One summer morning, my mom taught my sisters and I how to open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and bake them in a round pie plate all by ourselves. It was a great day and a terrible day.
The great part was spending every Monday through Friday in June rotating through the orange, regular, and “grand” varieties (if only there had been a Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting flavor). The terrible part was pulling them out of the oven, then spending the next 20 minutes fighting over who got to eat the most prized roll in the pan: The Middle Cinnamon Roll.
What we needed back then, to bring peace to our household, was pumpkin monkey bread. Otherwise known as cinnamon roll bites or cinnamon pull-apart bread, monkey bread is a tasty treat that oozes cinnamon sugar in every bite (like these Cinnamon Blondies) and tastes exactly like the prized middle of the center cinnamon roll. PLUS, there’s pumpkin! I’m often asked my favorite thing to make. While choosing just one feels a bit impossible, when pressed I will often answer homemade sweet rolls. I love coming up with new twists (like these Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls) and the edible rewards are outstanding. This homemade pumpkin monkey bread is my favorite sweet roll recipe to date (these Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are a close second). The pumpkin in the dough (a full cup!) makes the monkey bread:
Insanely moist, tender, and rich.Taste of harvests, bonfires, and all fall things that are warm and wonderful (this Apple Bread is another fall favorite). Allow you to convince yourself that grabbing a second helping is okay (pumpkin is a vegetable after all, right?)
How to Make Pumpkin Monkey Bread
With every little fluffy dough piece coated in a happy layer of sugar and spice, a necessary drizzle of cream cheese glaze, and a shower of toasted pecans, pumpkin monkey bread is one of those sweet treats just calling to be picked apart by your fingers.
The Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree. Adds moisture, flavor, and a subtle orange hue to the dough. (This Healthy Pumpkin Bread is another pumpkin favorite of mine.)Yeast. A standard packet of your favorite instant yeast is all you need to make scratch-made monkey bread dough perfectly pillowy.Flour. This pumpkin monkey bread dough is made using a 50/50 blend of all purpose and white whole wheat flour.Brown Sugar. Sweetens the dough while adding a hint of molasses that accents the pumpkin beautifully.Butter + Milk + Eggs. Enrich the dough with fat to make it soft, tender, and moist.Cinnamon + Sugar. Dusts each ball of dough before baking and caramelizing into ooey-gooey cinnamon roll glory. (Only this Caramel Apple Cake rivals its gooey factor.) Spices. A marriage of nutmeg, ginger, and cloves deeply spice the dough and coating and make your kitchen smell absolutely divine.Pecans. Add a little (optional) crunch.Cream Cheese. Mixed with vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar to make the PERFECT glaze for this addictive pumpkin monkey bread (or this Banana Bundt Cake).
The Directions
