I had a great time testing and perfecting this recipe for homemade Sticky Buns! I tasted a lot of them personally, and also shared some with my family. We were spoiled with tasty pecan rolls for days!
You may not want to eat Sticky Buns for breakfast every day, but these nutty, buttery, caramel pecan rolls are wonderful as a treat, or as a special breakfast or brunch on Christmas or a birthday.
My mom taught me to make these Russian Cinnamon Buns called Plushki, and a similar braided cinnamon wreath. I also love my recipe for super fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese frosting.
You can make Sticky Buns first, and then add the others to your menu plan for next time! You’ll be a sweet roll baking pro in no time at all!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients In Pecan Sticky Buns
Here’s what you need: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Active Dry Yeast: Along with a handful of other common baking ingredients including flour, eggs, and milk, yeast is the thing that makes stick buns soft, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Butter: There is some butter in every one of the three parts of this recipe! It makes the dough rich and amazing and adds flavor to the cinnamon filling and pecan topping. Cinnamon and Brown Sugar – Mixed with butter, these make a sweetly spiced filling that not only tastes amazing but is also beautiful, swirled into the dough. Pecans – A decadent caramel topping is made with more butter, more sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and big pieces of pecans. I like to very lightly chop the nuts so that there are some smaller pieces and some larger ones.
How To Make Sticky Buns
Recipe Tips
Heating the Milk: When making yeast bread with dry yeast, it’s important that the liquid (milk in this case) is heated to somewhere between 105°-115°F (40 -46°C). If it’s colder than that, the yeast will not rise properly, and if it’s hotter the yeast can be killed. Use a thermometer to test the milk temperature, or drop some on your wrist to be sure that it feels warm, but not too hot. Proofing the Yeast: If your milk, sugar, and yeast mixture doesn’t get foamy after 5-8 minutes, it means that your yeast has failed to proof or bloom. You should start over, preferably with a new batch of yeast, since it’s likely that the first one was expired. Also, don’t let the yeast sit proofing for more than 10 minutes. Put it to work as soon as it’s ready. Preparing the Pan: You’ll be glad that you buttered the pan and lined it with parchment paper. Sticky buns are, of course, sticky, so this step will help you to get them out of the pan later without making a mess. It’s Easiest to use a Stand Mixer to make this dough, but you can mix it using an electric mixer or even a whisk. You should switch to a heavy wooden spoon once the dough is too thick for your mixer, and then use your hands to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until it’s smooth. This way takes some muscle, but it will work! Don’t Squish the Rolls: A good serrated knife should do a great job of gently sawing the roll of dough into pieces. You can also cut cinnamon rolls using unflavored dental floss. (I like using dental floss to cut cheesecake sometimes too!) You can make the caramel sauce with pecans up to 2 days ahead of time. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make your rolls.
Storing Tips
To Store: Once the rolls are baked, they will stay at room temperature for 2 days, covered. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven for a few minutes, or microwave for 30 seconds. To Freeze: You can also freeze sticky buns. Wrap them and place in a freezer container, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can pop one into the microwave directly from the freezer. Heat at 30-second intervals until warmed through.
Make Ahead Sticky Buns
You might want to prep these pecan rolls ahead of time, to save some morning stress. I prefer this recipe when it’s made fresh, but you do have options if you must make it ahead. Overnight in the Fridge: Instead of letting the cut rolls rise for an hour at room temperature, cover and let rise in the fridge for 8-24 hours. You may not get quite as much rise, but you can then pop the whole pan right in the oven and bake as directed. In the Freezer: After the dough has completed its initial rise, wrap it and freeze it for up to 2 weeks. Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then proceed with rolling and baking the sticky buns. Sticky Buns are going to be a bit hit when you serve them to your family! Save this recipe for a special occasion, or whip up a batch this weekend, “just because”. © Little Sunny Kitchen
