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    Home » Ingredients » Bread

    March 13, 2020 American Recipes

    Strawberry Monkey Bread

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Strawberry Monkey Bread is a fresh spring take on the classic! Fluffy balls of homemade dough, cinnamon sugar and sweet strawberries make this perfect for a Spring brunch!

    overhead image of strawberry monkey bread

    You may think making monkey bread from scratch is something difficult and I am here to tell you…it’s not! Really…I promise. Pinky promise.
     

    Originally published on April 1, 2013 and updated on March 13, 2020.
     
    I can't believe how I haven't made this bread in a while. It is strawberry season here and I wanted all of you to see this fun berry recipe! If you can find the time to make your own dough, you will be thrilled with the results. You know when you make something and you see the photo a few weeks later and think, holy cow! I’ve got to make this again now! This…this my friends is one of those recipes. Strawberry Monkey Bread is a recipe that you will be dreaming about once you taste it. 
    overhead image of glazed round bread

     

    You may be wondering what exactly is a monkey bread?

    Monkey bread is is balls of yeasted dough  dipped in butter and rolled around in cinnamon sugar creates such a wonderful gooey mess.  A gooey mess that is even more wonderful from the sweet strawberries tucked in between each fluffy pillow of dough. The scent of this monkey bread baking is dreamy. Cinnamon-sugary dough and all that sweet strawberry bakes together and it is truly dreamy!

    When you flip it out onto you serving dish, there is this incredible cinnamon-sugar-strawberry sauce just waiting for you to dive into!

    overhead image of strawberry monkey bread

     

    overhead image of bread with strawberries

    overhead image of strawberry monkey bread

    overhead image of strawberry sauce on top of a bread

     

    I had many ideas for this berry theme! Where to start? A fun quick bread was of course on my mind. Then I was going a breakfast bread route like the blueberry bread I made last year. I then was remembering it’s been a while since I made a monkey bread and they are always very welcomed here.

    I was thinking about my friend Shelley’s strawberry version she made with #TwelveLoaves last year and thought it would be perfect for our Berry theme this April. I used this gooey sticky cinnamon bun dough recipe which is a really reliable dough that I use for some many recipe. I think these would be delightful also with blueberries. Just make them…trust me, make them! You may not even have the patience to flip it out onto a serving plate and may dig right into the bundt pan. Just be sure to not burn your fingers.

    How do you make a monkey bread?

    The first think you have to do is gather all your ingredients. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this delicious pull-apart bread!

    •  whole milk
    • active dry yeast
    • granulated sugar
    • eggs
    • unsalted butter, melted
    • all-purpose flour
    • salt
    • butter
    • sugar
    • cinnamon
    • strawberries, cleaned and sliced 

    Once you have every thing together, the next step is to start the yeast based dough.

    Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature.  Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl.
     
    Add 1 T of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
    Beat in the remaining 2 T sugar, eggs and butter.  Beat in cooled milk.  Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms.
     
    Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky.  Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.
     
    Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
     
    While dough is rising, melt the butter; set aside. In a large plastic baggie, add sugar and cinnamon. Give it a shake to combine it well. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
     
    Prep the strawberry sauce:
    Add the strawberries with the sugar to a medium sauce pan. Cook the berries on medium heat. Stir occasionally and simmer until you have a nice texture (about 10 minutes). When ready, set aside.
     
    Back to the dough:
    Punch down dough when it is ready. Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and portion it out into 1/2” size balls. Dip each ball into the butter and add to the baggie with the cinnamon sugar (I added about 6 balls at a time).
    overhead image of making dough balls and strawberries
    Give it a good shake and start to layer it in the bundt pan. Add some strawberries in between the cinnamon sugar dough balls. 
     

    overhead image of dough balls in bundt pan

    Keep layering the balls and strawberries and make sure it is an even top layer (you can move the balls around to make sure it looks even.)Tuck any leftover strawberries between the balls. Place the bundt pan on a parchment lined baking sheet (you may have some strawberry juices overflow) and bake for a about 40-50 minutes or until it is a nice golden color. Check after 30 minutes. If it seems to be getting too brown too fast, cover with a loose layer of tin foil. When done baking, flip over onto your serving plate and dig in! Serve with strawberry sauce. 
     
