This recipe for monkey bread bites is an “appetizer” entry in the So Delicious Dairy Free 3-Course Recipe Contest, submitted by reader Rachel Ruiz. For the dough and glaze, she uses Almond Plus Protein AlmondMilk from So Delicious.
Rachel says, “These bite-sized appetizers are a little sweet, a little savory, and a whole lot delicious! Who can say no to chewy, chocolaty, rich and dreamy monkey bread bites? With So Delicious almond milk in the dough and in the glaze, it’s a whole new way to enjoy your favorite dairy-free drink!”
For more details and to enter the recipe contest, see this post: https://www.godairyfree.org/news/so-delicious-dairy-free-3-course-recipe-contest
Special Diet Notes & Options: Monkey Bread Bites
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, peanut-free, and vegetarian.
For soy-free and dairy-free monkey bread bites, be sure to use a margarine that is both dairy-free and soy-free (such as select Earth Balance varieties) and chocolate chips that are made without soy lecithin, such as Enjoy Life.
- ½ cup So Delicious Dairy Free Original Almond Plus AlmondMilk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dairy-free margarine
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips
- ¼ cup So Delicious Dairy Free Vanilla Almond Plus AlmondMilk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Liberally grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Pour almond milk into a medium bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the milk and let sit 10 minutes until foamy. Stir in sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, then pour the wet ingredients in the center of the well. Stir wet into dry until it comes together in a pliable dough.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough for 3-4 minutes until dough is soft and silky. Roll dough out into roughly a 12x12 inch square. Slice dough into approximately 60 small squares.
- Place margarine in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Put bowl in microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds until melted. Pour brown sugar in a separate medium bowl. Place dough squares in bowl with melted margarine, and toss to coat. Using clean hands, remove dough from bowl with margarine and place in bowl with sugar. Toss buttered dough to coat with sugar.
- Fill each cup of the muffin tin with 5 squares of dough, and sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips. Repeat until all muffin cups are filled, then drizzle muffins with any remaining margarine. Lightly cover pan and let sit 30 minutes until dough is slightly risen.
- Once dough finishes rising, place in preheated oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until monkey bread muffins are risen and baked through. Remove from oven and let sit 20-25 minutes until slightly warm. Carefully invert muffin pan and carefully remove muffins.
- In a small bowl, whisk together vanilla almond milk, powdered sugar, and almond extract, until thin and free of lumps. Drizzle icing over monkey bread muffins, and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Serve warm or cool.
