Savory Monkey Bread is the perfect bread recipe when you want maximum flavor, but minimal investment on time and energy. These perfectly soft and tender dough balls bake into savory, cheesy, bacon-y bites of delightful goodness. So much flavor, so little work, and it’s a perfect recipe to make with the kids, too!
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This Savory Monkey Bread is amazing for so many reasons. First and foremost, it’s super easy and super customizable. Putting all of the ingredients together in the bundt pan takes almost no time at all. This is also a wonderful recipe to make with the kids. My children have been obsessed with dough from a young age and this recipe absolutely thrills them. I let them cut the rolls and toss them in the butter mixture. It’s good for me and great for them!
I’m so glad I came up with this recipe during this time of year. At some point, someone is gonna ask you to bring a bread to one of the number of holiday get-togethers you’ll be going to. This is your recipe. It’s so simple and so delicious, people will ask you how you did it and where you found the recipe. Make sure you do some name dropping.
This recipe is perfect for any of your holiday tables, can serve as a fun appetizer bread for parties, and is a perfect accompaniment to a comforting, cozy soup on a cold, dreary day. It’s fantastic on any Thanksgiving table and will be a welcome sight at Christmas. You absolutely cannot go wrong!
monkey bread ingredients
- Frozen Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Butter
- Granulated Garlic
- Granulated Onion
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Dried Dill Weed
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Cooked Bacon Bits
how to make savory monkey bread
I’ve talked about how awesome this monkey bread is for long enough. Let’s get into the details of making it. This part is super easy.
Thaw out the dinner roll dough either on the counter-top for 30 minutes or defrost in the microwave 3-4 minutes. The dough balls will cut easier if they are still slightly frozen.
Cut the dough balls into quarters. I use a pair of kitchen scissors to make quick work of this, and if my kids are around, I let them do this part. After the dough balls are all cut, let them thaw completely.
In a large glass mixing bowl, melt the butter. Next, add the everything bagel seasoning, salt, dried dill weed, granulated garlic and onion, and fresh ground – mix this to combine. Stir in the shredded cheese and bacon bits. Add the dough balls to this mixture and toss to coat.
Add the dough balls with butter/cheese/bacon situation to a lightly greased 10-12 cup bundt pan. Cover with a slightly damp dishcloth and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size – depending on the temperature of your designated spot, this can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. If you’re making it for the next day, let it rise, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Bake in a preheated 350° oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes. This is to prevent any excess browning.
Once cooked through, let the bread cool for about 5 minutes in the bundt pan. Invert the bread onto a plate and then flip it back over for serving. And, because why not, I like to brush a little extra butter on top. Ya know. To make it pretty.
recipe variations
One of the beautiful things about this monkey bread is that you can play with the flavors until the cows come home. There are so many options – all of them delicious. Here are just a few variations of this Savory Monkey Bread:
- For Greek Inspo, try oregano, dill, feta, and chopped olives.
- Combine your favorite Italian seasoning, pepperoni, and mozzarella for a pizza bread. Serve with marinara.
- A combo of jalapeños, Monterrey jack, and taco seasoning would make for a nice a Mexican-inspired bread.
- Keep it classic with just butter, granulated garlic and granulated onion.
- For a charcuterie board inspired bread, try salami and manchego. After baking, drizzle with hot honey. It’s incredible.
- To cut out the rise time, simply swap out the frozen yeast rolls for canned buttermilk biscuit dough.
recipe frequently asked questions
Yes! If you don’t need a big batch of this bread, I suggest using muffin tins. Fill the tins about halfway, let them rise, and then bake. You’ll have to keep an eye on it and adjust cook times, but they’ll be great!
You can also use a smaller, 6-cup bundt pan. Just cut the recipe in half and be mindful of the cooking time.
Because of the cheese and bacon, I store my bread in a zip top bag in the fridge.
This bread will stay good in a zip top bag in the fridge for 3-4 days. If it lasts that long.
Yes! Assemble everything up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. The next day remove the dough from the fridge and let it hang out on the counter-top for about 30 minutes to knock off the chill. Bake as instructed.
monkey bread tips and tricks
- If you don’t have fresh dill, dried dill weed will work just fine. Just cut down on the amount. 1-2 teaspoons will be great because dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
- If experimenting with herbs, remember some may not hold up to baking well. Super soft herbs like cilantro and basil may turn brown during cooking.
- Let the dough partially thaw out on the counter top for about 30 minutes or defrost in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. The dough balls are easier to cut if they are still just a tad bit frozen.
- DO NOT use pre-shredded cheese. It will not give you a good result.
- After 20 minutes of baking, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top to prevent over-browning.
- To reheat, wrap in a damp paper towel, heat on low in the microwave.
- Store leftovers in the fridge.
other easy bread recipes
shop the recipe essentials here
Savory Monkey Bread With Bacon and Cheese
Ingredients
- 24 frozen yeast dinner rolls
- ½ cup butter, melted plus more for topping at the end
- 2 tsp everything bagel seasoning
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cups cooked bacon bits
Instructions
Dough Prep
- Thaw out the dinner roll dough either on the counter-top for 30 minutes or defrost in the microwave 3-4 minutes. The dough balls will cut easier if they are still slightly frozen.
- Cut the dough balls into quarters. After the dough balls are all cut, let them thaw completely.
- In a large glass mixing bowl, melt the butter.
- To the melted butter, add the everything bagel seasoning, salt, dried dill weed, granulated garlic and onion, and fresh ground. Stir in the shredded cheese and bacon bits. Add the dough balls to this mixture and toss to coat.
Rise and Bake
- Add the dough balls with butter/cheese/bacon situation to a lightly greased 10-12 cup bundt pan. Cover with a slightly damp dishcloth and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
- Bake in a preheated 350° oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes or until bread is cooked through.
- Let cool in the bundt pan for about 5 minutes. Invert onto a plate and flip back over for serving. Brush with a little extra melted butter and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Savory Monkey Bread With Bacon and Cheese recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or 5 star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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