Hot Cocoa Mix Takes Sticky Sweet Monkey Bread To Another Level

Monkey bread is one of those sweet innovations that delights in name alone. While the dessert may actually have origins more than a century old and come from as far away as Hungary, the aroma of melted butter, cinnamon, and flakey pastry dough could not be more homey. And being that it was made a household staple back in the 1970s thanks to Betty Crocker, it's an all-American classic today.

With that in mind, it's no surprise that it's been riffed on and reimagined in so many wonderful ways, thanks to lots of ingenious home cooks and even occasionally a fine dining chef. But there is one twist that you can make in minutes, with only one additional ingredient that will take this nostalgic favorite up to the next level of flavor. All you have to do is add some powdered hot cocoa mix and suddenly, an entirely magical new option for your monkey bread repertoire. This elevates not only the taste of the monkey bread but also its gooey texture.

To make this instant classic hot cocoa monkey bread, all you need is your standard recipe including melted butter, sugar, and a can of refrigerated biscuit dough — plus a few packets of your favorite hot cocoa mix (four or five will get the job done). The standard procedure is typically to quarter your biscuits and then toss the pieces in sugar and sometimes spices to coat each one before layering them into a bundt pan to bake. For this version, you'll combine the sugar with the powdered cocoa mix prior to coating your biscuit pieces so that each one is fully bundled in a hot chocolatey goo.

You can proceed from there as you normally would with your monkey bread baking and enjoy a best-of-both-worlds dessert that incorporates the flavors of your favorite sweet drink. Alternatively, you can continue to plus things up by stirring in some mini marshmallows and chocolate chips for added gooey goodness.

You can enjoy this recipe as is and not want for anything, however, if you feel like further customizing your monkey bread experience, there's no shortage of pairings for a cocoa-forward confection. An easy go-to option would be to whip up some vanilla whipped cream to pile on top or stay on the hot cocoa theme with a dollop of homemade marshmallow cream. Adding a little caramel sauce or even peanut butter wouldn't hurt either.

Take more cozy drink inspiration and mimic a mocha flavor profile by adding some espresso powder to the mix, or some cinnamon and cayenne for a treat reminiscent of Mexican hot cocoa. Embrace some mint-spiration by including a few drops of peppermint extract, or even crushed-up candy canes for a holiday season spin with peppermint bark monkey bread.

And you don't have to stop at the bundt pan, either. You can transform these into hot cocoa monkey bread muffins, or use ramekins to make a single serving-friendly version. But no matter how you make it, with a little cocoa in your mix, you'll have more fun than a barrel of...well, you know.