Sticky Buns – I Heart Naptime
Warm, gooey, and dripping in a maple caramel glaze and pecan topping, these homemade sticky buns are the perfect bake for your next holiday brunch or cozy weekend morning!
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Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe
Sticky buns are a sweet treat that tastes like my overnight cinnamon rolls but has a glaze on the outside like monkey bread with a crunchy pecan topping.
We love these on Christmas morning, but they’re perfect for any special occasion brunch, including Easter, Thanksgiving, or a special family gathering. Soft and fluffy on the inside with a sugar cinnamon swirl, there’s nothing like the smell of fresh, homemade sticky buns!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pecan sticky buns can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, as a snack, or dessert!
- They’re great for the freezer and perfect for reheating later on.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Warm milk, active dry yeast and white sugar: The milk needs to be warmed to anywhere between 105°F to 110°F for the yeast to foam. The sugar feeds the yeast, which also helps to activate it.
- Large egg: Room temperature so bring it out 40 minutes before beginning.
- Unsalted butter and salt: I used unsalted butter to control the amount of salt. If salted butter is all you have, feel free to omit the extra salt.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour in the measuring cup to ensure you’re using the right amount. You can always add more if needed.
- For the filling: Brown sugar, cinnamon, salted butter that is softened, not melted.
- For the topping: Toasted pecans (bought toasted or toast them yourself), unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup (honey works too), and salt.
How to Make Sticky Buns
Proof the yeast for 5 minutes until bubbly, then whisk together the egg, remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, and yeast mixture. Stir in 2 cups of flour until smooth, add the rest ½ cup at a time, knead for 5 minutes, and let the soft dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1½ to 2 hours.
Grease the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Spread chopped pecans evenly across the bottom. Pour the heated butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, and salt mixture evenly over the pecans. Set that aside.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Roll it out on a lightly-floured surface into a rectangle, about 15×20 inches. Spread softened butter onto the dough with a brush and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Roll up the dough tightly from the short end to form a spiral, pinching the edges to seal. Slice into 12 equal 1-inch rolls, arrange over the pecan filling, and let rise for 30–45 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 25–28 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a platter and serving warm.
Recipe Tips
- To toast the nuts, spread them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes until they’re a bit darker.
- Make sure the yeast is fresh; otherwise, the dough won’t rise!
- To help the dough rise faster, preheat the oven to 175°F and then turn it off. Place the covered bowl of dough, along with a bowl of hot water, into the warm oven to rise.
- To make cutting the dough logs easier, use a sharp serrated knife or bench scraper to cut it into half twice, to make 4 smaller logs, and then cut each of those into 3 1-inch rolls. Some people find using unflavored dental floss works too.
More decadent breakfasts to try include overnight French toast casserole and cinnamon roll monkey bread.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
Warm, gooey, and dripping in a maple caramel glaze and pecan topping, these homemade sticky buns are the perfect bake for your next holiday brunch or cozy weekend morning!
Dough
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Proof yeast: In a small bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups warm milk, 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast, and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, or until bubbly.
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Make dough: In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in the remaining 7 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the 1/2 cup melted butter and yeast mixture. Whisk well. Add two cups flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons flour, but the dough should be soft. Don’t overdo it with flour.
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1st Rise: Once dough is smooth and soft, cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Place the bowl in the oven with a small bowl of hot water to help it rise faster. Rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 – 2 hours.
Topping
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Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Spread 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the pan. In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook an additional 2 minutes over low heat and pour evenly over the pecans. Set aside.
Filling
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Mix dry filling ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon.
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Roll out dough: Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 15×20 inches. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Spread softened 1/2 cup butter onto the dough with a brush.
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Roll up dough: Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top. Gently press the sugar down into the butter. Roll the dough up tightly starting at the shorter side. Pinch the sides together at the end.
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Cut dough: Using a large, serrated knife or a long piece of floss, cut the dough in half and then in half again, making 4 pieces. Cut each piece into 3 1-inch pieces, making 12 big cinnamon rolls. Arrange dough rolls evenly over the pecan filling, in the prepared baking dish.
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2nd Rise: Let the rolls sit for 30 – 45. minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
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Bake: Bake at 350°F for 25 – 28 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
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Serve: Invert the rolls over a serving platter and serve warm.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Yeast. Make sure you are starting with fresh yeast. I used active dry yeast, not instant yeast or rapid rise yeast.
Warm milk. Check the milk temperature to make sure it isn’t too hot. It should be at 105-110°F (bath water temp) when you proof the yeast.
Flour. I like to replace 1-2 cups of flour with bread flour or kamut if I have on hand.
Quick rise. To help the dough rise faster, preheat the oven to 175°F and then turn it off. Then place the covered bowl of dough in the oven along with a small bowl of hot water.
Slice. When cutting the cinnamon rolls into sections using a sharp knife or some people like unflavored dental floss to cut into even sections.
Freezing the rolls: You can freeze the rolls after they have been baked and cooled. Simply place in a freezer container or zip top bag, then set out to thaw overnight. Warm individual rolls in microwave for 10 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 175°F for 5 minutes.
Calories: 579kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 315mg, Potassium: 201mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 795IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Recipe FAQs
The difference lies in the extra goo! They both have a base of cinnamon rolls, but sticky buns have a topping of sticky glaze and chopped nuts for added texture. Cinnamon rolls can have a glaze or a frosting, but they’re not baked together.
While technically you could use instant yeast (or rapid rise yeast), I prefer to use active dry yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster which could lead to overproofed dough.
Yes! Arrange the rolls in the pan overtop the sticky pecan topping, cover, and set it in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bring it to room temperature about an hour or two before baking the next morning.
Keep leftover sticky buns covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep them fresh a little longer in the fridge or frozen for up to 2 months.
A quick reheat for one or two buns can be done in the microwave. If you’re reheating most of the tray, do this in the oven until warmed through.
