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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Christmas Monkey Bread - Cranberry Orange

    Published: Nov 21, 2022 by Ang Paris · 9 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links·

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    Sweet and tangy cranberry and orange flavors make this Christmas monkey bread recipe extra special!
    Jump to Recipe Add to Favorites Go to Collections Print Recipe
    This recipe for monkey bread is packed with delicious cranberry and orange flavors and makes a yummy addition to any holiday brunch or Christmas breakfast. via @jugglingactmamaThis recipe for monkey bread is packed with delicious cranberry and orange flavors and makes a yummy addition to any holiday brunch or Christmas breakfast. via @jugglingactmama

    Our delicious recipe for Monkey Bread with Cranberries and a luscious Orange Glazed is the perfect holiday breakfast that the whole family will love! 

    Christmas Monkey Bread topped with powdered sugar on a green cake plate and surrounded by ingredients.
    Jump to:
    • 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🧂 Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • Equipment
    • 📖 Variations
    • 😋 Similar Recipes
    • More Brunch Ideas
    • 📋 Christmas Monkey Bread
    • Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread
    • 💬 Comments

    I adore monkey bread - what's not to love about the caramelized goodness?  This holiday season, I'm serving this festive Cranberry Orange Glazed Monkey Bread.  My family doesn't care for them, but adding chopped walnuts or pecans to this would add a yummy crunch. 

    And of course, sprinkling the whole thing with powdered sugar reminds me of snow, so it's just perfect for the holidays.

    My daughter Olivia helped me to make this and said, "Mumma, let's pretend we're on a cooking show, and explain what we're doing."  I love her enthusiasm for my nontraditional job.  I love developing recipes, and she loves eating them!

    So as we worked on this together, Olivia narrated.  She sampled the brown sugar cinnamon mixture, she squeezed the oranges and even used the micro-plain to zest the oranges.  She's such a good helper!

    Close up image of a slice of Christmas Monkey Bread.
    Make breakfast special this holiday season with Cranberry Orange Glazed Christmas Monkey Bread.

    💭 Frequently Asked Questions

    Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this Christmas Monkey Bread recipe.

    What is Monkey Bread?

    Monkey bread starts with small balls of yeast dough and has a sweet sauce using sugar and lemon juice or vanilla extract. The most common version is made with just brown sugar and cinnamon, but I like dressing it up a little more for the holidays.  There are hundreds of thousands of variations on monkey bread, including savory versions.

    How Long Does it Take to Make Monkey Bread?

    Our recipe is semi-homemade, so you don't have to spend tons of time working on making a dough.  All you need to get started with a basic recipe for monkey bread are Frozen Dinner Rolls.  Once you have it all assembled, it bakes for 35-40 minutes.

    🧂 Ingredients

    • Frozen Dinner Roll Dough
    • Brown Sugar
    • Ground Cinnamon
    • Butter
    • Cranberry Jelly
    • Orange

    This is meant to be a brief overview of our holiday monkey bread recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.

    🔪Instructions

    1. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet to thaw – about 1 hour.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Spray or grease a bundt pan, taking care to get into all the grooves.
    3. Cut thawed rolls in half and stretch them out into a small circle. Place a ½ teaspoon in the center of the dough, then pinch the edges together to make a little pouch.
    4. Dip each roll piece into butter and roll in the sugar. Place in the bundt pan.
    5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size.
    6. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees F 35-40 minutes. Cool 1 minute and invert onto serving platter.
    7. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup brown sugar, the juice and zest from the orange, and 2 tablespoons of cranberry jelly.
    8. Pour over the hot monkey bread. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
    Cranberry Orange Glazed Monkey Bread on a cake plate.

    Doesn't it just look amazing?

    The yummy caramel-like sauce created by the cranberry jelly, butter, and sugar is just incredible... honestly, words don't do it justice!

    Equipment

    The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Measuring Spoons
    • Dry Measuring Cups
    • Liquid Measuring Cup
    • Bundt Cake Pan
    • Santoku Knife
    • Mixing Bowl

    Be sure to check out my Juggling Act Mama Storefront on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of great products to make your life easier! Thanks so much for being a part of Juggling Act Mama ❤

    Top down image of a Christmas Monkey Bread on a cake plate, next to oranges and cranberries.
    This holiday monkey bread with cinnamon, orange, and cranberry is perfect for Christmas morning!

    📖 Variations

    We recommend that you try our orange and cranberry monkey bread for the first time just as it is written for the best results because that is how the recipe has been tested.

    However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.

    • For Thanksgiving, I add 1 pear or apple, peeled and chopped small in between the dough balls.
    • Double the cranberry flavor by adding 1 cup whole cranberries. Taste the cranberries first - you may want to add just a touch more sugar because cranberries can be tart.
    • Give this recipe a tweak by adding more warm spices for a gingerbread flavor.  Add 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves and then add 1 tablespoon of molasses to the brown sugar and cranberry jelly mixture.