    Some other yeast based breads you should try:
    • Blackberry Buns
    • Apricot Bread
    • Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread
    • Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns
     
    Happy Baking! xo Lora
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    Strawberry Monkey Bread

    Strawberry Monkey Bread is a fresh spring take on the classic! Fluffy balls of homemade dough, cinnamon sugar and sweet strawberries make this perfect for a Spring brunch!
    Prep Time2 hrs
    Cook Time50 mins
    Servings: 8
    Author: Lora

    Ingredients

    • DOUGH
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 1 1/2 ounce envelope active dry yeast
    • 1/4 cup warm water 100 to 110 degrees
    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
    • 4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • FOR DOUGH BALLS
    • 1 stick butter melted
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2-4 teaspoons cinnamon depending on how much cinnamon flavor you like
    • 1 cup strawberries cleaned and sliced
    • STRAWBERRY SAUCE
    • 1 cup strawberries cleaned and sliced
    • 3/4 cup sugar

    Instructions

    • DOUGH
    • Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature.  Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl.
    • Add 1 T of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
    • Beat in the remaining 2 T sugar, eggs and butter.  Beat in cooled milk.  Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms.
    • Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky.  Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.
    • Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
    • While dough is rising, melt the butter; set aside. In a large plastic baggie, add sugar and cinnamon. Give it a shake to combine it well. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
    • STRAWBERRY SAUCE
    • Add the strawberries with the sugar to a medium sauce pan. Cook the berries on medium heat. Stir occasionally and simmer until you have a nice texture (about 10 minutes). When ready, set aside.
    • ASSEMBLE
    • Punch down dough when it is ready. Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and portion it out into 1/2” size balls. Dip each ball into the butter and add to the baggie with the cinnamon sugar (I added about 6 balls at a time).
    • Give it a good shake and start to layer it in the bundt pan. Add some strawberries in between the cinnamon sugar dough balls.
    • Keep layering the balls and strawberries and make sure it is an even top layer (you can move the balls around to make sure it looks even.)Tuck any leftover strawberries between the balls. Place the bundt pan on a parchment lined baking sheet (you may have some strawberry juices overflow).
    • BAKE
    • Bake for a about 40-50 minutes or until it is a nice golden color. Check after 30 minutes. If it seems to be getting too brown too fast, cover with a loose layer of tin foil. When done baking, flip over onto your serving plate and dig in! Serve with strawberry sauce.

    Notes

    All images and text  ©Savoring Italy.  Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
     

                                   DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

                      Tag @savoringitaly on Instagram and hashtag it #savoringitaly
    Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

    Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers created for the challenge!

    • Lemon Blueberry Bread by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
    • Yoghurt Scones With Cranberries by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
    • Raspberry Quick Bread by Holly at A Baker’s House
    • Mixed Berry Bread by Renee at Magnolia Days
    • Raspberry Danish by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
    • Strawberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread by Paula at Vintage Kitchen
    • Berry Oatmeal Muffins by Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking
    • Strawberry Monkey Bread by Lora at Savoring Italy
    • Berry Breakfast Bread by Dionne at Try Anything Once
    • Strawberry Scones by Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories

     

    « Cinnamon Raisin Round Challah Bread
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      April 01, 2013 at 11:32 am

      It's too early for this kind of temptation! Yowza, this looks amazing.

      Reply
    2. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says

      April 01, 2013 at 1:35 pm

      Wow Lora, such a gorgeous bread! Monkey bread is such an accomplishment. Baking yeasted bread with fresh fruit is great, but not seen often. Love this recipe!

