This Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread is soft and fluffy with a gooey sticky texture! It’s basically a giant Bundt pan of gooey cinnamon rolls. It’s perfect for a holiday breakfast or anytime dessert! The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.

Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread on a plate drizzled with sugar glaze.

My Favorite Egg-Free Monkey Bread Recipe from Scratch

A completely Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread recipe – no canned biscuit dough here! In my opinion, nothing compares to the flavor of homemade, and you’ll be surprised how quickly the dough comes together.

The homemade eggless brioche-like dough is rolled into balls, dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then baked until bubbling and glazed to perfection. It’s delicious warm from the oven or sliced and heated after it’s cooled.

Monkey bread is served pull-apart style, where everyone tears off a piece. Each bite tastes like the sticky, delicious center of cinnamon rolls…YUM – I promise you’ll be licking your fingers clean and grabbing more and more bites!

This Egg-Free Monkey Bread Is

  • Sweet, sweet, gooey, and tender.
  • Made completely from scratch – no canned biscuit dough here!
  • Super easy to make, even though from-scratch monkey bread takes longer to prepare than a shortcut version made with canned biscuit dough, the results in taste and texture are worth every second of extra time.
  • Made with pantry staples.
  • Basically, a giant Bundt pan of gooey cinnamon rolls!
  • Perfect for a fun breakfast or dessert.

Let’s get baking!

three pieces of Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread on a plate.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).

You’ll need:

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

For the Dough:

  • Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here. Make sure to measure it accurately, so your bread doesn’t end up too dense.
  • Yeast: I recommend and use instant yeast since it doesn’t need to be activated; just mix it with the dry ingredients.
  • Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the monkey bread.
  • Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
  • Custard powder: Instead of custard powder, you can use golden flaxseed meal or evaporated milk. Flaxseed: Mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Let it rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add the mixture in step 2 instead of the custard powder. If using flaxseed, skip the 4 tablespoons of water. Evaporated milk: Skip the custard powder and use 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of evaporated milk instead. If using evaporated milk, skip the 4 tablespoons of water.
  • Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
  • Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.

For the Coating: You’ll need butter (unsalted butter preferably), granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial

Step 1 – Make the Egg-Free Bread Dough

  • Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine warm milk, custard powder, water, and melted butter.
  • Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture.
  • Knead until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky.

Oriana’s Tip: To know if the dough is well kneaded, the dough must be not too sticky, not too dry, and not too springy. If your dough feels tight and springy, continue kneading until the dough is completely smooth, slightly tacky to the touch, springs back when pressed on with your fingers, and is no longer sticky. You can also test it with the windowpane test: To do so, pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it gently from the center outward with your fingertips. If it tears, keep kneading. It should stretch into a paper-thin film, and you should be able to see the light pass through it, like a window.

Step 2 – First Rise

Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours, or until double in size.

Step 3 – Form the Balls

  • When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air.
  • Lightly sprinkle the counter with 2 tablespoons of flour.
  • Carefully turn out the dough onto the flour; gently pat and stretch the dough into a rectangle.
  • Using a bread scraper, pizza wheel, or knife, cut the dough as a grid.
  • Roll each dough piece into a ball.

Step 4 – Assemble the Monkey Bread

  • Melt butter in a medium bowl. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon together in another medium bowl.
  • Dip each ball, one by one, in the melted butter and then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them.
  • Place balls in the prepared Bundt pan as you work.
  • Loosely cover and let rise for 20 – 30 minutes.

Step 5 – Prepare the Coating

  • Melt the remaining butter, then whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
  • After the second rising time is over, pour the brown sugar topping over the monkey bread.

Step 6 – Bake

Bake until the monkey bread is golden brown. If the bread is browning too much, about halfway through the baking time, cover the baking pan loosely with aluminum foil.

Oriana’s Tip: To know if my bread is done baking, I like to use a thermometer to check if my bread is fully baked. Introduce the thermometer to the middle of the bread, and if it reads a temperature of 190° F (87º C) at the center, it’s fully baked but still soft and moist. If a thermometer is not an option, you can also use a long wooden skewer and pierce through the center of the bread, making sure my skewer doesn’t come out doughy.

Overnight Monkey Bread Instructions

Prepare the recipe through step 3. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate overnight. At least 3 hours before you serve the monkey bread the next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator, keep it covered, and allow it to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours. Continue with the recipe instructions.

a hand tanking a piece of Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread.

