Praline-Pecan Monkey Bread
Try this Praline-Pecan Monkey Bread recipe using Rhodes frozen yeast rolls.
Try this Praline-Pecan Monkey Bread recipe using Rhodes frozen yeast rolls.
- Carbohydrate 6.68555600590735 g
- Cholesterol 5.70716667012886 mg
- Fat 5.79550933759396 g
- Fiber 0.730290015701613 g
- Protein 0.681609333844767 g
- Saturated Fat 1.45660933420284 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (19g)
- Sodium 35.710481669008 mg
- Sugar 5.95526599020574 g
- Trans Fat 0.357157900208306 g
- Calories 77 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the frozen yeast rolls in a single layer on a platter, and thaw on the counter for 30 minutes.
- If the rolls are slightly frozen in the middle, they're much easier to quarter. Use a sharp knife and quarter each roll.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecan pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely.
- Spritz a tube pan with cooking spray.
- Mix together ¾ cup of granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon.
- Toss the quartered rolls in a large plastic storage bag until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle ½ of the toasted pecans on the bottom of the tube pan.
- Layer half of the quartered rolls on top of the pecans in the pan.
- Sprinkle the first layer of rolls with ½ of the remaining pecan pieces.
- Layer the remaining quartered rolls on top.
- Sprinkle any leftover cinnamon and sugar over all.
- Top with the last ½ cup of toasted pecan pieces.
- On the stove top, melt the brown sugar, butter and heavy cream together over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla or rum extract. The mixture will be hot, handle carefully.
- Pour evenly over the rolls in the pan.
- Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until golden.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a platter.
- Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
- Pull apart and enjoy!
My Unexpected Culinary Adventure: Praline-Pecan Monkey Bread
Baking has never been my strong suit. I’m more of a “grab-and-go” kind of person, usually fueled by whatever I can find in the office breakroom or a quick stop at the nearest café. My culinary skills mostly revolve around boiling pasta or assembling a half-decent salad. But last week, something changed. A friend, bless her heart, gifted me a bag of Rhodes frozen yeast rolls, promising the easiest, most decadent monkey bread I’d ever taste. Challenge accepted, or rather, challenge reluctantly undertaken. I was picturing sticky fingers, a disastrous kitchen scene, and a mountain of unsalvageable dough.
The recipe itself was surprisingly simple. The ingredients were things I usually had on hand (except for the pecan halves—I clearly need to expand my pantry). The instructions were straightforward, and I found myself weirdly engrossed in the process. The smell of toasting pecans, the bubbling brown sugar mixture, the golden-brown rolls rising in the pan—it was strangely therapeutic. I was completely captivated by the transformation of simple ingredients into something so visually appealing and delicious.
The actual baking process was a little nerve-wracking. Would the rolls rise properly? Would the praline sauce be too sweet? Would I burn it all down? But the result was well worth the nervous anticipation. The monkey bread emerged from the oven golden and glistening, fragrant with pecans and cinnamon. The praline sauce was the perfect balance of sweet and rich, the pecans provided a satisfying crunch, and the yeast rolls were soft and pillowy. It was, in a word, phenomenal.
This culinary journey has made me realize that baking, even for someone as kitchen-challenged as myself, can be a surprisingly satisfying experience. It’s a process of creation, of watching simple ingredients morph into something beautiful and delicious. It’s also a surprisingly relaxing activity, a welcome break from the daily grind. I’m definitely adding this praline-pecan monkey bread to my (very short) repertoire, and I’m already plotting my next baking experiment. Maybe I’ll try a pie? Or, you know, maybe I'll stick to this recipe for a while, I'll have to bake it again this weekend!
Ingredients I used:
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Sea salt
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted & divided
- 20 frozen yeast rolls, thawed & quartered (I used Rhodes)
- 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla or rum extract
This simple recipe is not just about baking; it’s about the journey, the discovery, the delicious surprise that waits at the end of the oven. And, yes, maybe even about proving that even I, a self-proclaimed culinary novice, can actually bake something truly extraordinary.
