Butterscotch Monkey Bread

Wake up to the smell of warm caramel with this overnight pull-apart. Butterscotch monkey bread is the lazy baker’s dream: frozen dinner rolls, a few pantry staples, and zero kneading, all assembled the night before.

The magic happens in the bundt pan. Nuts, pecans or walnuts, line the bottom, then a sprinkle of dry butterscotch pudding mix, the frozen rolls, and a slick of brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter poured over the top.

One detail matters most: use cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding, not instant. The cook-type sets up into that thick, gooey caramel as it bakes, while instant won’t.

Overnight in the fridge or a warm spot, the rolls slowly thaw and rise to fill the pan. Then a quick bake melts everything into a sticky, golden glaze.

Cool just five minutes, invert onto a plate, and the caramel and nuts cascade down the bread. Pull it apart warm with your fingers.

Kitchen Tips

• Use cook-and-serve (not instant) butterscotch pudding; only the cook-type sets into a proper gooey caramel.
• Give the rolls plenty of time and room to thaw and rise to the top of the pan before baking.
• Invert after just 5 minutes; wait too long and the caramel sets and sticks to the pan.
• Set the pan on a baking sheet to catch any sticky overflow.

Variations

• Swap the butterscotch pudding for vanilla or caramel.
• Tuck raisins or a handful of chocolate chips between the rolls.
• Drizzle extra caramel or a simple glaze over the top after inverting.