• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
My Big Fat Cuban Family

My Big Fat Cuban Family

Cuban recipes, family, heritage, and culture.

  • Meet Marta
    • Media Mentions
  • Lifestyle
    • Cuban-American Life
    • My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
  • Entertainment
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Television
    • Concerts
    • Books
    • Theatre
  • Celebrate
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Cuban Christmas
    • Mother’s Day
    • Movie Nights
    • Summer Nights
  • Recipes
    • Cuban Recipes With Pictures
    • Family Favorites
    • My Cook Book
  • Shop
    • Cuban Foods Poster
    • Cuban T-Shirts
    • Costa Rican Foods Poster
    • Honduran Foods Poster
    • Puerto Rican Foods Poster
    • Salvadoran Foods Poster
    • Scottish Foods Poster
    • Customize Your Own
    • Cuban Goodies In Your Mailbox
  • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Archives

About the Monkey Bread or Rule Breaking 101

June 25, 2013 By Marta Darby 2 Comments

My mother-in-law has a wonderful Christmas tradition. Yes, you read that right. Christmas tradition.

I know it's only June, but there's a story here which applies.

She makes the most fantastic Monkey Bread.

Monkey Bread, for the uninformed, is a beautiful thing. Simply put, it's pieces of biscuit dough dipped in sugar and cinnamon and "glued" together to create a lovely baked, caramel bread ring. Seriously. It's a beautiful thing.

So, back to the Christmas tradition thing and how it applies today…

Eric's mom and Lucy usually make the coveted Monkey Bread the day before Christmas. It's their tradition. Grandma has taught Lucy how to make it, which, I just have to tell you, I absolutely love. I love that they do this together every year. I love that it's a family tradition being passed down through the generations. I love that they share this ritual.The rule is that Lucy and Grandma make the Monkey Bread every Christmas. End of story.

Monkey Bread is, seriously, Twelve Kinds of Awesome.

For Mother's Day this year, the kids offered to make me the breakfast of my choice.

"I wish there was Monkey Bread," I said wistfully. Because, as we all know, Monkey Bread can only be made at Christmastime and here it was only May. *sigh*

You know how, when you're a parent, you say things over and over and wonder if your kids are even listening? I think that one of the most satisfying parental moments are when my kids quote me back to myself.

"Mom, you know, there are no rules." (Let me be crystal clear: I absolutely believe in rules. But I also believe that in order to break the rules, you have to first know how to apply the rules. I usually say "there are no rules" when referring to holiday traditions and expected cultural norms, but that's not important right now.)

Picture the light bulb above my head turning on as the realization slowly hits me. "You mean…I could… have Monkey Bread? For Mother's Day??" (That's right. It was totally a double question mark moment.)

Monkey Bread! And it's not even Christmas! Get out!

There are no rules.

So I had a fabulous Mother's Day breakfast. With Monkey Bread. And I was delighted and oh-so very satisfied.

Monkey bread breakfast

And there was Monkey Sauce.

The Monkey Sauce was a happy accident.

We had Monkey Bread! And Monkey Sauce! And it wasn't even Christmas! Because there are no rules!

Here's the Darby Monkey Bread Recipe with Lucy's tweaks. And her Accidental Monkey Sauce®.

Read. And love.

Monkey bread

Darby Monkey Bread Recipe (with Accidental Monkey Sauce®)

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
1) Pre-heat
oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2) In large plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar
and cinnamon.

3) Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters.

Monkey Bread 1

4) Shake in bag to coat.

Monkey Bread 4

5) Arrange in pan. If you choose to add walnuts, do it now and add in-between the biscuit pieces.

Monkey bread 5

6) In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.

Monkey bread 6

7) Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown. The center should not be doughy. 

8) Cool right inside the pan for about 10 minutes.

9) Turn upside down onto serving plate.

10) Pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Monkey bread with sauce

Accidental Monkey Sauce®

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter

Monkey bread 3

1) In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together until you have a rich, warm sauce. Serve warm. Pour over your finished Monkey Bread. What a happy accident!

