Sweet cinnamon swirls, gooey brown sugar, and buttery biscuit bites all cozied up in your slow cooker—it smells like magic in here. This crockpot monkey bread is loaded with refrigerated biscuits, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. It’s the kind of sticky, pull-apart treat that makes forks totally unnecessary.
You know I love a shortcut. This ooey-gooey beauty is it. Minimal prep, no oven, and cleanup is basically a non-issue (parchment paper is your BFF). Bonus: it makes your kitchen smell like a sticky bun dream while it cooks—rich vanilla, toasty sugar, and melty bakery goodness. It’s like taking your nose to the fair without leaving your slippers.
Table of Contents
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Crockpot Monkey Bread
This isn’t fancy. It’s sticky, warm, soft-in-the-middle, caramelized-around-the-edges comfort food. And it kind of smells like nostalgia—if nostalgia were laced with cinnamon.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You just squish, smear, melt, and drizzle. Great for low-energy days when baking feels too ambitious.
- No oven drama: Let your crockpot do the heavy lifting while you do literally anything else. Or nothing. That’s valid too.
- Dreamy textures galore: Crispy caramel edges, soft doughy centers, and that gooey, sugary glaze dripping into all the corners.
- Sweet with a hint of spice: The cinnamon sugar isn’t overpowering, just quietly humming in the background like a comforting tune.
- Customizable with zero stress: Add pecans (or don’t). Toss in mini chocolate chips if you live on the wild side.
- Easy cleanup situation: Parchment paper liner. That’s it. Say goodbye to deeply scrubbing sticky pans at 9 PM.
Ingredient Notes
Everything here is pantry-friendly—or at least grocery-store-around-the-corner friendly. No fancy flours or yeast anxiety.
- Granulated sugar: Helps form that classic cinnamon-sugar coating on every biscuit bite. It gets slightly crisp around the edges as it cooks.
- Ground cinnamon: A must for the classic monkey bread flavor. Warm, cozy, and smells like fall (even if it’s June).
- Refrigerated biscuits: The unsung hero. Just pop a can, chop ‘em up, and you’re halfway to dessert. I use the 16.3-ounce tube—the one with 8 biscuits.
- Butter (melted): Two sticks feel generous, but you want that gooey, glossy caramel layer at the bottom. Trust the process.
- Brown sugar: Dark or light—either works. It melts with the butter into a thick, sweet glaze that trickles down through each layer.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth and rounds out the sugary sweetness so it feels cozy instead of over-the-top.
- Chopped pecans (optional): For a little nutty crunch and some extra texture contrast if you’re into that.
How To Make This Crockpot Monkey Bread
Get comfy. Maybe put on a podcast. This recipe only takes 15ish minutes to prep, and then it’s hands-off from there. You’re gonna love that.
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Line your slow cooker: Grab parchment paper or a slow cooker liner—it makes cleanup stupidly easy. Spray lightly with nonstick spray if you’re extra cautious (I usually do, just in case).
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Mix the cinnamon sugar: Toss the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl or large zip-top bag. Doesn’t matter how—just make sure it’s well mixed.
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Cut up your biscuits: Open the can (brace for the pop), separate the dough, and cut each biscuit into quarters. Bite-sized is the goal here so the glaze coats each piece.
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Toss biscuit pieces in cinnamon sugar: Drop them into the sugar mix and give them a good shake or stir so they’re evenly coated. They’ll look like little cinnamon pillows.
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Whisk together the glaze: Melt the butter first, then stir in brown sugar and vanilla until it’s mostly smooth and you don’t see grainy clumps.
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Layer it all in the crockpot: First half of the biscuit pieces go in, then drizzle over half the butter mixture. Repeat with the second half of both. Drizzle slowly if you can—it makes the gooeyness magic more even. Sprinkle pecans on top if you’re using them.
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Add a towel under the lid: Use 3–4 paper towels (or a clean dish towel) across the top so condensation doesn’t drip down into the bread. Secure with the lid, but make sure nothing’s touching the food.
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Cook low and slow… or not that slow: 1.5 to 2 hours on HIGH, or 2.5 to 3 on LOW. Keep an eye on it around the 1-hour mark because crockpots like to improvise. You want golden edges and cooked-through centers.
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Flip it out and eat warm: Once it’s done, lift it out using the parchment paper, give it a few minutes to cool (not too long!), then invert onto a serving plate. Pull-apart heaven awaits.
Storage Options
So you’ve got leftovers? Miraculous. Let’s talk storage.
Room temp isn’t its best friend, so if it’s going to hang around longer than a couple hours, pop it into an airtight container and refrigerate it. It’ll stay good for about 3 days. Just know the texture will soften a bit in the fridge—it loses that crisp caramel edge, but stays sweet and chewy in a nice way.
