Monkey Bread, also known as African Coffee Cake or Pyramid Bread, is said to have originated in the United States in the 1950s. Some sources trace the origins of monkey bread back to Europe in the 1700s, noting that bakers in Vienna, Austria were known for baking a similar type of sweet, yeasted pastry.
The origin of the name “monkey bread” is disputed, but could have been derived from the fact that it can be “torn off” and eaten by hand like a monkey.