These classic homemade Pecan Sticky Buns are a sweet breakfast treat made with soft cinnamon roll dough and ooey gooey pecan caramel. They’re perfect for holiday brunch or a special weekend breakfast the whole family will enjoy.
Pecan Sticky Buns
Homemade pecan sticky buns are one of those breakfast treats that everyone looks forward to. It’s hard to go wrong with soft and pillowy buns rolled up with cinnamon sugar filling and topped with sticky pecan caramel.
While this certainly isn’t the quickest recipe to prepare, we promise you that making sticky buns from scratch is completely within reach. Follow our step-by-step instructions and you’ll be making perfectly delicious homemade sticky buns in no time. Note: if you’re making these during the busy holiday season, check out our tips below to learn how you can get them started ahead of time.
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Key Ingredients
Potato Roll Dough
- Water – you want this to be lukewarm, or around 110 degrees F, to help activate the yeast.
- Yeast – this recipe calls for active dry yeast which must be activated, or “proofed.” It comes in a few different sized packages – a small envelope, a small jar or a large 1 pound air-sealed package.
- Sugar – we use white granulated sugar for the dough, or you could certainly use the same amount of honey instead.
- Butter – you want the butter to be room temperature so that it’s soft enough to mix into the dough.
- Eggs – any kind of large eggs will do. It helps if they have come to room temperature, but don’t worry if you forget. You can also run them under warm water while they are still in the shells. The eggs help with rising and the fats in the yolk help keep the dough tender and light.
Cinnamon Bun Filling
- Butter – this should be melted or incredibly soft.
- Brown Sugar – you can use either dark or light brown sugar, keeping in mind that dark brown sugar has a more intense molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon – any kind of ground cinnamon works great.
Caramel Sticky Buns Mixture
- Brown Sugar – either dark or light brown sugar will work great.
- Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Karo Syrup – you should be able to find Karo corn syrup in the baking section at the grocery store. It helps keep the caramel mixture soft. A delicious substitute is maple syrup.
- Pecans – you can purchase whole or chopped pecans. Usually chopped pecans are cheaper, and you’ll need to chop them up anyways.
- Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract tastes best.
How to Make Pecan Sticky Buns from Scratch
- Mix the dough. In a small bowl, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar and mix to combine. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until bubbly. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the soft butter and salt and mix on low until combined using the dough hook, then add the yeast mixture and eggs. Add half of the flour and mix on low until combined. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes and mix for 3 minutes.
- Let the dough rise. Turn the mixer off, cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until light and puffy, or about 30-45 minutes.
- Make the caramel pecan sticky bun mixture. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, karo syrup. Bring to a rapid boil while stirring and then remove from the heat. Add the chopped pecans and vanilla extract, stir, and pour into the bottom of a greased 9″ x 13″ baking sheet.
- Roll the dough. Transfer the potato roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough into an approximately 24″ x 12″ rectangle (it should be about ½” thick). Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top, then pat down gently.
- Shape the buns. Starting at either 24″ long side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1½” thick slices using a very sharp knife. Place the rolls on top of the pecan mixture in the baking dish so that they are just barely touching. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Bake. Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel from the sticky buns, then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 1-2 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully invert the Sticky Buns baking dish onto a large serving platter. Serve warm and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between cinnamon rolls and Sticky Buns is that Sticky Buns are baked on top of a gooey caramel that often contains chopped pecans or another kind of nut. Once they are baked, the pan is inverted so that the sticky caramel runs down the sides and coats the buns.
If you bake your Sticky Buns at 350 degrees, it should take between 15-18 minutes for them to bake completely. The baking time will vary depending on how many you are making at once, how often you open the oven door, and even the oven itself. They are finished baking once they are golden brown on top and then center Sticky Buns are set.
Yes! This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast recipe. You can prepare all the way until you would normally let the shaped sticky buns double in size in the pan. Instead of letting them rise again, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. The next day, pull the dish from the fridge and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, or about 1 hour. Then, bake and serve as directed.
You sure can! Store baked Sticky Buns in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls if you want. Prepare up until you would normally let the shaped Sticky Buns double in size in the pan. Instead, wrap the baking dish well with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Once you are ready to serve, remove from the freezer for a couple hours before you want to bake. Once they have doubled in size, bake as directed.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: wrap leftover Sticky Buns in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: wrap leftover Sticky Buns in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To Reheat: for a single serving, you can reheat in the microwave until warm. Otherwise, add the entire pan of Sticky Buns back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe
Ingredients
Potato Roll Dough
- 2 cups water, warm (about 110 degrees F)
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Buns Filling
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Caramel Sticky Buns Mixture
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup karo syrup
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In a small bowl, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar and mix to combine. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast mixture starts to get bubbly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the yeast mixture, butter, eggs, and salt and mix on low until combined using the dough hook.
- Add half of the flour and mix on low until combined. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. Allow the dough to mix on medium for about 3 minutes once the flour has been added.
- Turn the mixer off, cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until light and puffy, or about 30-45 minutes.
Caramel Pecan Mixture
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, karo syrup. Bring to a rapid boil while stirring and then remove from the heat. Add the chopped pecans and vanilla extract, stir, and pour into the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" baking sheet.
Shaping the Sticky Buns
- Transfer the potato roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough into an approximately 24" x 12" rectangle (it should be about ½" thick). Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top, then pat down gently.
- Starting at either 24" long side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1½" thick slices using a very sharp knife. Place the rolls on top of the pecan mixture in the baking dish so that they are just barely touching. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Baking
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel from the sticky buns, then bake in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 1-2 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully invert the Sticky Buns baking dish onto a large serving platter. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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These Pecan Sticky Buns are soft, tender, and topped with ooey gooey pecan caramel. They’re perfect for birthday celebrations, Christmas brunch or anytime you want a special breakfast treat.
