Tamara Novacoviç experiments with doughs and shapes, and ends up with a delicious recipe for Monkey Bread Muffins.
Text And Photos By Tamara Novacoviç
I decided to make my favorite orange-cardamom rolls. I made the dough and let it rise. I started thinking about how much I love this honey dough. Another thought crossed my mind-Why don’t I use it for some other shapes and make something new? Somehow, I ended up with monkey bread muffins. I didn’t want the classic monkey bread, I wanted individual, smaller buns. They turned out delicious and I will bake them again, for sure. They’re quite fun to make and will make you feel like the kid who used to have tons of fun with leftover dough given to them by their mom or grandma.
This delicious dough is made with honey and you can use it for some other sweet buns or rolls.
Monkey bread muffins
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
These Monkey Bread Muffins are a fun twist on the classic, featuring a sweet honey dough with a hint of orange and cardamom, baked into individual portions perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
- 5 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 package (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm milk
- 1/4 cup (55 g) butter, melted
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) orange zest
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (55 g) butter, melted (for coating)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the orange zest and egg to the mixture.
- Melt 1/4 cup of butter with honey and warm milk. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the yeast mixture and the melted butter mixture to the flour mixture. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a muffin tin.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter for coating.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide it into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
- Dip each ball into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place 3-4 coated dough balls into each muffin cup.
- Cover and let the muffins rise for another 20 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- These muffins are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to regain their softness.
- You can substitute cardamom with cinnamon for a different flavor profile.
- If you prefer a less sweet version, reduce the amount of sugar in the coating.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 20
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the dough use honey instead of plain sugar?
The article describes this as a “honey dough” — the ¼ cup of honey is melted together with warm milk and butter before being added to the flour. Honey adds moisture and a subtle floral sweetness that the author loved enough to want to use the dough for multiple shapes beyond the original orange-cardamom rolls.
Why does the recipe call for two separate rises?
The dough rises first for about 1 hour after kneading until doubled in size, then a second time for 20 minutes after the dough balls are placed in the muffin tin. The second rise lets the individual balls puff up in the cups so they bake together into a tender, pull-apart muffin rather than a dense ball.
How many dough balls go in each muffin cup?
The recipe says to place 3–4 coated dough balls into each muffin cup. Each ball is dipped in ¼ cup of melted butter and rolled in the cinnamon–brown sugar mixture before going in, so 3–4 per cup gives the classic monkey-bread pull-apart effect at individual muffin scale.
Not really that relatable to this exact post, but more in the spirit of our love for great breakfast.
New York’s cheap answer…
http://newyorkknowsbest.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/cheapest-breakfast-in-new-york/
You had me at cinnamon, and I love to play with my food:D
:)
Thank you girls, I’m glad you find this idea cute :)
Monkey bread with such sophistication – makes me want to change the name! This looks delicious. Such a cute idea
This is definitely monkey bread stepped up with more sophisticated flavors. I love the orange/cardamom flavor combination.
My family loves monkey bread but I’ve never thought to make them in muffin form. Thanks for the great idea!!