Monkey bread is the pull-apart breakfast treat everyone reaches for with their fingers: soft little dough balls rolled in cinnamon sugar, baked together in a ring and glazed with caramel. This sugar-free monkey bread keeps that sticky, cinnamon-glazed look, with a soft yeast dough and an allulose caramel instead of brown sugar.
Classic monkey bread starts with canned biscuit dough, a cup of sugar and a stick of butter melted with brown sugar. Here the dough is made with almond flour, vital wheat gluten, Greek yogurt and an egg, and the 8 servings come to about 126 calories, 10g protein and 3g net carbs each.
One thing to know first: this recipe uses vital wheat gluten to give the dough its stretch, so it is not gluten-free.
Why You’ll Love This Sugar-Free Monkey Bread
- Real yeast dough. It rises twice, so the pieces pull apart soft and fluffy.
- Cinnamon and caramel. Every ball is rolled in cinnamon and allulose, then brushed with a warm allulose caramel.
- 10g protein per serving. Vital wheat gluten, Greek yogurt and egg do the work.
- Small batch. A 6-inch Bundt pan makes 8 servings, perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch.
Ingredient Notes
Almond flour, vital wheat gluten and coconut flour. Almond flour gives tenderness, and half a cup of vital wheat gluten gives the dough the elastic, bready structure that a monkey bread needs. A tablespoon of coconut flour helps it hold its shape.
Instant yeast. One and a quarter teaspoons of instant yeast make the dough rise. The lukewarm water helps it get going.
Egg and Greek yogurt. One large egg and ½ cup of plain 0% Greek yogurt keep the crumb soft and add protein.
Allulose. Granulated allulose goes into the dough, the cinnamon coating and the caramel. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label, and it is one of the few sweeteners that cooks into an amber caramel.
How to Make Sugar-Free Monkey Bread
You need a 6-inch tube or Bundt pan of about 3 cups, a mixer with a dough hook and a small saucepan. Prep takes about 30 minutes, baking takes 28 to 35 minutes, and the rising and resting add up to about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Make and rise the dough
Step 1. Whisk the flours, vital wheat gluten, yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, yogurt, 40g allulose, 70g water and 4g butter.
Step 2. Combine into a soft dough and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until elastic. Cover and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy.
Shape and coat
Step 3. Grease the Bundt pan, including the center tube.
Step 4. Mix 35g allulose with the cinnamon. Divide the dough into 24 balls.
Step 5. Brush the balls with the 12g of melted butter, roll them in the cinnamon mixture and arrange them loosely around the tube.
Step 6. Cover and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake and glaze
Step 7. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 28 to 35 minutes, until golden and the center reaches 190 to 195°F (88 to 91°C).
Step 8. Heat 20g allulose with 15g water until light amber. Remove from the heat and stir in 8g butter.
Step 9. Rest the bread for 5 to 8 minutes, invert it onto a plate and brush it with the warm caramel.
Step 10. Rest the sugar-free monkey bread for 10 minutes and serve it warm.
Success Tips for Sugar-Free Monkey Bread
Keep the dough soft. It should stay soft and slightly sticky. A dry, stiff dough bakes into dense pieces.
Do not skip either rise. The first rise and the second rise in the pan are what give this sugar-free monkey bread its light, pull-apart crumb.
Watch the color. Allulose browns quickly, so tent the pan loosely with foil if the top darkens before the center reaches temperature.
Serve it warm. The pieces pull apart best while the bread is still warm.
More Sugar-Free Breakfast Bakes
If you want to change up this sugar-free monkey bread with fruit, try my sugar-free blueberry monkey bread. For more cinnamon, the sugar-free cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing are a weekend favorite.
For an easier morning, bake the sugar-free cinnamon streusel muffins, and for extra caramel, keep a jar of sugar-free caramel sauce on hand.
Storage
The recipe does not give a storage time. Sugar-free monkey bread is best served warm, soon after baking.
Sugar-Free Monkey Bread FAQ
Is this monkey bread gluten-free?
No. It contains vital wheat gluten, which gives the dough its stretch.
Can I skip the second rise?
It is better not to. The recipe calls for a 20 to 30 minute rise in the pan, and it is what keeps the crumb light.
How do I know it is done?
It should be golden, and the center should read 190 to 195°F (88 to 91°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Is allulose a sugar alcohol?
No, allulose is a rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol. You can look up almond flour and Greek yogurt on USDA FoodData Central.
Soft, sticky and glazed with cinnamon caramel, this sugar-free monkey bread is the pull-apart breakfast that makes a weekend feel special.
Sugar-Free Cinnamon Caramel Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk flours, vital wheat gluten, yeast and salt. Separately mix egg, yogurt, 40g allulose, 70g water and 4g butter.
- Combine into a soft dough; knead 4–5 minutes until elastic. Cover and rise 45–60 minutes until puffy.
- Grease Bundt pan, including center tube.
- Mix 35g allulose with cinnamon. Divide dough into 24 balls.
- Brush balls with 12g melted butter, roll in cinnamon mixture and arrange loosely around the tube.
- Cover and rise 20–30 minutes.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 28–35 minutes, until golden and center reaches 190–195°F (88–91°C).
- Heat 20g allulose with 15g water until light amber. Remove from heat; stir in 8g butter.
- Rest bread 5–8 minutes, invert onto a plate and brush with warm caramel.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- Dough should remain soft and slightly sticky.
- Allow both rises for a lighter crumb.
- Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Contains wheat gluten.
- Serve warm for the best pull-apart texture.