Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Monkey Bread

1 standard 12-cup bundt pan

Note: This recipe uses a homemade enriched dough, which requires about 2 hours of total rising time — plan accordingly!

One of my favorite pies on the Thanksgiving table has always been Bourbon Chocolate Pecan. I love the rich combination of crunchy toasted pecans, gooey chocolatey filling, and the warm depth that bourbon adds. It’s nostalgic, indulgent, and deeply satisfying.

This year, I thought it would be fun to turn those same flavors into a pull-apart Monkey Bread. Because really, what could be better during the holidays than a dish that requires no plates, no utensils, and is made for sharing?

Monkey breads are often made with store-bought biscuit dough, but here we’re using a homemade enriched dough for a lighter, fluffier texture. The dough is cut into small pieces, tossed in a bourbon-butter bath, then rolled in brown sugar. It’s layered into a Bundt pan with bourbon caramel, chopped pecans, and lots of chocolate.

The result? A decadent, sticky, slightly boozy, and totally unforgettable dish that’s perfect for any holiday gathering.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

Bourbon Caramel

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (210 g)

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter (85 g)

  • 90 ml (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) heavy cream

  • 1 tbsp light corn syrup or honey

  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (½ tsp Morton)

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 tbsp bourbon

Dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (540 g)

  • 1 ⅓ cups lukewarm whole milk (100°F) (325 g)

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (75 g)

  • 2 tsp instant yeast (6 g)

  • 2 ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1 ¼ tsp if Morton)

  • 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (42 g)

Butter-Bourbon Dip

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (85 g)

  • 2 tbsp bourbon

Brown Sugar-Salt Coating

  • ½ cup, packed light brown sugar (100 g)

  • ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (½ tsp Morton)

Filling

  • 1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped (100 g)

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (115 g)

  • ½ cup cooled bourbon caramel (from above)

DIRECTIONS

Make the Bourbon Caramel

  1. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cream, and corn syrup (or honey).

  2. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly thickened. Do not overcook, or it may turn gritty as it cools.

  3. Remove from heat and stir in salt, vanilla and bourbon.

  4. Measure out ½ cup for layering in the bundt pan. The remaining caramel can be reserved for drizzling after baking or stored refrigerated for 2-3 weeks.

  5. Set aside to cool completely before using.

Make the Dough & First Rise

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, milk, sugar, yeast, salt and eggs. Do not add the butter yet.

  2. Mix on low-medium speed until a soft dough forms, 7-8 minutes.

  3. Add the softened butter in 3 additions, kneading thoroughly after each addition. Once all the butter is added, continue kneading another 5-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

  4. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.

Assemble & Second Rise

  1. Butter or grease a 12-cup Bundt pan generously, coating every ridge and crevice.

  2. In a shallow bowl, combine the melted butter and bourbon for the butter-bourbon dip.

  3. In another shallow bowl, combine the brown sugar and salt.

  4. Punch down the risen dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 10 × 14-inch rectangle about ½ inch thick.

  5. Cut into 6 strips along the short end, then 8 strips along the long end, creating 48 small pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a ball by pinching the ends together, then rolling on an unfloured surface to shape into a ball. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform in size or shape.

  6. Roll each dough ball in the butter-bourbon mixture, then toss lightly in the brown sugar-salt mixture to coat on all sides.

  7. Assemble the monkey bread in three layers in the Bundt pan, starting with:

    1. ⅓ of the coated dough balls

    2. ⅓ of the pecans and chocolate

    3. A few tablespoons of caramel

  8. Repeat with 2 more layers of coated dough balls, pecans & chocolate, and caramel.

  9. Cover and let proof for 30-40 minutes, until puffy.

    Note: The second rise can be harder to judge visually than the first as there’s less dramatic change. To help gauge progress, take a quick photo before proofing, and another after about an hour — you should see a difference.

Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Place the bundt pan on a sheet tray to make it easier to pull in and out of the oven (and to catch any overflow).

  2. Bake 40–45 minutes, or until deep golden and center reaches 195-200 °F. If top starts browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last 15–20 minutes.

  3. Cool for 5 minutes only, then flip onto a serving plate.

  4. Serve warm or room temperature.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • This monkey bread is delicious warm, but I actually prefer it at room temperature once the glaze has cooled and set, which makes it an excellent make-ahead option. But if you’d like to rewarm, cover loosely with foil and heat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10–15 minutes.

  • Monkey breads are often made with store-bought refrigerated biscuit dough. While I haven’t personally tested this version with biscuit dough, it should work well with a few adjustments. Substitute 3 (16.3 oz) cans of refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into small pieces. Because biscuit dough doesn’t rise as much as enriched dough, I recommend slightly reducing the caramel, pecans, and chocolate. Bake time remains the same: 40–45 minutes at 350°F (175°C).

  • An enriched dough contains butter, eggs, milk, and/or sugar. This dough includes all of those. The higher fat and sugar content slows fermentation and gluten development, requiring a longer rise time — so be patient! While I’ve provided time guidelines, rise times will vary based on room temperature.

  • To be precise and consistent when baking, I recommend using a Digital Food Scale. The one I linked is relatively inexpensive and in my opinion, a great investment for any home kitchen! But if you don’t have one, I’ll always include cup measurements as well.