Description
Sticky buns are soft, fluffy rolls filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a gooey caramel-pecan glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, they bring together buttery dough, spiced filling, and a rich caramelized topping that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough:
- 5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 beaten egg
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
Filling:
- 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
Topping:
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup light corn syrup
Optional Add-ins:
- Chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Sea salt sprinkle
Substitutions:
- Plant-based butter, dairy-free milk, or gluten-free flour for dietary needs
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy.
- Add egg, then gradually mix in flour, milk, and yeast until dough forms.
- Knead with a dough hook for 10 minutes until smooth. Let rise for 2 hours.
- For the topping: beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add corn syrup and vanilla, then spread evenly into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle pecans on top.
- Roll risen dough into a 9×18-inch rectangle. Mix cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle over the dough.
- Roll dough tightly lengthwise, then cut into 12 slices. Arrange over topping in the pan.
- Cover and let rise 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35–40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Cool 10 minutes, then flip onto a serving platter.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for best dough texture.
- Avoid overmixing dough to keep buns light and airy.
- Let buns cool slightly before flipping to prevent topping from sticking.
- Assemble ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bake the next morning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 3 ½ hours rising)
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
- Calories: ~420
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg