French onion is a flavor we can’t seem to get enough of. From classic French onion soup to French onion meatballs, caramelized onions have a flavor that never ceases to please. Consider this easy French onion monkey bread the next recipe to add to your growing roster of irresistible French onion ideas.

While many think of monkey bread as a sweet breakfast treat, this French onion monkey bread will have you wanting to try more savory variations ASAP. For ease, this recipe calls for a few cans of biscuit dough rather than making biscuits from scratch. That means the most time-consuming part of this recipe is caramelizing the onions—which is largely a hands-off process to begin with.

The sweet caramelized onions in this recipe are infused with red wine, beef stock and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce for umami richness. Then, they’re layered between balls of biscuit dough bathed in a Parmesan-garlic herb butter and a generous amount of ooey-gooey Gruyere or Swiss cheese. This golden French onion monkey bread will make a showstopping centerpiece at your next family dinner.

Ingredients for French Onion Monkey Bread

• Butter and olive oil: Using a combination of butter and oil is one of our favorite tricks for making perfect caramelized onions. The butter adds flavor and improves browning, while the higher smoke point of the oil helps prevent the onions from burning.
• Onions: We love the balanced taste of yellow onions for this pull-apart bread, since they are equally sweet and zippy. For a sweeter taste, you can use Vidalia onions or a combination of both types of onions.
• Salt and pepper: A simple seasoning of salt and pepper enhances the flavor of the onions and adds a mild, peppery bite.
• Red wine or sherry: Red wine or sherry are traditionally added to French onion soup to add depth and complexity to the broth. Either does the same for the caramelized onion filling in this recipe.
• Beef stock: Simmering the onions in a small amount of beef stock also helps transform this recipe from a caramelized onion bread to a French onion monkey bread.
• Worcestershire sauce: Just a small amount of Worcestershire adds a boost of umami to the caramelized onions.
• Homestyle biscuit dough: While some monkey bread recipes use flaky canned biscuit dough, this particular recipe is best made with homestyle or buttermilk canned biscuits. Use your favorite brand of store-bought biscuits.
• Fresh herbs: A combination of parsley and thyme is a classic pairing for French onion soup and infuses the bread with a heavenly taste and aroma.
• Garlic: A few cloves of minced garlic are added to the melted herb butter for a little extra zip and flavor.
• Cheese: Aged Parmesan and Gruyere or Swiss cheese have a salty, nutty flavor that marries well with the sweet caramelized onions and fragrant herbs in this savory bread recipe.

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