Monkey Sauce

By the way, Lucy also made the Monkey Bread with Accidental Monkey Sauce® for Father's Day. Because, well, you know….

There are no rules. (You may quote me.)

Monkey bread & lucy

“There are no rules.” -Marta Darby

You might also like:

Torrejas Recipe - Stuffed with Guava & Cream CheeseTorrejas Recipe – Stuffed with Guava & Cream Cheese This magic moment (or Wow. I really love my Christmas tree.) Spring-Breaking Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey

Filed Under: Food and Drink, My Kids Tagged With: Christmas morning, Monkey Bread, monkey bread recipe, monkey sauce, Pillsbury grands, recipe

Previous Post: « Hello, Outdoor Movie Nights
Next Post: A Decade of Babalú-ing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Philip Rodriguez says

    July 3, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    Wow, im cuban but i never heard of Monkey Bread before…..LOLBut sure looks good!

    Reply
  2. Marta M. Darby says

    July 4, 2013 at 11:02 am

    I don’t think Monkey Bread is a Cuban thing. Or maybe it is when you start adding cream cheese. But it certainly is delicious!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

EXPERIENCE CASA DE LA LOMA

Casa de la Loma on Airbnb

My Cuban T-Shirt Designs

“Cuban T-Shirts

Subscribe to MBFCF Newsletter!

Never miss a post! Sign up with your email address to receive recipes, news and updates right in your inbox!

Cuban Foods Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Coffee Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Desserts Poster

“Cuba poster - Cuban desserts subway art print

Most Recent Posts

  • Santayana loves Celia
    August 29, 2024
  • Post Solar Eclipse – Café La Llave Giveaway
    April 16, 2024
  • REAL Snow: A Darby Family Adventure
    March 19, 2024
  • Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with Maria Cookie Crust
    January 29, 2024
  • Hispanic Heritage Coffee Basket Giveaway
    October 24, 2023

Cuban Recipes Cookbook

Cuban recipes with pictures cookbook from My Big Fat Cuban Family

Follow Me on Instagram

mybigfatcubanfamily

I love all things Cuban. I love to share stories, my family, food & recipes. I'm Marta. 💋🎉 @martadarby
Marta Darby Designs:
https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS

Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanf Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanfamily
O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always represent O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always representing. 😉#mybigfatcubanfamily
#stpatricksday
Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my fri Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my friends. 🎉#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
I’m super crazy in love with my Christmas tree.🥰
And @gloriaestefan singing about it makes it that much more beautiful. Am I right? 🤩I’m over here waiting (rather impatiently) for Noche Buena to arrive. ⏱️
Who’s with me? 👀☺️🎄🙌🏼❤️#arbolitodenavidad
#feliznavidad
#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 Thes I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 These Classic Cuban Crema de Vie printable labels designed by the lovely and talented @lucyruthdarby // I also share the recipe for our amazing Cuban egg nog. // 🇨🇺❤️ Merry Christmas, my friends.🎄 #itsacubanthing
bit.ly/2QJV2Ka
Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on the @cafelallave
💚🗝️☕️🎄💃🏻🎶Feliz Navidad!!🎶🪅#cafelallave
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
Felicidades, @anaqooks !!! I can’t wait to dig i Felicidades, @anaqooks !!!
I can’t wait to dig in! So proud of you, my friend. 😘❤️🥰
Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally make these for Thanksgiving. Also, practice taking bows and saying, “it was nothing.” 🇨🇺🎉🏆 Here’s the link -  bit.ly/GuavaBites #thefoodofmypeople #guavabites
A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in M A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in Miami for this gorgeous Celia Cruz quarter which they made into a FINE piece of jewelry. 🤩🇨🇺💃🏻🎶
I’ll be wearing it with great pride.
“Abre que voy! Cuida’o con Los callos!” 🎶
AZUCAR!!!#santayanajewelers
#celiacruzquarter
#mybigfatcubanfamily
Our favorite sound…🙌🏼☕️💚🗝️“Mas cafecito, por favor.” ☕️❤️#cafelallave☕️
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
#mybigfatcubanfamily
I want to recommend this beautiful story to you. 📕
1) Because the author @titaramirezwriter writes with such an appreciation for Cubanity. 🇨🇺🙌🏼
2) Also, is this the BEST quintessentially Cuban book title ever?? yes. Yes it is. 🇨🇺❤️🌴Felicidades, Tita on such a delicious read. ❤️🏆#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#dimelocantando
#tellittomesinging
I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Mar I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Marta Darby Designs on Etsy is back open for business! 🎉
I have food posters from many countries available in multiple colors. ⭐️
Choose from digital uploads, printed posters, or framed posters. (Link in bio)
Que pachanga! 💃🏻
Come take a look and shop around. You’re bound some to find something you love.❤️https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS#cubanfoodposter
#martadarbydesigns
Croquetas > Pumpkin Spice
This is the truth. Don’t @ me. 🇨🇺
.
.
.
.
.#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#mybigfatcubanfamily
#croquetas
#pumpkinspice
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m pretty easy to catch.
🤭#pastelitodeguayaba
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
AHORA SI!! 🚨 My friends at @santayanajwlrs le p AHORA SI!! 🚨
My friends at @santayanajwlrs le pusieron la tapa al pomo!
Have you seen the new Celia Cruz quarters?? 🇨🇺💰
Well, Santayana has designed this gorgeous piece of jewelry. Seriously. 🤩
I’ll tell you all about it over on my blog. 🗣️ Porque I have all the chisme on this gorgeous piece. ❤️I know. Im a little crazy about it because we Cuban Queens have to stick together. 😉Link in profile! ☝🏼 ¡AZÚCAR! 💃🏻https://www.mybigfatcubanfamily.com/2024/08/santayana-loves-celia/
My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating that 5 Years ago they introduced the amazing Cuban Bread Candle into the world.🌎
Those of us who have difficulty finding Cuban Bread are so grateful for this very Cuban scent. 🇨🇺🥖
Congratulations, my friends! 🎉Try it. I promise you’ll never be the same. 🇨🇺🥖❤️Oh, the Cubanity! 🤯#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta. 🖖🏼😎
#cubanbread
#cubanbreadcandle
#albisacandles
This was my breakfast. ☕️
And my lunch. ☕️
And my afternoon snack. ☕️
Because CUBAN. 🇨🇺☕️Who’s with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️
Gracias, @cafelallave#cafelallave
#ohthecubanity
#cafecubano
It goes without saying. Because CUBAN! 🇨🇺🍮#cubanfood
#cubanflan🍮
#thefoodofmypeople🇨🇺
This is so real. 🇨🇺🥖🙈Thanks to my fr This is so real. 🇨🇺🥖🙈Thanks to my friend, @theyumyumfoodie ❤️🙏🏼#thefoodofourpeople
#ohthecubanity
We have known this our whole lives! “Oye, Chiqu We have known this our whole lives!
“Oye, Chiqui! Traéme el VIBAPORU!! 🎯💃🏻❤️🎉#mybigfatcubanfamily
#futbol
Follow on Instagram

Follow Marta On Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

FEATURED POSTS

  • My Big Fat Cuban Cooking Playlist
    November 21, 2016
  • Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites RecipeBacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites Recipe
    October 3, 2016
  • Chicken Soup Recipe - Cuban-styleChicken Soup Recipe: Cuban-style
    July 27, 2016
  • Picadillo Pies Recipe
    July 27, 2016
  • El Flan de La Reina Recipe
    July 27, 2016

Blog Archives

Recommended Services

Orange County Private Investigator
Enterprise SEO

Footer

Meet Marta

Marta Verdes Darby is a Cuban-American food blogger in South Orange County.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For My Newsletter

June 2013
MTWTFSS
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« May   Jul »

Copyright © 2025 my big fat cuban family