Gorilla Bread

Stuffed with cream cheese and oozing with cinnamon, sugary goodness, Gorilla Bread is a rich pull-apart bread that is perfect for breakfast or dessert.

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Stuffed with cream cheese and oozing with cinnamon, sugary goodness, Gorilla Bread is a yummy spin on traditional Monkey Bread. This delightful treat is perfect for a special breakfast or dessert.

MORE RECIPES: Chocolate Banana Bread | Cherry Bread | Banana Bread Pudding

Gorilla Bread

The caramelized cinnamon and sugar outside, and cream cheese center inside, combine to make a pull-apart bread that tastes like a delectable combination of traditional monkey bread and cheesecake. This simple recipe is easy to put together for a weekend breakfast at home, but special enough to serve guests during the holidays. 
Similar to Money Bread, this rich pull-apart bread is full of ooey, gooey, flavor. Not only is each piece of pull-apart bread filled with cream cheese, but it’s layered with butter, sugar, and walnuts. 
Gorilla bread is a heavenly pastry that can be served for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. With just 15 minutes of prep time, this warm sweet bread can be served with a warm cup of coffee or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Gorilla Bread Ingredients

• Cinnamon Rolls - refrigerated Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
• Cream cheese 
• Sugar - white sugar
• Sugar - brown sugar
• Butter 
• Walnuts - roughly chopped
• Icing - from the cinnamon roll package optional

While you could use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls for this recipe, more like classic monkey bread, the cinnamon rolls add delicious flavor and sweetness. The icing from the cinnamon rolls serves as an additional topping for your Gorilla Bread. 
If you’re using Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, take the metal lid off the icing and warm the icing tub in the microwave for approximately 8 to 10 seconds, until it will drizzle. The icing can be drizzled over the entire bread, or just over individual servings. Another option for drizzling is melted chocolate. 
The crunch of the walnuts adds a delicious texture to the Gorilla bread, alongside the softness of the bread and cream cheese. In addition to the walnuts, you could also use roughly chopped pecans.

How to Make Gorilla Bread

FIRST STEP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

SECOND STEP: Prepare a large Bundt pan by coating it well with nonstick spray. 

THIRD STEP: In a small saucepan melt the butter along with the brown sugar and white sugar. Set aside.

FOURTH STEP: Sprinkle ½ cup of the walnuts around the bottom of the pan.

FIFTH STEP: Slightly flatten (by hand or can use a rolling pin) each cinnamon roll from one can. 

SIXTH STEP: Take one cube of cream cheese and put it in the center of the cinnamon roll and wrap the cinnamon roll around it and seal the edges of the cinnamon roll. Holding it in your hand and rolling it in a ball as you push any cream cheese into the ball helps. 

SEVENTH STEP: Place the stuffed cinnamon roll in the Bundt pan. Do this with the rest of the first can placing the cinnamon rolls around the Bundt pan. 

EIGHTH STEP: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of walnuts over the first layer of cinnamon rolls. 

NINTH STEP: Pour half of the melted butter/sugar over this first layer. 

TENTH STEP: Repeat this process with the other can of cinnamon rolls and cubes of cream cheese. 

ELEVENTH STEP: Pour the remaining melted butter/sugar mixture over this last layer. 

TWELFTH STEP: Bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes before placing a plate on top of the Bundt pan and inverting the gorilla bread onto the plate. 

THIRTEENTH STEP: Optional: Take the metal lid off the icing and warm the icing tub in the microwave for 8-10 seconds until will drizzle. Drizzle over the entire bread or over individual servings.

Can I use regular rolls? 

Yes. While the cinnamon rolls add extra cinnamon flavor, you can also use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. 

How do I serve Gorilla Bread? 

Gorilla bread can be served warm, out of the oven, or at room temperature. 

Can I use pecans? 

Yes, in addition to walnuts you can use pecans or other chopped nuts.  

How to Store Gorilla Bread 

IN THE FRIDGE:  Leftover Gorilla Bread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Gorilla Bread

Stuffed with cream cheese and oozing with cinnamon, sugary goodness, Gorilla Bread is a rich pull-apart bread that is perfect for breakfast or dessert.

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5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 358 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 (2 cans) Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (set icing aside)
• 1 (8-ounce) cream cheese package, (cubed into 16 pieces)
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter (melted)
• 1 cup walnuts roughly chopped, (divided)
• Icing from the cinnamon roll package optional

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare a large Bundt pan by coating it well with nonstick spray.
• In a small saucepan melt the butter along with the brown sugar and white sugar. Set aside.
• Sprinkle ½ cup of the walnuts around the bottom of the pan.
• Slightly flatten (by hand or can use a rolling pin) each cinnamon roll from one can.
• Take one cube of cream cheese and put it in the center of the cinnamon roll and wrap the cinnamon roll around it and seal the edges of the cinnamon roll. Holding it in your hand and rolling it in a ball as you push any cream cheese into the ball helps.
• Place the stuffed cinnamon roll in the Bundt pan. Do this with the rest of the first can placing the cinnamon rolls around the Bundt pan.
• Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of walnuts over the first layer of cinnamon rolls.
• Pour half of the melted butter/sugar over this first layer.
• Repeat this process with the other can of cinnamon rolls and cubes of cream cheese.
• Pour the remaining melted butter/sugar mixture over this last layer.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes before placing a plate on top of the Bundt pan and inverting the gorilla bread onto the plate.
• Optional: Take the metal lid off the icing and warm the icing tub in the microwave for 8-10 seconds until will drizzle. Drizzle over the entire bread or over individual servings.

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Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

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