Make your monkey bread individual and small batch with these easy peach monkey bread muffins! Biscuits made from scratch are shaped into monkey bread bites, coated with cinnamon sugar, and mixed with chunks of fresh peaches. Top the monkey bread muffins with homemade peach caramel for an extra peachy bite!
Table of contents
Monkey Bread In A Muffin Tin
Any time you can take a shareable treat and make it an individual serving, I’m in! Like my mini cream cheese peach tarts and peach and custard Kuchen pies. Monkey bread is no exception! The pull-apart dessert, which can also double as breakfast, takes on summer vibes with the addition of fresh peach chunks.
But rather than make it in a standard bundt or tube pan, we take the bread-lovers treat and bake the monkey bread into single servings in a muffin tin. The small batch recipe yields 4 –can’t-stop-at-just-one – monkey bread muffins!
I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have updated it with helpful tips and FAQ, refreshed photos, and recipe refinements.
Trust Me When I Say You’ll Love These Monkey Bread Muffins
- Homemade is always best – The monkey bread dough is adapted from my fluffy buttermilk biscuits recipe. The soft biscuits and peach caramel are made from scratch. Resulting in pure flavor and freshness.
- Chunks of peaches – And I mean chunks! They are hidden through the monkey bread and present as little surprises when you bite into one!
- Peach caramel for the win – Let’s not gloss over the caramel sauce infused with fresh peaches spooned over top! The same type of peachy-caramel I use in my small batch of peach cupcakes.
- Small batch and just for you – Naturally monkey bread is meant to be shared. But when you have your own muffin, you can devour it all by yourself!
- Cinnamon and sugar – Even though we take a twist on traditional monkey bread by adding peaches, what makes monkey bread a true delight – the cinnamon sugar – remains intact.
Ingredients And Notes
Let’s take a moment to look at the 8 ingredients for these peach monkey bread muffins. Only 8! And that is with making our homemade monkey bread dough and caramel sauce. I’m intrigued!
- Fresh Peach – Only 1 peach and it is your choice whether you want to peel it. Out of season? You can swap in frozen peaches.
- All-Purpose Flour – The flour to make our monkey bread (otherwise known as biscuit) dough. If you are comfortable with a 1:1 gluten free flour, feel free to make that swap.
- Unsalted Butter – The butter is in the dough and caramel. I like to use unsalted because I add salt.
- Buttermilk – This will make the biscuits soft and flavorful. If you don’t want to buy a carton of buttermilk (I get it!), make your own. Fill a liquid measuring cup with 1/2 tablespoon (1 and 1/2 teaspoons) of vinegar or lemon juice. Add milk to the 1/2 cup line, and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator until it looks curdled – about 5 to 10.
- Baking Powder and Salt – Baking powder will give the biscuits lift and texture. Salt is key to balance and enhance flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar is present in every component of the muffins: the biscuit dough, caramel sauce, and cinnamon sugar coating for the monkey bread bites.
- Ground Cinnamon – The cinnamon shows up in the caramel sauce and the coating.
Helpful Tips
- Fresh is always best – If you can get fresh peaches, I recommend it for true flavor, freshness, and texture. But, if it is the middle of winter and a fresh peach is nowhere to be found, frozen peaches work!
- All of the biscuit ingredients should be cold – That is, all of the refrigerated ingredients. The cold ingredients – specifically butter– have water in them. When the water is cold, and then heated, it releases steam. That steam creates the flaky layers in the biscuit dough.
- Consider cupcake liners – The liners hold the bubbly caramel and sauce that forms when the muffins are baked. Plus, the liners make it easy to get the muffins out of the pan.
- Try a different baking pan – As pictured above, a small ramekin also works for the monkey bread muffins. They can either be inverted onto a plate to serve or eaten directly from the ramekin.
- Use all of the caramel and cinnamon sugar – You may find you have a little extra cinnamon sugar. Or there seems to be too much caramel sauce. I recommend using it. Sprinkle and pour both between the layers of monkey bread before baking. Or, save the extra caramel to drizzle on top when finished baking.