      Reply
    3. Addie K Martin says

      April 01, 2013 at 2:56 pm

      Yum, this looks great, Lora! Can't wait to bake this month!! 🙂

      Reply
    4. Mr. & Mrs. P says

      April 01, 2013 at 3:40 pm

      This looks divine.. Will try this!!

      Reply
    5. www.you-made-that.com says

      April 01, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Yum, this strawberry pull apart bread looks perfect for Spring!

      Reply
    6. Dionne Baldwin says

      April 01, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Your monkey bread looks so beautiful! Lora, your creations always look like timeless works of art that I can actually create in my own kitchen! I kinda have a crush on this monkey bread and the piece of bread with strawberries on it really sealed the deal for me.

      Reply
    7. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

      April 01, 2013 at 4:32 pm

      I am totally baking this!!! LOVE! looks delicious!

      Reply
    8. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      April 01, 2013 at 4:57 pm

      Absolutely love your spring spin on monkey bread with the strawberries, yum!

      Reply
    9. Carol | a cup of mascarpone says

      April 01, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      My daughter is a monkey bread addict! She will love this lovely twist with strawberries! Lovely, Lora!!!

      Reply
    10. Liz Berg says

      April 01, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      We LOVE monkey bread around here...this one will be on our menu soon! The caramelly dough balls spiked with berries look phenomenal! Thanks for hosting us, Lora!!!

      Reply
    11. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says

      April 01, 2013 at 9:00 pm

      This monkey bread looks absolutely amazing Lora! I totally want some right now! You're a genius, adding sliced berries. Mmm

      Reply
    12. Renee says

      April 01, 2013 at 9:09 pm

      What a lovely monkey bread Lora! I have to admit I've never made monkey bread (I know, I know). It does look so very good. Nice flavor bump with the strawberries too.

      Reply
    13. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      April 01, 2013 at 11:12 pm

      I cant even imagine how GOOD this must be!!! Wow, I want to rip off big hunks, asap. Pinning!

      Reply
    14. Karen Kerr says

      April 02, 2013 at 12:01 am

      Pretty amazing as usual Lora! The photos are stunning and the dough sounds fantastic. I can imagine that the bread didn't last very long. =)

      Reply
    15. Jen Laceda | Tartine and Apron Strings says

      April 02, 2013 at 2:18 am

      Monkey see, monkey do! Hehehe...I am loving this recipe! Looks like it's fun to do on a weekend!

      Reply
    16. Lisa says

      April 02, 2013 at 2:23 am

      I made monkey bread when I was 21 years old. The recipe was from a Good Housekeeping cookbook. Everyone went nuts over it! I haven't made it since and it begs the question..WHY? I'm going to try and get one in! I love the strawberries in it! Definitely a unique and lovely twist!

      Reply
    17. Valerie says

      April 02, 2013 at 3:32 am

      Oh, this almost reminds me a bunch of strawberry-glazed doughnut holes (my fav!) all stuck together to form one giant doughnut!

      I love recipe photos that beckon for a revisit. 🙂

      P.S. Thanks again for the amazing cookbook!

      Reply
    18. Elizabeth Waterson says

      April 02, 2013 at 4:00 am

      Yum! I love monkey bread and have actually wanted to make a fruity version! Your bread looks gorgeous

      Reply
    19. Rossella says

      April 02, 2013 at 6:21 am

      I didn't know anything about monkey bread before reading your post. It looks great and now I want to try it.

      Reply
    20. Savory Simple says

      April 02, 2013 at 8:14 am

      I need this in my life immediately!

      Reply
    21. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

      April 02, 2013 at 12:18 pm

      Okay, what's a pinky promise?? I need to go look it up. I haven't made monkey bread for about 25 years (scary enough, I know). I think I will give this a try because it hits all my hot buttons today. 🙂

      Reply
    22. Angie Schneider says

      April 02, 2013 at 1:07 pm

      Looks moutwhatering with fresh strawberry sauce!

      Reply
    23. The Café Sucré Farine says

      April 02, 2013 at 2:21 pm

      This is SO pretty and sound fabulous!

