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Home / Buns & Sweet Rolls

One Hour Homemade Monkey Bread

Think you don’t have time to make homemade, oven-warm batch of monkey bread?  Think again! With this method, you can make Monkey Bread from scratch in an hour!

Erren Hart

|

last Updated:

02/28/2025
4.64 from 30 votes
Jump to Recipe
Serves: 10 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
A homemade, delicious, bundt-shaped, buttery, sticky goodness monkey bread.

A close up of monkey bread with caramel drizzle

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One Hour Homemade Monkey Bread – With this recipe, you can have homemade Monkey bread made from scratch in no time!  Oozing with it’s warm, sweet sauce, it’s simply irresistible.A close up of monkey bread on a serving plate

The secret to the recipe is using a microwave to rise the dough.

Imagine, homemade monkey bread just one hour!  I don’t mean with packaged, or store-bought dough  – I mean homemade.  I know this is dangerous because you’ll want to make it all the time, but with my quick rise dough method, you can indeed have homemade monkey bread in less than an hour!

I made this for a friend’s birthday.  Her favorite thing in the world is sticky buns so I thought this would make the perfect birthday cake for her.  I made it and she picked it up to serve to her family after her birthday dinner.

Meanwhile, in my house when my six-year-old son finished his dinner he promptly asked for a piece of sticky bun cake for dessert.  Crap!  Cinnamon buns and sticky buns are also my son’s very favorite things in the world.  What was I thinking?  Why didn’t I make two?  When I explained that I made it for my friend’s birthday and not in honor of her birthday and that I already gave it to her, he broke out in tears, went to his room and hid under the covers in heartbreak!  Luckily, I was able to make another batch in less than an hour and made my son one happy boy!

Quick Rise Cinnamon Rolls
Quick Rise Cinnamon Rolls that started my obsession with the quick rise method.

You may have seen my recipe for Quick Rise Cinnamon Rolls where I use a microwave to rise the dough.  If so, you already know how I do it.  If you haven’t. here’s how.

NOTE: Before attempting this method, please see the baker’s tip at the bottom of this post for a microwave test.  I wouldn’t want you to ruin dough you spent a lot of time on in a microwave that won’t rise dough.

I made the dough as I always do, but instead of leaving the dough to rise in a warm place, I put it in a bowl, covered it in plastic wrap, and set it aside while I put a mug full of hot water in the microwave on high for 3 minutes (just to add some moisture to the oven).

This is what the dough looked like before I started.

Quick Rise dough before any rising took place

Then I put the microwave on the lowest possible setting (10% power) and put the bowl with the dough in it in for 3 minutes (this is a good time to start the sauce for the monkey bread).  After the 3 minutes, I left the dough to rest without touching it in the microwave for another 3 minutes.  This is what it looked like after that…

Quick Rise dough in a bowl after first riseI was pretty impressed.

I then repeated the process, but this time I left the dough to rest for 5 minutes. and this is what it looked like after that…Quick rise dough that's rose to almost the top of the bowl

Pretty amazing right?

Next, punch down the dough.  I know after all the trouble of getting the dough to rise, this may seem absurd, but go ahead and punch it down.

Pour a little of the sauce into the bottom of a bundt pan.

Form dough into approximately 1 inch balls and layer to cover the bottom of the pan using ½ of the dough mixture.Balls of dough being placed in the sauce in a pan for the monkey bread

Pour over ½ of the remaining sauce. Continue to layer 1 inch balls of dough until it is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the mixture.

Place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow of topping and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

1 Hour Homemade Monkey Bread, golden brown and fresh out of the oven

Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes to turn out onto a large plate and serve.A close up of monkey bread on a serving plate

Baker’s Tips:

  • I highly recommend checking your microwave owner’s manual to see if proofing is recommended.  If you don’t have your manual handy, just do the following test before trying it on the dough you spent a lot of time on:  Place two tablespoons of cold, stick margarine in a glass cup in the center of the microwave (don’t use corn oil spread or shortening sticks).  Cook uncovered on 10% power (low) for 4 minutes.  If the margarine doesn’t completely melt, your microwave can proof yeast dough.  If it does melt then your microwave is just too powerful and will kill the yeast and make your dough rock hard.

UPDATE NOTES: This recipe was originally published in April of 2015, but was republished with information on how to test your microwave before making the recipe.

More Great Buns & Rolls

  • Sticky Buns
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Chocolate & Salted Caramel Sticky Buns
  • Crumb Buns

? Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

A close up of monkey bread with caramel drizzle

Recipe

One Hour Homemade Monkey Bread

Think you don’t have time to make homemade, oven-warm batch of monkey bread?  Think again! With this method, you can make Monkey Bread from scratch in an hour!
4.64 from 30 votes
Print
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Cooling Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Serves 10 Servings

Ingredients

For the dough:
  • 1¼ cups hot milk (about 110F/ 43C)
  • 1 package active dry yeast (2-¼ teaspoons)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg (at room temperature)
  • ¼ cup butter (melted)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 cup butter (melted)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in a ¼ cup of the hot milk and set aside.
  • In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg.
  • Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle.
  • Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
To rise:
  • Place an 8-ounce cup of hot water into the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes to moisten the oven.
  • Remove the mug and place the bowl with the dough into the microwave and heat on its lowest setting (10% power) for 3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter then add the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
  • Then let the dough rest in the microwave for 3 minutes.
  • Heat the dough (still on its lowest setting) for another 3 minutes.
  • Then let the dough rest in the microwave for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375F/180C
  • When doubled in size, punch down dough.
  • Stir the sauce to make sure it’s fully combined. Pour a little of the sauce into the bottom of a bundt pan.
  • Form dough into approximately 1-inch balls and layer to cover the bottom of the pan using ½ of the dough mixture.
  • Pour over ½ of the remaining sauce. Continue to layer 1-inch balls of dough until it is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the mixture.
  • Place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow of topping and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes to turn out on a large plate and serve.

