Indulge in Sweet & Salty Bliss: The Ultimate Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread Recipe
Prepare yourself for a truly irresistible treat: Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread! This delightful dessert masterfully combines the best of all worlds – the rich, comforting sweetness of chocolate, the satisfying crunch and savory notes of pretzels, and the tender, pull-apart fun of classic monkey bread. It’s an experience for your taste buds, offering a perfect balance of sweet and salty that makes every bite a joy. Finish it off with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a luxurious drizzle of chocolate sauce for a dessert that’s not just delicious, but also visually appealing and incredibly fun to share.
What Exactly is Monkey Bread?
For those unfamiliar, monkey bread is a sweet, gooey, pull-apart bread often served for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. It’s typically made from pieces of soft dough (often refrigerated biscuit dough) rolled in cinnamon sugar or other sweet coatings, then baked in a Bundt pan. The magic of monkey bread lies in its interactive nature – you pull off individual pieces, much like a monkey might pick at food, hence the name! Its simplicity and versatility make it a family favorite, a blank canvas for countless flavor combinations.
In our home, monkey bread has become a beloved tradition. My boys love the hands-on process of preparing the biscuit dough, experimenting with various toppings and flavors. And honestly, who can blame them? The soft, fluffy biscuit dough provides an excellent base for a wide array of sweet ingredients, from classic caramel and cinnamon sugar to the exciting chocolate combinations we’re exploring today.
The Irresistible Allure of Sweet and Salty
This Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread recipe holds a special place as my current favorite dessert, primarily because of its innovative incorporation of crunchy, salty pretzels. This savory dimension creates a perfect contrast with the tender, chewy biscuit dough and the rich sweetness of chocolate. The interplay of sweet and salty flavors is a culinary delight that many find utterly addictive, and it truly shines in this recipe.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about a dessert that surprises your palate. The initial sweetness of the chocolate and biscuit is perfectly cut by the salty crunch of the pretzels, creating a harmonious flavor profile that keeps you coming back for more. It’s a combination that appeals to nearly everyone, transforming a simple monkey bread into an extraordinary dessert experience.
To elevate this already magnificent treat, I highly recommend sprinkling it generously with powdered sugar and drizzling it with my Best Homemade Chocolate Sauce. These finishing touches add another layer of sweetness and a luxurious texture, ensuring your Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread will be an undeniable hit with everyone who tries it. Be warned, though: the only “problem” with this chocolate pretzel monkey bread is its incredibly short lifespan in my house! It often disappears within minutes of coming out of the oven!
Essential Ingredients and Why They Work
Crafting the perfect Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread starts with understanding the role each ingredient plays:
- Refrigerated Biscuit Dough: The foundation of our monkey bread. Using pre-made biscuit dough is a fantastic shortcut that makes this recipe incredibly easy and accessible, even for novice bakers. Look for flaky varieties for the best texture.
- Granulated Sugar & Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This blend forms the delicious coating for our biscuit pieces. The cocoa adds deep chocolate flavor without being overly sweet, allowing the milk chocolate chips to shine.
- Crushed Pretzels: This is where the magic happens! The pretzels provide that essential salty kick and a wonderful textural contrast. Use classic salted pretzels, crushed into varying sizes for maximum impact – some fine dust, some larger shards.
- Milk Chocolate Chips: These melt into gooey pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the bread. Milk chocolate offers a comforting sweetness that pairs beautifully with the pretzels and cocoa. You could experiment with semi-sweet or dark chocolate for a less sweet profile.
- Melted Butter: The glorious glue that brings it all together! The butter coats the biscuit pieces, helps the sugar and cocoa adhere, and creates that rich, caramelized exterior during baking. It also ensures the bread is moist and tender.
Tips for Baking the Perfect Monkey Bread
While this recipe is straightforward, a few tips can ensure your Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread turns out perfectly every time:
- Even Coating: When shaking the biscuit quarters in the ziplock bag with the sugar and cocoa, ensure they are thoroughly coated. This creates a uniform flavor and color.
