Salted Caramel Bacon Monkey Bread
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A sticky, sweet, and salty pull-apart bread packed with cinnamon-sugar coated biscuit pieces and crispy bacon. Melted butter and brown sugar mix to a thick caramel glaze you pour over before baking. The bacon adds a smoky crunch that cuts through the sweetness. Bake till dark golden, gooey, and irresistible, then invert the Bundt pan to reveal a bubbling mound of sticky bread. Ideal for brunch or a daring dessert twist.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#American
#bacon
#caramel
#pull apart bread
#brunch
#biscuit
#sweet and salty
Sticky sweet meets salty crunch. The glue? Cinnamon sugar dusted biscuit quarters soaked in rich caramel butter sauce flecked with smoky bacon bits. A monkey bread twist with a bacon heart. I’ve tried milder versions with pre-cooked bacon bits but fresh cooked bacon, crisp but chewy, in layers makes all difference. The caramel bakes deep golden, bubbly, almost crackly on top—listen for that faint crackle as it cools. No neat slices here. Tear off chunks that drip sweet salty juices. Flaky biscuit dough softens into dense pockets under thick crust. Not for the faint-hearted but a worthy brunch indulgence, failproof once you spot clues—the aroma, the color, the feel under fingertips telling you it’s done.
Ingredients
- 8 slices slab bacon or thick cut; chopped
- 10 refrigerated flaky biscuits; cut into quarters
- 3/4 cup pure white sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
About the ingredients
Slab bacon is best; thick slices with some fat melt into the sweet layers without drying out. If in a pinch, go for center cut bacon and fry until just crisp, not burnt. Butter must be melted but not browned. Brown sugar choice affects flavor: dark brown gives molasses richness, try light brown for milder sweetness. White sugar works best for the cinnamon coating; fine granulated helps the mixture stick evenly. Bundt pan essential; a smooth tube in middle means breads cook through evenly. Nonstick spray better than buttering to avoid sticky frustrations. I subbed frozen biscuits once; thaw fully then pat dry before coating to avoid sogginess. Use coarse kosher salt inside the caramel mix to balance, finish with flaky sea salt after baking for texture hits.
Method
- Bring oven temperature to 345 degrees F. Medium heat on pan, lay bacon flat. Cook slow, crisp edges but not burnt. Drain on paper towels, chop rough chunks. Save bacon fat for cooking eggs later! Use thick cut; chewy, fatty bits better here.
- Biscuits. Open cans. Quarter each with sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Sugar and cinnamon go into large zip bag. Add biscuit chunks inside. Shake vigorously, toss, whatever. Coat every surface with that gritty sugary dust. Don't skip tossing or pockets of dry biscuit will kill sweet punch.
- Nonstick spray Bundt pan—this is clutch. Resist temptation to butter it; spray is cleaner release. Start layering: a handful of coated biscuit quarters, sprinkle with chopped bacon evenly, repeat layers until pan's full. Bacon gets hidden but bites pop out in every pull.
- Pour melted butter, brown sugar, and salt into bowl—mix vigorously. Should look glossed, thick caramel, no dry sugar bits or it burns in oven. Stir at length, muscle. If too stiff, microwave 10 seconds to soften. Pour slow over layered biscuits; it will seep in and pool at bottom. This syrup is why patience matters.
- Bake 52 to 57 minutes at 345, don't rely on time. Look for deep golden brown crust bubbling at sides, edges pulling slightly from pan. Smell getting nutty, caramelized, almost burnt bacon scent. Use touch; top should feel set but sticky, not greasy or doughy. Too pale means undercooked inside.
- Rest 8 to 12 minutes post oven. Crucial step. Too soon and sticky mess falls apart; too long and glaze hardens. Run thin knife gently around pan edge to loosen. Cover pan with plate or board, flip quick confident move. Pull pan off, expect some drips. Serve warm while goo is still stringy, bacon bits crispy and sweet caramel sticky.
Cooking tips
Cooking bacon slowly on medium low is key. Too hot and you risk burnt, bitter bits that overpower the sweet. Drain well, no soggy bacon allowed. Tossing biscuit pieces inside a sealed bag with cinnamon sugar makes quick even coating without floury mess on hands or sticky countertops. Layer like a mosaic paying attention bacon is spread evenly; otherwise pockets of dry bread sneak in. The melted butter, brown sugar, salt mix requires elbow grease—the sugar wants to clump, keep stirring to avoid burn patches under crust. Oven temp lowered slightly from 350 to 345 and added extra rest time post-bake improved goo melt for me—less collapsed loaf, better pull apart. Flip fast after rest to avoid sticky solidifying. If stuck, run thin offset spatula or butter knife around inside gently, no scraping to keep crust intact. Serve warm; leftover bread can be gently reheated covered or pressed into French toast next day.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Slow cook bacon on medium heat. Key is chewy fatty bits, not burnt. Crisp edges matter but no bitter burnt flavors. Drain on paper towels to keep bacon fat out of dough. Save fat for something else to avoid sogginess.
- 💡 Toss biscuit quarters in cinnamon sugar inside sealed bag. Shake hard until every surface dusted evenly. Skipping this means dry pockets inside. Coat thorough or sweet punch dulls and bites feel dry.
- 💡 Nonstick spray Bundt pan only. Buttering causes sticky, uneven release. Layer biscuit quarters and bacon evenly in repeating layers. Pack enough but don’t overfill or caramel pools overflow.
- 💡 Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and kosher salt vigorously until glossy and uniform. Clumps burn easily, stir long. If too stiff, microwave briefly to loosen. Pour slowly so syrup saturates from top to base, no dry patches.
- 💡 Rest bread 8-12 minutes after baking. Too soon makes pull apart fall apart sticky mess; too late hardens glaze too much. Flip fast with plate or board; expect drips. Serve warm. Reheat gently to keep gooey texture.
Common questions
How to avoid soggy bacon bits?
Cook bacon low and slow till crisp but chewy; drain well. Use slab or thick cut. Avoid adding wet bacon or fat straight into bread layers. Drying prevents sogginess inside bread pockets.
Can I use frozen biscuits?
Yes but thaw fully and pat dry. Moist biscuits ruin coating; sugar slips off. Gentle drying after thaw keeps texture. Otherwise biscuit soggy, no crisp edges after baking.
What if caramel syrup burns?
Stir butter and sugars longer until fully combined. Watch heat, microwave stiff mix to soften. Burnt caramel smells bitter; redo mix if smell off. Don’t rush pour over dry biscuit layers or sugar spots burn.
How to store leftovers?
Keep covered at room temp few hours okay. For longer, wrap airtight in fridge to preserve gooey texture. Reheat low covered or press into French toast next day to prevent dryness.
