Quick easy monkey bread for two! Gluten-free vegan dough rolled in cinnamon, drowned in date caramel, and microwaved to messy mug perfection!
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPT 26, 2016
PHOTOS + RECIPE UPDATED SEPT 5, 2022
Maybe I don’t want a long slinky tail that would make wearing pants impossible. And the thought of inescapable fur in the middle of summer sounds torturous. And eating critters with my bare hands does not appeal to me on flavor or texture. But there is one thing that does make me kinda jealous of monkeys: they have the most delectable sticky-sweet bread named after them.
The first time I tasted monkey bread I fell absolutely in love with it. Like this-might-be-better-than-chocolate-cake in love. How could you not, it’s soft cinnamon bread with caramel goo baked right in between every little puff-ball of sweet dough!
Yes that’s right, I said goo. It’s a very technical term for a very delicious substance usually made of butter and sugar and a lot of it. But for this vegan monkey bread recipe we’re keeping it much healthier with a caramel goo made from dates, almond butter, and cinnamon.
The dates naturally have the exact caramel flavor monkey bread needs. The almond butter adds nutty richness, but is optional if you prefer to keep it low fat. And the cinnamon…well I don’t think that really needs an explanation, it’s monkey bread after all.
The dough itself is rather untraditional too, made without sugar or gluten. But perhaps the most untraditional part of the entire recipe (and which I have somehow neglected to mention until now) is that the whole thing happens in the microwave! No need to wait 30+ minutes for a mouthful of monkey bread. Just mix, roll, dunk, microwave, and dive in!
Oh, and there is an oven option too since I know not everyone has/uses a microwave.
Some monkey bread recipes mix up a whole separate glaze to go on top. But I have a feeling there is a reason you clicked on this mug cake version of vegan monkey bread: because you like easy just as much as I do! So to keep things simpler, I just thinned out the caramel goo with maple syrup to make an easy sweet topping and drizzled that on top followed up with a sprinkling of cinnamon. You could also thin it out with non-dairy milk or water to keep the recipe entirely fruit-sweetened, it’s up to you.
The outside pieces that are drenched in caramel goo—amazing. The inside pieces insulated by their doughy friends that stay extra soft and warm—so yum. And I highly recommend keeping an extra little cup of caramel goo/frosting/heaven on the side for double dipping.
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Monkey Bread Mug Cakes (UPDATED!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 seconds
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 2 mug cakes 1x
- Category: mug cake
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: american
Description
Quick easy monkey bread for two! Gluten-free vegan dough rolled in cinnamon, drowned in date caramel, and microwaved to messy mug perfection!
Ingredients
Date paste
- 10 (180g) pitted medjool dates
- 3/4 cup water
Dough
- 2/3 cup (170g) date paste
- 2 tbsp (20g) melted coconut oil (recommended, but can be replaced with nondairy milk)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (75g) oat flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
- Remaining date paste (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Blend the dates and water until VERY smooth, adding a little more water if need be.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt.
- Add date paste and coconut oil. Mix to form a sticky dough (if it’s too dry add a little more coconut oil or milk, you want it to be almost too sticky to roll in your hands). Set aside to rest 5 minutes.
- Grease 2 ramekins (bigger is better, 8oz or 10oz ramekins work best). Pinch off chunks of dough, roll into balls, roll in cinnamon to coat, arrange in the ramekins (about 8-10 balls per ramekin, do not overcrowd them).
- Whisk maple syrup and date paste to form a smooth thinner sauce. Spoon over the dough balls, covering the top completely and letting some fill in the spaces between the dough balls.
- Microwave 90 seconds (each ramekin separately).
- Cool briefly, then enjoy!
Notes
You can halve the dough and caramel sauce ingredients to make just one mug cake, but it’s hard to blend less date paste than listed in the recipe. You can just save the extra date paste (lasts 4-5 days in the fridge) for another use or another mug cake!