Variations You Can Apply to This Recipe

  • Nuts & Dried Fruits: When arranging the dough balls into the Bundt pan, add walnuts and raisins among the dough pieces. You can also use dried cranberries, dried cherries, chopped pecans, almonds, or cashews—any combo is delicious.
  • Spices: Instead of coating the balls with cinnamon sugar, use pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread spice mix, or a blend of your favorite spices.
  • Glaze: Instead of sugar glaze, drizzle your monkey bread with salted caramel, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, or, even better, cream cheese frosting.
  • Dairy-Free Option: To make this monkey bread recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter and milk with plant-based alternatives. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors.
  • Gluten-Free Option: To make this monkey bread recipe gluten-free, substitute the flour with gluten-free flour alternatives. This one is my favorite.

Tips to Make Egg-Free Monkey Bread from Scratch

Greasing the inside well, getting into all the nooks and crannies, guarantees that the sticky bread will be unmold easily.

If you don’t have a Bundt pan, you can half the recipe and bake it in a loaf pan.

Do not allow the bread to cool in the pan for longer than 5 minutes; the sticky glaze will start to solidify, and the bread may break when you try to turn it out.

Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread on plates over a marble surface with kitchen table on the side.

Storing & Freezing Instructions

Store: Monkey bread tastes best served on the same day. Cover leftovers tightly and store it at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a 300º F oven until warmed through, about 5 – 8 minutes, or in the microwave for 15 – 30 sec.

Freeze: Prepare the dough as instructed in the recipe and let it rise. After the dough rises, punch it down to release the air, then roll it into small balls. Do not coat the balls. Place shaped dough balls on a baking tray, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Once the dough balls are cold, they won’t stick together. Place the cooled balls in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container, then freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to assemble, thaw the dough balls in the refrigerator or at room temperature, prepare the coating and baking pan, then coat the dough balls as instructed in the recipe. Continue with the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is monkey bread?

Monkey bread is a pastry made with bread dough that is rolled into balls, dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then baked until bubbling and glazed to perfection. It’s also known as plucking cake, pull-apart bread, and bubble bread.

How can I tell if my monkey bread is done baking?

I like to use a thermometer to check if my bread is fully baked. Introduce the thermometer to the middle of the bread, and if it reads a temperature of 190°F at the center, it’s fully baked but still soft and moist. If a thermometer is not an option, you can also use a long wooden skewer and pierce through the center of the bread, making sure my skewer doesn’t come out doughy.

How can I tell if the dough is well-kneaded?

To know if the dough is well kneaded, the dough must not be too sticky, not too dry, and not too springy. If your dough feels tight and springy, continue kneading until the dough is completely smooth, slightly tacky to the touch, springs back when pressed on with your fingers, and is no longer sticky. You can also test it with the windowpane test: To do so, pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it gently from the center outward with your fingertips. If it tears, keep kneading. It should stretch into a paper-thin film, and you should be able to see the light pass through it like a window.

Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread pieces showing the fluffy inside texture on a plate.

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Recipe Card 📖

Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread on a plate drizzled with sugar glaze on a plate.

Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread

Oriana Romero
This Homemade Eggless Monkey Bread is soft and fluffy with a gooey sticky texture! It’s basically a giant Bundt pan of gooey cinnamon rolls.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12 -14 servings

Ingredients
 

For the Dough:

  • 4 1/2 cups (630 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast (1 standard packet in the US)
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110° F (43° C)
  • 2 tablespoons (20 g) custard powder (see notes for substitute)
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1/3 cup (5 tablespoons / 70 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

For the Coating:

Important

Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!

Instructions
 

Make the dough:

  • Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine warm milk, custard powder, water, and melted butter.
  • Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Mix the dough with the hook attachment on low speed for 1 – 2 minutes until combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium, and continue kneading until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and is no longer sticky about 5 – 8 minutes. Note: Make sure to knead the dough long enough, so your bread is light and fluffy and not dense or heavy. Heavy bread can be the result of not kneading the dough long enough. See note for by-hand instructions.
  • Lightly spray a clean bowl with cooking spray or oil, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Form the Balls:

  • When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air.
  • Lightly sprinkle the counter with 2 tablespoons of flour.
  • Carefully turn out dough onto the flour; gently pat and stretch the dough into a 10 x 4-inch rectangle. Note: Use the step-by-step photos above as a guide for this step.
  • Using a bread scraper, pizza wheel, or knife, cut the dough into a 10 x 4 grid. You will need 45-50 balls to fill the pan.
  • Roll each dough piece into a ball.

