Introduction
I make this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread every time I want a breakfast that feels like dessert — pull-apart dough pieces coated in buttery cinnamon sugar, studded with chocolate chips, baked into a golden ring, and finished with a thick cream cheese glaze that drips down every layer.
What makes this chocolate chip monkey bread recipe so satisfying to pull apart is the texture contrast. The outside of each piece caramelizes into a slightly crispy, cinnamon-sugar crust, while the interior stays pillowy soft. The chocolate chips melt into pockets of warm chocolate throughout, and the cream cheese glaze adds a tangy, sweet richness that ties every layer together.
This is the recipe I bring to Christmas morning, Easter brunch, and any overnight gathering where I want people to gather around the table and eat with their hands. If you love a cream cheese glaze on a breakfast pastry, these baked ham and cheese croissants are a savory companion piece that rounds out any brunch spread beautifully.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread uses refrigerated biscuit dough which means zero yeast, zero rising time, and about 15 minutes of active prep before it goes in the oven.
The cream cheese glaze comes together in one bowl in about 3 minutes and makes every single pull-apart piece taste like a cinnamon roll with chocolate chips.
This easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze is completely make-ahead friendly — assemble the night before, refrigerate, and bake fresh in the morning.
The pull-apart format means no slicing, no serving utensils, and zero fuss — everyone just reaches in and grabs their pieces directly from the pan.
It works equally well as a special breakfast, a brunch centerpiece, or a shareable dessert at any gathering.
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About the Ingredients
Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
Two cans of refrigerated biscuit dough — the standard flaky or buttermilk variety — is the shortcut that makes this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread so quick and reliable. Cut each biscuit into quarters so the pieces are small enough to coat thoroughly and pull apart cleanly. The dough puffs as it bakes and the pieces fuse together into a pull-apart loaf that looks and tastes like something that took hours. According to King Arthur Baking’s guide to monkey bread, the key to a properly structured monkey bread is coating each piece completely in the cinnamon sugar mixture before placing in the pan — any bare spots won’t caramelize and will stick together in a pale, doughy mass rather than pulling apart cleanly.
Butter
Melted butter is what the dough pieces are dipped in before rolling in cinnamon sugar. It creates the coating that caramelizes during baking and forms the sticky, gooey exterior that makes this chocolate chip monkey bread recipe so irresistible.
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Cinnamon Sugar
A generous mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon coats every piece of dough. As it bakes with the melted butter, it forms a caramelized, slightly crispy crust on the outside of each pull-apart piece.
Chocolate Chips
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are scattered between each layer of coated dough pieces as the pan is filled. They melt into warm pockets of chocolate that run through every layer of this easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze. Mini chocolate chips distribute more evenly than standard-sized ones if you prefer chocolate in every bite.
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Brown Sugar Butter Sauce
Additional brown sugar melted with butter and poured over the assembled dough creates the caramel-like sauce that soaks into the bread as it bakes. It’s what gives monkey bread its signature sticky, gooey base that everyone tries to scoop out of the pan.
Cream Cheese Glaze
Softened cream cheese beaten with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk creates the thick, tangy glaze that sets this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread apart from a standard monkey bread. It should be pourable but thick — drizzle it generously while the bread is still warm so it melts into every layer and crevice.
Tips and Tricks
Cut the biscuits into quarters and coat each piece completely in melted butter before rolling in cinnamon sugar — don’t rush this step. Any uncoated piece won’t caramelize properly in this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread.
Use a well-greased bundt pan and don’t skip greasing every crevice. Monkey bread that sticks is impossible to invert cleanly.
Let the bread cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes after baking before inverting — too short and it falls apart, too long and the caramel sauce hardens and it sticks.
Drizzle the cream cheese glaze while the bread is still warm. It melts slightly into the layers creating a creamy coating rather than a stiff topping in this chocolate chip monkey bread recipe.
Pro Tips
Scatter the chocolate chips in three layers as you fill the pan rather than all at once — this ensures chocolate in every section of the finished bread rather than concentrated in one area of this easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze.
Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the cinnamon sugar mixture for a mocha depth that makes the chocolate chips taste even more intense.
For an overnight version, assemble the bread in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and add 5 extra minutes to the baking time.
Double the cream cheese glaze recipe — half goes on warm and melts in, the other half is poured thicker over the inverted bread right before serving.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan thoroughly with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat every crevice.
