Savory Monkey Bread (Breakfast Recipe) + Video
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Savory Monkey Bread is perfect for lazy weekends and holiday guests. You can even make breakfast pull apart bread ahead of time. Assemble everything in the pan, let the dough rise, then bake until browned!
When most people think about pull-apart bread, they likely think of sweet money bread drizzled with brown sugar and butter.
But this savory breakfast monkey bread recipe is totally the opposite of that! It’s loaded with cheddar cheese, fresh herbs, small pieces of breakfast sausage, and a few other favorite ingredients – and let’s not forget those yummy biscuit pieces!
The dough balls are key for making this savory monkey bread recipe, but I promise you that all the different herbs add so much flavor to this delicious rich bread.
A little bit of prep time is all that you need to make this recipe – and the best part is that there is more than enough to share!
I even like to slice up some red onions to pair with my biscuit ball and enjoy topping with a little bit of extra parmesan mixture as well. So good!
Savory Monkey Bread
Soft and tender bites of dough are coated with sausage, fluffy scrambled eggs, gooey cheese, and topped with garlic herb butter — it’s the pull-apart breakfast of your dreams!
You can even assemble this breakfast monkey bread the night before and pop it in the oven first thing in the morning.
Savory monkey bread recipes satisfy all of your comfort food cravings, and they’re fun to eat too!
Recipe Video
Be sure to watch the video! Look for it in the recipe card, at the bottom of this post.
To see us make breakfast pull apart bread from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
If you love savory pull apart bread, you should also try some of my famous bomb recipes.
They can be made in a casserole dish for that pull-apart feel, but all of the extras are stuffed in the middle.
There are plenty of flavor options to choose from like pizza, jalapeño popper, and Philly cheesesteak. Even one stuffed with homemade meatballs!
Tips for Making Breakfast Monkey Bread
- Skip the bagged shreds.
These tend to have anti-caking agents to prevent the shreds from clumping together.
Unfortunately, these will also draw moisture from your food and create a waxy texture on the cheese.
- Make it extra cheesy!
Whip up a batch of my creamy cheese sauce to drizzle over the top of your savory monkey bread. Or, serve it in small bowls for dipping.
- Tip for soft scrambled eggs:
Use a smaller pan than you think you need! As soon as the liquid in the pan has cooked off, remove them from heat.
If you wait until the eggs are dry, they will overcook in the oven.
Savory Pull Apart Bread FAQ
You could halve the recipe if you are using a smaller (6-cup) bundt pan. Or, divide the ingredients into a muffin tin.
Just keep an eye on the cook times — they will vary based on how you adjust the amounts.
If you don’t like the bulk of the links, try browning some breakfast or mild Italian sausage instead. Pull it from the heat when there’s still a little pink, since it will finish cooking in the oven.
You could also use coarsely chopped bacon or sauteed mushrooms instead.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container.
Reheat servings of breakfast pull apart bread in the microwave or air fryer until warmed through.
Overnight Instructions
Assemble your savory monkey bread, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
The next morning, transfer the pan to the counter or stovetop to warm for about 30 minutes. Bake as directed, adding extra time in 5-minute increments as needed.
If the top of your savory pull apart bread starts to brown too much, cover the pan with foil until it’s finished baking.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Savory Monkey Bread Recipes
Savory Monkey Bread (Breakfast Recipe) + Video
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- pinch black pepper
- 24 frozen dinner yeast roll dough balls
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 5 ounces cooked sausage links, cut into coins
- 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray your 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Whisk until completely combined.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a small skillet. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the egg mixture and stir occasionally until the eggs are scrambled, and no liquid is left in the pan, about 3-4 minutes. Do not cook until they are completely dry, or they will be overcooked in the monkey bread.
- Place dinner rolls on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on defrost for about 3-4 minutes (or until dough is no longer frozen, but not cooked).
- Cut dough balls into 1/4’s.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl combine remaining 6 tablespoons of butter (cut into chunks for easy melting), 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Microwave until butter is melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon chives.
- Add quartered dough balls to the garlic butter mixture. Toss to coat.
- Layer in 1/3 of the dough balls, 1/2 of the scrambled eggs, 1/2 of the sausage and about 1/2 of the cheese in the bundt pan. Repeat layer with 1/3 of the dough balls and the remaining eggs, sausage and cheese. Top with remaining dough pieces. Pour any remaining garlic butter over the top.
- Spray a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, place the wrap sprayed side down on the breakfast bombs.
- Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30 minutes) or if making overnight, refrigerate until morning. See notes for more overnight directions.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Cover with foil if the tops start getting too brown (I covered mine at 20 minutes).
- Allow monkey bread to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then loosen the bread from the sides of the pan with a knife or silicone spatula. Invert onto a plate.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published January 2019, updated and republished October 2024
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Donna, is there a possibility of cutting this recipe down quite a bit, maybe quartering it? There are only two of us in our household.
If you are using a smaller (6-cup) bundt pan you could halve it. Or you may try using a muffin tin. Watch your cook times as they will vary. I have tested this recipe as written, but your changes sound like they would work perfectly.
Thanks very nice blog!
Glad you like it! Enjoy the monkey bread and let us know how it goes.
Could you use biscuit dough instead of yeast rolls? Thinking that might be more "breakfasty"…
This recipe is delicious and very attractive for a brunch table.
Does the sausage need to be cooked first
yes, absolutely! raw sausage wouldn’t cook correctly in time for it to be done before you remove the bread from the oven.
Could this be made, baked and then frozen?
Great question!! Hopefully somebody will have an answer!?
Exactly what I was looking for! How would the cooking time change it I used an aluminum baking pan? No bundt pan here
Same. Pan variations would be a nice baking tip. No bundt pan here. Going to try 8×8.
can you use refrigerated biscuits for this?
These are such a nice brunch time appetizer. They go well with breakfast foods and mimosa’s! Love making them for company.
I am going to try this for Christmas morning it sounds wonderful and easy and can make the night before. Thank you for submitting this recipe.
Hi Ashley,
Enjoy and let us know how it goes! It is easily a favorite here!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Made with 4 cans of refrigerator biscuits and it turned out great!! I also made country gravy to put on top…that made it even better!!
Sounds perfect for an upcoming brunch for extended family. So glad I found it when looking through recipes. Thanks so much!
Hi Barbara!
Awesome! Let us know how it turns out!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This is a wonderful dish for brunches (or anytime!) I usually add a combination of hot sausage, ham and bacon. It’s a fun deliciously different dish and is wonderful with a bit of country gravy to go on it.
Hi Beverly!
We’re so glad you enjoy it!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn