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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And, if you're in the mood for more another bread recipe just like this, try my Ham and Cheese Garlic Knots!
Pull Up A Chair and Let's Chat!
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!
What You'll Need
- Frozen Yeast Dinner Rolls - You can find these with the frozen breads. It makes this recipe one of the most simple things ever!
- Butter - Because butter and bread cannot exist without one another.
- Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Everything Bagel Seasoning, Dried Dill Weed - The seasoning blend for the butter. If you're not a fan of any of these, just leave them out.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Cooked Bacon Bits - Cheese and bacon. I mean. Yes.
How To Make It
I've talked about how awesome this savory monkey bread is for long enough. I'll give you a brief rundown here, but the specifics will live in the recipe card below.
To make this super easy bread, simply:
- Thaw and cut dough.
- Make butter mixture and coat dough balls.
- Rise and bake.
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.
Variations and Substitutions
One of the beautiful things about this savory 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a smaller batch of this savory monkey bread?
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.
Can I prepare this bread ahead of time!
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.
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.
Storage Instructions
- Because of the cheese and bacon, I store my savory monkey bread in a zip top bag in the fridge.
- This savory monkey bread will stay good in a zip top bag in the fridge for 3-4 days. If it lasts that long.
- To reheat, wrap in a damp paper towel, heat on low in the microwave.
- To freeze, wrap the cooked bread with plastic wrap and then with foil. It will stay good up to 3 months in the freezer.
Savory Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 frozen yeast dinner rolls
- ½ cup butter, melted plus more for topping at the end
- 2 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ¼ teaspoon 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
If you guys make this Savory Monkey Bread With Bacon and Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Savory Monkey Bread 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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brenda hill says
delicious for breakfast or anytime.
Rufus says
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!
Margaret says
I have been banned from making this bread. Hubby says it is entirely too delicious!
Rufus says
Haha! You don't know how happy I am to hear it! I'm so glad you guys like it! Have a wonderful day!
Apryl S says
so good and so easy! excellent bread recipe!