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    Home » Recipes

    The Simplest Lemon Poppy Seed Monkey Bread

    Published: Feb 15, 2021 · Modified: Mar 1, 2021 by Marni Katz · This post may contain affiliate links

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    “This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.”

    Do you love lemon poppy seed muffins as much as I do?  Or even just a lemon loaf?  And I’m sure you must love an ooey gooey monkey bread as well, right?  Well, I went ahead and combined those two favorites into a perfect bundt pan recipe, the lemon poppy seed monkey bread!

    lemon poppyseed monkey bread on a cake stand

    “This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.”

    Lemon Poppy Seed Monkey Bread is so good

    The best part of making monkey bread is that you can use store bought ingredients and turn it into something divine.  This monkey bread uses Rhodes frozen dinner rolls as the base, so that you don’t also have to make homemade bread dough to have this special treat.  

    The other great thing about this recipe is that it feels a bit “lighter” than traditional ooey gooey monkey bread does (which I clearly love as well, especially with chai spice).  Lemon poppy seed anything is a classic flavor profile.  It’s not one that most people make at home outside of the occasionally lemon poppy seed muffin, but the flavors are a real favorite at our house and this treat really lets them shine.

    Ingredients

    ingredients for lemon poppy seed monkey bread

    A few notes on the ingredients:

    • Lemon Sugar:  this is not something that you want to make too far in advance or the natural oils in the lemons will dissipate leaving you with a lemon sugar that isn’t so potent.
    • Frozen dough: I like to use Rhode's Rolls frozen dinner rolls, but you can use any frozen bread dough you like. In a pinch, you can also substitute canned (or even homemade) biscuit dough.

    Simple step by step instructions

    First, you’ll start by following the directions on the package to defrost the frozen dinner rolls.  I use Rhode’s brand dinner rolls and they thaw in about 3 hours (in a warmish house). 

    Spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet and give them room to rise. 

    frozen dinner rolls rising on a sheet pan

    Once the dough balls have warmed up and start to rise slightly, cut them each in half. 

    scissors cutting a dough ball in half

    Then spray your bundt pan LIBERALLY with nonstick baking spray.  When the sugar caramelizes in the oven it gets sticky, making it tough to get out of the pan.  At the same time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    Now, make the lemon sugar.  Zest the 3 lemons and toss with one cup of sugar.  Set aside.

    lemon sugar with poppy seeds on a sheet pan

    Now for the fun part.  You’ll want to mix the lemon sugar and poppyseeds together.  I like to do this right on a cookie sheet so I can keep the mess contained.

    Melt the stick of butter in a small bowl and place the bowl on the baking sheet as well.

    melted butter with a dough ball in it

    Now, roll each of the balls of dough in the butter, then in the lemon sugar and poppyseed mixture and toss into the pan. 

    Keep dipping in butter and rolling in sugar mixture until the pan is about ¾ full (no more or you’ll be cleaning your oven for hours, trust me).

    lemon poppy seed covered dough balls in a bundt pan

    Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the top is browned.  Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto your serving platter and enjoy.  

    little hand taking a piece of monkey bread

    Be careful as you dig in, those middle pieces of monkey bread stay hot a long time!

    Frequently Asked Questions 

    How do you make lemon sugar?

    To make lemon sugar, simply take lemon zest and mix it well with your sugar.  You can do this in advance if you’d like and store it in an airtight container. 

    Do you have to use frozen dinner roll dough? 

    Nope, If you can’t find these frozen dinner rolls at your grocery store, any frozen dinner roll will work.  Just follow the directions for thawing and cut it with a pair of scissors into small balls once partially thawed.  Any canned biscuit dough is another easy substitution that works as well.

    Can this lemon poppy seed monkey bread be made dairy free?

    Yes, definitely. This recipe can be made dairy free by using a butter substitute (Try Country Crock plant based spread) and a non-dairy frozen bread dough (which Rhodes Rolls are).

    One more simple tip

    • If you have leftover dough balls after you’ve made you lemon poppy seed monkey bread, go ahead and pop three of them into a muffin tin and make the simplest cloverleaf rolls ever.  Bake as directed on the package. Just brush with a little butter immediately upon taking them out of the oven and enjoy with Minestrone soup or a Giant Greek Salad.

    Looking for more simple baking ideas?  Try these:

    • Chai spice monkey bread
    • One Bowl Brownies
    • Slice and Bake Lemon Shortbread Cookies

    When you try this recipe and love it 😍 let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!

    📖 Recipe

    top view of a lemon poppy seed monkey bread

    Lemon Poppy Seed Monkey Bread

    Marni Katz
    A 4-ingredient pull apart bread that is super easy to put together and tastes delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Rise Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 45 mins
    Course Breads, Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10
    Calories 382 kcal

    Equipment

    • Bundt Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 24 frozen dinner rolls
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ¼ cup poppy seeds
    • 3 lemons zested and juiced (separate the zest and the juice)

    Instructions
     

    Rising the dough balls

    • Following the directions on the package, defrost the frozen dinner rolls. I use Rhode’s brand dinner rolls and they thaw in about 3 hours. Spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet and give them room to rise.
    • Once the dough balls have warmed up and start to rise slightly, cut them each in half.
      frozen dinner rolls rising on a sheet pan
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven preheats, spray your bundt pan LIBERALLY with nonstick baking spray.

    Make the lemon sugar

    • Zest the 3 lemons and toss with one cup of sugar. Set aside.
      lemon sugar with poppy seeds on a sheet pan

    Assemble the Monkey Bread

    • Mix the lemon sugar and poppy seeds together. I like to do this right on a cookie sheet so I can keep the mess contained.
    • Melt the stick of butter with the juice of two lemons in a small bowl and place the bowl on the baking sheet as well.
      dough ball being rolled in lemon sugar and poppy seeds
    • Roll each of the balls of dough in the butter lemon mixture, then in the lemon sugar and poppy seed mixture and place into the prepared bundt pan. Keep dipping in the butter and rolling in the sugar mixture until the pan is about ¾ full (no more or you’ll be cleaning your oven for hours).
      lemon poppy seed covered dough balls in a bundt pan
    • Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the top is browned.
      top of monkey bread in bundt pan
    • Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto your serving platter and enjoy.
      monkey bread on a serving platter

    Notes

    Be sure to really spray the bundt pan liberally with baking spray.  The sugars can caramelize on your pan in the oven and create a real mess if you don't.
    Be sure to only fill the pan up about ¾ of the way so you don't have overflow problems in your oven. 
    You can easily substitute for a plant based butter in this recipe if you need it to be dairy free.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 542mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 226mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword easy brunch, frozen dinner rolls, lemon poppy seed, monkey bread, simple baking
    Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!

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      About Marni Katz

      Marni Katz is the recipe developer, photographer and writer behind Simple Gray T-Shirt. She wants to help people keep things simple in the kitchen. With simple recipes, easy menu ideas and plenty of tips and tricks along the way, she wants getting a meal on the table to be as simple as putting on your favorite gray tee!
      "I want to inspire you to get back in the kitchen and do this, because you can!"

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