Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Non-Dairy Milk – Any thick, neutral-flavored milk will do. I recommend soy milk but cashew, macadamia nut, and almond milk are great as well.
• Active Dry Yeast –You can also use instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand. The two are interchangeable in function. The only difference is that active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in a liquid to activate whereas instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
• Chickpea Flour –This is used as the egg replacement. I love the chickpea flour eggs because they have a serious binding and leavening powder, similar to that of eggs which gives the bread its structure and lightness. Chickpea eggs are also completely flavorless meaning it won’t affect the taste of the bread itself. This is the only egg replacer that I recommend.
• Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
• All-Purpose Flour – I’ve had several people ask me if they can make this recipe gluten-free. I haven’t yet tried using gluten-free flour, so I can’t recommend it. If you’ve tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, let us know how it turned out for you in the comment section below.
• White and Brown Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars.
• Maple Syrup
• Coconut Milk – This is for the caramel drizzle. While I highly recommend coconut milk for its richness and flavor, any non-dairy milk will do.
• Cinnamon
• Pecans – Feel free to omit for a nut-free version.
• Salt

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you will need a 10″ bundt pan, mixing bowl, saucepot, and basic kitchen utensils. It is also nice to have a stand-up mixer for making the dough. If you don’t have one, it can be mixed and kneaded by hand. (<<affiliate links)

Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.

How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread

It’s important to note that this recipe requires some time. The bread has two separate rises as well as a 40-minute bake. But good news, if you are short on time, this vegan sweet bread can be made in advance.

Serving and Storing

Serving – To serve, flip the monkey bread out onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle with the remaining vegan caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans. This bread is best served warm. Serve this vegan sticky bread as part of your holiday brunch alongside a vegan quiche, roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, and Christmas Sangria.

Storing – Tightly wrap leftover monkey bread and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular flour instead of chickpea flour?

Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour is uniquely high in protein giving it binding and leavening powers that all-purpose flour simply cannot. You can find chickpea flour in most well-stocked grocery stores in the gluten-free aisle or you can pick some up online.

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes, it can!

If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the bread is rolled and shaped in the bundt pan, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Variations of Vegan Monkey Bread

• Orange Cardamom – Add orange zest and cardamom to the caramel sauce. Top with Orange Glaze.
• Chocolate Hazelnut – Substitute warm Chocolate Ganache for caramel sauce. Top with hazelnuts.
• Chunky Monkey Bread – Top with caramelized banana and walnuts.

More Vegan Sweet Bread Recipes

• Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
• Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Classic Lemon Pound Cake
• Vegan Pumpkin Bread w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Drizzle

This Vegan Monkey Bread with Caramel Pecan Drizzle is the meal worth waking up for. It's made of enriched yeasted dough balls and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce and toasted pecans for a decadent vegan brunch. 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 572kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Enriched Dough

• 1 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 standard package
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 6 tbsp. water
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Vegan Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans, toasted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Generously spray a 9" bundt pan and set aside.
• To make the dough, heat the soy milk over medium heat until milk is warm but not too hot to touch (about 100 degrees F). Stir in dry active yeast and set aside for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. In a separate bowl, combine the chickpea flour with 6 tablespoons of water, whisking it together until thick and gooey. Set aside.
• In the large bowl of a stand-up mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter. Using the hook attachment, mix to combine. With motor running, slowly add chickpea flour and yeast/milk mixtures, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and beat to combine. Once the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and is soft to the touch, the dough is done.
• Transfer to a floured surface and kneed the dough for about five minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl, cover in plastic wrap, and place in a warm area of your house for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• To make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating, melt the vegan butter in a microwave. Place it in a shallow dish. In a separate dish, combine the cinnamon and sugar.
• To make the caramel sauce, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut milk, and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes before removing from heat. Set aside to cool.
• To shape the dough, punch it down to release the air. Flip it onto a clean surface and take small pieces of dough, one at a time, shaping them into balls about 1" in diameter. Dip the balls in the melted butter, rolling to coat, and then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the balls in the bundt pan as you go. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F. When you're ready to bake the bread, drizzle about half the caramel sauce over the monkey bread, tapping it down gently so that the drizzle reaches the bottom. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove when the top is golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before flipping onto a cake stand or plate. Drizzle the cake with the remaining caramel sauce. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Notes

Serving and Storing - To serve, flip the monkey bread out onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle with the remaining vegan caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans. This bread is best served warm. Tightly wrap leftover monkey bread and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Recipe Tips

1. Activate your yeast properly. To do this, make sure your yeast is not expired and the milk is warm but not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast will not activate and you will not get a pillowy rise on the bread. 
2. Add flour slowly. The dough should be soft but not so sticky that you can't handle it. This recipe calls for 4 1/2 -5 cups of flour. Add it 1/2 cup at a time until you've achieved the desired dough. 
3. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. 
4. Roll uniform balls for proper baking.  Your dough balls should be between 1 and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You will need about 40 balls to fill up the bundt pan.
5. Generously spray the bundt pan to avoid the monkey bread from sticking. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use regular flour instead of chickpea flour? Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour is uniquely high in protein giving it binding and leavening powers that all-purpose flour simply cannot. You can find chickpea flour in most well-stocked grocery stores in the gluten-free aisle or you can pick some up online.
• Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes, it can! If you want to make this sweet bread the night before, prepare the bread following the instructions below to the point of the 2nd rise. Once the bread is rolled and shaped in the bundt pan, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 896IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg