Hash
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Ham and Cheese Quiche
Breakfast
Egg Skillet

Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
Video
Equipment
- Bundt pan 12-cup
Ingredients
- 2 (17.5-ounce) cans cinnamon rolls Pillsbury Grands
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease (with cooking spray), then lightly flour a large, 12-cup Bundt pan.
- Remove the cinnamon roll dough and cut each roll into quarters.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar, then toss the cinnamon roll dough quarters in the bowl until well coated.
- Once coated with cinnamon sugar, add roll pieces to the prepared Bundt pan.
- Melt butter and stir in the brown sugar and vanilla; pour over the dough in the Bundt pan.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until no longer gooey in the center. Remove and let cool for 10–15 minutes. Once it’s still warm, but no longer hot, you can flip the Cinnamon Roll Monkey bread onto a plate.
- Transfer the icing from the can into a plastic bag. Snip off the tip with scissors and pipe it all over the cake.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.





















Going to try this recipe tonight… does it matter if the dough is room temperature or chilled before cooking?
I use the dough straight from the fridge 🙂
You might want to also add to the recipe to not let it cool more than about 5 mins. I let me sit while I did a few things and it was impossible to remove from the pan.
Great recipe for monkey bread! Made it a few times! 2 things you could do to change it up is add cookie dough the the bottom of the bunt pan. (I used chocolate chip and everyone loved it!)
If you making it by the recipe I always add a teaspoon of nutmeg to the sugar and cinnamon mixture and it gives it such a nice flavor!!
I’m so happy you love this recipe! Those tips sound amazing, thank so much for sharing! 🙂
SOOOOOOO delicious!! Made this for my son and his friends and they loved it! I ate what was left, and OMG! This is my go to monkey bread from now on!
So thrilled this breakfast was a hit! Thanks for the comment 🙂
How would I make this in a 9×13 pan
I loved this recipe this was my first time making monkey bread and it was SO easy!!!
I’m so happy to hear this Chrissy! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Hi! Would it be ok for it to sit overnight or will that mess up the monkey bread? Love your recipes by the way ????
Thank you so much Jessica, I appreciate that! 🙂 To be honest with you, I’ve never made it overnight, so I’m not sure. I think the cinnamon rolls could deflate or dry out a little, but it was covered carefully, maybe it would be okay. Sorry, just guessing here!
After I took mine out I let it sit for 6-7 minutes. NOT long enough! It broke in a couple of pieces and some stuck to the bottom. Still edible just only for us. ????
I’d let it sit more like 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven so it stays together! Glad you enjoyed though 🙂
I noticed when I took it out the outside was crispy but the inside was still doughy. How do I fix that?
You can tent some foil over the top. Is your oven calibrated to the correct temperature? If the temperature is off, that might be why the outside is cooking quicker than the inside.
We have been making monkey bread since I was in hs, 25+ years now and this is BY FAR the best and easiest recipe to date. Everyone including myself LOVED it!
This comment made my day!! So thrilled to hear this was the best and easiest 🙂 Happy holidays Amy!!
I noticed it says in the body of your blog to spray or butter the pan. You might want to add that to the directions in case people miss that. Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it for guests!
Thanks for pointing that out Linde 🙂 I’ve updated! 🙂
I’m making this tonight for “Card night with friends” but plan on adding chopped pecans.. thanks for the recipe.
Hope you enjoy! 🙂