Ok, so I know these look a little silly, and funny, and odd, and quirky, and... you tell me... But these little muffin-shaped clusters of cinnamon raisin syrupy bready goodness tasted too awesome not to share. Monkey bread is rarely photogenic anyhow, but that's not why it's one of the most beloved little treats in North America, right? I mean, who can ever pass up on sweet, cinnamony, pull-apart sticky buns? :)
I got inspired to make this refined sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan cinnamon raisin version after having made some special request plantain hot cross buns for the blog recently. Something about them really reminded me of monkey bread, and I just felt like playing around with that recipe more and see where it takes me. A blogging pal recently made the same observation, which only further reinforced my desire to make some.
Fair warning: this is definitely not your typical monkey bread. It's monkey bread gone funky! :). The main difference here is the lack of yeast -- monkey bread is all about the yeast, an ingredient I use at a minimum {if at all} when I bake for myself. That changes the texture quite drastically... Another thing is cinnamon sugar -- monkey bread is all about that melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon sugar coating -- something I can't do on my current refined sugar-free diet. I know a lot of people opt for coconut sugar, but for whatever odd reason it's an ingredient I can't have {in fact I'm super sad to say it, but it seems like I am developing a coconut allergy...}. Date sugar comes to mind too, but I find it's super expensive and I don't always have it on hand, as do other powdery sugar substitutes. Seems like my body was just made for maple syrup :) -- and it's all good, because it's an ingredient I always have plenty of on hand.
Differences aside though, the best part of monkey bread for me is the yummy pull-apart chunks of bready goodness and the cinnamony flavor, and that's exactly what I was in the mood for when I came up with this recipe. I also threw in some raisins to make it a raisin bready pastry {though chocolate chips would work equally well for all ye of little faith in raisins ;) }. It turned out delicious, super cinnamony, and actually quite like a cross between a cinnamon bun and monkey bread, all thanks to the amazing caramelized maple syrup goodness you end up with once these puppies are baked. Best of both worlds, I say :)
PrintCinnamon Raisin Yeast-Free Funky Monkey Bread
Sweet vegan cinnamon infused sticky buns which make the perfect gluten-free pull-apart snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 muffins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Wet:
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 large ripe plantain {or 1½ large bananas for a bananay version}
- 8 soft medjool dates
- ¼ cup maple syrup {or agave, brown rice syrup, etc.}
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Dry:
- ¾ cup brown or white rice flour {plus possibly more -- see directions}
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup sweet sticky rice {also known as glutinous rice flour/mochi/mochiko flour}
- 1 tsp guar gum
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- dash of salt
- ½ - 1 cup raisins {depending on how raisiny you want them -- or use chocolate chips}
Glaze:
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 6-muffin non-stick muffin pan and set aside {or use a small oven-safe dish of any kind}.
- Mix warm water and flax in a small bowl/glass and let sit for a few minutes while gathering remaining wet ingredients.
- Place all wet ingredients into a food processor, with the flax mixture going in last. Process until completely smooth. Add in dry ingredients, except raisins, and process until the mixture begins gathering up into a ball {it will still be a little sticky, but should pinch together nicely}. If it's too sticky {i.e. can't be rolled up into a little ball}, add a bit more rice flour, 2 tablespoon at a time, and process, until the mixture begins to stick together. Add in raisins and mix through briefly to incorporate them into the dough.
- Prepare the glaze by stirring all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Scoop out some of the mixture and roll into a 1 - 2 tablespoon sized ball with your hands. Budget to have enough mixture for 3-4 balls per muffin. Dunk each ball into the glaze mixture, roll around to coat lightly and then place them in the prepared baking dish as you roll them. They should be touching each other and fill the whole container {don't worry about pressing them down -- they will expand and fill the tin shape as they bake}. Drizzle or brush with remaining glaze.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 35 minutes {or until a skewer inserted down the center comes out dry and they golden up nicely. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Enjoy these warm or chilled as you like -- they taste amazing with added non-dairy butter or extra cinnamon if you like. They make a great breakfast treat and are great for taking with for a lunchbox or a snack on the go. Store leftovers in the fridge and re-warm as needed.
Catherine Rivard says
I like the taste, but the dough did not rise so the texture was really dense. For those who don't have medjool dates, what is the weight or volume of dates ? I used 10 regular dates.
The Real Person!
Hi Catherine. Sorry these didn't work out for you. I think the date swap is the likely culprit. Medjool dates are typically much bigger (twice the size of a deglet noor date (typical dates sold in the baking aisle), for example. Medjool dates are also usually softer and more moist.
