Gluten-Free Monkey Bread
Published December 4, 2021 • Updated February 26, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This gluten free monkey bread uses almond flour and protein powder for a soft, pull-apart dough I've been making since I first went keto. Each piece is coated in sugar-free cinnamon sweetener and drizzled with a brown butter caramel sauce.
I’ve been making this gluten free monkey bread every holiday season since 2018, and it’s the recipe my kids actually request on Christmas morning. Not because it’s ‘healthy’ (they don’t care about that), but because each piece pulls apart soft and warm, coated in cinnamon and dripping with brown butter caramel.
Most keto pull-apart bread recipes use fathead dough made with mozzarella cheese. I tried it and the cheese flavor doesn’t belong in something sweet. So I built this dough around almond flour and unflavored protein powder for a lighter, airier texture without any cheese taste.
The cinnamon coating is where the sweetness lives. I roll each dough ball in a granulated sugar-free sweetener mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg, then pack them into a Bundt pan. After 25 minutes at 325, I flip the whole thing onto a plate and drizzle it with a brown butter caramel sauce made from sugar-free brown sweetener and heavy cream. The browned butter adds this nutty depth that makes the sauce taste way more complex than it actually is.
I originally made this for Thanksgiving, but it’s become a regular for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, and honestly any weekend when I want something warm and indulgent. It looks impressive when you flip it out of the Bundt pan, but putting it together is straightforward.
If you’re serving this for brunch, you can assemble everything the night before. Shape the dough balls, coat them, pack the pan, cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake. I make the caramel sauce fresh that morning since it only takes about 10 minutes. I’ve done this dozens of times and the texture is just as good as baking same-day.
One question I get from readers: why doesn’t the bread dough itself have sweetener? That’s intentional. Between the cinnamon coating on each ball and the caramel drizzle on top, there’s more than enough sweetness. If you find it too salty (a few people have mentioned this), cut the salt down to half a teaspoon. I’ve tested it at different levels and that still gives you plenty of flavor.
This pairs well with other keto breakfast favorites like almond flour pancakes or keto french toast for a full spread. If you love cinnamon baked goods, try my churro donut holes or keto apple fritters next.
How to make this pull-apart bread
I use almond flour and protein powder instead of wheat flour or fathead dough for this keto pull-apart bread. Each piece of dough gets rolled into a ball, coated with sugar-free sweetener, cinnamon, and nutmeg for that sweet outer layer. After baking at 325 for 25 minutes, I drizzle everything with browned butter caramel and crushed pecans.
Key ingredients
- Zero Carb Protein Powder – I use an unflavored protein powder that adds volume and airiness to the dough. It’s what makes each piece light and fluffy instead of dense.
- Sugar-Free Sweeteners – I use a granulated sweetener that measures cup for cup with regular sugar, zero carbs and zero calories. The brown sweetener is basically brown sugar with a hint of molasses for that rich caramel flavor. If you don’t mind a few extra carbs, coconut sugar works too.
- Xanthan Gum – This gives the dough structure so it holds together when you shape it into balls. You won’t taste it at all.
Tools you will need
Here’s what I use:
- Bundt pan
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Sauce pan
Explore 685+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Keto Monkey Bread Ingredients
4 cups almond flour -
1 cup unflavored low-carb protein powder
-
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
-
1 teaspoon salt
-
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
-
1/4 cup sour cream
-
2 eggs
Sweet Cinnamon Coating Ingredients
-
1/3 cup sugar free sweetener
-
2 teaspoons cinnamon
-
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Brown Butter Caramel Syrup Ingredients
-
1/4 cup unsalted butter
-
1/3 cup sugar free brown sweetener
-
1/2 cup heavy cream
-
1/8 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 cup crushed pecans, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Combine dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt until combined.
- Almond flour
- Protein powder
- Baking powder
- Xanthan gum
- Salt
Mix in wet ingredients
Stir in melted butter, sour cream and eggs. Mix until well combined.
