This pumpkin monkey bread also has chocolate dough mixed in for a crazy looking fun treat that easy to make! (Jump directly to the recipe.)
I stared at the last three chunks of pumpkin chocolate monkey bread and they did NOT look appealing. I hadn’t been expecting us to eat ALL the monkey bread that I made but AJ pretty much couldn’t stop eating it and I was right behind him. Between the two of us, we made short work of the monkey bread, leaving only three last chunks left. Three chocolate chunks in fact. And the chocolate chunks…well lets just say they looked like the sort of chunks that a monkey would throw at you (if you know what I mean…), NOT the sort of chunks you’d want to eat. Ha! But I finished them up completely because I wasn’t one to let a chunk of the monkey bread go to waste.
I’ve been developing recipes nonstop for my cookbook, which means I’ve also been sharing less baking and dessert recipes here on the blog because I’m saving them for the book. Instead I’ve been posting a lot of dinners and meals, something that I’m enjoying. But I do miss the ability to share an awesome baking recipe right away and though I thought about keeping this one for the cookbook (and who knows, it might end up there in one form or another) I knew I had to share it with you right away.
For me it was the combination of chocolate and pumpkin that kind of tipped it over the edge. Everyone seems obsessed with pumpkin spice this and that (even I’m not immune to it) but it’s the combination of chocolate and pumpkin that I’m really loving. And this pumpkin and chocolate monkey bread really rocks the combination. Just make sure to eat the pumpkin and chocolate at an even pace or you might get a few slightly unappetizing (but no less delicious tasting) chunks in the end.
[Silhouette image of monkey used in the first photo behind the text courtesy of Shutterstock]
Pumpkin Monkey Bread with Chocolate Dough
By Irvin Lin
Monkey bread, sometimes called sticky bread, monkey puzzle bread, bubbleloaf or pinch-me cake is made of chunks of sweet yeasted dough rolled in brown sugar and pumpkin spice. It’s easy to make and fun to eat. If you don’t have pumpkin spice, use 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, allspice and cloves and mace in it’s place. This version of pumpkin monkey bread is a alternating mix of chocolate and pumpkin dough, which is easy to make by first making a sticky pumpkin dough and then splitting it in half, kneading a little extra flour to one half and a little cocoa powder to the other half. So easy, even a monkey can make it!
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 1/4 teaspoon (7 g or 1 package) active yeast
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups (455 g) all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (35 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
Coating
1/2 cup (115 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice (see headnote above)
Directions
1. Place the milk in a small pot and heat it up over medium high heat for about 5-10 seconds or until it’s warm to the touch but not hot. Remove from heat and add the sugar and melted butter, whisking together. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and beat with a fork to dissolve. Let sit for 5 minutes until foam starts to appear on the top of the milk.
2. Place the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the pumpkin puree and the vanilla to the milk along with 3 cups of the flour (reserving the 1/4 cup or 35 g for later) to the bowl. Stir on slow speed until a sticky dough forms. Add the kosher salt and stir again on slow speed until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and reserve one part of it in a medium clean bowl. Leave the second part in the mixer bowl and replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment. Add the reserve 1/4 cup (35 g) flour to the dough and knead the dough for 2 minutes on medium speed.
3. Swap the doughs, moving the stickier dough back to the mixing bowl and the already kneaded dough to the reserve bowl. Add the 1/4 cup (35 g) cocoa to the bowl and knead for 2 minutes on medium speed. Remove the chocolate dough, and give the bowl a light coating of cooking spray, then place the chocolate dough back in the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and repeat the process with the pumpkin dough in the reserve bowl, greasing and covering with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled.
4. While the dough is rising, prep the bundt pan by brushing it with some of the melted butter from the coating. Make sure to brush the entire inside of the pan. Place the brown sugar, salt and pumpkin spice in a medium bowl and toss with a fork until combined. Once the dough has risen, Cut each dough into about 30 small bite size pieces, 60 pieces in all. Roll one piece of pumpkin dough in the butter and then in the sugar mixture and place in the greased bundt pan. Repeat with a piece of the chocolate dough, alternating chocolate and pumpkin dough in the bundt pan until all the dough is used up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough has risen to the top of the bundt pan and is poking against the plastic wrap.
