Savory Monkey Bread is a wonderful appetizer to share. Serve it on its own or dip pieces in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It also makes a savory side for dinner.
Holidays often bring a flood of sweets handed out to neighbors and friends, and sometimes you need a salty option to balance all that sugar. That inspired this savory monkey bread — a salty, shareable treat that’s easy to put together and crowd-pleasing.
I remember a restaurant I worked at that served a ranch-flavored monkey bread with every meal, the same way chips and salsa appear at Mexican restaurants. It was simple and addictive, and I wanted to expand on that idea by adding a few more toppings to make a more festive, savory pull-apart bread.
To keep this recipe straightforward, I used frozen yeast rolls — genuine yeast bread, not canned biscuit dough — which makes the finished texture better than biscuit-based versions. Cut each thawed roll into quarters so you get perfectly sized bite-sized pieces that are easy to coat with butter and toppings.
Dip each dough piece in a garlic butter mixture, then roll pieces in different toppings—sliced almonds, chopped parsley, dried cranberries with cracked black pepper, or shredded cheddar. Layer the coated pieces randomly in a well-greased bundt pan, let the dough rise briefly, then bake until golden and cooked through where the pieces touch.
I had hoped the finished loaf would look very festive — green parsley, red cranberries and nuts to mimic holiday colors — but oven-baked colors often mellow. Even so, the flavors were a hit; it disappeared quickly at my house.
This is a dip-friendly bread — I like a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dunking — but it’s optional. The recipe is flexible, so feel free to swap or add toppings like different herbs, cheeses, or nuts to suit your taste.
Savory Monkey Bread
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Ingredients
- 18 Rhodes White Dinner Rolls, (thawed, but still cold)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped dried cranberries, (with fresh cracked black pepper, optional)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
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Place thawed Rhodes White Dinner Rolls on a large, greased baking sheet and cover with sprayed plastic wrap until rolls are thawed but still cold (about 1½ to 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator).
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Cut each roll into fourths using kitchen shears.
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Melt the butter in the microwave for 30–45 seconds. Stir in the minced garlic and salt.
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Arrange toppings in separate bowls. Dip each dough piece into the garlic butter, then coat it with a single topping. Layer the coated pieces into a heavily greased bundt pan. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
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Bake at 350°F for 25–35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the dough is cooked where pieces touch. Serve warm. Optional: offer olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Notes
– Recipe adapted from an earlier savory monkey bread concept.
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