Cinnamon Pecan Bread
If you remember the delightful experience of pulling apart sweet, sticky monkey bread as a kid, this recipe is for you. My cinnamon pecan bread is a retro-style recipe handed down from my husband’s grandmother, and it has that same pull-apart goodness as monkey bread, relying mostly on store-bought ingredients to come together in a snap. This recipe is:
- Quick and easy, needing just 8 ingredients including a pre-made dough
- Texturally delightful, with fluffy dough, sticky filling and crunchy pecans
- Family-friendly and highly shareable, for special occasions like holiday breakfasts
Pecan Bread Ingredients (There’s Only 8!)
Here’s what you’ll need for the breakfast bread.
Canned crescent roll dough: Yes, the blue can you’re thinking of is naturally dairy-free! This forms the base of the bread — you don’t even need to mix up a dough. So easy.
Butter: A good dairy-free butter helps keep the filling moist and is a key part of the caramel topping as well.
Pure cane sugar: This sweetens the cinnamon sugar filling.
Cinnamon: The signature flavor of the bake!
Pecans: For extra crunch, the recipe calls for pecans both in the bread (chopped) and on top (intact halves).
Powdered sugar: This melts into the caramel topping quicker than regular sugar.
Maple syrup: Helps the caramel come together, and adds a rich depth to the flavor.
Vanilla: Adds another layer of flavor to the topping.
How To Make the Bread
Thanks to pre-made crescent roll dough, this recipe requires minimal prep time.
First, butter the crescent dough. Unroll the crescent dough from the can and separate the triangles. Spread the softened butter over each triangle.
Sprinkle over the filling. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Sprinkle it evenly over each triangle. This will form the gooey filling in the middle of the bread.
Assemble the loaf. Roll up each triangle, starting at the wide end and rolling towards the pointy end. Then, tuck each crescent roll in the loaf pan, forming two layers of 8 rolls each. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the topping. While the bread bakes, mix the powdered sugar, vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, add the pecans, and let it cool slightly to thicken. When the bread comes out of the oven, pour the topping on.
Let everything cool slightly before serving.
Serving Suggestions
A breakfast this indulgent needs something fresh to counter it. Serve it with fruit and a simple tofu scramble or vegan sausage patties for a balanced spread. And a steaming cup of coffee to go alongside is a must!
Craving more sweet breakfast treats? Try these next:
Cinnamon Pecan Bread
Equipment
- 1 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 2 tbsp vegan butter softened
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Topping
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Separate the two cans of crescent roll dough into 16 triangles. Spread the triangles with the 2 tbsp softened vegan butter.
- Combine the sugar, pecans, and cinnamon and sprinkle over the triangles.
- Roll up each triangle, starting at the wide end. Place into a greased 9×5" loaf pan, forming 2 layers of 8 rolls each.
- Bake at 375 for 25–30 minutes, or until the center is done.
- While the bread is baking, make the topping by combining the powdered sugar, vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the pecan halves and cool slightly.
- Once the loaf is done, drizzle with the topping and let everything cool before serving.