Awdur says
I made these, and they tasted good but for some reason they didn't rise at all; they were pretty much just three little pieces of dough loosely attached. The plantain had a good flavor, though.
I did use 16 deglet dates rather than medjool, because I bought the wrong kind. ;) So maybe that has something to do with it?
The Real Person!
Hi Awdur. It might be because of the dates, since deglet noor dates are denser and drier, whereas medjool are typically plumper and juicier (so the density might have been weighing the dough down a little). I'm glad you enjoyed these nonetheless :) Thank you for sharing!
Bella says
Hey!
Planning on making these tomorrow (with bananas as I can't get ahold of plantains around here), but with a few changes & wanted to ask your advice Audrey! What could I use in place of guar gum that would make these turn out as beautifully as yours did? Would the same amount of flax/chia meal or psyllium work? I'm also a little worried about the amount of baking soda imparting a soda-y taste to the muffins, as I've had two recipes recently which used about 1.5 tsp baking soda for 2 cups flour and turned out disastrously tasting distinctively of baking soda! Do these have any taste of it at all in the end result???
Thanks so much & hope you don't mind my questions!!
The Real Person!
Hi Bella. I'm so sorry -- I somehow completely missed your question, and I'm sure it's entirely too late now since your "tomorrow" has long passed. But still wanted to see if anything could be helped here..
Did you end up making them with the substitutions you were wondering about? If so, how did they turn out?
I'd go with psyllium instead of the guar gum, though since I haven't tried it out I'm not sure about the exact amount. I'd start with a tbsp and see what happens.
This definitely didn't taste baking soda-y at all when I made it, so don't think you need to worry (unless your palate is generally overly sensitive to the taste). But I tasted none in the end result at all.
Bella says
Hey Audrey!
Thanks so much for answering :)
I did end up making them with substitutions and they were so so so yummy! The psyllium worked beautifully in place of guar gum for that rise & bind effect (I replaced it 1:1 in case anyone else is interested).
The only place I struggled a but was with the moisture of the batter - I think my bananas were quite large ones so I may have had more wet than the recipe plans for - so had to add quite ALOT of brown rice rice until I reached a better consistency. Next time I'd add the banana but by bit to make sure this doesn't happen as the muffins were quite a lot denser & firmer than I expected - I think having to add more flour made them lose that 'fluffiness' factor and made for a dry, quick bread like texture, which was still uber tasty, just not so moist!
Oh - and the baking soda was NOT an issue at all - have no idea what it was in the previous recipe I tired that brought out the flavour so badly, but just going to chalk it up to a one-time flop!!
Thanks again & please keep making more baked goods recipes - they're what I hope for first when I see new recipes pop up!! :D.
Awdur says
I can't tell you how happy I am to find your blog and this recipe. Vegan, gf and refined sugar-free recipes are so hard to come by! Thank you!
The Real Person!
You're welcome :) Enjoy the recipes!
Devona ellis says
I'm new to gluten free baking, could I use arrowhead mills' gluten free all purpose heritage blend. Thats what I have. It has sorghum flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, millet flour, buckwheat, inulin, and xanthan gum all in one.
The Real Person!
Hi Devona. You could give it a try, but I can't vouch for it because I haven't tried it for this recipe. I have a feeling it would alter the texture / consistency as the flour mix I used contains sweet sticky rice flour which gives it a much more delicate and springy texture that can't be achieved with the other flours in the arrowhead mills mix. The closest commercial all purpose mix to the flour combination I used is Pamela's Artisan flour blend (which also uses sweet sticky rice in it) -- I know it doesn't help you much since you don't have it on hand, but if you're looking for a good all purpose mix down the road to substitute in a recipe like this I can highly recommend that one. But I don't see a harm in giving it a go with what you have on hand anyways, if you don't mind experimenting anyhow :)
sing says
hi, I have is sweet white rice. is it the same as sweet sticky rice rice? thanks for the recipe. can't wait to try it. finally, a tasty bread that my son can have.
The Real Person!
Do you mean you have whole sweet white rice? Or sweet rice flour? You need the flour for this recipe -- it's a super finely ground flour that you can usually find in the baking section or in the Asian aisle of grocery stores, or in Asian shops. It goes by different names in different countries -- glutinous rice flour (it's gluten-free), sweet sticky rice flour, mochiko flour, mochi flour, and it's usually very cheap.
And I'm glad your son can enjoy this :)
sing says
I have Bob's Red Mill Sweet White Rice flour http://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-sweet-white-rice-flour-gluten-free
Is it the same as sweet sticky rice flour? thanks so much!
