Mardi Gras Monkey Bread
Looking for a delicious way to celebrate Mardi Gras? This Mardi Gras Monkey Bread is an easy and festive treat for the Carnival season!
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There is just something magical about the combination of melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Our house smelled amazing while this Mardi Gras Monkey Bread was in the oven! I’m fairly certain my stomach was growling loud enough to wake our dogs from their mid-afternoon naps, too.
Mardi Gras is approaching quickly, and we always like to make a fun treat of some sort to celebrate the holiday. While Mardi Gras is literally translated as “Fat Tuesday,” the term is generally used to refer to the entire Carnival season. Carnival (aka Mardi Gras) begins on the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and lasts until Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday.
To wrap up Mardi Gras, folks generally eat rich, fatty foods on Fat Tuesday – thus the name! Lent begins the next day, and so Mardi Gras offers the chance to splurge one last time before the traditional fasting of the Lenten season.
Mardi Gras Monkey Bread
Speaking of splurging, let’s talk about this Mardi Gras Monkey Bread. It’s absolutely delicious! I mean it’s biscuit dough tossed in melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. How can you go wrong with that combination!?
As if the monkey bread itself wasn’t enough, a simple powdered sugar glaze is drizzled over the entire dessert before serving. It’s over-the-top, but it’s delicious! Go ahead and treat yourself – you can give up sugar for Lent starting the next day.
This Mardi Gras Monkey Bread is essentially a classic monkey bread recipe with the addition of green, gold and purple sparkling sugar. (Green, gold and purple are the traditional colors of Mardi Gras.)
In many ways, this Mardi Gras treat reminds me of a cinnamon king cake. Some king cakes have a cream cheese filling, but I always opt for a classic cinnamon king cake – they taste like a giant cinnamon roll! And this monkey bread? It’s basically a giant cinnamon roll…just in bite-sized pieces that you can tear off. Hmmm – perhaps King Cake Monkey Bread would be a better name for this recipe? No matter what it’s called, it’s delicious!
If you’re looking for a fun and decadent dessert to celebrate Carnival, then put this Mardi Gras Monkey Bread on the list! I’ve made many different types of monkey breads over the years (even savory versions like this Bacon Cheeseburger Monkey Bread), and they’re always a big hit. The communal nature of gathering around a monkey bread and pulling off pieces of deliciousness is always fun!
How to Store Leftover King Cake Monkey Bread
If you have leftover monkey bread, just store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I do recommend reheating any leftovers for a couple of seconds in the microwave before serving. There’s just something about warm, buttery, cinnamon rolls!
So grab some beads and celebrate the season with this Mardi Gras Monkey Bread! I hope you enjoy this sweet treat as much as we did around here. Our 8-year-old son didn’t even have words to describe his joy when I set this warm monkey bread on the table. Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!
Did you bake this Mardi Gras Monkey Bread at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Mardi Gras Monkey Bread
Ingredients
For the Monkey Bread
- 2 16-oz. cans jumbo refrigerated biscuits
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- yellow purple and green sanding sugar
Instructions
For the Monkey Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Open biscuit cans and cut each biscuit into 4 quarters; place dough in large bowl.
- Add granulated sugar and cinnamon; toss until pieces of dough in cinnamon sugar mixture until well coated.
- Arrange dough in prepared pan. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon + sugar on top.
- Using a small bowl, add brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined. Pour mixture evenly over pieces of dough.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. (Note: Tent the top of the pan with foil after 30 minutes.)
- Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before turning pan upside down onto a serving plate.
For the Glaze
- Using a medium bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar with milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Spoon glaze evenly over cake. While glaze is still wet, sprinkle yellow, purple and green sanding sugar on top. Let glaze dry for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Looking for more Mardi Gras recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had mardi gras monkey bread before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
This is a fun (and colorful) treat for Mardi Gras, Ramya – I hope you enjoy it!!
Well that looks fun and festive!
Thanks so much, Mimi – Happy Mardi Gras!!
I always think of canned biscuits like something quite basic and even boring, but you’ve elevated the simplicity to a totally new level, so festive and delicious. And who doesn’t like the combination of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon – it’s cozy and comforting!
I gotta admit, Ben – canned biscuits have their time and place. And that’s coming from someone who loves to bake! They are a great shortcut for this monkey bread…and it’s a festive treat for Mardi Gras, too!
I’m not sure that monkey bread is a thing here but i could be wrong :=) This one looks so pretty and enticing David!
Well then we clearly need to start monkey bread down there, Sherry! (No monkeys involved…haha!)
It’s almost that time already – loving this version of monkey bread with king cake colors!
I can’t believe Mardi Gras season is already here…it snuck up on me this year! It’s a great reason to celebrate with a king cake of some sort, though! 🙂
Happy upcoming Mardi Gras to you, David!
Thanks, Jeff – Happy Mardi Gras right back at ya!
This is such a fun recipe with all the colourful glaze. Plus, who doesn’t love a pull-apart bread? Love a few pieces of this right about now to dunk in my coffee. It would certainly make Monday that much better! 🙂
Oh this would be a great treat for dunking into coffee, Dawn! Happy Mardi Gras!
I love how you’ve incorporated the traditional Mardi Gras colors with the sparkling sugar, very vibrant plus it’s a fun and delicious way to mark the occasion.
Sparkling sugar is the key to making Mardi Gras desserts and treats festive!