Lemon Monkey Bread Recipe
This Lemon Monkey Bread is the kind of breakfast I lean on after the decades of feeding a family of seven because it feels special without much effort. It takes about 10 minutes of prep, starts with frozen rolls, and is layered with lemon curd (either store-bought or homemade). Assemble the night before, then pop it in the oven in the morning for bright, sweet, citrusy pull-apart bread.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 617kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- nonstick baking spray
Monkey Bread
- 8 tablespoon butter melted, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest 2-3 large lemons
- 24 frozen rolls
- 3 tablespoons lemon curd
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon curd *room temperature
- 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream *see note below
Instructions
- Spray a 10 inch bundt cake pan liberally with baking spray. Spread 1 tablespoon of the melted butter evenly across the bottom.nonstick baking spray, 8 tablespoon butter
- Add granulated sugar and lemon zest to a medium bowl. Mix together with your fingers until the lemon zest is fully incorporated. Add in the remaining 7 tablespoons of melted butter and gently mix together.1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 8 tablespoon butter
- Place the frozen rolls into the mixture and toss together. It will mostly cover each roll with a few blank spaces.24 frozen rolls
- For the first layer, add 11 rolls around the bottom of the bundt cake pan. If there are any empty spots on the rolls, grab a little of the lemon sugar/butter mixture to fill in. Dollop the lemon curd evenly across each of those 11 rolls, about ¼ teaspoon per roll.3 tablespoons lemon curd
- For the second layer, place 6 rolls around the inside of the pan and the final 7 along the outside edge. See photo in post if needed. Take any leftover sugar mixture and spread it on the rolls evenly.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 3 hours. Then pop in the refrigerator overnight (8-10 hours).
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the bundt pan and place on a cookie sheet (to catch the drips and also to make it easier to remove from the oven).
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until you pull apart two rolls from the center and they are cooked through all the way. If they are even a little doughy, cook for another minute or two.
- Allow to cool on the counter for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate or cake platter. There will be some liquid so doing this on something solid is best. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
- Once it has cooled a bit, make the glaze. Place the powdered sugar, lemon curd, and lemon juice into a bowl and whisk vigorously. Add in 1 tablespoon of cream and mix until well combined. You will know it is the correct consistency when you lift up the whisk and drizzle it back down onto itself and it holds the ribbon for a couple seconds before blending back in. If you accidentally get it too thin add in a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it is the right thickness. Drizzle across the top of the bread. Serve fresh.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon curd *room temperature, 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream *see note below
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to spray the pan really generously so that the bread will slide out easily after baking.
- Be sure to grab all of the lemon sugar mixture out of the bowl once all the rolls are places. It is all needed for the full flavor.
- Keep in mind: the thinner the lemon curd, the less cream you'll need in the glaze.
- 7:00 pm (night before) - Assemble monkey bread and leave on counter.
- 10:00 pm (night before) - Place monkey bread in the refrigerator.
- 8:00 am (day of) - Bake monkey bread.
- 9:30 am (day of) - Serve monkey bread (time to bake, cool a bit, and glaze).
Nutrition
Calories: 617kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 795mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 5mg
