Incredible Savory Monkey Bread {with video}

This savory monkey bread is one of those recipes that disappears fast at gatherings.

Savory monkey bread is the perfect shareable appetizer—soft, cheesy, and packed with flavor in every bite. Unlike sweet versions, this pull-apart bread is filled with herbs, cheese, and buttery goodness, making it ideal for parties, holidays, or casual entertaining.

This recipe comes together easily and bakes into a golden, fluffy loaf that guests can pull apart piece by piece. Whether served warm from the oven or alongside your favorite dips, savory monkey bread always earns rave reviews.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Effortless but impressive. Refrigerated biscuits turn into a gorgeous, pull-apart savory bread with almost no work.
Endless flavor combinations. Herbs, cheeses, nuts, spices—each piece can be customized to match your menu or theme.
Garlic butter magic. Every bite is dipped in rich, fragrant garlic butter for irresistible flavor and golden edges.
Perfect for gatherings. It bakes up beautifully in a Bundt pan, making it a showstopping appetizer or side dish for holidays, game days, or brunch.
Prep-ahead friendly. Assemble the entire pan the night before and bake fresh—your guests will think you worked much harder than you did.

Get creative with your choice of toppings for this bread. The more variety you choose, the more colorful and tasty it’ll be! For the version shown here, I used a combination of fresh chopped parsley, poppy seeds, and pine nuts. Dried cranberries with some cracked black pepper add a hint of sweet with all the savory options, not to mention pretty color. Parmesan cheese and cheddar are essential options – well because hello, cheese on bread!

How To Make Savory Monkey Bread

Preheat oven to 350°F and generously butter a 9–10 inch Bundt pan.
Place your chosen herbs, cheeses, or coatings into small bowls (about ½ cup each).
Stir 3 minced garlic cloves into melted butter.
Cut each biscuit in half, roll into a ball, then dip in the garlic butter.
Roll each buttered ball in a coating of choice and place in the pan, alternating flavors.
Bake 30–35 minutes, covering with foil at 25 minutes if browning too quickly.
Cool 5 minutes in the pan, loosen edges if needed, then invert onto a platter.

This bread is amazingly easy, but also amazingly delicious. Canned refrigerator rolls are the base. But I have to give a recommendation here. If you can find them, Immaculate brand Buttermilk Biscuits are excellent. No hydrogenated oils are used in the biscuits and the flavor tastes as good or better than homemade. I find them regularly at Whole Foods, Target and Sprouts markets. Recently, I’ve been using Trader Joe’s brand of buttermilk biscuits, and they’re just as good. Anyway, let me show you how easy this recipe is:

First generously grease a Bundt pan with butter. Butter is an important flavor enhancer for all monkey bread.

Then melt more butter and add minced fresh garlic. Mince it as tiny as you can. The garlic will adhere to your rolls before you add the other toppings. Alternately, you could place the garlic in its own bowl and roll the pieces in garlic before dipping in the butter to get a lot more garlic on every bite.

Then get creative with your toppings, just make sure to use at least one cheese option. Fresh herbs are pretty, but dried work equally as well. Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh, so you might want to use them sparingly. The poppy seeds are pretty and add a nice little crunch, but they coat the rolls pretty heavily and will be the most likely to fall “out of form” when you take the monkey bread out of the pan, if that matters to you. You could sprinkle the poppy seeds rather than roll them, but I went for full coverage so I rolled mine.

As you line your pan with the dipped rolls, try to alternate them for the look you’re going for. Just keep adding around the pan and it’ll come together in a snap. The oven temperature of 350F degrees works perfectly for the dark non-stick Bundt pan. However, have some aluminum foil ready to cover the bread during the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking to ensure it doesn’t get too dark.

Here’s why you want to be generous when buttering your pan. The result is buttery, golden pieces of bread with tasty toppings that your little and big monkeys will be quick to pull off and pop in their mouths. The bread can be served like this or easily turned back over on a serving platter so the pretty top is visible. The more cheese you use, the more likely the bread is to hold together when flipped. That doesn’t matter to me because it looks just as pretty when some of the pieces fall out-of-place.

Quick Tips for Savory Monkey Bread

Prep Ahead: Assemble up to a day before, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge.
Cheese Lovers: Lightly sprinkle extra cheese over coated pieces before baking for gooier pull-apart bites.
Flavor Swaps: Try taco seasoning + red pepper flakes for Tex-Mex, or basil + oregano for Italian.
Dough Options: Any refrigerated biscuit or roll dough works—just use about 32 ounces total.
Extra Buttery: A drizzle of melted butter over the top before baking makes it richer, but go light.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can savory monkey bread be made ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble the bread ahead and refrigerate before baking. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before placing in the oven.

What cheese works best for savory monkey bread?
Melty cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, cheddar, or Gruyère work well. A combination adds the best flavor.

How do you keep monkey bread from sticking to the pan?
Generously grease the pan and avoid overfilling. A nonstick bundt pan works especially well.

Can savory monkey bread be reheated?
Yes. Reheat gently in the oven at low temperature to maintain softness and texture.

What can you serve with savory monkey bread?
It pairs well with marinara sauce, herb butter, or creamy dips for extra flavor.

Serving Suggestions for Savory Monkey Bread

Party Appetizer – Set out as a pull-apart starter for game day, potlucks, or holiday gatherings.
Soup Night – Pairs perfectly with tomato soup, creamy potato soup, or chicken tarragon soup.
Chili Companion – Serve alongside hearty beef or turkey chili for a cozy, filling meal.
Salad Side – Balance the richness with a fresh green salad, Caesar salad, or antipasto platter.
Brunch Table – Add to a brunch spread with eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit for a savory twist.
Holiday Feast – Makes a festive, crowd-pleasing centerpiece next to roasts, ham, or turkey.

If you need more reasons to choose Incredible Savory Monkey Bread for your next meal, how about these- The monkey bread can be assembled the day before serving. If you’re looking for a recipe to let the kids help with, this is a fun one for them. Enjoy this at your next gathering and be ready for it to become a menu staple. And if you want a super cheesy roll option, check out my Incredible Cheese Bombs. (Yes, another ‘incredible’ recipe) And if you’re looking to pair this recipe with a great appetizer for the table, be sure to try my Easy Artichoke Dip recipe. Cheers and enjoy!

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4.72 from 7 votes