Easy Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread

This easy cinnamon roll pull-apart bread has all the buttery cinnamon-sugar flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls, without all the work! The dough is quickly rolled into balls, coated in melted butter and covered in gooey cinnamon filling then spread with luscious cream cheese frosting. It’s basically what would happen if our favorite homemade cinnamon rolls and monkey bread got together, except I might like this version even more because you don’t have instead of being rolled into individual spirals you just roll, dunk, coat and bake!

Quick Look

Makes: 2 round pull apart loaves

Bake: 350°F

Bake Time: 20–30 minutes

Rise Time: About 2–3 hours total

Skill Level: Intermediate

Best For: Holidays, brunch, breakfast and sharing

Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon sugar in every bite: Because every dough ball gets individually coated, you’re not waiting to reach the cinnamon swirl in the middle.

Incredibly soft dough: Heavy cream and buttermilk help make the homemade yeast dough rich, tender and fluffy.

No rolling or cutting: Unlike cinnamon rolls, there’s no rectangle to roll out, fill, roll up and slice.

Cream cheese frosting: It goes onto the bread while it’s warm so it starts melting down into all the cracks.

Makes TWO: Bake two pans for a holiday breakfast, give one away or save one for later.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dough

Warm water: Provides the warm liquid needed to activate the yeast. It should feel warm, never hot.

Heavy cream: Adds richness and helps create an extra-soft, tender bread.

Instant yeast: Gives the bread its rise. Your 4½ teaspoons equals 2 standard packets, which I would mention because that’s much easier for readers.

Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and gives the yeast a little boost as it activates.

Buttermilk: Adds moisture, richness and a subtle tang that balances all that cinnamon sugar.

Sea salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and bringing out the flavor of the dough.

Canola oil: Adds moisture and helps keep the bread soft.

Butter: Adds richness and buttery flavor to the dough.

Eggs: Give the dough structure, richness and tenderness.

All-purpose flour: Start with the lower amount and add more only as needed. The finished dough should be soft and slightly tacky rather than dry.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Unsalted butter: Every dough ball gets dipped in melted butter so the cinnamon sugar sticks and the pieces bake together into buttery layers.

Light brown sugar: Creates a deeper, caramel-like cinnamon sugar coating.

Granulated sugar: Helps balance the moisture of the brown sugar and gives the coating its classic cinnamon-sugar texture.

Ground cinnamon: The star of the filling. And with more than 2 tablespoons, there’s no shortage of cinnamon flavor here!

Cornstarch: Helps thicken the buttery cinnamon sugar mixture as it bakes so more of it stays around the bread instead of becoming a thin syrup in the pan.