Reheating is easy. If you’re doing just a piece or two, microwave it for about 15 to 20 seconds until warm and gooey again. For a crowd-serving (or one very committed fork), reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes, covered loosely in foil to prevent over-browning.
And yes, you can freeze it—though I’ll say it’s best fresh. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating. But I’d wager it won’t last long enough to make it to the freezer.
Variations and Substitutions
There’s room for play here. If you’ve got a sweet tooth with opinions, this crockpot monkey bread understands.
- Canned cinnamon rolls instead of biscuits: Go extra cinnamon-y and skip the added sugar bath—just cube ’em and layer in plenty of glaze.
- Add mini chocolate chips: Sprinkle some between layers of biscuit pieces for a melty, fudgey contrast that wins over every chocoholic.
- Use chopped walnuts instead of pecans: Slightly earthier and a bit crunchier. And hey, they’re what I had last time I made this.
- Swap vanilla for maple extract: It gives the glaze a breakfasty pancake vibe that’s weirdly addictive.
- Toss in some dried cranberries: Adds a teeny pop of tartness that cuts through the sweet. Plus, it feels holiday-ish if you’re into that.
- Go savory (kinda?): Hear me out. Use plain biscuits, skip the sugar mix, and toss in cheddar, scallions, and bacon bits. Monkey bread rebels unite.
What to Serve with Crockpot Monkey Bread
Now technically this is dessert… but is it, really? Feels more like all-day treat energy to me. Here are a few things that pair surprisingly well.
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If you’re making this for brunch, pair it with something savory like eggs or a slice of bacon and basil cornbread muffins. That sweet and salty balance? Major win. Also balances out the sugar-soaked biscuit carbs. Kinda.
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For a cozy movie night or game day hang, set this monkey bread out next to cranberry meatballs. It sounds weird at first, I know. But trust me, the contrast in flavors works, especially during fall or holiday gatherings.
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Summer afternoon? Serve a chunk of monkey bread with a scoop of vanilla—or better yet, peanut butter banana ice cream. Everything starts melting into everything else, and it’s beautiful.
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Want to balance the richness a bit? Add a cup of plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey on the side. It’s simple and oddly elegant next to such a sticky mess.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep the monkey bread the night before?
Yes, but with a few tweaks. Coated biscuit pieces can get soggy if they sit too long, so I recommend prepping all your components separately. Chop the biscuits, mix your sugar and cinnamon, and whisk your glaze. Store everything separately in the fridge, then assemble in the morning. Fresh assembly = best texture.
What size slow cooker should I use?
Stick with a 5 to 7-quart Crockpot. If you’re scaling up the recipe or using a deeper model, just be sure to check doneness around the 90-minute mark. Too small and the biscuit pieces will overcrowd and stay doughy in the middle.
My monkey bread came out soggy. What went wrong?
This usually means there was too much liquid-to-dough ratio or it wasn’t cooked long enough. Be sure to layer the glaze in evenly without drowning it, and don’t skip the towel trick—it absorbs steam so you don’t get condensation dripping back into the sugar glaze.
Can I double the recipe?
You can, sort of. If your slow cooker’s deep enough, go for it—but be aware the center may take longer to cook through. Alternatively, use two slow cookers or do two batches back-to-back. Monkey bread is never too much.
Easy Crockpot Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Main
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (8 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 refrigerated biscuits (8-count, 16.3 oz tube) such as Pillsbury Grands! or similar
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter melted (2 sticks)
- 1 cup (210 g) brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped pecans optional
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (5–7 quart)
- Parchment Paper or Slow Cooker Liner
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Instructions
- Line your slow cooker: Line a 5–7 quart slow cooker with parchment paper or a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup. Lightly coat with nonstick spray if desired.
- Mix the cinnamon sugar: Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl or large zip-top bag. Stir or shake well to blend.
- Cut the biscuits: Open the can of biscuits, separate, and cut each biscuit into quarters for bite-size pieces.
- Coat biscuits: Drop biscuit pieces into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss until evenly coated.
- Make the glaze: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and blended.
- Layer in the slow cooker: Add half of the coated biscuit pieces to the slow cooker. Drizzle with half of the butter-brown sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining biscuits and glaze. Sprinkle pecans on top, if using.
- Add a towel under the lid: Lay 3–4 paper towels or a clean dish towel across the top to catch condensation, then secure the lid. Make sure towel does not touch the food.
- Cook: Cook on HIGH for 1.5 to 2 hours, or on LOW for 2.5 to 3 hours. Check at the one-hour mark—bread is done when edges are golden and center is cooked through.
- Cool and serve: Lift the monkey bread out by the parchment paper, allow to cool a few minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Pull-apart and enjoy warm!
Notes
Variations: Use canned cinnamon rolls instead of biscuits, add mini chocolate chips or swap pecans for walnuts, or swap vanilla for maple extract.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat single portions in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10–15 minutes. Freeze for up to 2 months after fully cooled.