Recipe FAQ
Can I use store-bought canned buttermilk biscuits instead of making my own?
You sure can! Start following the recipe instructions at shaping the monkey bread bites.
Can I make a larger batch of monkey bread to bake in the traditional bundt pan?
Yes! The bake time may need to be increased by 3 to 5 minutes to accommodate the larger size.
What if I want to try a different fruit? Will that work?
For the most part, yes. Apples or other fruit that is more firm would be great. Softer fruit, like raspberries, may not hold their shape and texture as well.
How long will the peach monkey bread last?
Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze monkey bread muffins?
Yes. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
More Small Batch Muffin Recipes
Recipe
Small Batch Peach Monkey Bread Muffins
Make your monkey bread individual and small batch with these easy peach monkey bread muffins! Biscuits made from scratch are shaped into monkey bread bites, coated with cinnamon sugar, and mixed with chunks of fresh peaches. Top the monkey bread muffins with homemade peach caramel for an extra peachy bite!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large fresh peach, peeled and cut into small cubes (1/3 for the caramel, 2/3 for the muffins)
Peach Caramel
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Monkey Bread
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, cold
INSTRUCTIONS
Peach Caramel
- Make the peach caramel first – In a small saucepan (you can also use a small skillet), add the sugar
- In a small saucepan (or skillet), add 1/3 of the peach cubes, sugar, and butter. Stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar starts to caramelize and the peaches break down – about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the caramel, otherwise it can burn and turn bitter. Stir in the cinnamon at the end.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large fresh peach, peeled and cut into small cubes
- Let the caramel cool until ready to use. Either in the pan or transfer to a heatproof jar or container.1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Monkey Bread
- In a small Ziploc bag, add the cinnamon sugar. If making homemade, a good ratio is 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to every 1 tablespoon of sugar. For this recipe, add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the baggie with 2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon.
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a muffin pan with 4 cupcake liners, or grease the muffin wells.
- The butter for the biscuits should be very cold. Cut the butter into small cubes and place in the freezer for about 5 minutes before making the biscuits. Tip – You can grate the butter (using a cheese grater) to get small butter pieces that are easier to mix in the dough.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Add the cold butter cubes (or grated butter) and buttermilk. Use your hands or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until you have small pea-size pieces. If you grated the butter, you can mix the dough with a wooden spoon. Mix just until all of the moisture has been absorbed by the flour. The dough will be scraggly and crumbly.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, 1/2 cup buttermilk, cold
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, form the dough into a rough rectangle. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little flour over the top. Fold the dough in half, and press into a rough rectangle again. Sprinkle more flour over the top as needed. Repeat. Fold and press the dough a total of 3 times to make fluffy, flaky biscuits.
- With a rolling pin or your hands, press the dough into approximately a 6 x 6-inch square. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Then divide each of those 4 pieces into 6 small pieces. Roll each small dough piece into a ball. Add a few dough balls to the bag with cinnamon sugar and toss to coat the dough.3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- Press 6 dough pieces into each muffin cup, layering the remaining peach cubes between each piece. Spoon 2 to 3 teaspoons of peach caramel over the top of each muffin. Sprinkle any of the leftover cinnamon sugar over each muffin. Tip – Use any extra caramel to drizzle over the muffins after they are baked.1 large fresh peach, peeled and cut into small cubes
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and bubbly. Cool the muffins in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. If you didn't use a muffin liner, run a knife around the edge of the muffin to release it from the pan. The muffins are best enjoyed slightly warm and the day they are baked!
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RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled.
- Peach – It is optional to peel the peach. Additionally, you can swap in frozen peaches.
- Size – You can make the monkey bread in any size you like. I have made smaller servings in a ramekin, mini bundt pans, and a 6-inch bundt pan.
- Store-Bought Biscuits – You can easily swap in store-bought biscuits.
- Storing – The monkey bread muffins can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Reheating – Microwave for a few seconds, or reheat in the oven at 200F degrees.
- Freezing – Wrap each monkey bread in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!