This monkey bread with frozen bread dough takes pizza night to a whole new level! Made with Bridgford Parkerhouse-style roll dough, this pull-apart monkey bread is loaded with pepperoni, cheese, veggies, and marinara sauce for a savory, cheesy, and completely irresistible appetizer. Perfect for game nights, parties, or family gatherings, this pizza monkey bread is easy to make and even easier to enjoy.
This post is brought to you by Bridgford Foods.
This frozen bread dough monkey bread isn’t just for pizza night—it’s a fun and easy dish for brunch, holiday gatherings, or even Christmas morning! The soft, fluffy bread dough bakes up beautifully, while the layers of cheese, pepperoni, and veggies create a savory, pull-apart treat that’s perfect for sharing.
Looking for a simple yet impressive appetizer? This monkey pizza bread recipe is a must-try! Serve it with warm marinara or garlic butter for dipping, and enjoy a delicious twist on a classic monkey bread recipe. Make it for a party, brunch, or a cozy family night in; this dish is sure to be a hit!
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Why We Love This Frozen Bread Dough Monkey Bread
- Great for kids!
This monkey pizza bread recipe is a great option for kids. Before you know it, the gooey cheese and sauce-covered rolls will disappear. - Perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner.
During this busy time of year, having a meal you can count on to be filling, delicious, and quick to make is priceless. Not only is it kid-approved, but it’s also mom-approved! Plus it doesn’t need yeast so it’s so easy to make. - The ultimate comfort food.
With fall right around the corner and winter soon to follow, this hot and melty dish is the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bridgford Parkerhouse Style Rolls dough: These pre-made frozen rolls are the perfect shortcut for making this pizza pull apart bread. Bridgford does all the dough prep with quality non-GMO ingredients, so you don’t have to.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best in this recipe because you can control the salt level and avoid adding too much.
- Pizza sauce: You can use pizza sauce, or elevate the flavor with a marinara, like our super quick recipe for marinara sauce homemade recipe.
- Vegetables: This recipe adds in some chopped onions, shredded carrots, and diced bell peppers for a nutritional boost and additional flavor. They’re optional, so use whatever your family likes, or feel free to leave them out.
- Bridgford pepperoni: We love Bridgford’s pepperoni slices! Although we only used pepperoni for this recipe, you can use salami, or any of your favorite pizza meats.
- Mozzarella cheese: This recipe uses fresh mozzarella, but you can use pre-shredded if you’d like.
- Italian seasonings: You can use dried Italian seasoning or make a custom blend with dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, and parsley to use instead.
Find Bridgford’s frozen rolls and dough in the freezer section at stores locally (see here for where to buy). Here’s a coupon you can use toward your next purchase.
If you love easy recipes made with frozen bread dough, make sure to try our stuffed rolls recipe!
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the veggies how you like them: The vegetables add a delicious element of flavor and texture to these pull-aparts. You can add extra veggies if your family likes them, blend them into the sauce, or even remove them altogether. It’s up to you and your preferences. Try olives, minced garlic, artichoke hearts, basil, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes.
- Choose your protein or make it vegetarian: Pepperoni is a classic option for pizza, but you can use whichever type of protein you like best. Possible options are pre-cooked chicken breast, sausage, salami, or even prosciutto.
- Consider using a different type of sauce: While a red sauce is delicious and goes great with this dish, you can swap it out for another kind. If your family loves barbecue sauce, white sauce, or garlic olive oil, go ahead and use it!
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- 2-pound loaf pan – 9-inch square baking dish, or 10-inch cast iron skillet
- Non-stick cooking spray
How to Make Monkey Pizza Bread Recipe
- Create two layers of dough.
To make this meal extra delicious, be sure to cut the dough balls in half. This way, you can create two layers of all that goodness!
- Finely chop the veggies so your kids don’t notice them.
For a kid-friendly pizza monkey bread, you may want to soften the vegetables a little bit, too.
If so, place the shredded or finely diced veggies in a microwave-safe dish with 2 tablespoons of water.
Then, cover the dish with its lid (or a sheet of plastic wrap). Microwave it on high for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
After that, just stir the cooked veggies into your prepared sauce to hide them. It’s incredibly simple and an excellent method to encourage children to consume more vegetables!
- Let the loaf rise before baking.
Remember that the dough for frozen rolls needs to rise before baking to make them wonderfully fluffy.
So, after assembling the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour.
Serving Suggestions
This frozen bread dough monkey bread is a fantastic party appetizer, brunch dish, or Christmas morning treat that everyone will love! Since cheese makes everything better, try sprinkling Parmesan cheese over the top before baking for an extra cheesy finish. You can also customize it with your favorite pizza toppings—from olives and mushrooms to extra pepperoni or sausage.
For dipping, serve it with warm marinara sauce or ranch dressing, or add a spicy kick with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Garnish with fresh parsley, basil, or other herbs to enhance the flavor. If you love a classic easy monkey bread recipe, you can also use canned biscuits instead of frozen dough or bake it in a bundt pan instead of a loaf pan for a fun twist.
Looking for sweet options for dessert? Serve this monkey bread with frozen bread dough alongside desserts like caramel-flavored monkey bread, cinnamon roll, or create a sweet version by adding ground cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts, and pecans. Drizzle with caramel sauce before inverting it onto a serving platter or rack for a decadent treat on your next brunch! Regardless of your preferred method of consumption, this monkey bread made with frozen bread dough is guaranteed to impress!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
If you’d like to make the pull-apart pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours.