OVEN OPTION: I personally prefer the texture of the microwave option, but if you want to bake it try 18-22 minutes at 350F. Place the ramekins directly on the wire rack of your oven not on a pan. Glass ramekins work better than ceramic in my experience. To test for doneness, gently press the middle ball and if it feels at all mushy or unbaked add another 2-3 minutes.
Keywords: gluten free, caramel, cinnamon, easy, snack, dessert, healthy, oat flour
Vegan Monkey Bread Mug Cake (ORIGINAL)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minutes
- Total Time: 11 minutes
Ingredients
Date paste
- 10 Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup water
- Optional: 1 tbsp almond butter (or any nut/seed butter)
Dough
- 1/3 cup oat flour
- ¼ cup date paste (above)
- 2 tbsps tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Caramel Goo
- ¼ cup date paste (above)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients for the date paste. You may have extra date paste, but most blenders cannot blend with any less volume than this.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the dough. It should be quite sticky, but firm enough to roll into balls.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the caramel goo.
- Pinch off a small piece of dough. Roll it into a ball. Drop in the caramel goo and use a spoon to evenly coat. Place in a microwave safe ramekin. Repeat with the rest of the dough (I got about 8 balls).
- Microwave for 1 to 1.5 minutes on high. *See notes for oven option.
- Top with remaining caramel goo and a sprinkle of cinnamon Enjoy!
Notes
I actually prefer the texture of the microwave version with this recipe, but you can bake it in a preheated oven for approximately 15-20 mins at 375F.
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Oh my gosh, this looks so good!
It is!! I am just obsessed with all things cinnamon-filled and date-paste gooey right now?
I’ve never had monkey bread, but I am kind of obsessed with it? Sweet bread-y carby goodness smothered in cinnamon and more sweetness, come at meeee! I love how easy this is and how magical it looks! Can’t wait to whip this up and fall in love <3
You’ve never had monkey bread?? ? It’s like that time I learned that you had never had pumpkin pie either…total shock! I think it’s pretty safe to say you would like be into it 🙂
You are dead on with all of the classic dessert recipes lately. SO awesome! Monkey bread is one of my mom’s favorite treats. I’ll have to make this for her and see what she thinks! 🙂
Either it’s a classic dessert spread or an all things gooey and date-filled streak…maybe both! 😀 Oooh yes, I would love to hear her feedback!
“make wearing pants impossible”: LOLOLOLOL. Oh, wow. Oh… WOW. It’s Monday and I still found that hilarious. Well, you know, if you have a sweet bread named after you, you can endure absolutely anything: be it an unremovable fur suit, a pants-mystifying tail, and even the dreaded critter consumption. 😉 Goo: Yep, I just looked it up in the Official Dictionary of Culinary Things and Shenanigans and it says “goo.” LOVE that you wrote “Caramel Good” in your recipe! You’re simply the best. That is all. 😉 Now, can you ship THIS to me?? xo
Is that so? Well I’ll keep that in mind when naming my children–Banana Bread if it’s a boy and Cinnamon Streusel if it’s a girl. Oh wait…does it only work if the bread is named after them and not the other way around?? Bummer. I so wanted invisible children! Anyways, I’ll just feed them lots of goo and they’ll be fine I’m sure. Oh actually I think the ‘d’ in good was autocorrect, not me. Oops! It’s already in the mail 😉
I love that you called it caramel “goo” <3 This looks SO tasty!!
There was just no other word to use there lol 😀 Thanks Aimee!
Caramel GOOOOOO!? Well that sounds amazing. I happen to have some date paste in my freezer that needs to be used up! Perfect recipe to use it in! Love that you used my beloved oat flour as well! 🙂
I never thought to freeze it! I usually just use up any leftovers on apple slices, but that’s a great idea! Let me know if you give it a gooey shot 🙂
OMG this looks amazing! I just bought tapioca starch also, so this is definitely going to happen! Have you baked it yet? I don’t have a microwave. I’m sure it’d be delicious either way!
Yep I tested it in the oven too, it takes about 15-20 mins at 375F. Oooh yay, I’m so happy you got tapioca starch! It’s such an awesome ingredient 🙂 Enjoy!
This looks awesomely delicious and I just ate and still want to make it! Thank you thank you.
I haven’t had a micro in decades so will be using oven. Is it that it’s not as gooey in oven made?
I just had a client who was allergic to cinnamon, isn’t that awful?
Rebecca
No cinnamon!?! I don’t know what I would do! And you are correct, it is less gooey if you make it in the oven. But just add extra caramel goo after baking and it will be equally as delicious!
Natalie, I just can’t even handle this!!! It is the BEST mug cake idea everrrrr. I seriously cannot wait to try this! I love monkey bread so much and have on my to do list to create a traditional one, but dang, this super duper fast version is much more appealing, because hey, who doesn’t want dessert faster?? It’s so pretty and the pics are so vibrant and in your face in a really drool-inducing way, haha. I literally today just made some of my almond caramel, which is a similar sticky texture of date paste, so I’m thinking that may work amazingly, delicious since you know I’m not a fan of dates. I definitely want to try it and see. It just looks fabulous and I can almost smell at that delicious cinnamon!!
I’ve had it on my to-do list for forever too, but rolling all those little dough balls for a full size pan sounded like a lot of work I kept putting it off lol. Dessert faster–YES! I was worried about texture with the microwave thing, but tapioca saves the day again. I can’t wait to see and try your non-date version, any reason to make more monkey bread is good with me 🙂
I really really really want to try my hand at MONKEY BREAD MAKING!!
You gotta try it!! Those monkeys know what’s up when it comes to baked goods lol?
Oh my gosh, I just absolutely adored the video you did for this. And can I just say how impressed I am with your website. I have been super slack at even updating my own, never mind visiting anyone else’s. But I just wanted to stop by and say, you’re amazing, and I hope you win some kind of award for your site, as it’s unbelievably good, as are your recipes. Well done xx
You are so very kind Jo, I’m blushing over here☺️ Oh I know, keeping up with everybody and everything and every site is a monumental task! But you do post on IG everyday and kill it over there (which no matter how hard I try I just cannot manage to keep up). If only we could do it all 🙂 Thank you <3 xo
Heeeeeyyyy Natalie!! As a huge fan of caramel goo, must say this is one of the top 3 caramel goo recipes ever!! And don’t know anything cuter than food in a mug 🙂 Will definitely do this when baby has arrived and i have max 15 min to bake 🙂 So thank YOU for saving me from horrible cravings!! Will let you know how it works out 🙂 Hehe and I know I’ll earn the best Mom title again when I make this for the kids too 🙂 So thank you for that too <3 <3
Well now I must know what the other 2 top rated caramel goo recipes are? lol Because anything with gooey date paste involved I probably am going to love 🙂 Gah I know, mug food is the best! Well you can add that one to your mom award collection right along with most creative, best photographer while mom-ing, and just generally amazing human <3 xo
No I have not tried this yet…YES I Absolutely need to!!! And this time it’s not going to go on my list…I’m actually making this! I think you’ve out-done yourself with the mug cakes on this one! It looks fantastic! And i know I already told you that my entire family watched your video =) which we all love by the way! Ok I’ll comment again once I’ve made them!
I am becoming slightly obsessed with single serve recipes. They are so dang easy! And I don’t mind testing them a bunch of times because one batch doesn’t require all that much of any ingredient. Or time! Thank you for watching, and I can’t wait to hear what you think…and if you share 😀
Hi Natalie – I am adoring your recipes! So thankful I found your page, it’s exactly the type of recipe I love! How do you think you might make this on a larger/non-mug cake scale? Say, a 9×2 pan?
I’m so happy to hear that Matt! A 9×2 pan–like a loaf pan size? You would probably have to multiply all the ingredient amounts by 4 or 5 even to fill a pan that size, and bake it in the oven for 25-30 mins. I haven’t tried it myself, but that would be my best recommendation. It’s a great idea, something I need to test out soon 🙂 Good luck!
Hi there! I love the whole recipe overall. But I cannot acquire any dates as there are highly overpriced here where I live. Is there anything I can used as a substitute for it. If not I will not be able to make this wonderful treat. By the way how many servings does this make?
Hi Ming! You could use raisins or dried plums in place of the dates, both of those would work just fine if you can find them. If not let me know and I will brainstorm more! And it is just a small mug recipe, so it only serves one 🙂
Hi Natalie, thanks for replying. I do happen to have some raisins. How much do I use. Is there also anything else that I can use because I don’t have a blender?
I would suggest between 3/4 to 1 cup of raisins with the same 1/2 cup of water. A food processor would work for making the raisin paste as well, but you will need something pretty high powered to turn the raisins into a smooth paste/sauce.
Any replacement for the Oats tried and tested? Should that make it Paleo then?
No, I have not tested any other flours in this one yet. But you could certainly try almond flour, with the tapioca flour too that will most likely work for a grain free option.
I have always had a major sweet tooth so I was very skeptical about using dates for monkey bread but OMG. This was so delicious you cant even tell its not filled with butter and fat! I am curious about the nutritional facts though! Thank you for an amazingly simple recipe!
★★★★★
Woohoo, I am so happy to hear that dates only passed the is-it-sweet-enough test for you! This is still one of my all time fave little treats, the cinnamon and caramel-y date flavor is just so scrumptious altogether. I don’t have the nutrition info calculated for it, but you can easily plug all the ingredients into an app like this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator and find out 🙂 Thanks for the feedback Alyssa!
Hi Natalie,
Can this be made with almond flour??
Regards,
Pardita
★★★★★
I tried it with almond flour and it was too crumbly unfortunately. You would need some sort of starch (tapioca/arrowroot) as well to make it work, but I don’t know exact ratios/amounts. Sorry!
No worries Natalie , just asked cause I have tons of almond meal from making almond milk that I supply 😊Do always looking for new recepies to use the meal and the flour that I’m making 😊
★★★★★
Is there a way to make this without being Vegan?
Um I’m not sure I understand what you are asking…like with egg or something added in? You certainly don’t have to be vegan to make it!
This recipe is AH-mazing! I made it last week as is and fell in love. I’ve never had monkey bread before and now I can’t imagine my life without it. Tonight, however, I took this monkey bread to the next level…pumpkin pie monkey bread! And my, oh, my is was a genius move. Here is what I did in case anyone else wants to try this fall themed monkey bread. For the dough I did 2 tbsp pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie one) and 2 tbsp date paste. I also added between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (depending on how pumpkiny you want it). For the caramel goo I just used pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon. I highly recommend this little twist of pumpkiny goodness! Thanks so much for a fantastic recipe!!
★★★★★
Omg I had a pumpkin version already planned too–we think alike! Deliciously alike 🙂 I am so happy you loved it, I fell instantly in love with monkey bread the first time I tried it too and it’s still one of my fave treats!
I was looking for something to change up my morning breakfast routine a bit, as I got so bored of eating oatmeal recently… I found this recipe and had to try it right away!!! Natalie honestly this is the best vegan brekkie I’ve ever had! It wasn’t that hard to prepare and came out soooo delicious!! I also microwaved some apples and pears for fruitness on the side and I am in love🖤🖤🖤
★★★★★
YAY!! I usually make this as an afternoon snack, but I love the idea of this + fruit for breakfast–almost like an instant cinnamon roll🤗 I’m so happy you tried it, thanks for the feedback and I hope it finds it’s way into your breakfast lineup more often 🙂
Very weird to make a microwave recipe on a healthy website can’t really understand the purpose of it knowing that no gluten no meat no msg can be as harmful as 1 mn food on microwave it’s just a deadly machine.