5. Once the dough looks like it’s almost there, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Once the dough has completely risen, place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top of the monkey bread looks golden brown. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then invert onto a serving plate and remove the pan immediately. Don’t let the bread cool in the pan too much or it’ll stick. Pick apart and eat the chunks as soon as it’s cool enough to eat!
Makes 8-12 servings. Or two adults with no willpower.
If you like this Pumpkin Chocolate Monkey Bread recipe, check out a few other recipes on my blog that combines those awesome flavors:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with White Chocolate Vanilla Swirl
Almond Biscotti with Kahlúa Pumpkin Spice
And if you like Monkey Bread in general, check out some other monkey bread recipes from around the web:
Something Swanky’s Carrot Cake Monkey Bread
Recipe Girl’s Eggnog Monkey Bread
Wine and Glue’s Banana Monkey Bread with Nutella
Barbara Bakes’ Overnight Monkey Bread
Oh and a savory monkey bread!
What’s Gaby Cooking’s Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread
And a short cut one using canned buttermilk dough!
Dine and Dish’s French Toast Monkey Bread
Julie | This Gal Cooks says
The combination of chocolate and pumpkin is amazing, as is your monkey bread. I think I could devour the entire monkey bread myself. Granted I would probably be chock full of guilt and maybe a slight to massive stomach ache afterwards but it would be totally worth it in the moment. Great recipe and beautiful photos, Irvin!
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
I will be sure to eat one chocolate and then one pumpkin to ensure a beautiful dessert all the way to the end And I totally know that feeling when you hadn’t intended to eat all of the ______(insert any dessert here)____ after photographing but then something happened and it was all gone…oops. Gorgeous pictures and tempting recipe as always!
Lisa | Mummy Made.It says
I feel neglected! We don’t have monkey bread in Australia so I have absolutely no idea what to expect…but I do love chocolate and pumpkin! Good luck with your book
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
That looks amazing!! I stopped making monkey bread years ago — I was going for something different. This certainly is — a grown up version with adult tastes 🙂 I also like the idea of sharing that gorgeous monstrosity with someone and eating it all with your fingers. How animalistic !
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
Such a fun way to change up pumpkin monkey bread. You can’t go wrong with pumpkin and chocolate. Thanks for the link love.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
What an absolutely fun twist to monkey bread! I love that you did alternating flavors in your dough!!! There is no way any of that would be left if I had it in my kitchen!!! Yum!
Pang @circahappy says
I am so happy you decided to share this one with all of us now. I, too, love that combination of chocolate & pumpkin, and this monkey bread is so perfect for my up-coming get-together. It looks so delicious.. yummmm 🙂
P.S. When will your book be out? I can’t wait 🙂
Irvin says
My book comes out in Fall of 2016. So two years from now!
Nicole says
I NEED This! I love a good sticky monkey bread.
La Diva Cucina says
Perfect for Halloween too. Lovely! Thanks for sharing and good luck with the cookbook!
Elizabeth says
This looks so good! I’ve honestly never been exactly sure what monkey bread is, and though I’m terrified (and terrible) with anything yeasted, this gorgeous creation is totally inspiring. It would be such a perfect Halloween treat –– putting this one on my fall baking list.
Irvin says
I get you, I used to be fearful of the yeast too! But then I learned that commercial yeast that you buy in the packet at the grocery store is pretty sturdy stuff and is built to always work. Let me know if you make this and if you have any problems!
Lizthechef says
My baking skills are not up to this, but I will gladly hop on Southwest and fly up to recipe test for you 😉 Fabulous!
Peabody (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody) says
Both visually stunning and super yummy looking!
heather @french press says
such a fun way to combine chocolate and pumpkin! and I’m pretty sure I could have devoured it solo
elizabeyta says
Oooo! I may have to just try this. Though of course I will change it to sourdough and more of a pull-apart loaf style. And laugh at myself hard because I will be told that of course I cannot follow a recipe!
Phillip || SouthernFATTY.com says
This looks SO perfectly fall!
Olga says
Wow my mouth is melting.
This looks so good.
Sincerely:
Olga.