Cinnamon Toffee Monkey Bread Muffins

Toffee Monkey Bread Muffins are a sweet treat that’s hard to resist. Made using Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, these muffins are filled with delicious, cinnamon-flavored dough topped with toffee baking pieces creating a delightful, sticky crunch, using only 4 ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes. What’s not to love?

To me, nothing is more perfect to describe the scent of the holidays than cinnamon. Well, unless it’s bread baking, cinnamon bread? I’m over the moon!

I think I can trace back my love of cinnamon to my Grandma Martin. She would have me come and stay with her as a girl, and we would spend the day together watching soap operas, baking, and teaching me to crochet. My mind always goes to baking pies with her, not that she didn’t bake lots of other things, but her pies were always my favorite. You see, whenever she made one,  there was always “just enough” dough to make a cinnamon sugar pie crust. Sometimes I think I enjoyed that cinnamon crust as much as the pie.

Monkey Bread Muffins

Monkey bread muffins are a twist on classic monkey bread, made by cutting biscuit pieces or cinnamon roll dough into smaller pieces and baking them in muffin tins. They often have added ingredients like sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes nuts or other toppings, in this recipe I use Heath Toffee Bits. Monkey Bread Muffins are known for their gooey, sticky, and sweet layers, and they are perfect for breakfast or as a fun treat. These Toffee Monkey Bread Muffins would make a great addition to any brunch, don’t you think?

Monkey Bread in Muffin Tins

Two things my kids love – cinnamon rolls and monkey bread – both contain that lovable ingredient, cinnamon. I have made monkey bread many many times, in a big portion, in my bundt pan. I thought, how fun would it be to make toffee monkey bread that is in individual servings?

If you love this easy recipe for monkey bread in muffin cups, you will love these too: Apple Monkey Bread or this Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread. 

Ingredients for this monkey bread muffin recipe

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card. 

• Pillsbury Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls – Pick these up at the grocery store in the dairy aisle. Some have a vanilla frosting others a cream cheese frosting, choose the one you like best.  
• Brown sugar – Brown sugar and butter make a crumb mixture for the muffins. 
• Toffee baking pieces – Heath makes two kinds, “Bits ‘O Brickle” which is what I used here, and English Toffee Bits which contain chocolate. 
• Butter – either unsalted or salted butter will work.

How to make monkey bread muffins with cinnamon rolls

Using just a few simple ingredients, it couldn’t be easier to whip up a batch of these toffee-covered monkey bread muffins. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line 6 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Cut rolls into quarters.

Divide the small pieces of dough evenly between the 6 muffin cups.

Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with toffee baking pieces and then top with brown sugar. 

Then melted butter.  

Place the muffin pan into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly in the muffin tin.

While the muffins are still warm glaze with the frosting that comes with the rolls if desired, or enjoy them without, your choice. 

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, but I would wait to frost them before you eat them.

Love it? Pin it!

If you love these easy monkey bread muffins, make sure that you don’t lose the recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Recipes for Toffee Lovers

If you are a fan of toffee, you are sure to love these recipes too:

• Coffee Toffee Cheesecake
• Giant Toffee Cookies (pictured above)
• Easy Graham Cracker Toffee
• Butter Brickle Cookies

 

FAQs about cinnamon roll monkey bread muffins

• Why is it called monkey bread? The thinking is that monkey bread was named monkey bread due to the way it is eaten. Monkey bread is eaten by pulling apart the sections which is how a monkey eats. Most often monkey bread is baked in a bundt pan.
• What is another name for monkey bread? Monkey bread is also known as pull-apart bread, bubble bread, and plucking cake. 
• What is monkey bread sauce made of? Monkey bread sauce is made with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. 
• Is monkey bread made from biscuits? Some recipes for traditional monkey bread are made with canned, refrigerated biscuit dough.

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Instead of toffee bits sprinkle the top of the muffins with chocolate chips.

• Top the monkey bread muffins with a simple vanilla glaze if you can’t find toffee bits.

Tips & Tricks

• Have extra toffee bits? Try my Butter Brickle Cookies!

• Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut your cinnamon rolls into pieces.

• Leftover muffins will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap on the kitchen counter. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also store them in a ziploc bag if that’s what you prefer.

• Drizzle a touch of caramel sauce over the monkey bread for an even more indulgent treat.

More Muffin Recipes to Love

• Pumpkin Spice Banana Muffins, 

• Lemon Crumb Muffins With Lemon Glaze

• Spiced Glaze Muffins

• Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

• Chocolate Chip Raspberry Muffins

Ideal for a busy morning, or a special occasion, these Homemade Monkey Bread Muffins come together in minutes but will likely be devoured in just seconds. In my mind, that makes them the perfect breakfast. Let’s get to this easy monkey bread muffin recipe, shall we?

This recipe was originally posted on November 18, 2015. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on October 30, 2023. 

This was a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine.