Gooey chocolate oozing out of warm caramel bourbon monkey bread, yes please! This small batch breakfast or brunch treat uses frozen bread rolls to make it a snap to put together! But start the night before!
9frozen bread dough rollsthawed overnight according to package directions
4ouncessemi sweet baking barsEach square broken in 4 pieces. Or dark chocolate; broken into ¼ oz squares. I used the Trader Joes Belgium chocolate bar which breaks into perfect sized squares.
¼cupbuttermelted
½cupsugar I used organic cane sugar. White sugar is fine
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
⅔cupbrown sugarI used light, but dark would be fine; packed
¼cupbuttercold, cubed
¼cupbourbon Or whiskey; non-alcoholic use heavy cream
Bourbon Chocolate Glaze (optional)
4oz.semi sweet baking barOr dark chocolate, chopped
THE NIGHT BEFORE -> Spray a baking sheet with oil or baking spray and lay out bread dough rolls on baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
NEXT MORNING | Grease a bundt pan well! For a Small Batch I used this 6 cup bundt pan, double the bread rolls for a 10-12 cup bundt pan (see notes on doubling).
Chop or break chocolate into nine ¼ oz (roughly) squares and set aside. Flatten bread rolls into circles; placing 1 chocolate piece in the center of each. Folding dough over, pinch edges to seal well, return to the baking sheet until you finish all of the rolls.
Melt ¼ cup butter and remove from heat, placing ½ cup sugar into a bowl. Dip each chocolate filled dough ball in the melted butter, then roll in the sugar and return to the baking sheet.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce & Monkey Bread
Place brown sugar, butter chunks and bourbon (or heavy whipping cream) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly until it comes to an easy boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook stirring for 3 minutes.
Pour half of the caramel into greased6 cup bundt pan (or if doubling, into a 10-12 cup bundt pan). *I also toss in the extra pieces and crumbs from the chopped chocolate into the bottom caramel. Layer with half the dough balls; pour a little more caramel, then place rest of dough balls and pour any remaining caramel. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap, let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat Oven to 350°F and place bundt pan on baking sheet (in case of spillage). Bake on middle rack for about 40-55 minutes until lightly brown on top. Cover loosely with foil for last 10-15 minutes if browning too quickly. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then place serving plate on top of bundt pan and invert, removing the bundt pan.
Optional Bourbon Chocolate Glaze
Melt chocolate in small saucepan (heavier is better) over low heat, remove from heat; stir in bourbon and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm bread. I do not typically make the chocolate glaze, but I have drizzled a little chocolate sauce over the top! YUM!
Keep in an airtight container or well sealed on counter for 3-5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 7 days and may be frozen up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
To create a warm place to rise the monkey bread, before placing the dough in the oven, heat to 100 then turn OVEN OFF. Place bundt pan with dough in warm oven and close door. Substitutions & Additions
Replace the bourbon with heavy cream for a non-alcoholic version of this monkey bread.
Use brandy, rum or other dark liquor in place of bourbon.
Add ½ cup chopped pecans to the middle layer, when assembling.
If doubling the recipe, I typically double the bread and the chocolate, but keep the caramel sauce the same, but feel free to double all aspects, the gooier the better right!
Stuff the rolls with white or milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
Can't find the right baking chocolate? Use Semisweet chocolate chips instead, use about a tablespoon per roll.
Make smaller "monkey pieces" if desired by cutting each roll in half, you will need to double the amount of chocolate, stuffing each smaller portion of roll with a piece of chocolate.
DOUBLING TIPS
Simply remove 18-20 rolls for thawing the night before
Use a 10-12 cup bundt pan instead of the smaller 6 cup
Double the amount of chocolate you need for stuffing
Double the amount of butter (½ cup) and (1 cup) sugar for dipping
I actually never cut in half the original caramel bourbon sauce, so you should be fine just making that same amount, but heck, gooier is better right!? So go ahead and double if you please!
You will need to bake closer to 50-55 minutes, remember to cover with foil the last 15-20 minutes if getting too brown.