Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread

Course bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry orange monkey bread

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Fridge/Rise Time 12

Total Time 12 55

Servings

Calories 519kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

In a small bowl, whisk the cook & serve vanilla pudding mix (dry, do not prepare), light brown sugar, and the fresh orange zest until evenly combined. Set aside.
1 box (3 oz) Cook & Serve vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, orange zest from 1 large orange
Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay 10 frozen rolls in the bottom of the bundt pan.
20 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the pudding mixture evenly over top the rolls. Evenly spread 1/2 cup of the dried cranberries, then half of the roughly chopped mandarin oranges, and scatter half of the butter cubes.
1 cup dried cranberries, 1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Repeat the layers one more time by adding the remaining 10 frozen rolls, the rest of the pudding mixture, and the remaining dried cranberries, chopped mandarin oranges, and butter cubes.
Cover the bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap, that has been sprayed with cooking spray (the side that touches the rolls), and refrigerate overnight for 10-12 hours, allowing the rolls to thaw and begin to rise.

In the morning, set the bundt pan in a warm place at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until the dough has risen properly to nearly the top of the bundt pan.
^{*To speed up this process I like to put the bundt pan on a heating pad at a very low setting (like a 2 or 3).}
Preheat your oven to 350℉.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 35-40 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, loosely cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil and keep it tented for the remainder of the baking time to prevent over-browning.
Remove the bundt pan from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.

While the bread cools, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, mandarin orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
^{*The glaze recipe easily doubles (I usually do this!). Make sure you save extra of the mandarin orange juice when draining.}
1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved mandarin orange juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Invert the bundt pan onto a serving plate. Drizzle the glaze over top of the monkey bread before serving. Serve warm and enjoy!

It's vital that you use the Cook & Serve vanilla pudding, NOT instant vanilla pudding. The cook and serve melts into a glossy caramel sauce that coats the rolls perfectly. It combines with the butter and brown sugar to make an amazing caramel-style sauce. Instant pudding does not behave the same way in the oven.
You can use salted or unsalted butter - salted butter will give it a very slightly salty taste (not a huge difference). I have used both kinds with great results.
Drain the mandarin oranges very well (making sure to reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the juice). Excess juice inside the bundt pan can pool at the bottom and slow the browning process and create a soggy texture.
If the center of the monkey bread still looks slightly underdone and pale, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes. I lightly pull apart some of the rolls on top just to make sure the bread looks cooked all the way through towards the bottom of the bundt pan.
Do not thaw the rolls before assembling the monkey bread. They will thaw overnight in the fridge. You want them frozen when preparing the cranberry orange monkey bread.
To speed up the morning rise process, put the bundt pan on top of a heating pad that is set at a low setting - such as a 2 or 3, or a 1 depending on your heating pad settings.
My family loves lots of glaze so I always double the glaze recipe. Just make sure to save extra mandarin orange juice when draining.