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Eggs
Make cinnamon sugar coating
To make the sweet cinnamon coating, add sugar free sweetener to a small bowl. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg until combined.
- Sugar-free sweetener
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
Roll and coat dough balls
Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll in between the palms of hands to form a ball about ¾ – 1 inch in diameter. Roll dough in sweet cinnamon mixture until evenly coated and place ball into the prepared Bundt pan. Repeat with remaining dough – rolling, coating, and filling up the pan.
Bake the bread
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
Make brown butter caramel syrup
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar-free brown sugar and let cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbling. Turn down heat and slowly stir in heavy cream. Mixture will bubble up. Continue cooking over low medium heat until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). Sprinkle in salt. Remove from heat.
- Butter
- Sugar-free brown sweetener
- Heavy cream
- Salt
Top pull-apart bread with syrup
Once bread has finished baking, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes until you can safely turn the Bundt pan over onto a serving plate. Remove the Bundt Pan and immediately drizzle with brown butter caramel syrup. Top with crushed pecans.
- Pecans
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coconut flour instead of protein powder?
I've tested this swap, and it works, but the dough comes out denser. Use about half the amount of coconut flour as you would protein powder, since it absorbs way more moisture. Reader Dani tried this exact substitution and said the dough was stickier but turned out fine. My tip: coat your hands with a little almond flour when rolling the balls if the dough is sticking to everything.
Why doesn't the bread dough have sweetener in it?
I designed the recipe this way on purpose. Between the cinnamon coating on each piece and the caramel drizzle, there's more than enough sweetness. A few readers have asked this same question, and one (Jamey) added a little sweetener to her batch. She said it worked but warned it got overly sweet. If your issue is more about saltiness than lack of sweetness, try cutting the salt to half a teaspoon. I've tested it both ways and it balances out well.
Can I make this the night before?
I do this all the time for holiday mornings. Shape the dough balls, coat them in the cinnamon mixture, pack the Bundt pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats. I make the caramel sauce fresh right before serving since it only takes 10 minutes. The texture is just as good as baking it same-day.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
I keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat, I microwave individual pieces for about 15 seconds or warm the whole thing in a 300-degree oven for 8-10 minutes. The caramel softens back up nicely with a little heat.
Can I use a nut-free flour instead of almond flour?
I've experimented with a few options, and a gluten-free all-purpose blend gets you closest. The texture won't be identical since almond flour has a higher fat content that keeps things moist, but it's a workable swap. Coconut flour is another option, though you'll need about 1/3 of the almond flour amount and an extra egg to compensate for how much liquid it absorbs. I've had better results with the all-purpose blend.
What protein powder works best for this?
I use an unflavored, zero carb whey protein powder. If you avoid whey, egg white protein powder is my next recommendation. I haven't personally tested plant-based protein powders in this recipe, so I can't vouch for those. Whatever brand you use, make sure it's unflavored. Vanilla or chocolate protein powders will change the taste of the dough completely.
Can I freeze this for later?
I freeze individual portions wrapped tightly in parchment paper, then sealed in a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, I thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes. The bread holds up well (similar to my keto pumpkin bread), though the caramel gets a little less sticky after freezing. I usually drizzle a quick half-batch of fresh caramel on top when serving from frozen.
I've never baked with xanthan gum before and wasn't sure this would work. Dough came together easier than expected, and once it hit the oven the whole house smelled like a cinnamon roll bakery. Already making this for Easter brunch.
My sister is visiting next weekend and she's dairy-free on top of doing keto, so I'm trying to figure out how to adapt this. The butter and sour cream are doing a lot of work in this dough and I've had coconut oil swaps go sideways on me before in almond flour recipes. Would a dairy-free butter substitute hold up okay, or would you lean toward something like coconut cream for the sour cream part?
My mom made monkey bread for special occasions and I figured that was just done for me once I went keto. The brown butter caramel and cinnamon coating brought something back. Four stars because the dough is different, but the feeling is there.
The caramel was the last piece I figured out. The dough's never going to be what your mom made, but I wanted the occasion to still feel like something.
