These Pecan Sticky Buns are so tender, they melt in your mouth, have a sweet cinnamon filling and a gooey, caramel glaze with crunchy pecans. They are wonderful with a glass of cold milk or a warm mug of coffee.
I make these Pecan Sticky Buns all year long and especially during the holidays. There is something so homey and comforting about yeast buns. As they bake, the house is filled with their warm, spicy aroma. It's better than any scented candles, making your home so inviting.
If you're a newbie with yeast dough, don't let it intimidate you; it's actually not that hard. The dough is really easy to work with and you have the step by step photos and a video to see exactly what each step should look like. The best perk of homemade baking is that you get to enjoy them while they are still fresh and warm out of the oven.
The buns are so soft and tender and the sticky glaze is incredible, especially paired with the crunchy pecans. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in the oven for 5-10 minutes and they are returned to their warm, gooey glory.
Watch the Video of How to Make Pecan Sticky Buns
Ingredients:
Yeast Dough
- yeast (active dry yeast)
- water and milk (they need to be warmed to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit)
- granulated sugar
- oil (avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, etc)
- salt
- all purpose flour
Filling
- butter (softened to room temperature)
- brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- ground cinnamon
Topping
- heavy cream
- brown sugar
- pecans (use any other nuts that you like, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.)
How to Make Pecan Sticky Buns
- Make the yeast dough.
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water and allow to stand for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the foamy yeast, milk, sugar and oil into a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the flour and salt until a thick dough forms. Knead using the dough hook on a stand mixer, or by hand, until an elastic dough comes together.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
- Assemble the sticky buns.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface into an 18 X 12 inch rectangle.
- Spread out the softened butter all over the surface, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll up the dough, like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 equal pieces. (Cut the dough in half, then each in half again and lastly each of the 4 pieces into 3 pieces.)
3. Bake the Sticky Buns
- Use butter or oil to grease a 13 X 9 inch baking dish, then whisk the heavy cream and brown sugar until combined, pour into the baking dish and then sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Nestle the sticky buns in the baking dish on top of the nuts. Cover and set aside to rise until double, 40-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for about 30 minutes.
4. Serve
Invert the baking dish onto a serving plate or a cutting board. Pull apart the sticky buns and enjoy.
How to Store and Reheat Sticky Buns
If you don't have a large family or are having company and don't eat all the Sticky Buns right away, store them at room temperature, covered.
You can reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or the oven for a few minutes and they will be soft and taste fresh again.
Caramel and Pecan Cinnamon Sticky Buns
These Sticky Buns are so tender, they melt in your mouth, have a sweet cinnamon filling and a gooey, caramel glaze with crunchy pecans. They are wonderful with a glass of cold milk or a warm mug of coffee.
- Prep Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 150 minutes
- Yield: 12 cinnamon buns
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
- ¾ cup warm water (100° to 110° F)
- ¾ cup warm milk (100° to 110° F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons oil (avocado, grape seed, sunflower, etc.)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- ¼ cup butter (softened to room temperature)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or other nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.
- Pour the foamy yeast, milk, sugar, oil and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Add the flour in 3 parts, until all the flour is incorporated and a dough forms. You can easily knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough doubles.
- When the dough is ready, roll it out on a well floured surface into a rectangle, 18x12 inch in size.
- Spread the softened butter on top of the dough, to about ½ inch of the edges of the dough.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll up the dough tightly, lengthwise, just like a jelly roll. Cut the dough into 12 pieces. A little trick I have to make sure the pieces are equal in size is cutting the rolled up dough in half, then cutting each half in half and dividing each of the 4 pieces into 3 pieces. (You can use a sharp knife or dental floss.)
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the heavy cream and the brown sugar. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the cream mixture.
- Place the cut rolls on top of the cream and pecans.
- Let rise, covered, until doubled in size, 40 -60 minutes.
- Bake about 30 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter or a wooden cutting board.
- Pull apart the sticky buns and serve while warm. Store at room temperature, covered.
