Healthy Monkey Bread Recipe
This Healthy Monkey Bread Recipe is soft, sticky, and cinnamon-scented—everything you love about classic monkey bread, but made with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugar. Sweetened naturally with banana, dates, and maple syrup, this fun pull-apart bread is a hit with kids and grown-ups alike. Perfect for a weekend breakfast, snack, or healthier dessert!
Why This Recipe
- Refined sugar free: Sweetened with fruit and maple syrup for a naturally delicious taste.
- Fun to make with kids: Rolling and coating the dough balls is a great hands-on kitchen activity.
- Simple pantry ingredients: Made with a yogurt-based wholemeal dough—no yeast or waiting to rise!
- Flexible: Easily swap ingredients for allergies or dietary needs.
Ingredients You Will Need
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
- Wholemeal (whole wheat) flour: Adds a lovely nutty flavour and extra fibre. You can also use half wholemeal and half all-purpose (plain) flour for a softer texture. I have made this recipe with gluten-free flour, and it worked well. The dough balls were soft and delicious when warm, but did have a tougher texture as they cooled.
- Greek yogurt: Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt for best results; dairy-free yogurt also works.
- Maple syrup: Adds gentle sweetness—swap for honey (for kids over 1) or omit for younger babies.
- Coconut oil or butter: Both give great flavour; choose whichever you prefer.
- Peanut butter: Almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter all work well.
- Banana or applesauce: These provide natural sweetness and moisture.
Step-by-step instructions
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Healthy Monkey Bread recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Step one: Preheat the Oven to 180°C (350°F) line a cake tin or baking dish.
Make the Dough: Pop your yoghurt, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a splash of vanilla into a big mixing bowl. Grab your spatula — it’s time to get mixing!
Step two: Now tip in your flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Stir everything together with your spatula until it starts to look like a shaggy dough. Don’t worry if it seems a bit messy — that’s exactly what we want at this stage..
Step three: Keep mixing until you’ve got a dough ball forming. It will look a little rustic but should come together nicely. If it feels sticky, dust your hands with a little extra flour and keep going — it will smooth out.
Step four: Form Dough Balls: Divide the dough into small bite-sized pieces and roll them into balls. They don’t need to be perfectly even — think rustic, not bakery-perfect. Kids love helping with this part!
Step five: Coat the Dough Balls: Finely dice your dates and mix with the cinnamon.
Step six: Take each dough ball and dip it in the coconut oil or melted butter then roll it in the cinnamon-date mixture. This is the fun, slightly messy step — but that’s half the joy of monkey bread. If your mixture sticks to your fingers, just lick them clean (no judgment here!).
Step seven: Layer in the Pan: Line a round baking dish with paper and start placing the coated balls inside. Tuck them in close together, but don’t squash them too tightly — they need a little room to puff up as they bake.
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Step eight: Add the Sticky Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together peanut (or almond) butter, maple syrup, mashed banana, and a pinch of salt. A fork works well for this job. You want a thick but pourable sauce.
Step Nine: Pour the glaze: Drizzle the nutty mixture all over your dough balls in the tin. Don’t worry if it looks a bit rustic — it will spread and coat everything beautifully in the oven.
Step seven: Bake for 20–25 minutes Once out of the oven, let it cool slightly before turning it out. Serve it warm, with a dollop of yoghurt and some chopped banana for an extra “monkey-approved” touch.
Top Tips
Here is how you can make this Healthy Monkey Bread Recipe perfectly every time!
- Roll the dough evenly so the filling spreads nicely and you get consistent swirls.
- Bake until golden; the pieces should pull apart easily but still be fluffy in the middle.
- If you want to make it a little special for guests, try the optional glaze of butter and brown sugar for extra shine and flavour.
- Serve with Greek yogurt and soft fresh fruit or a little vanilla ice cream is delicious.
How to Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby Led Weaning
This recipe is naturally sweetened with fruit, making it a lovely option for babies over 6 months who are exploring finger foods. Skip the large chunks of dates as these could be a potential choking hazard. Simply, cut the baked monkey bread into baby-friendly portions, and of course, skip the optional sugar glaze.
Monkey Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups wholemeal flour wholewheat
- 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted) (or butter)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ cup dates (finely chopped)
Sticky Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter (or almond butter)
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 medium banana (mashed) (or ½ cup apple sauce)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven to 180°C (350°F) line a cake tin or baking dish.
- Make the Dough:In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead for a minute or two until smooth.
- Form Dough Balls:Break off small pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls (think golf ball size -ish) kids love helping with this part!
- Coat the Dough Balls:Mix the cinnamon and coconut sugar in a bowl. Dip each dough ball in melted coconut oil or butter, then roll in the cinnamon mixture.
- Layer in the Pan:Place the coated dough balls into your baking dish, stacking them loosely.
- Add the Sticky Sauce:Whisk together the almond/peanut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, and salt until smooth. Pour evenly over the dough balls.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Let cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Wholemeal (whole wheat) flour: Adds a lovely nutty flavour and extra fibre. You can also use half wholemeal and half all-purpose (plain) flour for a softer texture. I have made this recipe with gluten-free flour, and it worked well. The dough balls were soft and delicious when warm, but did have a tougher texture as they cooled.
- Greek yogurt: Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt for best results; dairy-free yogurt also works.
- Maple syrup: Adds gentle sweetness—swap for honey (for kids over 1) or omit for younger babies.
- Coconut oil or butter: Both give great flavour; choose whichever you prefer.
- Peanut butter: Almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter all work well.
- Banana or applesauce: These provide natural sweetness and moisture.
- Roll the dough evenly so the filling spreads nicely and you get consistent swirls.
- Bake until golden; the pieces should pull apart easily but still be fluffy in the middle.
- If you want to make it a little special for guests, try the optional glaze of butter and brown sugar for extra shine and flavour.
- Serve with Greek yogurt and soft fresh fruit or a little vanilla ice cream is delicious.
I've never had it either but it's always been one of those 'Pinterest recipes' that I've wanted to try - I'll definitely be giving your recipe a go during the school holidays 🙂
Ha ha, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I assume it is because we aren't from the USA!
Great and kids loved helping (worth the fun although the clean up is much longer). A note i printed recipe but in the in directions it referred to coconut flour with no reference to dates - good thing i had referenced site when it printed,
. A note i printed recipe but in the in directions it referred to coconut flour with no reference to dates - good thing i had referenced site when it printed, . The taste -with the dates and no sugar is great and the fun factor added to the experience (although not the clean up )