King Cake Pull-Apart Monkey Bread (Printable)

Cinnamon-swirled dough balls layered with brown sugar and pecans, topped with creamy icing and colorful sugars.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
03 - Cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a ball.
04 - Dip each dough ball into melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Set aside on a clean surface.
05 - Arrange half of the coated dough balls in the prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar and half of the pecans if using.
06 - Add remaining dough balls to the pan. Top with remaining brown sugar and pecans. Pour any leftover melted butter over the entire assembly.
07 - Bake for 32 to 38 minutes until the bread achieves a golden brown color and cooks through completely. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
08 - Carefully invert the baked bread onto a serving plate. Allow to cool slightly before applying icing.
09 - Beat softened cream cheese until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until the icing reaches a creamy, pourable consistency.
10 - Drizzle cream cheese icing over the warm monkey bread. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sugars in sections across the surface to replicate authentic King Cake colors.
11 - Present warm, allowing guests to pull apart individual pieces for serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks spectacular without requiring you to master pastry dough, so you get all the showstopper credit.
  • Mardi Gras colors make it feel celebratory even on a random Tuesday in January.
  • The cream cheese icing drip over warm bread creates this moment where everyone stops talking and just takes a bite.
02 -
  • The timing of sprinkling colored sugar matters enormously; if you wait until the icing cools completely, the sugars won't stick, so have them ready before you start drizzling.
  • That 10-minute cooling window in the pan is non-negotiable—rushing to unmold earlier means risking a broken bread, but waiting too long makes it nearly impossible to release cleanly.
03 -
  • Cut your biscuits into pieces slightly smaller than you think you need; they expand during baking, and you want them packed snugly together so the bread stays moist.
  • Use a Bundt pan with at least a 10-cup capacity to give your bread room to rise without overflowing—this prevents burnt edges and ensures even cooking.
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