Savory Monkey Bread (Easy to Make + Customize)

Savory Monkey Bread is quick and easy to make and totally customizable, thanks to refrigerated biscuits that are dipped in garlic butter and coated in herbs and cheese for a monkey bread that’s as festive as it is delicious!

Savory Monkey Bread with text.

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I first shared this gorgeous Savory Monkey Bread recipe back in 2013, inspired by a Food Network tweet that stopped me mid-scroll. Since then, this monkey bread recipe has become a holiday menu staple and a lovely option to jazz up dinner rolls for special dinners. And the best news is that, despite how fancy it looks, it's deceptively easy to make!

Ingredients

Most everyone already knows how to make sweet, gooey, traditional monkey bread. But what's required to make Savory Monkey Bread?

Labeled ingredients to make Savory Monkey Bread.
  • Refrigerated biscuits. Flaky, homestyle, or regular buttermilk will all work, but this recipe was developed using jumbo sized biscuits. If I can find it, I prefer using an organic brand such as Annie's or Immaculate Baking Company for more natural/straightforward ingredients. You could also substitute refrigerated breadstick dough in lieu of biscuits.
  • Butter. Melted. Either salted or unsalted are fine. Or you could substitute olive oil, if you wish.
  • Garlic salt. To flavor the butter.
  • Coatings. Feel free to get creative! You can use fresh herbs, grated or shredded cheeses, slivered or diced nuts, spices, and more! I recommend choosing about five different coatings to alternate on the rolls for a truly impressive presentation. And remember that you need to use some sort of cheese on about half of the pieces since that's what holds the monkey bread together once you unmold it!

What's especially great about this recipe is that it's so customizable. The Savory Monkey Bread photos in this post depict coatings of fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped dill, chopped slivered almonds, grated Parmesan (mix with paprika for deeper color), and shredded cheddar. Keep in mind that very delicate herbs, such as basil, will likely darken over the baking time, so you may want to avoid using those.

Close-up of monkey bread coated with fresh herbs, slivered almonds, cheddar, and Parmesan.

How to Make Savory Monkey Bread

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Making Savory Monkey Bread is fun and easy!

  1. Preheat the oven and generously grease a nonstick bundt pan.
  2. Cut each biscuit in half.
Cutting refrigerated biscuit in half.
Biscuit cut in half for monkey bread.
  1. Roll each biscuit half into a ball.
Rolling biscuit into ball for monkey bread recipe.
  1. Stir garlic salt into melted butter, drop in a biscuit ball, and roll around until coated.
Whisking garlic salt into melted butter for Savory Monkey Bread.
Coating biscuit ball in butter.
  1. Roll each butter-coated biscuit ball in alternating coatings, pressing to adhere.
Parmesan coated biscuit for Savory Monkey Bread.
Dill coated biscuit for Savory Monkey Bread.
Parsley coated biscuit for Savory Monkey Bread.
Monkey bread biscuit coated with almonds.
Monkey bread biscuit coated with cheddar.
  1. Arrange and layer the biscuits in the bundt pan so that the various coatings are alternated.
Bundt pan of coated biscuits for Savory Monkey Bread recipe.
Assembled monkey bread ready for oven.
  1. Bake monkey bread until biscuits are done and surface is golden, covering with a sheet of foil if the monkey bread starts getting too dark before it's done.
Monkey bread baked in bundt pan.
  1. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a thin, soft rubber spatula around the edges and down the sides of the pan to loosen any stuck cheese. Invert the pan onto a plate. The bread at the top/open side of the pan ends up being the prettiest part. So after you flip the bread out onto a plate, flip it one more time onto your serving platter.
Savory Monkey Bread inverted onto platter.

This combo of herbs, cheeses, and nuts truly makes for a Savory Monkey Bread with great flavor and visual appeal!

Close-up of Savory Monkey Bread.

Variations

If you're up for experimenting, I can think of a few yummy variations of this Savory Monkey Bread:

  • A combo of oregano, parsley, and Parmesan would be yummy to accompany an Italian meal.
  • A combo of cilantro, Monterrey jack, and taco seasoning would make for a nice a Mexican theme.
  • Wrap each biscuit around a small cube of cream cheese (plain or seasoned), boursin cheese, or even mozzarella for pull-apart monkey bread with gooey centers.

Furthermore, you can choose to mix your cheese and herbs and then coat each biscuit ball with the same mixture...

...or you can keep all of the coatings separate and alternate your biscuits, like I did here today.

Do keep in mind that some herbs and spices are stronger than others. The dill I used in my monkey bread variation was a bit overpowering, but my family loves dill so it didn't bother us at all (in fact, my boys fought over the dill-covered rolls). But something like rosemary would fall under the umbrella of a little bit goes a long way.

