This easy peanut butter and jelly monkey bread recipe turns refrigerated biscuits, creamy peanut butter, fruity jelly, cinnamon sugar, and melted butter into a warm pull-apart bread. Make it in a generously greased 10-inch Bundt pan at 350°F, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes for a puffed, deeply golden treat that serves 10 to 12 people.
Every bite offers soft biscuit dough wrapped around a sweet peanut butter and jelly center, with buttery cinnamon sugar caramelizing around the outside. It is a terrific breakfast, brunch, after-school snack, or casual dessert because the ingredients are simple and the finished bread is designed for sharing.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
This peanut butter and jelly monkey bread has all the familiar comfort of a classic sandwich, but in a soft, pull-apart format that feels special enough for a weekend table. The refrigerated biscuits keep preparation approachable, while the cinnamon-sugar coating creates a fragrant, buttery crust.
It is also a practical recipe for a crowd. Two tubes of biscuits make roughly 32 filled pieces, and the finished Bundt bread provides 10 to 12 servings without requiring individual shaping or a long yeast-rising time.
Kids can help roll the sealed dough in cinnamon sugar, and adults will appreciate how quickly the bread comes together. If you enjoy nutty sweets, you may also like our peanut butter thumbprint cookies for another cozy treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe uses a short, dependable ingredient list. Choose a creamy peanut butter that is easy to portion, and use either grape jelly, strawberry jelly, or your favorite preserves.
- Refrigerated biscuits: Use two 16.3-ounce tubes, about 32 ounces total. Grands-style biscuits work well and provide enough dough for generous pull-apart pieces.
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter is easiest to tuck inside the dough and gives each piece a smooth, rich center.
- Jelly or preserves: Grape jelly gives the most classic flavor, while strawberry jelly or preserves add a bright berry note.
- Cinnamon sugar: A mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon coats the dough before baking.
- Melted butter: The 1/2 cup butter flows through the crevices and helps create the glossy, caramelized exterior.
- Pan coating: Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter keeps the bread from clinging to the Bundt pan.
Have all the ingredients ready before opening the biscuit tubes. Once the dough is exposed to air, working in an organized fashion helps keep the pieces soft and easy to flatten.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 10-inch Bundt or fluted tube pan. Cover the bottom, sides, center tube, and any ridges with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter so the sugary coating has less opportunity to stick.
Step 2: Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl until evenly combined. The shallow shape makes it easier to roll each filled dough piece without disturbing its seal.
Step 3: Separate the biscuits and cut each biscuit into four pieces. Flatten each portion slightly with your fingers, but leave enough thickness around the edges to hold the filling securely.
Step 4: Place about 1/2 teaspoon of creamy peanut butter and 1/2 teaspoon of jelly in the center of each flattened piece. Keep the filling modest; too much can make the dough difficult to close and may cause leaks in the oven.
Step 5: Fold the dough around the peanut butter and jelly, then pinch the seams closed firmly all the way around. Roll the sealed piece in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, turning it until the outside is lightly coated.
Step 6: Continue filling and coating the remaining dough pieces. Arrange them loosely and evenly in the prepared Bundt pan, layering as needed but avoiding pressure that would pack the pieces together.
Step 7: Melt the butter and pour it over the assembled dough. Aim the butter across the top and into the crevices so the cinnamon sugar can melt into a buttery coating as the bread bakes.
Step 8: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, watching for a puffed, deeply golden top and a center that is cooked through. The pan should smell warmly spiced, and the biscuit pieces should no longer look doughy between the layers.
Step 9: Cool the monkey bread in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out. Place a serving plate over the pan, invert it carefully, and serve the bread warm while the pieces are tender and the filling is soft.
Pro Tips for Perfect Monkey Bread
The most important detail is sealing the dough. After folding each piece around its filling, pinch the edges firmly and check for thin openings before rolling it in cinnamon sugar.
Use about 1/2 teaspoon each of peanut butter and jelly per dough portion. This measured amount gives a noticeable center without overloading the biscuit or making the seams hard to close.
Arrange the pieces loosely rather than pressing them down. Space allows the dough to puff and gives the finished bread its characteristic pull-apart texture.
Grease every part of the Bundt pan, especially the center tube and decorative grooves. Letting the bread rest for approximately 10 minutes after baking is equally important because immediate inverting can cause pieces to separate, while an overly long wait can make the butter and sugar adhere to the pan.
For a savory contrast at another meal, try our garlic butter keto bread. It uses a very different dough and flavor profile, but it is another useful bread recipe for a generous table.
Flavor Variations and Serving Ideas
Grape jelly creates the familiar peanut butter and jelly combination, but strawberry jelly and strawberry preserves are excellent alternatives. Use the same 1/2 cup quantity so the filling remains balanced and the dough is still easy to seal.
Serve the bread warm at breakfast with coffee, tea, or cold milk. For brunch, place it at the center of the table with small plates so guests can pull off individual pieces without slicing the loaf.
This recipe is sweet enough to serve as dessert, especially when the butter and cinnamon sugar have formed a sticky crust. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is optional, but the bread is delicious without any additional topping.
If you are planning a party menu, the bread works well beside a savory dip and fresh fruit. Our hot spinach and artichoke dip served in a bread bowl is a good choice for the savory side of a relaxed spread.
Storage and Reheating
Peanut butter and jelly monkey bread is best served warm on the day it is baked, when the biscuit pieces are tender and the cinnamon-sugar coating is at its most fragrant. If you have leftovers, cover them well and keep them at room temperature for short-term storage.
Reheat individual portions gently until warm, taking care not to overheat the jelly filling. A brief warming period is preferable to prolonged high heat, which can make biscuit dough dry.
To plan ahead, prepare the ingredients and grease the pan shortly before assembling. Because the recipe depends on refrigerated biscuit dough, bake it according to the stated directions rather than leaving the filled raw dough sitting for an extended period.
For another buttery side dish to serve with a savory meal, see our garlic butter mushrooms. For a holiday dessert table, our peppermint brownies offer a rich chocolate option alongside this fruity, nutty bread.
Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 10-inch Bundt or fluted tube pan with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, taking care to cover the center tube and all decorative ridges.
- Combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Separate the biscuits and cut each biscuit into four pieces, creating about 32 small dough portions.
- Flatten one dough portion slightly and place about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter and 1/2 teaspoon jelly in the center. Fold the dough around the filling, pinch the seams firmly closed, and roll the piece in cinnamon sugar.
- Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, peanut butter, and jelly. Arrange the filled pieces loosely and evenly in the prepared Bundt pan without pressing them down.
- Melt the butter and pour it over the assembled dough, concentrating the butter across the top and into the crevices. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until puffed, deeply golden, and cooked through in the center.
- Let the monkey bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert it onto a serving plate and serve warm, pulling apart the pieces with your fingers or a serving fork.
Notes
Final Thoughts
This easy peanut butter and jelly monkey bread recipe is a wonderful way to turn familiar pantry flavors into a warm centerpiece. The refrigerated biscuit dough keeps the process simple, while the filled pieces, cinnamon sugar, and melted butter make every pull-apart bite feel generous and comforting.
Remember the three details that matter most: use modest filling portions, pinch every seam firmly, and wait about 10 minutes before inverting the Bundt pan. With those steps in place, you will have a puffed, golden bread ready to share with 10 to 12 grateful guests.
Set it on the table while warm and let everyone pull off a piece. Whether served for breakfast, brunch, snack time, or dessert, this sweet bread is sure to bring the fun of a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the whole room.