Sticky Buns
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These small batch maple pecan sticky buns are a spin on my reader-favorite small batch cinnamon rolls, delivering all the soft, flaky goodness you love but with an irresistibly gooey pecan topping. Instead of corn syrup, this recipe uses pure maple syrup in the caramel glaze, creating that iconic sticky sweetness naturally. Bonus: this recipe can be prepared overnight and also doubles beautifully.
TRIED & TRUE: THESE ARE THE BEST STICKY BUNS I’VE EVER HAD
As someone who has a constantly growing cinnamon roll recipe collection, I’ve perfected my reliable soft and fluffy dough base, buttery, cinnamon-packed filling, and various versions of my cream cheese frosting. This base has morphed into gooey caramel rolls, bold coffee rolls, seasonally spiced eggnog rolls, and party-ready funfetti rolls. With my expertise and commitment to my Roll of The Month series, it only made sense to take what I’ve perfected and turn those well-liked cinnamon rolls into an easy sticky bun recipe.
It took a few tries to master this version of next-level cinnamon rolls, and I’m here to make this simple, straightforward, and something you can master on the first try with my thorough instructions as well as plenty of photos and a video (and tips for avoiding the mistakes that I made during my testing).
STICKY BUNS VS CINNAMON ROLLS
You may be wondering… What makes cinnamon rolls sticky buns if they start with the same base? The truth is, they’re almost identical, but the difference is all in the topping. We’re swapping out traditional cream cheese frosting for an ooey, gooey, homemade (but easy!) maple pecan caramel topping, which bakes right alongside the buns.
The buns and the topping bake together for the ultimate, super sticky (in the best way possible), crunchy texture that really sets them apart from everything you know about traditional cinnamon rolls. They’re sure to steal your taste buds heart in one bite and have you fighting your family for the last one.
WHAT’S IN THESE EASY STICKY BUNS
There are 3 main components to any recipe for sticky buns:
1. a soft, fluffy, and tender yeasted dough base
2. a buttery, cinnamon-spiced filling
3. a maple pecan topping
Here’s what you’ll need for each:
DOUGH: this is a yeasted, enriched dough, which means you’ll need butter, milk, and eggs alongside your yeast, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and all-purpose flour.
TOPPING: along with the pecans, you’ll use butter and salt here again, and you’ll also need some brown sugar, whole milk, and pure maple syrup. This topping will actually go in the bottom of your baking pan and become the topping after the buns are baked. This sounds confusing and tricky, but it’s really quite simple! We’ll get there in a bit.
FILLING: so simple! Butter, brown and white sugars, and cinnamon. And there’s a lot of it. I’ve increased the amount of filling over my years of baking cinnamon rolls, and the surplus translates wonderfully to these sticky rolls, too.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE STICKY BUNS
If working with yeast bread is new for you, don’t worry, I make this super simple! But if you’re doing this for the first time and could use some extra support, check out my post about baking with yeast to help guide you through the process.
Here’s an overview of the steps for making this easy recipe for sticky buns:
Make the dough: I like to use my stand mixer as well as my hands for a mix of electric and manual kneading. If you’re using a stand mixer, make sure you’re using the dough hook for best results.
Let the dough rest: no, this isn’t a rise, just a quick 10 minute rest to let the gluten relax. While the dough is resting, make the topping.
Prepare the pan: I like to line my pan with parchment paper as it makes flipping the sticky buns out of it super simple. Once lined, your chopped pecans go right into the bottom.
SUCCESS TIP
Be sure your pecans aren’t chopped too fine, as this can create a pecan mush. I learned this the hard way! Larger pieces are ideal, and don’t worry, they will soften a bit in the oven while retaining their firm texture, so you don’t have to worry about giant pieces getting in the way of your bites.
Cook the topping: this is a simple maple-y, caramel-y situation. You’ll give it a quick cook on the stove to melt the butter and begin the dissolving of the sugar. This is sort of a shortcut caramel sauce, and the oven will do the rest of the work for you. Once cooked, this will go right over the pecans in the bottom of the pan.
Roll the dough into a rectangle: you’re looking for a rectangle that’s 9″ x 12″ in size. I use a tape measure to get this as exact as I can.
Add the filling: you’ll brush the rectangle with melted butter, then sprinkle the filling over it. It will look like a lot of filling, and it is. Just keep sprinkling!
Roll into a log + slice: starting with one of the 12″ sides, roll the dough up into a tight log, ensuring the seam is on the underside of the log. Gently press the ends with the palms of your hands together to “contain” the log, then slice into 6 even rolls.
Let the buns rise: this is the rolls’ only rise! You’ll want about 90 minutes for this rise and you’re looking for them to be nice and puffy.
Bake the sticky buns: the buns will take about 28-30 minutes and be lightly brown when they’re finished. Don’t overbake these buns as they can dry out or the topping could burn.
Flip rolls + serve: allow the buns to cool for about 10 minutes before flipping them out onto a plate or platter. Use oven mitts to carefully invert the pan, then gently peel back the parchment. The topping will drip down the sides and into all of the cracks in the rolls, so be sure your plate/platter is large enough to contain the drips.
OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS
These quick sticky buns can actually be made ahead of time, which makes them great for holidays or special occasions. To prepare the buns the night before, place the sliced unbaked buns right on top of the pecan topping as directed in the recipe, then cover them tightly overnight (up to 18 hours). In the morning, remove the buns from the refrigerator, allow them to rise, and then bake as directed.
HOW TO DOUBLE THIS STICKY BUNS RECIPE
This easy sticky buns recipe doubles beautifully. To ensure the best results, use a 9″ x 13″ baking dish to accommodate the increase in the number of rolls. When making the dough, you’ll want to roll it into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle. You’ll roll this into an 18″ log and slice into 12 pieces. The baking time will actually still be about the same.
Small Batch Sticky Buns Recipe
Ingredients
DOUGH
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm water
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar
- 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (3.5g) dry active yeast or half of one packet
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 and ¼ to 2 and ½ cups (270-300g) all purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 3 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 4-6 pieces
TOPPING
- 1 cup (125g) shelled pecans1 coarsely chopped
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup (134g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (30mL) whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons (45mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
FILLING
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
DOUGH
- Place warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment or a large bowl if you want to use your hands. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast on top of the water. Whisk the ingredients together with a fork, wooden spoon, or spatula and allow to rest and activate for 10 minutes.¼ cup (60mL) warm water, 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (3.5g) dry active yeast
- Once the yeast mixture is active and bubbly, add the milk, salt, vanilla extract, and egg. Whisk to combine.¼ cup (60mL) warm milk, 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Gradually stir in flour by adding 1 cup of flour to start. Allow dough to come together, then add the softened butter and continue to blend. When butter is mostly incorporated, add the remaining 1 and ¼ cups of flour and blend until dough has mostly come together. It may still be shaggy, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl fairly easily.2 and ¼ to 2 and ½ cups (270-300g) all purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter
- Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, adding flour about 1 Tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky, until smooth and elastic. You can also continue to use your mixer, if you prefer. Your dough should resemble the surface texture of PlayDoh when it is done. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the topping.
TOPPING
- Line a baking dish2 with parchment paper, then lightly spray with non-stick spray. Spread chopped pecans in an even layer in the pan and set aside.1 cup (125g) shelled pecans1
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup, and salt. Stir until the butter has melted, then bring the mixture to a simmer.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (134g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup (30mL) whole milk, 3 Tablespoons (45mL) pure maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, and taking care not to let the mixture bubble up over the sides. Remove from heat, stir or whisk gently and allow to stop bubbling, then pour over the pecans. Set the pan aside.
FILLING
- In a medium size bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk or stir until well-blended. Set aside.¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 and ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 9" x 12" in size. Dough will be very elastic, so be patient and keep rolling. There is no need to rush this step.
- When you have your rectangle, brush the melted butter evenly over the dough, leaving about ½" border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the melted butter.2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE DOUGH
- Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up into a tight 12" log. Use your fingers or palms on either end of the log to gently squeeze the log to "contain" the uneven ends. Using a sharp serrated knife and taking care to keep the seam side down, cut the log into 6 even slices. Don't worry if filling spills out.
- Place the slices cut side down in the prepared pan right on top of the pecan layer, gather any cinnamon-sugar that fell out, sprinkle over the rolls, then press down gently to flatten slightly. Cover loosely with foil or a kitchen towel. Allow rolls to rise for 1 and ½ hours.
- When the buns have risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Bake the rolls for 28-32 minutes or until rolls just start to brown on top. You can cover the rolls with foil to prevent browning, if desired. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before flipping them out onto a plate or platter.
- When you are ready to flip the sticky buns out of the pan, place the plate or platter on top of the pan, then carefully but quickly flip the pan over and lift it straight up. Carefully peel back the parchment paper and serve rolls immediately. Leftover buns stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 8-10 seconds before serving. See notes section below for other storage and preparation suggestions.
Video
Notes
- Pecans: measure 1 cup of shelled pecans and then coarsely chop them. If they are too fine, they will turn to mush in the oven. Use the photos in the post for size reference.
- Baking dish: I like to use either an 8″ square baking pan or an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan or pie plate. If using a square dish, arrange them in 2 rows of 3. If using a round pan, place one in the center and the other 5 evenly spaced around it.
- Double the recipe: this recipe doubles beautifully. Roll the dough into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle and cut into 12 slices. Prepare a 9″ x 13″ pan and arrange 4 rows of 3 buns. Bake time is about the same.
- Make ahead: this dough can be made the ahead of time through step 1 of the “assemble and bake dough” instructions. Cover buns with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight or up to 18 hours. In the morning (or when you are ready to bake the buns), remove them from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 2 in the “assemble and bake dough” instructions.
- To freeze baked buns: baked buns freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before enjoying.
- Two options to freeze unbaked buns: parbake the buns for 10 minutes at 350°F (177ºC). Allow to cool completely, cover tightly, then freeze. Remove the buns from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Finish baking for the remaining 18-22 minutes before serving OR freeze them after slicing and pull them out the night before you want to bake them and allow them to thaw and rise covered at room temperature and bake when ready.
- Working with yeast: for a comprehensive look at working with yeast in a recipe, see my post about how to bake with yeast.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
I have not made this recipe yet, but I am on my way to the store to get what I need. Thank you very much for posting this and I can’t wait to taste them.
I can’t wait for you to try them, Teresa! Please report back 🙂