These easy sticky buns are soft yeast rolls with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl, baked on a layer of honey caramel and pecans in a 9×13 inch pan. The recipe makes 12 buns and takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, most of it rising time.
They bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Then you wait 5 minutes and flip the whole pan, so the caramel runs down over the tops.
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- Dough: 4 cups flour, 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast, 1 cup milk warmed to 110°F, ¼ cup sugar, ⅓ cup melted butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt
- Filling: ½ cup soft butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- Caramel topping: ½ cup butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup honey or maple syrup, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 cup pecan halves
- Pan: a greased 9×13 inch baking dish
- Timing: 20 minutes hands on, 1 hour first rise, 30 to 40 minutes second rise, 25 to 30 minutes baking
Sticky Buns vs Cinnamon Rolls
The dough and the swirl are the same. The difference is where the sweet part goes. Cinnamon rolls bake plain and get icing spread on top. Sticky buns bake sitting in caramel and pecans, then get turned upside down, so the topping becomes a glaze that soaks into the bottom of each bun.
That is why sticky buns need a baking dish with sides and a serving tray big enough to flip onto.
A Soft Dough That Doubles in an Hour
Warm the milk to 110°F. It should feel warm on your wrist, like a baby bottle, not hot. Stir in the sugar and yeast and leave it for 5 minutes. If it is not foamy by then, the yeast is old or the milk was too hot, and it is worth starting again rather than wasting 4 cups of flour.
Add the melted butter, egg and salt, then the flour one cup at a time. Stop when the dough pulls away from the bowl but still feels slightly tacky. Too much flour is the most common reason homemade sticky buns turn out dry.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes on a floured counter, until the dough is smooth and springs back when you poke it.
Put it in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled. A finger pressed in should leave a dent that stays.
Caramel Sauce for Sticky Buns
The topping is ½ cup butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup honey or maple syrup and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Melt it all in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the edges just start to bubble. Then take it off the heat.
Do not let it boil for long. Cook it too far and it turns into toffee, which sets hard and chewy after the flip instead of staying gooey. Pour it straight into the greased 9×13 dish and scatter the pecan halves over it.
I have made the topping with honey and with maple syrup, and both work. Honey gives the familiar sticky sweetness. Maple tastes deeper, and I reach for it in autumn, though my family likes the honey version best. If you want extra caramel at the table, a little warm homemade caramel sauce spooned over the finished buns is plenty.
Rolling and Cutting 12 Even Buns
Roll the risen dough into a rectangle about 16 by 12 inches. Spread the soft butter right to the edges, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over it.
Roll it up tightly from a long side. A loose roll leaves gaps that open up in the oven.
For clean cuts, slide a piece of unflavored dental floss or string under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull. It slices without squashing the swirl. Cut the log in half, each half in half again, then each quarter into 3, and you get 12 even buns.
Set them cut side up on the pecans, cover the pan, and let them rise again for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy and touching.
Baking and Flipping the Pan
Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are deep golden. Put a sheet pan on the rack below in case caramel bubbles over the sides.
Let the pan sit for 5 minutes, no more. Run a knife around the edge, put a tray on top, and flip it in one confident move. Leave the dish on top for a minute so the last of the caramel drips down.
When the Flip Goes Wrong
- Caramel stayed in the dish: it cooled too long. Put the empty dish back in the warm oven for a minute, then scrape the topping over the buns.
- Caramel ran everywhere: it was flipped straight from the oven, while the sauce was still thin and very hot.
- Topping set hard: the caramel boiled too long on the stove. Next time take it off as soon as the sugar dissolves.
- Centers doughy: the buns were packed tight and pale. Bake the full 30 minutes and look for deep golden tops in the middle of the pan too.
Making Them the Night Before
You can make the dough the night before. Let it do its first rise, then cover it and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, filling and the second rise.
Pecans are the traditional topping, and if you like that flavor, the caramel pecan cake filling and caramel pecan dump cake use the same pairing for fall baking.
Keeping Leftover Buns Soft
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Warm them in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or covered in a low oven, and the caramel softens again.
To freeze, wrap baked buns one by one and freeze for up to 2 months. For a softer, sliceable version of the same idea, try this cinnamon roll cake.
Easy Sticky Buns Recipe
These easy sticky buns are soft homemade yeast rolls filled with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl and baked on a gooey caramel pecan topping made with butter, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup and cream. The recipe makes 12 sticky buns in a 9x13 inch pan and takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, mostly rising time, with 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 350°F. The caramel is cooked only until the sugar dissolves, so it stays soft and sticky after you flip the pan. Serve these caramel sticky buns for holiday breakfasts, Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, brunch, or with coffee. Make the dough the night before, and keep leftovers 2 days at room temperature, 4 days in the fridge, or 2 months frozen.
Ingredients
- FOR THE DOUGH
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
- FOR THE FILLING
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- FOR THE STICKY TOPPING
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup pecan halves
Instructions
Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add melted butter, egg, and salt. Stir in flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Make the Sticky Topping: In a saucepan, melt the butter with brown sugar, honey, and cream. Stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and sprinkle pecans evenly over the caramel.
Prepare the Filling: Roll the risen dough into a rectangle about 16x12 inches. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle generously over the buttered surface.
Roll and Slice: Roll up the dough tightly from the long edge to form a log. Slice into 12 even pieces and place cut-side up over the pecan topping. Cover the pan and let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the sticky buns for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully invert the pan onto a serving tray so the caramel drips down the rolls.
Notes
Warm the milk to 110°F; hotter milk can kill the yeast. Add the last of the flour slowly and stop when the dough is soft and slightly tacky, because too much flour makes dry buns. Cook the caramel only until the sugar dissolves and the edges bubble; boiling it longer makes it set hard. Place a sheet pan under the baking dish to catch drips. Flip the pan after 5 minutes: earlier and the caramel runs everywhere, later and it sticks to the dish. The dough can be prepared the night before and refrigerated after the first rise. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling and filling. Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven. For freezing, wrap baked buns individually and freeze for up to 2 months.
These come out great every time I make them! Thank you for sharing.
That makes me really happy to hear, Betsy. I always feel like sticky buns are one of those recipes that bring a little comfort with them. Grateful you’ve made them part of your baking routine