The Real Person!
Ah, yes, this is the same thing, so you're good to go :)
Zoe says
Could I use can than gum instead of guar gum? And can I reduce the number of dates to reduce sweetness or is that a necessary part for the texture? This looks amazing and I want to make it!
The Real Person!
He Zoe, xantham gum would be totally fine -- measure for measure. I'm not sure about reducing the dates though -- they act as a binder and add flexibility to the dough, so I'd lean towards leaving them in. Enjoy it!
Nancy says
These look delicious! I'm thinking of making a pumpkin ginger version!
The Real Person!
Oh, yes, pumpkin ginger sounds lovely!
Janet says
Hi Audrey, these look delicious, I can't have yeast but also bananas don't do me any good either, do you think that apple sauce would work? Thanks.
The Real Person!
Hi Janet -- I'm guessing plantains are a no-go too then? As that is the closest substitute. Otherwise, I think applesauce is a little too thin -- it may still work, but I'd personally go with something like pureed pumpkin, a persimmon {prob my personal favorite if you can find a ripe one}, or even apple butter. If you give this recipe a try without the bananas I'd love to hear what you use instead and how it goes -- happy baking!
Rosie says
I am soooooo glad I happened to be over when these first came to be. I can still taste them! I don't know how but they tasted so buttery and creamy and lovely. I had to really refrain from sneaking off with the entire plate of them. My favorite 'bready' dessert you've done thus far! I think I'll be making them at home asap!
The Real Person!
I'm glad I got to share them with you! Thanks for the nudge to make me share these -- not sure they would have made it on the blog if it weren't for your enthusiasm :) And now you're making me want some again!
Karissa @ Vegan A La Mode says
Wow these look incredible! I've never tried Monkey Bread, not even in my pre-vegan days! I think I will have to give your recipe a try!
The Real Person!
Thanks Karissa -- enjoy it! Monkey bread is an amazing dessert -- I'm sure you'll love it.
Jasmin says
Funky monkey sticky bread sounds perfect to me :)
The Real Person!
Thanks Jasmin -- me too :)
Flirty Foodie says
These look and sound delicious. And I love the fact that most of the ingredients are readily available
The Real Person!
Thanks -- that's my current aim with recipes. I want more people to enjoy them -- the easier I can make it on people, the happier it makes me :)
Alison @Food by Mars says
Dude. HOW DO YOU DO THISSSSS? I have to make this some day... no yeast? WIN. It looks so decadent and perfect. If I ever see you, I may just applaud you.
The Real Person!
Thanks Alison :)
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
My mom used to make the most sinful, sugary, melty, gooey Monkey Bread growing up. Thinking about it now makes my hips and booty feel bigger, haha. I really love this variation, and I think they're pretty darn photogenic! I made this blueberry cobbler once that came out too soupy, it was so hard to photograph...like a blueish blog on a plate!
The Real Person!
Lucky you, haha :) Your mom's monkey bread sounds amazing, as does that blueberry cobbler ;)
Johnna | In Johnna's Kitchen says
I've come back three times to look at this recipe, trying to convince myself I don't need to make these right now. But I do. Or at least I want them right now. Thanks for this recipe!
The Real Person!
Hehe, thanks Johnna! <3 I'd say you need to make 'em, but then again I may be a little biased ;)
jules says
These look amazing, Audrey! And I'm loving using plantains in my baking, so it's great to see a recipe I want to try that already has plantains in them! Do you ever use the banana flour? That's fun to work with, too. Happy baking!
~jules
gfJules.com
The Real Person!
What do you use plantains in? Do you have any recipes up? I'm always so curious about new ways to use them up. This is only my second time baking a sweet dish with them and I love it. I have made banana flour from just grinding down dried bananas before, but I haven't tried out banana flour just yet -- I'm pretty curious though, especially since seeing all of Rebecca's recipes with it over at Strength and Sunshine. I'm a little in trouble from some of my readers about using too many bananas though already {I'm a huge fan, but apparently not everyone is... Strange people! ;) } but if it were up to me everything would be a big massive banana!
Catherine says
I usually use plantain in bake recipe to replace flour, partially or even completely. Wheter they are ripe or green yields different results. It is also different from using regular banana. You can do flourless bread, brownies, cookies etc. out of them.
The Real Person!
Thanks for sharing, Catherine! :) It's interesting it can cut back on the flour in a recipe.
Sylvie | Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Who could resist a plate of sweet sticky goodness like these?!
The Real Person!