    😋 Similar Recipes

    Next time, try one of these tasty recipes:

    • Cranberry Orange Bread - seasonal flavors in a delicious quick bread.
    • Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins - these make a delicious on-the-go breakfast.
    • Cranberry Egg Nog French Toast Bake - if you're looking for Christmas breakfast, this is it!

    More Brunch Ideas

    • Blueberry Monkey Bread - this pull apart bread is perfect for a Springtime brunch.
    • Microwave Pecan Monkey Bread - quick and delicious!
    • Bundt Cake Breakfast (Bacon Egg and Cheese) - this is a delicious breakfast that serves a crowd.
    • Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut
    • Best Blueberry Smoothie
    • Pineapple Smoothie Bowl
    • Orange Smoothie with Mango

    📋 Christmas Monkey Bread

    This semi-homemade recipe for monkey bread is perfect for the holidays! With all the baking, wrapping gifts, writing cards and the rest, who has time to make a scratch-dough?  Plus, it's so simple, the kids can get in the kitchen and give you a hand with it!

    Not ready to make this cranberry orange monkey bread yet? Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later.

    When you do make it, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below i it totally makes my day!

    Cranberry Orange Glazed Monkey Bread on a white plate.

    Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread

    Sweet and tangy cranberry and orange flavors make this Christmas monkey bread recipe extra special!
    Add to Your Recipe BoxGo to Collections
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, brunch, holiday
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Christmas monkey bread
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 421kcal
    Author: Ang Paris

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Equipment

    • Measuring Spoons
    • Dry Measuring Cups
    • Liquid Measuring Cup
    • Bundt Cake Pan
    • Santoku Knife
    • Mixing Bowl

    Ingredients

    • 24 Frozen Dinner Roll Dough
    • 1 cup Brown Sugar, plus ¼ cup
    • ½ cup Butter melted
    • ⅓ cup Cranberry jelly, plus 2 tablespoons
    • 1 Orange zested and juiced
    • 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar

    Instructions

    • Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet to thaw – about 1 hour.
      24 Frozen Dinner Roll Dough
    • Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Spray or grease a bundt pan, taking care to get into all the grooves.
    • Cut thawed rolls in half and stretch them out into a small circle. Place a ½ teaspoon in the center of the dough, then pinch the edges together to make a little pouch.
      ⅓ cup Cranberry jelly, plus 2 tablespoons
    • In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.
      Dip each roll piece into butter and roll the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in the bundt pan.
      ½ cup Butter, 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon, 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
    • Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size.
    • Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees F 35-40 minutes. Cool 1 minute and invert onto serving platter.
    • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup brown sugar, the juice and zest from the orange, and 2 tablespoons of cranberry jelly.
      1 cup Brown Sugar, plus ¼ cup, 1 Orange, ⅓ cup Cranberry jelly, plus 2 tablespoons
    • Pour over the hot monkey bread. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

    Notes

    Add 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds for a delicious crunch!
    VARIATIONS:
    • For Thanksgiving, I add 1 pear or apple, peeled and chopped small in between the dough balls.
    • Double the cranberry flavor by adding 1 cup whole cranberries.  Taste the cranberries - you may want to add just a touch more sugar because cranberries can be tart.
    • Give this recipe a tweak by adding more warm spices for a gingerbread flavor.  Add 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves and then add 1 tablespoon of molasses to the brown sugar and cranberry jelly mixture.

    For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
    Please Note: I am not a registered dietician. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
    Tried this recipe? Pin It for Later!Mention @jugglingactmama or tag #jugglingactmama!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leighann says

      November 21, 2017 at 11:00 am

      This looks so delicious!

      Reply
    2. Amy Anderson says

      November 30, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      This is so perfect for the holidays! I want to make this for Christmas.

      Reply
    3. Carly says

      December 01, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      So I made this but just did a powdered sugar icing instead of the orange glaze and it was very good.

      Reply
    4. Maureen says

      December 04, 2017 at 10:07 am

      I think I am going to make this for Christmas morning. Pinned for later! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Natalie says

      December 05, 2017 at 10:28 am

      You have such yummy recipes!

      Reply
      • Ang Paris says

        December 06, 2017 at 9:36 am

        You're so kind, thank you!

        Reply
    6. Rachel says

      January 07, 2018 at 7:44 am

      I made this for a New Year's day brunch and everyone LOVED it. Super easy and so good!

      Reply
    7. Samantha Murch says

      May 03, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

      Reply
      • Ang Paris says

        May 04, 2018 at 10:00 am

        And it's really SO easy! Perfect for the holidays 🙂

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Ang - the Juggling Act Mama! I love sharing quick and easy recipes, creative DIY projects, and fun family travel with you. Like many of you, I am a multi-tasking mama juggling priorities which is why here I offer solutions to tame your hectic lifestyle.

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