When you’re ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.
Recipe FAQs
After baking, if you notice that your pizza monkey bread is doughy in the center, that means it’s still slightly undercooked. Cover the top with aluminum foil and continue baking until the center has fully cooked.
Yes, Bridgford frozen roll dough is safe to thaw at room temperature! See the bag for complete directions. You can also them in your fridge overnight.
Yes! You can add finely chopped or shredded vegetables to pizza without cooking them first. The heat of the oven will cook the veggies perfectly during the baking process.
Store leftover pizza monkey bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
To reheat, warm it up in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed all the way through. To crisp the edges, heat it in an oven or air fryer.
This dish is also well-suited for freezing. You can make it ahead of time and freeze before baking, or you can freeze leftovers.
If you freeze ahead of time, allow the pizza pull-apart monkey bread to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake it as you normally would.
More Easy Pizza Recipes To Love…
- Quick Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe
- Bisquick Recipes Pizza Crust
- Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough Recipe
- Pizza Using Frozen Dough
If you tried this pizza monkey bread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Monkey Bread with Frozen Bread Dough
Equipment
- 2-pound loaf pan - 9-inch square baking dish, or 10-inch cast iron skillet
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 25 ounces Bridgford Parkerhouse style rolls thawed but still cold
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (4 Tbsp = 2 oz = 1/2 stick)
- 1 ½ cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- ½ small carrot peeled and finely chopped, divided (optional)
- ¼ bell pepper cleaned and finely chopped, divided (optional)
- 24 slices Bridgford pepperoni cut into fourths (optional)
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or other dried seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Follow package instructions for thawing frozen rolls; keep them chilled in the fridge until ready.
- Prepare loaf pan (or other baking pan) by greasing with butter or non-stick cooking spray, then set it aside.
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut each of the dough rolls into 2 equal sized pieces. Lightly dip each dough ball into the melted butter, and arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. * This should use about 1/3 of the dough.
- Add half of the cut pepperoni on top of the dough balls. Sprinkle half of the carrots and bell pepper over the top, followed by 1/2 cup of sauce, and a pinch of seasoning.
- For the second layer, dip about half of the remaining dough balls in melted butter and arrange them in a single layer over the other ingredients in the pan. Place half of the cheese cubes on top of the dough balls, then sprinkle the remaining carrots and bell pepper over the top, followed by 1/2 cup of sauce.
- For the top layer, repeat the process with the dough. Place remaining cheese between the balls, along with the remaining pepperoni slices, then pour the last 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over the dough.
- Sprinkle the remaining dried seasonings evenly over the top of the unbaked monkey bread loaf, then cover the pan loosely with a kitchen towel or sheet of plastic wrap. **Note: If you'd like to make the pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours. When you're ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.Otherwise, place the pan in a warm, dry location for 30 minutes, to let the monkey bread rise.
- When dough is risen (or if making ahead, has come to room temperature), remove the plastic wrap or towel and cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil.Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Place the pan of pull apart rolls in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then quickly but carefully open the oven door and remove the foil from the pan. Close the oven door and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the top of the loaf is golden brown.
Notes
- Adjust the veggies how you like them: The vegetables add a delicious element of flavor and texture to these pull-aparts. You can add extra veggies if your family likes them, blend them into the sauce, or even remove them altogether. It’s up to you and your preferences. Try olives, minced garlic, artichoke hearts, basil, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes.
- Choose your protein or make it vegetarian: Pepperoni is a classic option for pizza, but you can use whichever type of protein you like best. Possible options are pre-cooked chicken breast, sausage, salami, or even prosciutto.
- Consider using a different type of sauce: While a red sauce is delicious and goes great with this dish, you can swap it out for another kind. If your family loves barbecue sauce, white sauce, or garlic olive oil, go ahead and use it!
- If you’d like to make the pull-apart pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours.
- When you’re ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking.
- Store leftover pizza monkey bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- To reheat, warm it up in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed all the way through. To crisp the edges, heat it in an oven or air fryer.
- To make Pizza Monkey Bread ahead of time: To make the pull-apart pizza monkey bread ahead of time, cover the assembled pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours. When you’re ready to continue, remove the pan from the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before baking. This is also an excellent dish for freezing. You can make it ahead of time and freeze before baking, or you can freeze leftovers. If you freeze ahead of time, allow the pizza pull-apart monkey bread to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake it as you normally would.
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Bridgford Foods. All views are my own and based on my own personal experience using their products.
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Kim says
Pizza Monkey Bread is a taste sensation! This playful twist on pizza combines the joy of pulling apart bread with the irresistible flavors of pepperoni, cheese, veggies, and marinara sauce. It’s a party favorite!
Alison Corey says
The combination of pepperoni, cheese, veggies, and marinara sauce baked into bite-sized rolls is sheer genius. It’s like a party in every bite. Plus, it’s so fun to pull apart! Thanks for this delicious and creative twist on pizza.
Sara Welch says
This was such a unique and unexpected recipe for monkey bread that does not disappoint! Easy and delicious; my kind of comfort food, indeed!
Lima Ekram says
This looks so delicious – I love the idea of making a pizza inspired monkey bread!
Ned says
This recipe is a winner – simple to make and bursting with flavor!