      Reply
    24. Patty Price says

      April 02, 2013 at 4:35 pm

      Love the strawberries in your monkey bread-strawberries make everything better;)

      Reply
    25. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says

      April 03, 2013 at 1:44 am

      What a brilliant idea!! Love monkey bread, and doing it with fruit sounds so good!

      Reply
    26. Monet says

      April 03, 2013 at 2:18 am

      Monkey bread is one of my favorite things to make...and I love that you made a strawberry version. Brilliant Lora! Thank you for sharing. And I completely agree...monkey bread isn't nearly as difficult as it seems (but it always impresses!)

      Reply
    27. Swathi Iyer says

      April 03, 2013 at 2:39 am

      Delicious monkey bread. Love the addition of strawberry, which is my daughters favorite fruit.

      Reply
    28. Munatycooking says

      April 03, 2013 at 9:38 am

      I want it right now! looks so delicious.

      Reply
    29. Paula says

      April 03, 2013 at 1:01 pm

      I've never had monkey bread...now I'm asking myself "Why Not?!"

      Reply
    30. Kristina @ spabettie says

      April 03, 2013 at 1:21 pm

      monkey bread has got to be one of my favorite things, and while I have done some fun variations, this tops them all - I cannot wait to try this!

      Reply
    31. Laura Dembowski says

      April 04, 2013 at 12:19 am

      Homemade monkey bread is on my list of things to make. I love the addition of strawberries! It looks scrumptious!

      Reply
    32. Lisa {Authentic Suburban Gourmet } says

      April 04, 2013 at 3:02 am

      Delish!! I have yet to make monkey bread but it is on my list. Love the addition of strawberries!

      Reply
    33. Lemons and Anchovies says

      April 04, 2013 at 3:31 am

      It's been years and years since I've last made monkey bread and this was well before starting a blog so I used store-bought dough. Your recipe is so much better and I just love strawberry in baked goods. Love this!

      Reply
    34. Erin Dee says

      April 04, 2013 at 4:56 pm

      *Strawberry* monkey bread?! Whoa. I would have never even thought of that. Great idea!

      Reply
    35. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says

      April 04, 2013 at 5:56 pm

      Lora, I love this twist on monkey bread! I've been dying to make monkey bread lately and this would be a fabulous, sweet springtime version. I'm also drooling over your pretty bundt pan - man I wish I had the space for more bakeware!

      Reply
    36. Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says

      April 07, 2013 at 11:46 pm

      Lora,
      Your strawberry monkey bread looks delicious. I can't wait to bake up my submission.
      Annamaria

      Reply
    37. Lora says

      April 10, 2013 at 10:34 pm

      What a gorgeous berrylicious monkey bread. Love!

      Reply
    38. Ben says

      April 11, 2013 at 8:54 pm

      This looks delicious, never tried strawberry bread before but it certainly looks great!

      Reply
    39. Lynn Huntley says

      April 13, 2013 at 3:35 am

      Looks Super Delicious~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

      Reply
    40. Laura@bakinginpyjamas says

      April 14, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      I loved taking part in this month's challenge, I can't wait to see what the theme is for May. Your strawberry monkey bread looks lovely Lora.

      Reply
    41. Krista Low says

      April 15, 2013 at 6:19 pm

      Thank you for this great challenge! I have fun coming up with a recipe to submit 🙂 I can't wait to come back again next month! Krista @ A Handful of Everything

      Reply
    42. Krista Low says

      April 15, 2013 at 6:22 pm

      Thank you so much for this fun challenge! Your recipe looks absolutely fabulous and I would like to invite you to share it on Thursday @ Great Idea Thursday's http://ahandfulofeverything.blogspot.com 🙂 Krista

      Reply
    43. Anonymous says

      April 19, 2013 at 9:59 am

      Your monkey bread looks just amazing - I'd never have thought of using strawberries in a loaf. This is a great challenge to join in with, so pleased I've discovered it!

      Reply

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    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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