King Cake Monkey Bread

King Cake Monkey Bread is an easy and fun twist on a New Orleans favorite – King Cake! It’s super simple to make and it incorporates the same flavors in King Cake, transforming them into a pull apart dessert for parties and family celebrations.

Easy King Cake Monkey Bread Recipe

King Cake is a beloved Louisiana dessert traditionally enjoyed from Epiphany in early January through the height of Mardi Gras season. Classic King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon-spiced yeast dough, sometimes topped with a simple glaze and always finished with sparkling purple, green, and gold sugar.

Over time, bakers have put their own spin on the original, adding fillings like sweet cream cheese, nuts, raisins, and other flavor variations. No matter the version, that signature cinnamon-sugar swirl is what makes King Cake completely irresistible and a must-have for any Mardi Gras celebration.

Key ingredients to make pull-apart King Cake Monkey Bread: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Canned Cinnamon Rolls – Three tubes classic cinnamon rolls replaces biscuit dough in this monkey bread recipe.
• Butter – Melted salted butter or unsalted butter for richness.
• Cream Cheese – One 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese for the filling and the creamy glaze.
• Sugar – Light brown sugar adds a hint of molasses and sweetness.
• Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds a warm spice to the filling.
• Flavoring – One teaspoon vanilla extract adds creamy notes to the flavor.
• Half and Half – Will give the rich liquid filling a rich flavor.
• Eggs – Whole eggs stabilizes the bread while baking.
• Sprinkles – Purple, green and yellow edible glitter or sanding sugar.

What Does the Baby in King Cake Represent?

The baby found in a traditional King Cake is said to represent the baby Jesus. A small plastic baby is placed into the underside of the cake after baking. Whoever finds the baby tucked away in his or her piece, is expected to bring the cake to the following year’s celebration.

How to Make the Best King Cake Monkey Bread Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan or tube pan with cooking spray or baking spray. Set aside.
• Filling – Whip together cream cheese, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and vanilla until combined. Add eggs. Stir in half and half until blended.
• Cinnamon Rolls – Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 quarters. Arrange evenly in pan.
• Combine – Pour evenly with sauce ingredients.
• Oven – Bake per the cook time in the recipe until golden brown and puffed.
• Let Stand – Let stand for 10 minutes then turn onto a serving platter.
• Make Cream Cheese Glaze Topping – Using an electric mixer, whip together remaining cream cheese with cream cheese frosting from cinnamon rolls until smooth. Add additional half and half to make easier to drizzle.
• Glaze – Flip the pull apart bread onto a platter. Drizzle glaze over monkey bread.
• Decorate – Sprinkle with purple, green and yellow edible glitter or sanding sugar.
• Serve – Slice or pull apart and serve.

Kitchen Equipment to Make King Cake Monkey Bread

• One 12-14 cup bundt pan OR tube pan.
• Knife and cutting board.
• Hand mixer.
• Medium bowl and small bowl.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Spatula.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Use Classic Cinnamon Rolls – This recipe uses regular, not jumbo, cinnamon rolls in place of canned biscuit dough used in classic monkey bread.
• Use a Bundt Pan or an Angel Food Pan – I make this king cake monkey bread in a large bundt pan without issue. Be aware that it puffs up considerably while baking, and if the liquid isn’t evenly distributed it could cook over a bit. A tube pan gives plenty of room for the monkey bread to grow.
• Easy Serving – This variation of monkey bread isn’t made in the normal fashion of coating the biscuit pieces in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Due to this, it can also be sliced into beautiful pieces just like a cake.
• Alternative to a Baby – Placing a baby into this King Cake monkey bread is completely optional. In a pinch, a pecan half will work and could be baked right along with the bread.
• No Extra Sugar Needed for the Glaze – The cream cheese glaze that comes with the cinnamon rolls is sweet, and it’s really not necessary to add more sugar. You may adjust to your taste.
• Half and Half – You can use heavy cream in place of half and half.
• Glaze – You can simply drizzle the top with the glaze that comes with the cinnamon rolls. The cream cheese does transform the flavor and makes it super creamy.
• Butter – You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store baked King Cake Monkey Bread in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Reheating – Reheat in single servings in the microwave.
• Freezer – You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container or wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw in the fridge and reheat before serving. Please Note: The glaze will melt when reheating.

More Mardis Gras Recipes to Make

Other dishes you may also enjoy making for your homemade Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras celebration:

• Sweet New Orleans Beignets dusted in copious amounts of powdered sugar.
• A big bowl of Jambalaya is certain to warm you up from the inside out.
• Creole Sausage Balls are a tasty option for breakfast, brunch or snacking.
• Bourbon Pecan Pralines are simply addictive.
• Crawfish Etouffee is packed with flavor.
• Enjoy a heaping helping of Dirty Rice alongside your favorite entrées.
• Easy Shrimp Creole ladled over a bowl of white rice is so comforting.
• Muffaletta from Emerils.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Silicone Spatulas