This gluten free monkey bread is soft, buttery, and full of sweet brown sugar cinnamon flavor in every bite. It is a decadent pastry-like dish that can be enjoyed with breakfast or as a dessert!

Monkey bread on a white plate. It is topped with glaze.

This homemade gluten free monkey bread recipe has been a work in progress for over a year. It has taken me that long to make it perfect. Gluten free dough behaves differently from regular dough, and every gluten free flour blend behaves slightly differently.

If you want this to be as dreamy as possible, you will need to use the same gluten free flour blend that I used. I talk about this below in the ingredient notes section. This gluten free flour blend is the hero in my Braided Gluten Free Challah and Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls recipes, too!

Why I love this gluten free monkey bread:

  1. This bread is soft and squishy, like real bread.
  2. It is fun to pull apart and eat with your fingers.
  3. As I used, you can bake it in any pan, from a bundt pan or a loaf pan to an angel food cake pan.
  4. Make it with brown sugar and cinnamon, or add chopped apples to make it even better!

My new gluten free monkey bread recipe is based on my popular Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe.

Photos of the monkey bread ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

Check out ALL of my recipes using Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend.

  • Gluten Free Flour Blend – For this recipe, I highly recommend using Authentic Food’s Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend Flour. It is the best gluten free flour blend for bread that I have found. You can shape it easily, and it rises perfectly if you can’t find that flour, use Cup4Cup. I suspect Better Batter will also work well. Not all flour blends rise well with yeast, so it may not be the same if you don’t use one of my two preferred blends.
  • Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, add 1 teaspoon.
  • Yeast – I used regular active dry yeast. Double-check that the brand you use is gluten free. Red Star “Platinum” is NOT gluten free!
  • Eggs – Size large.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter.
Pulling a section of bread off the loaf.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Step 1: Place the yeast, warm water, and one tablespoon of sugar into a small bowl and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it is frothy with lots of bubbles.

Photos of steps 2 and 3.

Step 2: Add the yeast mixture, eggs, and softened butter into the bowl of a standing mixer. Put on either the paddle attachment or the dough hook. Mix on medium speed until the wet ingredients are mixed together.

Add the gluten free flour and salt. Turn on the mixer to low speed. Slowly increase the speed until the flour is mixed in. To measure your gluten free flour, I use one of two methods:

Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.

Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.

Step 3: Blend the ingredients until your dough is formed. With Steve’s gf blended flour, the dough looks wet but quickly begins to look like dough.

IMPORTANT: When making this gluten free monkey bread recipe, you only get one good rise when working with gluten free dough. You want to very quickly shape the dough and get it into the pan.

Photos of steps 4 and 5.

Step 4: Combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk to blend them. In another bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 5: Grab small chunks of dough and roll it into balls. Dip each ball in melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Photos of steps 6 and 7.

Step 6: Grease a bundt pan, loaf pan, 8×8 cake pan, or any pan you would like to use for this recipe. My bundt pan has a lot of sharp angles, so I decided to bake mine in an angel food cake baking pan. Use spray oil like coconut oil or another light oil to prevent sticking.

Step 7: Toss the butter and sugar-coated balls of dough into the pan. For best results, vary the sizes of the dough balls.

Step 8: Loosely cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.

Dough Rising Tip:

Turn your oven on to 200º F. Turn it off, keeping the door closed. Place the baking pan with the dough into the oven. I always rise my dough in a warm oven. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes.

Step 9: Bake the gluten free monkey bread for 30-40 minutes until it is done. The actual baking time will vary depending on how deep the pan you use is. The top of the monkey bread will look a little golden and is firm to the touch.

Step 10: Remove the monkey bread. In my pan, I was able to lift the monkey bread out. If you use a bundt ban, tilt the pan upside down to release the bread onto a plate.

Baked monkey bread in the pan.

Step 11: Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and water to make the glaze. This icing is optional, but my kids rave about how good the icing is with the cinnamon and buttery flavors. Drizzle the icing over the monkey bread.

Monkey bread with some sections missing after people ate them.

This is the best gluten free monkey bread ever. It is light and springy, with the perfect texture. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe!

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Why is it called monkey bread?

Monkey bread gets its name because it is picked apart with your fingers. This is how monkeys eat, and the name stuck.

Does monkey bread need to be baked in a bundt pan?

No. You can make monkey bread in any pan. It is most commonly baked in a bundt pan, but this is not necessary.

How long will this monkey bread keep fresh?

This monkey bread will keep fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I like to warm it slightly in the microwave before eating it.

Can you freeze monkey bread?

You can easily freeze monkey bread. I slice the bread into thick slices, then put them into a freezer bag. This monkey bread will keep fresh for up to 4 months in the freezer.

If you love a sweet breakfast, you may love this Gluten Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole recipe!

More Gluten Free Bread Recipes:

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Include which flour blend you used. This helps others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

Monkey bread on a white plate. It is topped with glaze.

Gluten Free Monkey Bread

Sandi Gaertner
Fluffy, delicious homemade Gluten Free Monkey Bread.
5 from 6 votes
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Gluten Free Bread Recipe, Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 281 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

Yeast Mixture:

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast * see note
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 â…“ cups warm water No hotter than 110º F

Rolling Mixtures:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Icing:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine the yeast mixture ingredients and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be bubbly when it is ready.
  • Add the wet ingredients to a large standing mixer bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture. Put on either the paddle attachment or a dough hook. Turn the mixer on and mix the wet ingredients.
  • Pour in the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low speed until the flour is mostly mixed into the wet ingredients. If the speed is too high, flour can go flying so for best results, increase the speed gradually!
  • You only get one chance for a good rise when working with yeast recipes and gluten free. You need to do the next step quickly before rising the dough.
  • In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. In another small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Tear small pieces of dough off the main dough and roll it into balls. Roll each ball in the melted butter, and then the brown sugar. Place each ball into a greased bundt pan (or another pan, see note).
  • Fill the pan, then cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Place the pan in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes. I preheat my oven to 200º F then turn the oven off so it can rise there.
  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • Place the monkey bread into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size and depth of the pan. The top will become slightly golden and firm to the touch when it is done baking.
  • Remove the bread from the pan and mix up the icing. The icing is optional.

Notes

  1. I used Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend flour. It is by far the best for gluten free bread. You can also use Cup4Cup or Better Batter. Other blends like King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 do not work well with yeast.
  2. Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  3. Yeast – double check the brand you use is gluten free. Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
  4. This monkey bread will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 4gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 258IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hello! I made this bread today and it turned out amazing! I had to sub a couple of ingredients, I had instant yeast instead of active dry, and I used bobs red mill 1 to 1 because that’s what I had. Anyway it turned out beautifully! I don’t have a Bundt or angel food cake pan, so I used a bunch of small bread tins to make tiny loaves. Anyway, it rose beautifully, but did not get to double the size. Tasted delicious and baked well though. Thanks for your awesome recipes as usual!!

    1. I am so glad you loved it. I am so glad it worked as small loaves. Thank you so much for the idea. This will be a big help for other readers who may not have a bundt pan.