The dough is easier to work with if you let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before rolling. Right out of the bowl it's soft and sticky, but after a quick chill it firms up and rolls clean without coating your palms. Also, and I can't stress this enough, do not walk away from the brown butter caramel near the end. I turned to grab a spatula and came back to something that was seconds from ruined. Keep a wooden spoon in it and stay close. Once it's drizzled on and this comes out of the Bundt pan, the cinnamon coating on the bottom pieces crisps up to this almost candy-like crunch that's freaking unbelievably good. The 16 servings listed is technically accurate but not a number I'd rely on if people are standing in your kitchen.
16 is what I wrote. It's optimistic. The bottom pieces with that cinnamon crunch don't last.
swapped protein powder for coconut flour (half the amount). dough was stickier but worked fine, just coat your hands w/ almond flour when rolling
Good call on the almond flour for your hands. I do that when I'm working with any sticky keto dough. The coconut flour swap is smart too, especially if you're avoiding protein powders.
First time making monkey bread but will certainly not be the last. This was delicious!!! Had to move it away so I would not continue eating it.
Ha. Moving it was the right call. Those bottom pieces that soak up all the caramel are dangerous.
Do you have an alternative topping for this? Like maybe a cream cheese glaze using Swerve confectioner's sugar substitute? I'm not willing to consume any molasses at all on keto, since it's a sugar. It might be just a tiny bit, but it's still a real sugar and it'll make me want more real sugar. Also, can the bread be sweetened with a little sweetener? Or would that make it less fluffy?
You could try a cream cheese frosting like I use on my cinnamon rolls. There isn't any molasses in this recipe so I'm not sure where you are getting that. I agree that you shouldn't have molasses on the keto diet. You can add sweetener to the bread but it might be overly sweet because each ball is coated in sweetener and then the glaze as sweetener.
Could I make it the day before and just reheat for a bit?
Yep. Bake it, cover it overnight, and microwave individual pieces for about 15 seconds in the morning. The caramel sets up firmer after it cools but softens right back up with the heat.
I made this today for brunch with my girlfriends and we all LOVED it! My carmel sauce did not turn out as dark as yours, but since I used my golden monkfruit sweetener, that may have made the difference. I did cook it for the full 10 minutes thinking it would darken up, but no dice. Anyway, it tasted just amazing. Thank you!
Yeah, the color difference is totally the sweetener. Golden monkfruit stays light no matter how long you cook it. For that deeper caramel color you want a brown sugar substitute in the sauce. Glad it still tasted right though.
Can I make the dough a day ahead and just bake it off the next morning?
Yes, you can
Love this recipe in every way except too much salt ? read other comments so I already cut salt in half to only 1 teaspoon…next time only be using 1/2 tsp…this is still a great recipe dough is sweet and fluffy…I could see this fixing my craving for a donut and cinnamon roll all in one…I might even try cream cheese frosting on it sometime and a gooey cinnamon sauce…thanks so much!
Half a teaspoon is probably the right call. Almond flour holds onto salt differently than regular flour and I think it tips over with the full teaspoon. The cream cheese frosting would be really good here too.
Was there supposed to be sweetener in the actual bread? I just made a half batch to test because we WILL be enjoying this for Christmas but the bread itself is salty. I’ll add some sweetener to my next batch but just wanted to ask if it was a typo and if so, how much sweetener you’d recommend. Thanks! The rest of the recipe is fabulous!
The bread doesn't need sweetener as the cinnamon "sugar" coating and syrup are sweet enough. If you thought it was salty, you can decrease the salt. One teaspoon would be fine. Glad you liked the recipe!
What can be substituted for whey protein? My favorite keto doctor tells us whey is not good.
The protein I use is zero carbs. They are okay to use an any diet unless you have kidney problems. Unfortunately there isn't really a substitute for protein powder in this recipe. Sometimes coconut flour can be used it its place but the bread may turn out denser. Another option would be egg white powder, but I haven't tried that.