Homemade dough, a caramel-pecan glaze and fresh bananas make this banana monkey bread the ultimate dish to devour at brunch.
Banana Monkey Bread
Updated on Mar. 24, 2025
If banana bread, monkey bread and pecan sticky buns all had their best attributes fused into one dessert, it would make this banana monkey bread recipe. Let’s break it down: The homemade bread dough includes mashed bananas and cinnamon, just like banana bread, but is shaped and built into the pull-apart formation that we adore in cinnamon-coated monkey bread.
That’s not all: The banana monkey bread is baked on top of a caramel-pecan sauce. Then the bread is immediately inverted after baking so all the sticky sauce and crunchy pecans settle right on top of the bread and nestle through the crevices, just like sticky buns. Don’t forget to finish it with the extra caramel-pecan sauce and fresh bananas.
Ingredients for Banana Monkey Bread
- Yeast: It’s very important you buy active dry yeast, not instant yeast, for the dough. They activate differently!
- Brown sugar: Sugar helps feed the yeast, and we use brown sugar for its lovely caramelly notes that pair well with the cinnamon, bananas and pecans.
- Milk: Warm the milk to 110° to 115°F to accurately activate the yeast.
- Bananas: You’ll need about two ripe bananas, mashed, to equate 1 cup.
- Egg: Bring the one egg to room temperature so it blends easily into the dough.
- Butter: Melt 2 tablespoons butter and let it cool slightly so it’s not piping hot. Piping hot butter might kill the yeast!
- Cinnamon: There’s cinnamon in the dough and on the dough … through a cinnamon-sugar coating, that is!
- All-purpose flour: The recipe calls for 5-1/4 to 5-3/4 cups all-purpose flour. While mixing the dough, you’ll have to use your baking judgment to see if the dough needs that extra 1/2 cup, so make sure to have the full 5-3/4 cups just in case.
- Glaze: Brown sugar, half-and-half and a little butter create a caramelly glaze. The glaze is poured into the pan and the monkey bread dough balls are baked on top. After baking, the pan is inverted and that delicious glaze settles all over the bread.
- Coating: Every dough ball is dipped in melted butter, then tossed in a cinnamon sugar coating. Finally, pecans are studded on top of the banana monkey bread (through the glaze) and fresh banana slices are arranged on top just before serving.
Directions
Step 1: Create the dough
In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in the warm milk.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, egg, melted butter, yeast mixture, salt, cinnamon, 1-1/2 cups flour and the remaining brown sugar. If desired, add the banana extract. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mixture on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in 3-3/4 cups additional flour. Add the remaining 1/2 cup if needed to form a soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
Step 2: Knead and let rise
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning the dough once to grease the top. Cover the bowl with storage wrap or a clean tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about one hour.
Editor’s Tip: You can tell if the dough is kneaded enough by pressing your finger in the dough. If the indentation stays, the dough needs a little more kneading. If the dough bounces back from the indentation, it has been kneaded enough.
Step 3: Create the glaze
In a small saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients: brown sugar, half-and-half and the cubed butter. Bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/4 cup glaze in a separate bowl to use later for the topping.
Step 4: Pour it in the pan
Pour the remaining glaze into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan, making sure the glaze is spread out evenly. Sprinkle all over with pecans.
Step 5: Prepare the butter and cinnamon-sugar coatings
Pour the melted butter into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Editor’s Tip: These are your dough ball dredging stations, similar to how you’d bread meat through flour, egg wash and bread crumb stations.
Step 6: Divide the dough
Punch down the dough, then turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 48 pieces, then shape each piece into a ball.
Step 7: Coat the dough balls
Dip the dough balls in the butter, then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them in the 13×9-inch pan on top of the glaze and pecans.
Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until the balls are almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°.
Step 8: Bake and invert
Take the kitchen towel off the pan and slide the pan into the oven. Bake the banana monkey bread until it’s golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the bread sit in the pan for five minutes, then carefully, but in one quick swoop, invert it onto a serving plate.
Step 9: Serve the monkey bread
Top the banana monkey bread with the sliced banana and drizzle it with the reserved glaze. Serve the banana monkey bread warm.
Recipe Variations
- Bake bananas in the crevices: To make this banana monkey bread recipe even more banana-y, stick banana slices in between the dough balls before baking.
- Change the nuts: Not a fan of pecans? Walnuts or hazelnuts are great alternatives.
- Add chocolate chips: In case you wanted to make everything more decadent, push chocolate chips in between the dough balls.
How to Store Banana Monkey Bread
Allow the banana monkey bread recipe to cool completely to room temperature, then wrap it in its pan or transfer it to an airtight container. The bread can last up to three days in the fridge.
How do you reheat banana monkey bread?
To reheat banana monkey bread, place it in an oven-safe dish, uncovered, and in a 350° oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. The bread should be warm and the glaze runny.
Banana Monkey Bread Tips
Can you use store-bought rolls instead?
Yes, you can use tubes of the best store-bought biscuits instead of making the dough from scratch, but keep in mind that there will not be any mashed bananas in the dough. Cut each biscuit into four, then shape into balls. Toss them in the butter and cinnamon sugar and continue with this recipe from there.
How can you ripen bananas quickly?
To quickly ripen bananas, place the two unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and pop them in a 250º oven until the skin is brown and the inside is soft and sweet, 15 to 20 minutes.
What do you serve with banana monkey bread?
Round out this banana monkey bread recipe by serving it with a bowl of fresh fruit, an egg casserole, or a side of bacon or sausages. Anything protein-rich or refreshing is a welcome counterpart to this sweet, carb-y brunch main.
Watch How to Make Upside-Down Banana Monkey Bread
Upside-Down Banana Monkey Bread
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
25 min
Yield
24 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
- 1 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5-1/4 to 5-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons banana extract, optional
- GLAZE:
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
- 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
- COATING:
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1-1/4 cups sugar
- 2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 large banana, sliced
Directions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine bananas, egg, butter, yeast mixture, salt, cinnamon, 1-1/2 cups flour and remaining brown sugar; if desired, add extract. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in 3-3/4 cups additional flour, adding remaining 1/2 cup if needed to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- In a small saucepan, combine glaze ingredients; bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping. Pour remaining glaze into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan; sprinkle with pecans.
- Pour melted butter into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 48 balls.
- Dip dough balls in butter, roll in sugar mixture and place in prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Top with sliced banana; drizzle with reserved glaze. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
2 pieces : 296 calories, 10g fat (5g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 166mg sodium, 47g carbohydrate (24g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.
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Everyone digs in to monkey bread thanks to its pull-apart shape. We add banana slices and pecans to top this already scrumptious showpiece for a brunch or family gathering. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts
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