This pepperoni pizza monkey bread (or “monkey pizzas” as some call it) is a delicious blend of bread, pepperoni, parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasoning, baked in a bundt pan creating a delicious appetizer recipe!
With only a 10 minute prep time, and 40 minute bake time, this easy bread recipe is just about as easy as our pizza bagels and pairs perfectly with this side salad recipe!
Like with classic monkey bread, this pull apart pepperoni bread is delicious all year long, especially around the holidays and during the summer when you want something quick and light for a main course! Similar to our French bread pizza recipe, it’s an easy one that you can make any time of year.
Jump to:
🧾 Ingredients
We like to keep things really easy around here so this easy recipe uses store-bought frozen bread dough! You can also use biscuit pieces if that’s what you have on hand! Then, pick out your favorite pizza toppings if they differ from the list below!
- frozen bread dough (thawed 8-12 hours)
- olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- garlic
- mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- parmesan cheese
- pepperoni slices
- marinara sauce
- fresh basil (optional garnish)
See full, printable recipe card below for quantities and instructions!
👩🏻🍳 Step by Step Instructions
- NOTE: Make sure you allow enough time to thaw frozen bread dough
Thaw frozen bread dough out according to package directions – or you can put the 2 loaves of frozen bread dough on a plate loosely covered with plastic wrap on the counter overnight to allow the bread dough to thaw completely. This works great if you are baking early in the day. Or, if baking later in the day, plan to allow the dough to thaw for 8-12 hours.
Before beginning, heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. (If you don’t have a bundt can, there are optional 9×13 baking pan instructions below.)
How to Bake
- In a large bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning together.
- Break the bread dough into golf ball size balls.
- Stir dough balls in the olive oil mixture.
- Add cheeses, pepperoni, and 1 cup of marinara.
- Stir together well and then pour this mixture into the bundt pan.
- Let it sit for about 15 minutes until doubled in size.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes and it should be golden brown.
- Take it out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Then turn the monkey bread out onto a serving dish and enjoy! Serve with extra marinara sauce.
🥫 Dipping Sauce Ideas:
If you’d love to dip your “stuffed pizza bread” in to a delicious sauce, these are our favorites:
- marinana or extra pizza sauce
- jalapeno ranch dressing
- bbq sauce
- queso or melted cheese
📖 Substitutions
- What if I don’t have cloves of garlic? In this recipe, you could substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon minced garlic (or garlic flakes). Do not substitute garlic salt as this will make the recipe too salty.
- I don’t have Italian seasoning- what else could I use? In this recipe, you could substitute 2 teaspoons of oregano.
🍄 Pizza Topping Ideas
Want to add your favorite toppings instead of pepperoni? That’s absolutely ok! Just make sure if you add different meats, that they’re already fully cooked before adding them to this bundt pan pizza to avoid any undercooking with the provided directions.
Here are other pizza topping ideas to consider:
- sausage
- bacon
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- black olives
- ham
- hamburger
- onions
- jalapenos
- red pepper flakes
🧈 Optional Buttery Crust
If you want to kick things up a notch, you can add a buttery crust topping for some extra flavor! Here’s how:
Using a small bowl, mix together a little melted butter and garlic powder. Lightly brush the butter mixture on top of the cooked, pizza crust. Sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese.
❄️ Storage
Refrigerate this pizza monkey bread in an airtight container or wrap securely in aluminum foil for up to 3 days. Or, you may freeze it for up to 3 months.
💡 Expert Tips:
No, but it’s important that the bread pieces are close in size so they bake evenly.
It reheats really well in the microwave or, like with pizza, it reheats well in the air fryer so it gives that crispy texture of the original!
YES! If you don’t have a bundt pan to make this pull-apart bread, you can use a 9×13 baking dish instead and will have a baking time of 30 minutes instead.
🍞 Related Recipes
I know you love easy recipes as much as we do, so you’ll also love this focaccia bread, pizza hot dog, and this homemade soft pretzel recipe! Or, if you need a bread side dish recipe, you can’t go wrong with this cheesy pull-apart bread.
📖 Recipe
Pizza Monkey Bread
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 2 loaves frozen bread dough thawed (allow 8-12 hours)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- 1 cup pepperoni chopped or sliced thin
- 3 cups marinara sauce 1 cup in bread, 2 cups for dipping
- fresh basil if desired, chopped
Instructions
Thaw Frozen Bread Dough
- Thaw frozen bread dough for 8-12 hours prior to cooking.
How to Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, and italian seasoning together.
- Break the bread dough into golf ball size balls.
- Stir bread balls in the olive oil mixture.
- Add cheeses, pepperoni, and 1 cup of marinara and stir together well and then pour this mixture into the bundt pan.
- Let it sit for about 15 minutes until doubled in size.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes and then turn the monkey bread out onto a serving dish and enjoy!
- Serve with extra marinara sauce or desired dipping sauce!
Notes
- sausage
- bacon
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- black olives
- ham
- hamburger
- onions
- jalapenos
- red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Natasha says
It looks intimidating but it’s actually easy to make! It turned out delicious, we just found a new favorite!
Jessica says
Yes!! It’s so easy! 🙂 Thank you!!
Heather Rose says
This disappeared so fast! Simply delicious!
Jessica says
Oh good! I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
Beth says
Wow! My family was all over this for movie night tonight! It’s so delicious and full of cheesy goodness!