Killer Monkey Bread in a Smoker

Have you made monkey bread in a smoker yet? It’s a great way to “bake” during the summertime when you don’t want to turn on your oven. Using frozen cinnamon rolls is the newest craze! Find this easy smoker recipe and more here on Zopago (affiliate links present)

Smoked monkey bread

We based this Rhodes monkey bread on our original pumpkin monkey bread we made years ago. If you’d rather use your oven, just refer to those directions.

With all of them we used already made, uncooked, cinnamon rolls as the base, or dough if you will. First they were refrigerated, this time we used Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls as you see here.

To get your meats absolutely perfect we have this printable meat smoking chart to refer to so each and every time it will be fork tender.

• Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
  • We started with an electric smoker that was a Charbroil which worked well to start with.
• I like applewood pellets, we always have those on hand and make almost everything.

The biggest difference is that if they’re frozen you need to give them 45 minutes to defrost a bit. This makes it possible for you to slice each one in fourths and coat each piece well with sugar. This is a dessert after all.

Another alternative way that takes less time is to follow our monkey bread muffins directions.

You don’t have to add the pumpkin puree, but really it isn’t just a Fall flavor for me. I could eat it year round and do!

Well using refrigerated biscuits or Rhodes cinnamon rolls like these is a way to make it semi-homemade if you don’t have yeast on hand. You could also follow our no yeast cinnamon rolls recipe and bake or smoke.

YES! We first made smoked bread and it came out so good we went on to make smoker monkey bread you see here! Just follow the same temp. needed in the oven, cover with foil and remove for last few min.

That is what we are going to do next. There is no reason why it wouldn’t work since these cinnamon rolls came out perfect and rose evenly across the pan.

Just leave them on the counter for 45 minutes to be soft enough to cut. In order to get them to rise it will take much longer, closer to 3 hours in a pan covered with plastic wrap.

I set them on a piece of parchment paper so when they soften they don’t stick to anything. If you leave them for much longer than an hour they will become really mushy soft and it will be hard to coat them with sugar.

Just set a kitchen timer once you take them out for 45 min. so you can come back and cut each one into 1/4. That is the ideal timing.

Traeger desserts

If you’ve never made anything sweet in your smoker, you’re in for a treat! Yes typically you need to set it to a higher temperature than your teriyaki Traeger smoked chicken thighs or smoked pulled pork.

BUT when you’re eating you can increase it, throw on your dessert and when you’re done it should be just about ready to enjoy.

This is what’s in the ooey gooey mixture that will transform your cinnamon rolls into a sweet biscuit pull apart bread.

1. Brown sugar and butter
2. Pumpkin
   1. canned or here’s how to make your own Instant Pot pumpkin puree
3. You could add a bit of pumpkin spice into the mix too if you wanted stronger Fall flavors.
4. Sugar will be needed to coat each piece
   1. could use a sugar and cinnamon mixture
5. I have added crushed walnuts if I had them and they’re great
6. I suggest using some non stick spray
7. An 8×8 pan is perfect for this amount
   1. if you wanted to double it I would use either a 9×12″ pan or bundt pan
8. We used 12 quartered barely defrosted frozen cinnamon rolls
   1. the canned refrigerated version would work too

It’s just all about layering with this. If you use nuts I like to add them to the middle and top layer. With other smoker desserts we’ve made I cover the top with foil for the majority of the “baking” process.

This is important so that the top doesn’t get too dark while the insides are still raw. Once it has cooked thru to the center, then take the foil off to get golden brown on the top slightly.

• Just like with our VERY POPULAR 5 ingredient easy monkey breadrecipe, you don’t want to dry it out!
• Even 5 extra minutes beyond the timing I share below will loose that gooeyness you really want to maintain for this sticky sweet bread.

Time needed: 40 minutes

Smoked Monkey Bread

1. Defrost Lay 12 frozen cinnamon rolls on parchment paper for 45 min – 1 hour to slightly defrost.
2. Prepare Preheat smoker or oven to 350 degrees. Cut each biscuit / roll into 4ths, dip each piece into sugar to coat and then lay half of cut pieces into a sprayed 8×8 aluminum disposable pan.
   
   Melt butter, brown sugar and pumpkin together in microwave for a minute (or in a small saucepan over medium heat). Stir so mixture becomes smooth.
   
   Pour about half on top of the first layer of cut rolls. Add half of nuts if you want to now.
   
   Place the remaining cut rolls on top. Set 1/2 cup butter mix to the side to put on the top once it is cooked. Then pour the remaining butter mixture on top (add remaining nuts if desired on top).
3. Cook Spray the underside of a piece of foil with nonstick spray and tent over monkey bread so it can rise. Squeeze sides on to pan so edges are sealed but leave middle poofed up to leave room for it to rise quite a bit.
   
   Put in middle of smoker grate once preheated and close lid. Allow to cook for 40 minutes.
4. Add topping Remove tray and take off foil. Use the back of a spoon to spread remaining butter/sugar mixture on top. Then drizzle packet of icing on the very top.
5. Serve Set on a trivet in the middle of a table and give everyone a fork to enjoy right out of the pan.
   
   Alternatively you can loosen edges, put large plate on top and flip over. Then spread on butter mixture and squeeze on frosting so pan is removed before eating.

Smoker monkey bread

Doesn’t this look like totally amazing??!! It is a bit addicting so devour in moderation and share with your kids. 😉 After this, try our air fryer monkey bread recipe too!