Tips

NOTE: Before attempting this method, please see the baker’s tip at the bottom of the post for a microwave test.  I wouldn’t want you to ruin dough you spent a lot of time on in a microwave that won’t rise dough.
If your microwave isn’t suitable, you can always rise the dough the old fashioned way.
Show Nutrition Hide Nutrition

Nutrition

Calories: 517 | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2.6mg
Created by Erren Hart
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4.64 from 30 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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57 responses

  1. Madeline Avatar
    Madeline
    11/23/2019

    I did The exact measurements and times and when I got The dough out of the microwave it was already cooked! I am Very frustrated

    Reply
    1. Erren Hart Avatar
      Erren Hart
      11/28/2019

      Hi Madeline, did you do the test I suggested in the post to see if your microwave is suitable?

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth Calloway Avatar
    Elizabeth Calloway
    03/24/2019

    Just real quick ya’ll this may work for this recipe but don’t think you can do this with any bread dough. especially where texture matters. Because no matter how low you do it or how long you do it it messes with the gluten structure which is what makes bread bread and gives it its texture. It’s not something i would recommend ever but especially not for more complicated breads that usually need longer proving times.

    Reply
  3. Kristy Avatar
    Kristy
    10/07/2018

    This worked perfectly! I took a picture and it really looks as good as yours! Thank you! I love not having to wait hours for bread dough to rise. Super yummy! We added chopped pecans to the sauce and we thought is was wonderful! Thank you!!

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      10/08/2018

      I’m so glad it was a success! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Elise Davies Avatar
    Elise Davies
    10/01/2018

    Wow, I didn’t believe that I could rise dough in the microwave. So, I did the “test” and it came out right. So, then I dove in and made the 1-hour monkey bread. And. It. Was. Fabulous. My brother was visiting for the weekend and I wanted to make something special for him before he left Sunday morning. This nailed it. He loved it. And now I have a new “go-to” recipe when I have company for brunch. I’ve been baking homemade breads, sourdoughs and pizza doughs for years, and I’m thinking of trying the microwave rise on my next bread.

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      10/01/2018

      Hi Elise, wanna hear a crying shame. The microwave in my current kitchen (that’s built in) is too powerful so for the last 2 years, I haven’t been able to do rise my dough this way. 😞 I miss it. I’m glad to pass it on to my readers and you feel the same way about it as I do!

      Reply
  5. Dolly Avatar
    Dolly
    09/04/2018

    So i used butter, found that I had to up my power, not sure if that was because it was butter or my microwave. Other thing, you didnt say if i needed to remove the plastic wrap or not when putting it in the microwave. With the sauce I had a hard time getting the sugar to dissolve, would it be better to melt it all together? Also a tidbit for anyone having trouble getting any dough to rise, putting a damp cloth over the top of the bowl helps a lot!

    Reply
  6. Jeanne Rem Avatar
    Jeanne Rem
    04/03/2018

    to check if my microwave is okay can I use 2 tablespoons of cold butter rather than margarine?

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      04/03/2018

      Hi Jeanne, I did a lot of research on the microwave test and all the information I found said to use margarine not butter, corn oil spreads or shortening sticks. I’m assuming this is because of the different melting points. My new microwave failed the test (my old one that I used to create the method died) so I can’t try butter to tell you the difference.

      Reply
  7. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle
    01/20/2018

    Do you know if anyone has attempted this recipe without the egg in the dough? My son has an egg allergy.

    Reply
  8. Shawna Avatar
    Shawna
    01/06/2018

    Could the dough be left to rise the old fashioned way and punched down? And prepped the day before for baking the next morning? And one package of yeast is approx 1/4 oz or 2 1/2 tsp? We don’t have a functioning microwave at the moment…thank you!

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      01/06/2018

      Yes, it can definitely be done the old fashion way!

      Reply
  9. Lera Avatar
    Lera
    10/13/2017

    Hi! If this recipe needs the second rise as buns? And if I do the second rise would it be flaffier, how’d you think? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      10/13/2017

      You mean after you add it to the sauce? No, it will rise again in the oven.

      Reply
  10. Andrea Kirch Avatar
    Andrea Kirch
    10/01/2017

    When you read the list of ingredients it says 4 cups flour but when you read how to make it, it says 2 cups so which one is it?

    Reply
    1. Erren Avatar
      Erren
      10/01/2017

      Hi Andrea, the instructions state ‘Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add the yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle.’ It’s 4 cups total.

      Reply
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