This King Cake Monkey Bread Is The Ultimate Mardi Gras Treat

Yields: 10.0-12.0 servings

Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3

  (17.5-ounce) tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls (such as Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing)

• 2 tsp.

  orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange juice

• 1/4 tsp.

  freshly ground nutmeg

• 1 c.

  (2 sticks) salted butter

• 1/2 c.

  packed light brown sugar

• 2 tbsp.

  purple sanding sugar

• 2 tbsp.

  green sanding sugar

• 2 tbsp.

  yellow sanding sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Open the cinnamon roll tubes and remove the frosting cups; set them aside to come to room temperature. Separate the dough into individual cinnamon rolls and cut each roll into 6 pieces.

3. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and nutmeg. Dump the sugar mixture into a 1-gallon zip-top bag.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Let it cook until lightly golden and foamy (not brown), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla (it will bubble up). Once the bubbles have subsided, whisk in the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the orange juice until smooth and well combined.

5. Add half of the cinnamon roll pieces to the zip-top bag with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Toss well to coat the pieces. Place the pieces in the Bundt pan in an even layer. Drizzle with half the butter mixture. Repeat the tossing and layering process with the remaining dough, cinnamon-sugar, and butter mixture, stirring the butter mixture before drizzling, if needed.

6. Bake until the top of the monkey bread is deep brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then invert the monkey bread: Place a dinner plate over the top of the pan and, with oven mitts, hold the pan and dinner plate together, then flip over. Carefully remove the Bundt pan (give it a few taps if the bread doesn’t seem to be releasing) and let it slide out onto the plate. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese with a small rubber spatula until very smooth. Add the contents of the reserved frosting cups, whisking well to combine. Whisk in the powdered sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon orange juice. Dollop the icing all over the top of the monkey bread, letting it melt into the top and drizzle down the sides. Immediately sprinkle with alternating bands of purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar. Serve immediately.

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