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Praline Pecan Monkey Bread

This gooey Praline Pecan Monkey Bread is a Southern style spin off of classic monkey bread. It features rounds of unbaked dough, that are quartered then coated with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. After assembling in a Bundt pan they’re smothered with a buttery praline sauce filled with toasted pecans. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind sensation.

Praline Pecan Monkey Bread Using Rhodes Frozen Yeast Rolls


Easy Praline Pecan Monkey Bread Recipe

I can still remember my first ooey gooey taste of monkey bread. It tasted like a bite of heaven, I thought to myself.  Today, I still have the same reaction. After all, small bites of dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and smothered with a buttery caramel sauce couldn’t possibly be called anything else. This variation is unapologetically indulgent and makes the perfect sweet ending to a casual pizza party or a fancy brunch. How to make the best Pecan Praline Monkey Bread: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Rolls – Allow frozen rolls to thaw on the counter for 15-20 minutes then use a sharp knife to quarter each roll.
  • Pecans – Spread the pecan pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven. Set aside to cool.
  • Cinnamon Sugar Coating – Coat the Rolls with granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large plastic storage bag.
  • Assemble – Sprinkle 1/3 of the toasted pecans on the bottom of a tube pan coated with cooking spray. Next, layer with half of the rolls. Repeat with 1/3 pecans and a final layer of rolls. Sprinkle any cinnamon and sugar left in the bag over the top. Finish with final 1/3 of pecans.
  • Make Sauce – In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan melt together brown sugar, butter and heavy cream over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for 1 minute.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla or rum extract. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the praline sauce evenly over the rolls. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
  • Bake – Uncover rolls and bake in a preheated 350 °F oven for 35-40 minutes until golden. Rest for 5-10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a platter.
  • Sprinkle the top with sea salt and enjoy.
step-by-step images how to prepare monkey bread praline sauce and pecans

How to Make the BEST Praline Pecan Monkey Bread Recipe

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Praline Pecan Monkey Bread: Frozen dinner roll dough (i.e. Rhodes or similar) melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, toasted chopped pecans, heavy cream and ground cinnamon.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A sharp knife and cutting board, sheet pan for toasting the pecans, measuring cups and spoons, large tube pan.
  • Traditionally, monkey bread would begin with quartered refrigerated biscuit dough. Just like my savory version of pull apart rolls garlic Parmesan pull apart bread, I begin this recipe with rounds of frozen yeast rolls. This is dough that is unbaked, look for raw rounds of frozen dough in the freezer section of your local market or grocery store.
  • Slightly thaw the rolls makes them easier to quarter. Don’t let them go too far or you’ll end up with a soft dough  that’s beginning to rise and difficult to cut.
  • Why no canned biscuits? I’ve found that dinner rolls give a more bread-like texture and take this monkey bread to another level.
  • Set aside the praline pecan sauce to cool just slightly before pouring over the rolls. Don’t let it cool too much or it won’t be pourable.
  • I highly recommend taking the time to lightly toast the pecans for the best flavor. It only takes minutes to do and could even be done in advance to save time.
  • Store baked Praline Pecan Monkey Bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Reheat in single serving portions in the microwave just as you would any bread. The praline pecan sauce will solidify when chilled but will melt when reheated.
Praline Pecan Monkey Bread Using Rhodes Frozen Yeast Rolls

More Sweet and Savory Pull Apart Bread Recipes to Make

Praline Pecan Monkey Bread Using Rhodes Frozen Yeast Rolls

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Praline Pecan Monkey Bread

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Rise Time45 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: easy-monkey-bread, monkey-bread-recipes, praline-pecan-monkey-bread-using-rhodes-frozen-yeast-rolls
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 342kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecan pieces toasted & divided
  • 20 frozen yeast rolls thawed but still cold, quartered [I used Rhodes]
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla or rum extract
  • sea salt optional