- Layering is Key: Don’t just dump all the ingredients in! Layering the biscuit pieces, pretzels, and chocolate chips with melted butter ensures every bite has a fantastic distribution of flavors and textures. This also helps prevent a dense, doughy bottom.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: A standard Bundt pan is usually sufficient for two tubes of biscuit dough. Ensure there’s enough space for the bread to rise.
- Baking Time & Temperature: The suggested baking time (30-35 minutes) at 350°F (175°C) is a good starting point. However, ovens can vary. Keep an eye on your monkey bread; it should be golden brown and cooked through in the center. If it’s browning too quickly on top, you can loosely tent it with foil.
- Cooling & Inverting: Allow the monkey bread to cool in the Bundt pan for about 5-10 minutes after baking. This helps it set and makes inverting much easier, preventing it from sticking or breaking apart. After this brief cooling, place a serving plate over the pan and carefully flip it over.
Serving Suggestions & Creative Variations
Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in many ways:
- Classic Dessert: Serve warm, straight from the oven, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream for an indulgent dessert.
- Brunch Star: It makes a fantastic addition to any brunch spread, offering a sweet option that’s a crowd-pleaser.
- Party Favorite: This pull-apart bread is perfect for parties and potlucks, as it encourages sharing and is easy to eat without utensils.
- Customization:
- Nutty Crunch: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the layers for an extra layer of texture.
- Different Chocolates: Mix milk chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips for a richer, more complex flavor. White chocolate chips could also be a fun addition!
- Caramel Drizzle: Instead of or in addition to chocolate sauce, drizzle with warm caramel sauce after baking.
- Spice it Up: A pinch of cinnamon or a dash of chili powder in the cocoa mixture could add a unique twist.
Storage Tips
While this monkey bread is best enjoyed warm and fresh, if you happen to have any leftovers (a rare occurrence!), you can store them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven until warm and gooey again.
Interested in some other chocolate recipes?
Easy Chocolate Raspberry Fudge
Malted Chocolate Stout Cake
Best Homemade Chocolate Sauce
Double Chocolate Crunch Cookies
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate Monkey Bread
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Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread
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Ingredients
- 16.3 oz refrigerated biscuit dough (2 tubes)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup crushed pretzels
- 1.5 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup butter (melted)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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Carefully separate the refrigerated biscuits from their tubes and cut each biscuit into four equal quarters.16.3 oz refrigerated biscuit dough
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In a large ziplock bag, combine the granulated sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. Shake the bag well to mix these dry ingredients thoroughly.¼ cup sugar, 1.5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
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Add the biscuit quarters to the ziplock bag. Seal the bag and shake vigorously until all the biscuit pieces are evenly coated with the chocolate sugar mixture.
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Generously spray a Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray to ensure easy release.
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Arrange approximately half of the coated biscuit quarters evenly in the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan.
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Distribute about half of the crushed pretzels and half of the milk chocolate chips over the layer of biscuit pieces.1 cup crushed pretzels, 1.5 cup milk chocolate chips
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Pour half of the melted butter over this layer of pretzels and chocolate chips.½ cup butter
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Add the remaining biscuit quarters to form the second layer in the Bundt pan.
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Evenly distribute the remaining pretzels and chocolate chips on top of the second biscuit layer.
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Pour the rest of the melted butter over the top, ensuring it drizzles over all the ingredients.½ cup butter
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Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the monkey bread is golden brown and cooked through. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Tools and Ingredients for Your Kitchen
To help you create this fantastic Chocolate Pretzel Monkey Bread and other delicious meals, here are some of the tools and grocery products I use and recommend:
Tools used for this recipe:
- Bundt pan: Essential for achieving that classic monkey bread shape.
- Ziplock bags: Perfect for easily coating the biscuit dough with the chocolate sugar mixture.
- Measuring spoons and cups: For accurate ingredient measurements, ensuring perfect results every time.
Grocery products:
- Milk chocolate chips: For that sweet, melty chocolate goodness.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa adds depth of flavor to the biscuit coating.
- Pretzels: The key to the irresistible salty crunch in this monkey bread.
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