Hamdi Saidani Pioneer Woman Cheesy Monkey Bread is a savory pull-apart bread made with canned buttermilk biscuits, dill Havarti cheese, fresh parsley, and melted butter, layered in a Bundt pan and baked until puffed and golden in 25 to 30 minutes.
This recipe is published on thepioneerwoman.com and turns three cans of refrigerated biscuits into a warm, cheesy centerpiece with just four ingredients and almost no prep. The dill Havarti melts into buttery pockets throughout the bread while the parsley keeps every bite tasting fresh and herby.
Use cold biscuits straight from the refrigerator when you cut them into quarters because warm dough sticks to the knife and to your fingers. Cold biscuit pieces hold their shape in the pan, which creates distinct pockets between each piece where the cheese melts and the butter pools during baking.
Pioneer Woman Cheesy Monkey Bread
Description
A savory twist on classic monkey bread that swaps sugar and cinnamon for melted dill Havarti and fresh parsley, baked in a Bundt pan until the top turns deep golden and the cheese stretches with every pull.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350F (180C). Generously brush a 14-cup tube pan or Bundt pan with some of the melted butter, making sure to coat every groove. Do not use a pan with a removable bottom because the butter will leak out.
- Prepare the biscuits. Open all three cans of cold biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters using a knife or kitchen shears. Toss the shredded dill Havarti and chopped parsley together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Build the first layer. Arrange half of the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan, covering most of the surface. Drizzle with half of the remaining melted butter, then sprinkle half of the cheese and parsley mixture over the top.
- Build the second layer. Layer the remaining biscuit pieces over the cheese, then drizzle with the rest of the melted butter. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture evenly across the top.
- Bake the bread. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bread is puffed, set in the center, and deep golden brown on top.
- Cool and serve. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert onto the rack while still warm, then flip again onto a cutting board or platter so the cheese side faces up. Serve warm.
FAQs
Why use buttermilk biscuits instead of the flaky kind?
Regular buttermilk biscuits hold together as a solid dough when you cut them into quarters, so each piece keeps its shape and creates distinct pockets in the pan. Flaky biscuits are made with laminated layers that separate and shred when you cut them, which turns the bread into a messy, uneven mass.
The denser texture of buttermilk biscuits also absorbs the melted butter more evenly without falling apart during baking. This gives you a bread that pulls apart in clean, satisfying chunks with cheese stretched between each piece.
Can you substitute the dill Havarti with another cheese?
Dill Havarti works so well because it melts into a smooth, buttery layer and the dill adds an herby flavor that pairs with the fresh parsley. Regular Havarti without dill is the closest swap if you cannot find it, though you lose that subtle herb note.
Gruyere or fontina melt similarly and would give you a richer, nuttier flavor. Avoid hard cheeses like aged cheddar or Parmesan because they do not melt into the same creamy pockets, and pre-shredded bagged cheese contains anti-caking starch that prevents smooth melting.
Why let the bread cool 10 to 15 minutes before inverting?
The melted cheese and butter need time to set slightly so the bread holds together when you flip it. Inverting immediately sends molten cheese and liquid butter pouring out of the pan, and the soft biscuit pieces collapse under their own weight.
Waiting too long is just as risky because the cheese hardens and bonds the bread to the pan, making it nearly impossible to release cleanly. The 10 to 15 minute window is the sweet spot where everything is firm enough to hold its shape but warm enough to slide out.
Why serve it cheese side up after inverting twice?
The bread bakes with the cheese on top, but inverting flips it upside down with the golden cheese layer hidden on the bottom. Flipping it a second time puts that deep golden, bubbly cheese crust back on display where it looks the most appealing.
Serving cheese side up also means the crispiest, most flavorful surface is what people see and taste first when they pull off a piece. The bottom layer is softer and more butter-soaked, so it works better as the base that holds everything together.
How do you reheat leftover cheesy monkey bread?
Wrap individual portions loosely in foil and warm them in a 300F (150C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese turns melty again. The foil prevents the outer biscuit pieces from drying out while the interior heats through evenly.
Avoid the microwave because it makes the biscuit dough gummy and rubbery within seconds. Leftover monkey bread keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, but it tastes best eaten the same day it is baked.
