King Cake Pull-Apart Monkey Bread (Printable View)

A festive pull-apart loaf with cinnamon swirls, colored sugars, and cream cheese icing for special occasions.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cans (16 oz each) refrigerated biscuit dough
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Filling

05 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
06 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

→ Cream Cheese Icing

07 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 cup powdered sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons milk
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decorations

11 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars or colored sugar sprinkles

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
03 - Cut each refrigerated biscuit into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a smooth ball.
04 - Dip each dough ball in melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until completely coated.
05 - Arrange half of the coated dough balls in the prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar and half of the pecans over this layer.
06 - Add remaining dough balls to the pan. Top with remaining brown sugar and pecans.
07 - Pour any leftover melted butter evenly over the assembled dough mixture.
08 - Bake for 32 to 38 minutes until the bread is golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. Cool slightly before icing.
09 - Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until the icing reaches a creamy, pourable consistency.
10 - Drizzle warm monkey bread with cream cheese icing. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sugars in sections to create traditional King Cake colors.
11 - Serve warm. Pull apart pieces to enjoy individual portions.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely showstopping but requires zero fancy technique or special skills.
  • The combination of warm cinnamon, buttery dough, and tangy cream cheese icing is genuinely addictive.
  • You can make it in under two hours from start to finish, which is perfect for last-minute entertaining.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese icing is too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency—too much milk ruins it instantly.
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the pan or your bread will fall apart when you flip it, but also don't let it cool completely or it'll stick permanently.
  • The pecans are truly optional but they add a textural element that makes each bite feel special, so consider them even if you think you don't want them.
03 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute cooling time in the pan—it gives the bread just enough structure to hold together when you flip it, but not so much that it sticks permanently.
  • If you're worried about the flip, place your serving plate on top first, then flip the whole pan upside down and give it a gentle shake before lifting the Bundt pan away slowly.
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