I know, right? :)
Harriet Emily says
These look soooooo good! I love the glossy shine that the maple syrup gives the monkey bread - they look so beautiful! I've never tried monkey bread before - and this is making me want to even more now! I will definitely have to try making them. I've never baked with sticky rice flour either, but I'm seeing it pop up everywhere at the moment so I really want to try it!
The Real Person!
Sticky rice flour is something I love using because it adds a lot of fluff and bounce to gf baking. Monkey bread is an absolute staple in every grocery store around here. Although the first time I tried it it was homemade by my mother-in-law. This recipe is a little different in texture to the original, but it was inspired by it and is awesome in its own way :)
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
This monkey bread looks out of this world. Monkey bread is such a guilty pleasure of mine- can't wait to try these!
The Real Person!
Thanks Genevieve -- I suspect that's the case for many ;)
Kat from curlsnchard.com says
Monkey bread is another one of those baked goods I have never had, and only seen it on Pinterest or on blogs :D I'm so sorry that you seem to be developing a coconut allergy :( I love that stuff, so for me it would be really devastating. I'm currently planning a recipe with plantain in it too, but I have a hard time finding good plantains right now - somehow the ones in store are often moldy or just bad before they really ripen :/
The Real Person!
I'm super sad about the coconut issue too. It's one of my favorite ingredients. Just giving it a rest and see what happens. I've never been able to do coconut sugar though -- no idea why...
Monkey bread is super common here -- it's like a staple alongside donuts and lemon meringue pie at almost every grocery store. The original is amazing. My mother-in-law makes an even better version at home. I don't think I've come close with this recipe at all if you do a side-by-side comparison in terms of texture, but the recipe turned out so good I
was forced tohad to share it anyways. Maybe one day I'll do a proper yeasted version just for fun.I'm also super disappointed about the plantains for sale -- what is up with that?!? Why do they even bother trying to sell the moldy ones...?
Leah says
Audrey does it again! I cannot WAIT to make these!! They look so much like these cinnamon dinner rolls that my Aunt makes every year for Thanksgiving and Easter dinner (gluten-full, unfortunately). Nostalgia alone would have won me over on these, but then I saw the words MONKEY BREAD and my whole week was made :)
The Real Person!
Thanks Leah :) Not sure anything can beat a family favorite, but these are quite good -- hope you get to try them out sometime and see how they compare :)
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
I've been waiting for this!!! They have dates and plantains and raisins, you know I'm going to love them <3
I wonder if maple syrup is cheaper up where you are, because I often opt for coconut sugar because maple syrup is pretty pricey around me. I buy the lowest quality (although still 100% maple syrup) store brand stuff and it's usually more expensive than a pound of coconut sugar. Date sugar does seem to be expensive too sadly, although I kind of want to try it. The funny thing is, dates are really my sweetener of choice, and they are probably most expensive of all :D haha
P.S. Still love that title :D
The Real Person!
Haha, yep, thanks for the nudge to make 'em :)
I don't think maple syrup is cheaper than coconut sugar. It's just that for whatever reason coconut sugar doesn't like me... : / Never has. Date sugar is expensive though. I've bought it before and I would use it, but since it's pricey and not readily available, I don't use it for blog recipes just to keep things easier for the international readers. I get so many emails already with people finiding it hard to source ingredients, so it's on the back of my mind to use more common ingredients when possible. Maple is easy to substitute with other liquid sweeteners wherever people are {usually anyhow...}. It's not cheap here though -- I get mine at costco because I go through so much -- I don't even have a membership, just get a friend to pick some up when she goes {delivery service in exchange for baked goods ;) }. That's the best deal I found and I get 1L for about $13. My next favorite is fresh dates too. I don't mind splurging if it's worth it, but date sugar seemed to be way overpriced and my main concern is availability..
The Healthy Apple says
Wow these look incredible! Great recipe; thanks for sharing!
The Real Person!
Thank you and thanks for sharing! ♥
The Vegan 8 says
These look seriously to die for Audrey!!! I want 5 of them! All of that cinnamon, yum. Do you think these would work without the guar gum? Also, did you know that you can use dried maple sugar??! I ordered some from Amazon and it's amazing and delicious!! What a wonderful recipe!!
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, and yeah, I think they would work without the gum no problem, Brandi. I worked off of the hot cross buns recipe, which didn't use any. I LOVE maple sugar, but it's pricy and not easily available to a lot of the blog readers, so I haven't posted any recipes. I also LOVE maple butter -- have you tried that? Love that stuff {big splurge though}, and most especially love it in Theobroma Maple Butter Chocolate {try it if you can find it -- so good!}.