Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (2024)

by Mariel

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It’s so nice to have a bit of structure back in our home, at least until next summer. Homeschool is happening, laundry and dishes are getting done, kids are adjusting into a sleep routine, we are sitting down for meals, easing off the vacations (almost), ahhh…it feels good. By May, I’ll be sick of the structure and ready for the madness again. Life is like hair, it needs to be switched up every now and then. It keeps things fun and interesting. Just one reason I love Utah, the seasons are pretty darn dramatic.

One thing, in particular, that I am pleased to welcome back is Caden’s cooking classes. (See The Plan for My Picky Eater) I finally have the home-time I need to help him discover new foods he may like and learn to cook in the process. So, this past week, I found a recipe that would push his taste-bud limits…Paula Deen’s Gorilla Bread.

Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (1)

Caden love, love, loves the Cinnamon Rolls that I make. So, maybe he would like this recipe, except that the chopped walnuts and cream cheese would really challenge him. I knew he would enjoy the fun process of making it and how cool it looks afterwards, but would he love to eat it?

To make the gorilla bread, you need: sugar, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, cream cheese, 24 ounces of refrigerated biscuits (two 12 ounce cans or 3 1/2 of the 7.5 ounce cans), and chopped walnuts.

First, heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray/grease a bundt pan. Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 3 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl, set aside.

In a small pot, combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter and 1 cup of packed brown sugar. Cook on medium low until butter is melted, stir well and set aside.

The original recipe says to use 2 (12-ounce) cans of refrigerated biscuits, that have 10 biscuits in each can. Well, couldn’t find it. So, I ended up buying a four-pack of 7.5 ounce cans and used 3 1/2 of them. Anyway, so you take your bar of cream cheese and chop it into enough pieces for each biscuit. Flatten the biscuits, sprinkle some of the cinnamon/sugar on top, and add a square of cream cheese. Fold up the dough around the cream cheese.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the walnuts into the bottom of the bundt pan, then place half of the dough balls in the pan. Sprinkle the tops of them with cinnamon/sugar.

Pour half of the melted butter mixture on top, followed with another half cup of nuts. Layer the other biscuits on top, sprinkle with sugar, pour the rest of the butter mixture on, and add last 1/2 cup of nuts.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the dough balls look slightly golden. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Place a plate on top of the bundt pan and invert…ta-dah! Oh, so guess what…everyone loved it EXCEPT for Caden. The little booger! He couldn’t overlook the cream cheese and walnuts. But, now he knows…he’s not a fan of Gorilla Bread. I guess that’s how it goes, sometimes. More for me.

Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (10)

Want to check out more of Caden’s recipes?? Buffalo Chicken Mini-Pizzas, White Castle-ish Burgers, Hamburger Gravy, Taco Salad in Homemade Tortilla Bowls, and Dinner Rolls.

Gorilla BreadBy Paula Deen

Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (11)

Print

Gorilla Bread

Ingredients

  • 1/2cupsugar
  • 3tsp.cinnamon
  • 1/2cupbutter
  • 1cuppacked brown sugar
  • 8ouncescream cheese
  • 212 ounce cans of refrigerated biscuit dough (10 count)
  • 1 1/2cupchopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Spray a bundt pan and set aside.

  3. In a small bowl, mix white sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

  4. In small pot, heat up the butter and brown sugar, stirring well until combined. Set aside.

  5. Cut up the cream cheese into as many squares as biscuits.

  6. Press the biscuits flat, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and place a square of cream cheese in the middle.

  7. Fold up the biscuits around the cream cheese and set aside.

  8. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the walnuts into the bottom of the bundt pan.

  9. Top with half of the prepared biscuits. Sprinkle the balls with additional cinnamon sugar, then pour half of the butter mixture over them.

  10. Top with another 1/2 cup of walnuts. Then, start over...add the rest of the biscuits, cinnamon/sugar, butter mixture, and last 1/2 cup of walnuts.

  11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the biscuits look a golden color.

  12. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then put a plate on top of the pan and invert to get the Gorilla Bread out.

Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (12)

Gorilla Bread ~ Caden's Latest Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my monkey bread doughy? ›

If the bottom of the pieces that haven't been exposed is still doughy, the bread needs to bake longer. If it's fully baked and no stretchy dough appears, it's ready.

What does monkey bread contain? ›

Homemade monkey bread combines several tiny balls of dough coated in butter, cinnamon, and sugar. It's basically a giant Bundt pan of gooey cinnamon rolls! Finish this fun breakfast or dessert treat with vanilla icing and serve pull apart style. This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.

Is monkey bread made from biscuits? ›

The beauty of monkey bread is just how easy it is. This version starts with a few cans of store-bought buttermilk biscuit dough that gets tossed in cinnamon sugar and then drenched in a buttery caramel sauce. It's truly to die for, no monkeys required.

Why is my bread doughy and not fluffy? ›

Your Bread Doesn't Have Enough Gluten

Once these proteins become moist, they create stretchy molecules that give bread dough its elasticity. Gluten helps bread maintain its shape and produces the "crumb" (or texture). If your bread does not have enough gluten, the crumb will not come out as expected.

Why is my homemade bread heavy and doughy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

What is a fun fact about monkey bread? ›

Recipes for the bread first appeared in American women's magazines and community cookbooks in the 1950s. During the 1980s, Nancy Reagan popularized serving monkey bread during Christmas by making it a staple of the Reagan White House Christmas. Mrs. Reagan acquired the recipe from her fellow actress Zasu Pitts.

What is another name for monkey bread? ›

Also known as Hungarian Coffee Cake, Bubble Loaf, and, my favorite, Pinch Me Cake, the term Monkey Bread didn't start popping up until the 1950's in various women's magazines.

Does monkey bread need to be refrigerated? ›

If you somehow end up with leftovers, save them for later! This Grands!™ Monkey Bread can be stored, tightly covered, on the counter for 1–2 days. To keep it fresh for 3–4 days, pop it into the fridge. And if you want to put a treat aside for future you, you can freeze monkey bread for up to two months.

How do you know when monkey bread is done? ›

Bake the monkey bread for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf should read between 190°F and 200°F. Serve and store. Serve immediately, or warmed.

How do you fix bread that is too doughy? ›

In most situations, an undercooked loaf of bread can be fixed by returning it to the oven for a few more minutes. This is true for loaves where the outside of your bread may look fully set, but the inside of the bread is still gummy. Place the loaf back in a preheated oven at 350° F for 10-20 minutes.

Why does my bread have a gummy texture? ›

While a nice hot oven can produce a beautiful loaf with a crisp, golden crust, too hot of an oven will cause the crust to finish cooking long before the center of the bread. This will result in undercooked dough with a sticky, chewy texture rather than a fully risen crumb.

Why is my monkey bread not cooking in the middle? ›

Recipe Tip

To be entirely sure that the monkey bread is fully cooked and not doughy in the center, use a thermometer to verify that the middle has reached 190°F. If the top is browning too much and the center is still not at 190°F, lower the monkey bread in your oven and/or cover it with foil to prevent over-browning.

How do you fix gummy bread? ›

Place on a parchment lined cookie tray and bake again for 150-25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. The goal is to dry out the bread. After the second baking, it will become more golden in color. The bread may not turn out fully baked, but most of the moisture will be dried out.

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