Monkey bread with herbs, nuts, and cheese pulled apart.

Dried vs. Fresh Herbs

Dried herbs are about three times more potent than fresh. So I don't think I'd roll a ball of dough in straight dried herbs. However, I would consider stirring a sprinkle of dried herbs into grated Parmesan (for example) and then coating a dough ball in that.

Also, some fresh herbs -- such as basil -- are more delicate than others and may darken in the oven. This monkey bread recipe has been tested using fresh parsley and fresh dill, so exercise your own discretion when experimenting with other herbs. 🙂

Monkey bread recipe showing herbs and cheese being pulled apart.

There you have it...a fun, festive take on dinner rolls that will liven up your weeknight meals, dinner parties, or holiday tables, from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Easter!

This Savory Monkey Bread is sure to garner oohs and ahhs, and your dinner guests will never believe how quick and easy it is to make.

Meaning, of course, that you are under no obligation to tell them... 😉

More Tasty Bread Recipes

Savory Monkey Bread aerial view of monkey bread coated with herbs and cheese.

Savory Monkey Bread

Savory Monkey Bread is quick and easy to make and totally customizable, thanks to refrigerated biscuits that are dipped in garlic butter and coated in herbs and cheese for a monkey bread that’s as festive as it is delicious!
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 153kcal
Print Pin Rate

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 (16-ounce) cans jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • 5 or so different fresh chopped herbs and/or grated cheeses (for coatings), RECOMMENDED: fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped dill, chopped slivered almonds, grated Parmesan, and shredded cheddar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9- to 10-inch Bundt pan with butter, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Stir garlic salt into melted butter. Cut each biscuit in half and roll into a ball. Dip each biscuit ball in butter, then roll in desired coating. Arrange biscuits in the pan so that the various coatings are alternated, making sure that cheese accounts for the coating on at least half of the biscuits so that the monkey bread holds together once it's baked.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until biscuits are done and surface is golden. Start checking monkey bread at about 20 minutes, and if it's browning too quickly, lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top for the remainder of the baking time.
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a thin, soft rubber spatula around the edge and down the sides of the pan to loosen any stuck cheese. Invert onto a plate, then lay serving platter on top and flip bread over onto serving platter so that the attractive side is on top.

Notes

  • This recipe has been tested with fresh chopped parsley and dill. If you choose to substitute the herbs, please be aware that more delicate herbs (such as basil) may darken in the oven.
  • If you don't want to alternate your biscuit coatings, you can mix the cheese and herbs together and use the same coating for all of the biscuits. Whatever you decide, you need to use some sort of cheese on at least some of the pieces since that's what holds the monkey bread together once you unmold it.
  • Dried herbs are three times more potent than fresh, so if using dried, you may want to mix with cheese to prevent an overpowering flavor.
  • You may use just about any type of refrigerated biscuits or bread dough. You just want the total amount of dough used to be around 32 ounces.
  • If you wish, this bread can be assembled ahead of time (although some delicate herbs may darken at the edges where they were chopped). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, up to overnight. Take the pan out of the refrigerator as you preheat the oven, and then bake as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Adapted from Food Network.
Originally published November 11, 2013, and updated on April 1, 2020, November 28, 2020, and December 1, 2023.

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5 from 14 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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87 Comments

  1. Hey! I tried this recipe and it didn't turn out exactly as pictured. The herbs shriveled and darkened, not bright green as pictured. Did you add an extra layer of herbs on top for the photographs? Also, I should have removed them from the oven at around 20 minutes. That said, the bread was hit! And I do plan on making it again with a few adjustments. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    1. Hi Mona! I did not add any additional herbs for the photos in the post...that's how my monkey bread looked coming right out of the oven. I wonder if perhaps your oven runs hotter than mine or if your rack wasn't centered in the oven? I'm not saying it was either of these things...just trying to brainstorm what could have happened! At any rate, I'm glad that you're going to give it another try with adjustments for your oven. 🙂 Hope you're having a great December!

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! I made it for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with the in-laws and it was a huge hit! It was pretty and tasty -- and one of my very first Pinterest WINS! Thanks, again, and many blessings to you in the Christmas season. (May make this again for my side!)

    1. It makes me so happy to hear that this monkey bread was a hit with your family, Loree! And yay for Pinterest recipes that turn out well! 😉 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your thoughtful comment. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season as well!

  3. Pinning this beauty right NOW !!! This is one of those recipes that can make just about anybody look like a great cook in front of company. I'm kitchen impaired so I need all the help I can get! Thank you so much for sharing it.

