Gluten-Free Monkey Bread
Published December 4, 2021 • Updated February 1, 2026
A soft pull-apart monkey bread with a sugar free brown butter caramel syrup
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This gluten-free monkey bread is a sugar-free recipe that uses low carb sweeteners instead of sugar for a sweet and sticky pull-apart dessert. The dough is made with almond flour and protein powder instead of all-purpose flour for a lighter, gluten-free version. Each bread bubble is coated in a sweet cinnamon mixture and drizzled with a brown butter caramel sauce - perfect for holiday mornings.
Gluten free monkey bread is a classic dessert that will fill your kitchen with warmth and cinnamon. This sweet and sticky treat is even a great recipe for brunch on holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving! This pull-apart bread recipe differs from others out there because most gluten-free monkey bread recipes still use sugar and alternative flours that are still high in carbohydrates. This recipe skips the sugar and high-carb flours – we use almond flour and sugar free sweeteners instead. You still get that pillow soft dough with each pull-apart morsel and a delicious sticky buttery caramel coating.
How to make gluten-free monkey bread
To make this keto monkey bread, I use almond flour and protein powder instead of wheat flour or fathead dough (which a lot of low-carb recipes call for). Each piece of dough gets rolled into a ball and coated with sugar-free sweetener, cinnamon, and nutmeg for that sweet and sticky outer layer. After baking, it gets drizzled with browned butter, sugar-free caramel syrup, and crushed pecans for a bit of crunch.
Key ingredients
- Zero Carb Protein Powder – The dough uses a protein powder that adds volume and airiness to the pastry, making it light and fluffy.
- Sugar-Free Sweeteners – I use a granulated sweetener that swaps cup for cup with regular sugar. It has zero carbs and zero calories, but bakes and tastes just like the real thing. The brown sweetener is basically brown sugar – it measures cup for cup and has a hint of molasses for that rich caramel flavor and dark color. If you don’t mind a little extra sugar, coconut sugar works too, but it will bump up the carb count.
- Xanthan Gum – Xanthan gum gives the dough structure and support so that the dough holds together. It is tasteless, so you won’t even know it’s there!
Tools you will need
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bundt pan
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Sauce pan
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Keto Monkey Bread Ingredients
4 cups almond flour -
1 cup unflavored low-carb protein powder
-
1 tablespoon baking powder
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2 teaspoons xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 cup unsalted butter, melted
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1/4 cup sour cream
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2 eggs
Sweet Cinnamon Coating Ingredients
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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
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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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 monkey 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.
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Get My Macros (Free) →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different flour instead of almond flour for this recipe?
Almond flour really is the best fit here for texture and flavor. If you need a nut-free option, a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend will work, but the texture won't be exactly the same.
What can I substitute for the low-carb protein powder?
Coconut flour is your best substitute, but you'll need to add more liquid since coconut flour absorbs way more moisture. A different brand of protein powder will also work - just know it might change the flavor and texture slightly.
How should I store leftover monkey bread?
Store any leftover monkey bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to reheat before serving!
Is this recipe suitable for a keto diet?
Yes! It's made with almond flour and sugar-free sweeteners, so it fits right into a keto diet. Just watch your portion sizes to stay within your daily carb limit.
Can I make this monkey bread in advance?
Yes! You can make the dough and assemble everything a day ahead. Just cover it tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. Let it come to room temperature before baking for the best results.
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.
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?
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!
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!
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.