Still the recipe is good.
But pls no microwave! My god…
Ummm this was amazing. Probably the best microwave dessert recipe there is. Like how microwave cupcakes never really match up to a real cupcake but they are PRETTY good… well this is just really good!
I added extra cinnamon to the dough and rolled my balls smaller (I think there was 12) and they were great, but I will have to try them large too! If you blend a couple extra dates/tbs of water OR use a bit less than 1/4 cup caramel goo for rolling (still plenty) you have exactly enough date paste left for a second snack tomorrow! I will have to try the pumpkin version in the comments!
YAY!! Omg that is amazing feedback, I am so happy you enjoyed it🤗
Can I substitute arrowroot for the tapioca starch?
Yep that will work too!
Super quick and easy! Yum!
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear it! Love this one too😋
could i maybe use honey in the dough instead of date paste? i can’t get dates, or anything else that could replace them.
Honey doesn’t have the same fiber content as dates so I’m not sure that will work. You could try it and maybe try adding more nut butter too to give the batter bulk, but I can’t guarantee it will work. Sorry!
I love this idea and a mug cake that isn’t chocolate, to change things up. I already had date paste on hand so my rating is for the cake part. I was just going to mix the dough and swirl in some of the goo, thinking that rolling dough balls was going to take too long, but found that the dough was not sticky and was easy to roll. It almost didn’t stick together so I spooned the date mix and put the dough on the spoon and turned to coat, worked well. The only problem was the dough was a little too crumbly and was dry when it came out. Is there no liquid other than the vanilla? Worth trying again but will add a little plant milk;
★★★★
Good to know, thanks for the feedback! You could certainly trying a little bit of milk or oil to help it be less crumbly 🙂
Are there any substitutions for the date paste? Haven’t gotten the chance to grab them at the store. Maybe agave and applesauce?
Hmm you could certainly try that! I haven’t tested it with anything else, but tat is a good idea for a sub combination 🙂
Hi Natalie! Thank you so much for all of your contributions! I appreciate any social shares! Nettie https://parade.com/1021853/nettiemoore/best-mug-cakes-recipes/
Thanks for including me!!
This was good, and pretty easy to make, but just didn’t taste like monkey bread to me. The texture was off—my blender doesn’t get oat flour super fine, but more like the cooked dough wasn’t as gooey as it should have been. Overall it just tasted like a ‘healthy’ sweet, like a granola bar or energy ball. If you’re really craving monkey bread I think its better to pull out some white sugar, flour, and vegan butter.
★★
It’s definitely a healthier take so won’t taste as rich as the very sugary buttery OG, but storebought oat flour to get that super fine texture would help!! It should be pretty darn gooey, not dry at all, so perhaps yours was a bit dry and needed more date paste too 🙂
This is wonderful! Love all the ingredients. PS I have always wanted to know the ratio of dates to date paste. Now I know on paper from a pro!
I have made MANY batches of date paste and that is the best ratio in my opinion! I hope you love these cakes too😋
This is so doable 💕
My younger daughter has the Down syndrome with Hypothyroidism and loves her store bought bread but I buy it once in about 5 weeks.
She loves homemade ones but I am still trying to better the recipes (gluten free. –millets, rice, chickpea flour, etc. South Indian (Tamil stores have a variety of millets), vegan, nuts free and not much starch).
Thanks so much.
I see that you have posted this before but now I know I have to through your recipe index! 🤗🤩
Thanks you 💖🙏🌹
Yes not too hard at all, this is a great place to start with vegan/gf baking in my opinion! There are SO many different gluten-free flours it can be hard to know what to buy, but I hope this recipe helps and your daughter enjoys it. Keep me updated if you try it Begum🤗
Thanks so much 🌹❤️🙏