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.
Nutrition
Quick Start Guide To BLW
Baby led weaning doesn’t need to be complicated, grab my quick start guide to begin your little ones food journey.
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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!