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The first time I made monkey bread the traditional way, I ate about a third of the pan before noon. It was incredible and I felt terrible afterward. That’s when I started tinkering with a version that actually fits into a high-protein day without the sugar crash that follows you into the afternoon.

This recipe isn’t trying to be diet food. It’s real monkey bread. Pull-apart, slightly sticky, warm from the oven. The difference is that each serving gives you around 18 to 22 grams of protein and zero added sugar, which makes it something you can actually eat for breakfast or post-workout without a second thought.

What this recipe is actually good for

Meal prep, mostly. You can bake it on Sunday, keep it in the fridge, and pull pieces off throughout the week. It reheats in 20 seconds in the microwave and still tastes fresh. I also make it when I want a real breakfast that feels indulgent but keeps me full past 10am.

It works well for people tracking macros because the protein is consistent from piece to piece, unlike a lot of homemade recipes where portions are guesswork. You can weigh your dough before portioning if you want it exact, but honestly most people just eyeball it and it’s fine.

How to store it

Keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days if your kitchen is not too warm. After that, refrigerate it. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, tightly wrapped or in a container with a lid. You can also freeze individual portions and pull them out as needed.

Don’t store it uncovered on the counter. The outside dries out fast and the texture suffers. A layer of plastic wrap or a sealed bag makes a real difference.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 cups Greek yogurt (full fat, around 5% works best)
• 2 cups self-rising flour (or all-purpose with 1 tbsp baking powder and a pinch of salt)
• 1 scoop (about 30g) vanilla protein powder, unflavored also works
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the coating:

• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional glaze:

• 4 tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp milk or almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Sweetener to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a bundt pan well with butter or cooking spray. Get into all the ridges, otherwise pieces will stick and the whole thing falls apart when you try to flip it.
2. Mix the flour, protein powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the Greek yogurt and stir until a dough forms. It’ll be sticky and a little rough. That’s normal. Don’t over-mix it.
3. Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a rough log and cut it into small pieces, about the size of a large marble or a small golf ball. You’re aiming for around 30 to 40 pieces total.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter, sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla. Drop a few dough pieces in at a time and toss to coat. Don’t drown them, just a light coating all around.
5. Layer the coated dough pieces into your bundt pan. It doesn’t have to be neat. Just drop them in and let them pile up naturally. The gaps fill in as it bakes.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean. Let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping.
7. Flip it onto a plate or wire rack. If any pieces stick, just pull them off and press them back into place. Nobody sees the inside anyway.
8. If you’re making the glaze, whisk cream cheese with milk, vanilla, and sweetener until smooth. Drizzle it over the top while the bread is still warm.

A few things I learned the hard way

The protein powder brand matters more than you’d think. Some brands make the dough dense and kind of rubbery, especially whey isolates. Casein blends tend to work better here. If your dough feels like rubber cement, that’s usually the protein powder. Try a different brand or reduce it to half a scoop.

Full fat Greek yogurt is not negotiable if you want a good texture. I tried it with 0% once. The dough was too wet, the pieces didn’t hold their shape, and the whole thing kind of melted into a blob in the oven. Not a total disaster but not monkey bread either.

The sweetener amount in the coating seems small but it’s enough. A lot of sugar-free recipes overcorrect and go heavy on the sweetener to compensate for real sugar, and then everything tastes like a protein bar. This amount gives you just enough sweetness without the aftertaste.