This is an updated version of the Pecan Cinnamon Sticky Buns recipe that was published originally on June 15, 2012. The recipe is the same with updated pictures, a video and clarified instructions .
The dough was too crumbly from 4 cups of flour to that little liquid. I also measured the flour correctly. I’m not sure what went wrong?
Can I make the dough in a bread machine? Then remove and follow directions after the dough option on the bread machine is complete?
Yes, you definitely can.
Hi Olga great recipe! But I suggest on your ingredients list you separate the filling ingredients and the sticky sauce into their own categories... I miss read and almost added all that on top of my rolled out dough! Yikes! Haha but I only got as far as the sugars.
But I just think it will be easier to read. Thanks
Can I add apples to this? Making it an apple cinnamon pecan cinnamon rolls...
Sure, apples would be great here. Just make sure to cut them up pretty small so they cook through all the way, or cook them before adding them into the buns.
Love love love! Such a delicious recipe! So easy to follow and easy to make. Came out just perfect!
I'm so glad it worked out for you and you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to write.
You have a typo in instruction #2. You state " Place in a greased dough" and I believe you mean "dish".
Looking forward to making these tomorrow. All of your other recipes have been awesome so I am sure this will too.
Thanks for pointing it out to me, DJ. I've got it fixed. I hope you enjoy the Cinnamon Buns:).
So would you mix the yeast and water before baking in bread machine?? Or follow the rules from the start??
Hi Stacy. You don't have to mix the yeast and water, but I like to do that because it confirms that the yeast is active and working. (If it foams, I know it will work.) It's just a habit I have because this will ensure that the bread will rise.
Looks so delicious. We've made cinnamon rolls before, but never with a caramel and pecan glaze. In our house, we LOOOVE pecans. This would be something great to add to our recipe book. Definitely will bake as soon as weather cools down enough to use our oven. We don't have AC in the house and try not to bake during hot weather.
I agree with you about baking with yeast. Add cinnamon to that and that takes it to the next level.
I do have a question on reheating. You noted that 5 minutes in the microwave or 10 minutes in the oven. In my opinion microwave for 5 minutes might be too much. ..... I know a local donut shop recommends to reheat their donuts for about 8 seconds in microwave. I find that about right for muffins, cinnamon rolls and donuts. Just don't want to think about what would happen after 5 minutes of heating...... ???
Hi Oksana.
I can certainly agree that baking will heat up your house even more in the warmer months:).
You're absolutely right about the microwave time. That is a typo - thank you for catching that. I should be only 10-15 seconds, not minutes:).
This looks AMAZING! I am drooling 😋
Olga, I was wondering if I could leave the ready buns out on the counter to finish rising overnight and bake the buns in the morning? Will my buns still rise or it won't be the same?
Please let me know. Thanks!!!
I would strongly NOT recommend it, Julia. The dough will rise too much and then probably collapse.
If the dough is left on the counter, at room temperature, it will develop a slightly sour taste. The texture of the buns will become thicker and may not rise as much during the final baking. The dough will also be a different shape than expected, as over-proofing makes bubbles expand beyond normal and then collapse when they are baked.
You can put the shaped rolls into the refrigerator overnight, before letting them rise. They will slowly rise and proof during the night, but will not over expand, like they would at room temperature.
Olga, I have a question my dough is rising in a warm oven, can I leave it overnight and proceed with my buns in the morning?
No printing option?
Sorry, Elena. Some of the older recipes don't have the printable option. I will try to add it in for you asap.
Has this printing option been added in yet? Making this recipe in about 10 minutes and cant wait!
I made these yesterday and they where sooooo good!
thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Olga for such a delicious recipe this is one of my family favorites! I usually double the recipe and freeze part, then reheat in the oven for when I want something baked but don't have the time.
I'm so glad the you enjoy the sticky buns, Luba. It's such a great idea to make extra and freeze. I often do that with a lot of my baking - such a great treat with no extra effort later on to be enjoyed:).
Yum! looks very delishes. I got to make some for my hubby! Thank you for the recipe.:)