Instructions

  • To Prep the Rolls: Place the frozen yeast rolls in a single layer on a platter. Allow to thaw on the counter for 15-20 minutes. Use a sharp knife and quarter each roll. (If the rolls are slightly frozen in the middle they're much easier to quarter.)
  • Toast the Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spread the pecan pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely
  • To Assemble: Spray a tube pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large plastic storage bag sift together 2/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon. Add the rolls and seal the bag. Toss until all pieces are evenly coated.
  • Sprinkle 1/3 of the toasted pecans on the bottom of the tube pan and top with 1/2 half of the rolls. Repeat with 1/3 pecans and a final 1/2 rolls. Sprinkle any cinnamon and sugar left in the bag over the top. Finish with final 1/3 of pecans.
  • To Make the Praline Sauce: In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan melt brown sugar, butter and heavy cream over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla or rum extract. The mixture will be hot, handle carefully. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
  • Pour sauce evenly over the rolls in the pan. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
  • To Bake: Uncover rolls and place into a preheated 350 °F oven for 35-40 minutes until golden. Rest for 5-10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a platter.
  • Sprinkle the top with sea salt if desired, then pull apart and enjoy.

Notes

[Please note: The rolls will rise while baking. A Bundt pan is not quite deep enough for this monkey bread although you could split it and bake some in a loaf pan.]

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 344IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

67 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this exactly as its written except I added 1 cup of raisins in with the pecans. I also let the sauce cool down to 130 degrees before pouring over the dough so it didn’t ruin the yeast in the bread. It was amazing!!!!!! Oh my gosh my husband and I ate half in one sitting. LOL. Don’t add up the calories though if you are on a diet.

  2. Hey! I see a lot of people asking about making this ahead, so I thought I would share what I did.

    I followed the recipe as is up until the sauce step. Once I had the rolls cut, covered in cinnamon and sugar and placed in the pan with the pecans I covered it with plastic wrap and placed in the fridge overnight. When I was ready to bake I pulled the rolls out and continued with the sauce portion of the recipe. They turned out great! Thanks for the recipe I will make this again and again!

    1. Thanks for trying the night ahead method-I was hoping someone had done it. Did you still let it rise for the 45 minutes after you put the sauce on? If it rose all night I would think you wouldn’t need as much rising time.

  3. I’m from Scotland and we don’t have Rhodes frozen yeast rolls, so could you tell me how much 20 rolls worth of dough weighs so I can make it from scratch myself? it would be a huge help! 🙂

  4. Hey, I was planning on making this the night before for Easter service this year and I was wondering what the best way to you think to reheat it would be? There is no way around reheating it, I wish there was. Lol.

    1. I’m not sure i have a definite answer as I usually bake and serve this bread. However, any way you feel comfortable gently reheating bread, be it in the microwave or oven should work for this as well.

      1. Awesome thanks. Of course I quickly scanned the recipe and bought the wrong ones. Oh well, extra buns for me! Back to the store, bound and determined to make this.

      2. You won’t be sorry both rolls are delicious but, definitely the dough rounds for this recipe.

    1. thanks for an absolutely fabulous recipe. It took less that 20 minutes after I took it out of the oven and half of it was gone. I did the praline sauce adding the cooked pudding mix with the brown sugar, butter and cooked it using your directions. I should have taken a picture. Thanks again. M L Davis.

  5. Is this only served warm? Can it be served the next day at room temperature? Does it stay moist and soft, or does it harden because the sauce (sounds like a caramel sauce?) the next day? Thank you.

  6. If using a tube pan is there a need for doubling the sauce? And if using a bundt pan, about how many less rolls would you use?

    1. There’s no need to double the sauce unless you’re doubling the recipe. I made this in a bundt pan so follow the recipe and you should be good to go.

      1. Bundt pans also come in different…I have a large one. I use it when I make it with two cans of Grans Biscuits/if in a hurry LOL Going to do the yeast rolls now.

      1. Do you put it in the refrigerator if you have it all ready to go in the oven,but want to cook in the morning?

      2. That’s such a great question but, I’m not sure I have a definitive answer. Yeast type rolls and bread will continue to rise in the fridge. I’ve never tried it with these but, my thought is they likely would do OK, I just can’t tell you from personal experience. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

  7. OHHH THANK YOU Melissa, my man is gonna love this. There’s a bakery that’s 3 hours from us that makes the best monkey bread. We HAVE to stop every time we go that way(which hasn’t been in a long time). We just got a new bundt cake pan also, this will be a great first recipe to bake in it.
    Have a GREAT Memorial Day Weekend.
    Kari

  8. Hands down the BEST Monkey Bread I’ve ever had! Thanx sooo much for sharing. (Hubby thanx you as well!)
    Donna
    Litchfield Park, AZ

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