Assemble the Monkey Bread

  • Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick baking spray.
  • Melt 1/2 cup (115 g / 1 stick) of unsalted butter in a medium bowl.
  • Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in another medium bowl.
  • Dip each ball, one by one, in the melted butter and then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them. Place balls in the prepared Bundt pan as you work. Loosely cover and let rise for 20 – 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C) while the bread rises.

Prepare the Coating:

  • Melt the remaining 1/4 cup (60 g / 4 tablespoons) butter, then whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
  • After the second rising time is over, pour the brown sugar topping all over the monkey bread evenly — place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake:

  • Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. If the bread is browning too much, about halfway through the bake time, cover the baking pan loosely with aluminum foil.
  • When the monkey bread is fully baked, remove it from the oven and then gently loosen the edges of the pan with a spatula. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then, invert onto a serving platter and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Oriana’s Notes
 
Yeast: I always use instant yeast, which doesn’t need to be activated before adding to the dry ingredients, but if you need to use active dry yeast, mix it with the warm (110º F) milk along with two teaspoons of sugar and let it rest for 8 -10 minutes until foamy and frothy.
Custard powder: Instead of custard powder, you can use golden flaxseed meal or evaporated milk. Flaxseed: Mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Let it rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add the mixture in step 2 instead of the custard powder. If using flaxseed, skip the 4 tablespoons of water. Evaporated milk: Skip the custard powder and use 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of evaporated milk instead. If using evaporated milk, skip the 4 tablespoons of water.
No Stand Mixer? No problem! You can make this recipe by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. Mix the dough ingredients in a large bowl with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula after the dough comes together. Lightly sprinkle the counter with 2 tablespoons of flour. Turn out dough onto the flour; knead until it’s elastic and no longer sticky, about 8 -10 minutes.
Store: Monkey bread tastes best served on the same day. Cover leftovers tightly and store them at room temperature for 1 day and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Prepare the dough as instructed in the recipe and let it rise. After the dough rises, punch it down to release the air, then roll it into small balls. Do not coat the balls. Place shaped dough balls on a baking tray, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Once the dough balls are cold, they won’t stick together. Place the cooled balls in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container, then freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to assemble, thaw dough balls in the refrigerator or at room temperature, prepare the coating and baking pan, then coat the dough balls as instructed in the recipe. Continue with the recipe.
Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a 300º F oven until warmed through, about 5 – 8 minutes, or in the microwave for 15 – 30 sec.
Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 3. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate overnight. At least 3 hours before you serve the monkey bread the next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator, keep it covered, and allow it to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours. Continue with the recipe instructions.
Pro Tips:
  • Greasing the inside well and getting into all the nooks and crannies guarantees that the sticky bread will unmold easily.
  • If you don’t have a Bundt pan, you can half the recipe and bake it in a loaf pan.
  • Please do not allow the bread to cool in the pan for longer than 5 minutes; the sticky glaze will start to solidify, and the bread may break when you try to turn it out.
  • To know if the dough is well kneaded, the dough must be not too sticky, not too dry, and not too springy. If your dough feels tight and springy, continue kneading until the dough is completely smooth, slightly tacky to the touch, springs back when pressed on with your fingers, and is no longer sticky. You can also test it with the windowpane test: To do so, pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it gently from the center outward with your fingertips. If it tears, keep kneading. It should stretch into a paper-thin film, and you should be able to see the light pass through it, like a window.
  • To know if my bread is done baking, I like to use a thermometer to check if my bread is fully baked. Introduce the thermometer to the middle of the bread, and if it reads a temperature of 190° F (87º C) at the center, it’s fully baked but still soft and moist. If a thermometer is not an option, you can also use a long wooden skewer and pierce through the center of the bread, making sure my skewer doesn’t come out doughy.
  
If you’re making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, frequently asked questions, and step-by-step photos.
 
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
 
Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!Recipe reviews on the website are extremely valuable to other readers online. So, please don’t forget to give it a 5-star rating below.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 38g

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Course Breakfast brunch
Cuisine American
Calories 499
Keyword bread breakfast brunch eggfree Eggless from scratch

Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.

Originally posted in December 2020, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, with no change to the recipe in September 2022.  

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the recipe!
    I was wondering if I can replace the yeast with sourdough starter? If yes, can you tell me the proportions please?

    Thanks much!