Ingredients for Lemon Monkey Bread
With just a few baking staples and fresh citrus, you can create this irresistibly fluffy and sweet lemon monkey bread. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Dough
- 2% Milk – Provides the moisture and activates the yeast. Warming it slightly helps the yeast bloom faster.
- Super Fine Sugar – Also known as caster sugar, it dissolves easily and adds a clean, sweet flavor to the dough.
- Active Dry Yeast – Makes the dough rise into its light and airy texture.
- Egg – Binds the dough and adds richness.
- Bread Flour – Contains more protein than all-purpose flour, which gives the dough its structure and chew.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor and strengthens the dough.
- Butter (Softened) – Adds richness and softness to the dough.
- Lemon Extract – Infuses the dough with a burst of bright citrus flavor.
For the Coating
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the outside of each dough ball and forms a caramelized crust during baking.
- Lemon Zest – Adds fresh citrus aroma and taste to the sugar coating.
- Butter (Melted) – Helps the sugar-zest coating stick and adds buttery richness.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Deepens the flavor of the lemon coating.
- Lemon Extract – Boosts the tangy citrus flavor throughout every bite.
Super Simple Lemon Icing – A quick drizzle made with just lemon juice and powdered sugar to finish the bread with extra tang and sweetness. Find the recipe here!
Lemon Monkey Bread Recipe with Lemon Icing | Soft and Fluffy | Easy
Soft, fluffy, and bursting with sweet citrus flavor, this Lemon Monkey Bread is a playful twist on the classic pull-apart bread. Each doughy bite is coated in buttery lemon sugar, baked to golden perfection, and topped with a tangy our delicious Super Simple Lemon Icing that adds just the right amount of brightness. It’s the kind of treat that is fun to make and even more fun to eat—whether you’re serving it for brunch, dessert, or just because. The zesty lemon flavor makes it perfect for spring and summer, but honestly, it’s crave-worthy year-round.
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 2 Small mixing bowls
- Parchment paper
- 8×8 Pan
- Aluminum foil
- Zester
Ingredients
Lemon Monkey Bread Dough:
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons warmed 2% milk
- 1/4 cup super fine sugar AKA Caster Sugar or Baker’s Sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 1 tsp lemon extract
Lemon Sugar Coating:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest packed
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast: Pour 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons warmed 2% milk, into a microwave-safe bowl and gently warm to just above room temperature, but be careful to not let it get too hot. Add 1/4 cup super fine sugar to the milk and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast to the milk mixture and set aside until it becomes thick and foamy, about 20 minutes. Once the yeast has bloomed add 1 large room temperature egg and 1 tsp lemon extract, mix until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until evenly distributed. Add 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon softened butter mixing until somewhat combined (about 30-60 seconds if using an electric mixer).
- Combine: Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. A stand mixer with a dough hook can be helpful here. If the dough feels grainy, continue kneading until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Rise: Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Prep: While the dough is rising go ahead and pre-heat your oven to 350 F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
- Shape the dough: Once risen, roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it’s about 1 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza cutter, then roll each into a loose ball. No need to be precise—they can be different sizes. Leave the dough balls spaced out on a flat surface while you work on the lemon sugar mixture. Note: The dough will continue to rise so you’ll want to work quickly.
- Melt: in a small bowl melt 1/2 cup butter. Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, briefly whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the coating: In another small bowl, mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon zest rubbing the zest into the sugar by hand for about a minute to release its oils.
- Assemble and Bake: Dip each dough ball first into the melted butter, then fully coat it in the sugar zest mixture and place it in the prepared baking pan. Try to assemble it in roughly even layers as much as possible. Add the remaining butter to the pan and sprinkle the extra sugar-zest mixture on top. Place on the center rack of your pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 5-9 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Icing: While the bread is cooling down go ahead and make our Super Simple Lemon Icing for topping. Once the bread is cooled use a spoon to drizzle lines on top of the monkey bread for an extra burst of flavor. Sever and enjoy!