- Cut each biscuit into quarters. You should have about 64 pieces from two standard cans.
- In a bowl, combine ¾ cup of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
- Dip each biscuit piece into 6 tablespoons of melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
- Place a layer of coated pieces in the bundt pan and scatter ½ cup of chocolate chips over the layer.
- Add another layer of coated pieces and scatter another ½ cup of chocolate chips.
- Repeat until all dough pieces are in the pan, finishing with a final scatter of chocolate chips.
- In a small saucepan, melt ½ cup of butter with ¾ cup of brown sugar until smooth and combined. Pour evenly over the top of the assembled dough.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deeply golden and cooked through.
- Cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
- Beat 4 oz of softened cream cheese with 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2–3 tablespoons of milk until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the cream cheese glaze generously over the warm inverted bread and serve immediately.
Variations
Peanut butter chocolate chip version: Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to the brown sugar butter sauce for a peanut butter cup direction in this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread that’s especially popular with kids.
Strawberry cream cheese version: Add ½ cup of finely diced fresh strawberries between the layers alongside the chocolate chips and fold 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam into the cream cheese glaze.
Dark chocolate orange version: Use dark chocolate chips and add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the cinnamon sugar for a sophisticated flavor combination in this chocolate chip monkey bread recipe.
Nutella swirl version: Drop small spoonfuls of Nutella between each layer alongside the chocolate chips for a hazelnut chocolate layer throughout.
White chocolate macadamia version: Swap the semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chips and scatter roughly chopped macadamia nuts between layers for a tropical variation of this easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze.
How to Store
Store leftover Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. The bread stays soft and the caramelized exterior maintains its texture well. Microwave individual pieces for 15 to 20 seconds to restore warmth.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days covered tightly. The cream cheese glaze firms up in the cold — let the bread come to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
This bread doesn’t freeze particularly well once assembled and glazed, but the unglazed baked bread can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight at room temperature and add fresh cream cheese glaze before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread the night before?
Yes — it’s ideal for overnight prep. Assemble in the greased bundt pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before baking and add 5 minutes to the baking time. Make the cream cheese glaze fresh on the day.
Can I use homemade dough instead of refrigerated biscuits?
Yes. Use any yeasted dough — homemade or store-bought pizza dough works well. Let it rise first, then cut into small pieces and follow the same coating and layering process.
Why did my Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread stick to the pan?
The pan wasn’t greased thoroughly enough, or the bread cooled too long in the pan before inverting. Grease every crevice of the bundt pan and invert after exactly 10 minutes of cooling.
Can I make this chocolate chip monkey bread recipe without a bundt pan?
Yes. Use a 9×13-inch baking dish for a sheet-style monkey bread. The baking time may reduce by 5 minutes — check at 30 minutes.
Why is the center of my monkey bread still doughy?
The bread needs more time or the oven temperature was too high, causing the outside to brown before the inside cooked. Tent with foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until fully cooked through.
How do I make the cream cheese glaze thinner or thicker?
Add more milk one tablespoon at a time for a thinner, more pourable glaze. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker drizzle in this easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze.
What can I serve alongside this Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread?
This bread is a complete brunch centerpiece on its own. For a savory complement to balance the sweetness on the same table, this crack breakfast casserole is a hearty, cheesy egg-based dish that feeds a crowd from one pan and takes zero effort while the monkey bread is in the oven.
Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Small saucepan
- Large mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
- Serving plate
Ingredients
Monkey Bread
- 2 cans refrigerated biscuit dough standard flaky or buttermilk, each can about 16 oz
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted for coating dough pieces
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips divided into three layers
Brown Sugar Butter Sauce
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter
- 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz full-fat block cream cheese fully softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp milk adjust for desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan thoroughly with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat every crevice.
- Cut each biscuit into quarters — about 64 pieces total from two cans.
- Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Dip each piece in melted butter, then roll completely in cinnamon sugar.
- Place a layer of coated dough pieces in the bundt pan and scatter ½ cup of chocolate chips over the layer. Repeat twice more, finishing with a final layer of chocolate chips.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan until smooth. Pour evenly over the assembled dough.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden and cooked through.
- Cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
- Beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle generously over the warm bread and serve immediately.
Notes
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