    1. Thanks so much for the pin, Bridget! And you're right...this is so impressive to serve that nobody would ever guess how easy it is to make! Hope it's a hit when you have a chance to try it. I appreciate you taking the time to comment...hope you're having a wonderful week! 🙂

  4. We are hosting my grandfathers 90th birthday party today and I decided to make these for an appetizer. I haven't even tasted them but the smell from the oven is divine! I used a few different mixes; dill, paprika and cheese mixture, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, cinnamon-sugar, and some other herbs. I also was thinking that you could easily make this for a brunch, if you got blueberry biscuits and changed the toppings to more sweet versions like cinnamon-sugar, cheese, powdered sugar, etc. Thanks again!

    1. First off, happy birthday to your grandfather, Becky! 90 years old...how wonderful! I hope that this monkey bread was a hit at his birthday party...the combo of biscuit coatings you used sounds yummy! And what a great idea to try a sweet version with blueberry biscuits! My only word of warning is that they might not stick together unless they have something cheesy/sticky coating at least some of the biscuits...but I'm sure they'd taste delicious even if they fell apart! 😉 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and I hope your week is off to a great start!

  5. This looks amazing! But I'm curious about what the refrigerated biscuits are? I'm from Australia, I don't think I've seen these here. Is it a pre-made dough? Is it sweet? Thanks!

    1. Hi Beth! Refrigerated biscuits come in a can. You pop open the can, put the biscuits in a pan or on a cookie sheet, and they bake up in about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how big they are. For this particular recipe I used these: http://www.immaculatebaking.com/product/buttermilk-biscuits/ , but there are many different brands available is the USA. Do you think you have anything similar to this product in Australia?

    1. Thank you so much, Beth! I really appreciate you sharing and stopping by to let me know. 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start!

  6. Your bread looks delicious and I love how you made different types of rolls. I want to try this for Christmas and I'm going to do a trial run this week. Did you cut your biscuits in half or use them full size? Also, did you roll them into balls? They look so perfectly round. I can't wait to try your recipe!

    1. Hi Kimberly! Yes, I used jumbo-sized biscuits, which I cut in half and then rolled into balls. Good luck with your trial run and I hope these are a hit at Christmas!

  7. Oh my! These look so amazing. What a fabulous idea. If I were making the rolls for Thanksgiving, these are what we would have. I will make these during the season for the presentation alone! Great pictures, too.

    1. Thanks so much, Sally! I agree that their presentation is great for a fancy occasion, but they're so easy to make, you could throw them together to make a weeknight dinner special, too. Enjoy! 🙂

  8. Not only does this monkey bread look like it tastes delicious, but it's gorgeous to just look at! I wanted to say thanks for linking your recipe up to our Lovely Ladies link party, and to let you know I've featured it in a great round-up of Thanksgiving sides & appetizers. You can check it out if you'd like.
    Thanks so much- Molly from Just a Little Creativity

    1. Thanks so much for featuring my recipe, Molly, and for stopping by to let me know! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  9. Hi Samantha
    Fabulous pictures! Thanks for the party, I can't wait to make these--absolutely yummy! Look forward to receiving your posts in my inbox 🙂

    1. Thanks so much! Very glad to have you here and honored that you're going to be following along from now on... 🙂 Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

  10. Girl, this monkey bread looks fantastic! My mouth is watering just looking at the photos. I'm definitely going to try this! Visiting from Live Laugh Rowe - congrats on the feature!

    1. Thanks so much for the sweet words, Sarah! I do hope you get to try this recipe sometime. I really appreciate you stopping by...happy Friday! 🙂

  11. Congratulations...this post was featured on Create It Thursday #29! Thanks for sharing such a great idea with us last week!

    1. What an honor, Leslie! I really appreciate you stopping by to let me know! I was thrilled to just recently discover your fabulous party. I've already linked up tonight...thanks so much for hosting! 🙂

    1. Thanks so much, Angela! I appreciate you stopping by, commenting, and pinning! Have a great night... 🙂

    1. Thanks so much for the kind comment, Brenda! I agree that this bread is all of those things. Hope it graces lots of Thanksgiving tables next week! 🙂

  12. Wow! This sounds delish - you're making me hungry! I'm hosting a pillow covers giveaway that you should enter.

    1. Hi, Maggie...great question! I think you could use any round pan and still form your biscuits into a ring with an open area in the center, though the hole in the middle might not stay quite so perfectly round. Or you could make a solid monkey bread by laying your biscuits all over the bottom of a pan of any shape or size. I just wouldn't go more than two layers tall without using a bundt pan because I'd be concerned that the biscuits in the center might not cook all the way through. Hope that helps...enjoy!

  13. What a great variation on traditional monkey bread. It's perfect for family meals! I'll definitely be trying this for the holiday season!

    1. Thanks so much, Dyanna...it really is a fun spin on monkey bread! I hope it's a hit with your family over the holidays. 🙂 Have a great week!