Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

Discover the perfect blend of comfort and flavor with our Maple Pecan Sticky Buns recipe, featuring a buttery dough and rich maple syrup glaze. Ideal for cozy mornings or special occasions.

Our Maple Pecan Sticky Buns recipe transforms our signature cinnamon roll dough into a decadent treat that’s perfect for any day or a holiday breakfast. The rich, yeasty dough, made with warm milk, butter and a touch of sugar, provides the ideal base for these sticky, sweet rolls with crunchy pecans.

A drizzle of heavy cream before baking makes each bite moist and flavorful. 

Difference Between Cinnamon Rolls and Sticky Buns

The two classic sweets are very similar, but also very unique. Homemade sticky buns are made just like a cinnamon roll, except you put syrup and chopped pecans at the bottom of the pan before you put the rolls in.

The rolls bake in the gooey syrup. After they bake, flip the pan upside down and let the sticky maple caramel sauce be the gooey topping.

Cinnamon rolls are dough covered in butter, cinnamon and sugar, rolled up jelly roll style and baked in a pan. They traditionally have a frosting on top.

Ingredients

• Bread flour gives the rolls a chewier, more sturdy structure. All-purpose flour works, but the rolls will be softer. 
• Instant yeast or active dry yeast will work. I prefer instant yeast.
• The eggs and heavy cream should be at room temperature so they don’t affect the outcome of the rolls.
• Use unsalted pecans so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.

Make the sticky bun dough.

Prepare the dough. You can do this 3 different ways: Knead by hand (you’ll be surprised how easy this dough is to work with), use a stand mixer on medium speed to knead the dough (fairly easy), use a bread machine on the dough setting (easiest ever!)

Mix the dough in 4 steps:

• Pour the warm milk in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast overtop. The milk should be 115ºF. Use an internal probe thermometer to test the temperature of the milk. This is very important for the getting the perfect rise out of the dough. Allow this to sit for 3-4 minutes so that the yeast starts to activate.
• Add the eggs, the almost melted butter and sugar to the yeast mixture. Whisk together. It’s ok if there are little clumps of butter. They’ll get mixed in during kneading.
• Add 2 cups of flour and the salt to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture forms a smooth ball. The dough should be tacky to the touch, not dry at all. If the dough is too sticky, add up to ¼ cup more of bread flour. Just add tablespoon or two at a time. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour or it will make the rolls dry.

Let the dough rise.

If the yeast is activated properly, it should take about 30-40 minutes for the dough to nearly double in size for the first rise. Place the bowl in a warm spot. Learn more about how to help dough rise with our guide.

Assemble the rolls.

While the dough is rising, make the filling. Then it will be ready to use once you’ve rolled the dough out on a lightly floured surface. 

• Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with a light dusting of additional flour.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 14×9″ rectangle. (The size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
• Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon sugar filling over the whole dough rectangle.
• Starting on the long edge, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style. Cut into 8 slices. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cleanly cut the dough.

Prepare the baking dish.

• Line a 9″ deep dish pie plate with parchment paper. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish. Then sprinkle the pecans over the top.
• Place the cinnamon rolls cut side up into the prepared pan, sitting on top of the syrup and pecans. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes while the oven is heating. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

It’s ok if the rolls don’t grow a lot during the second rise (especially if you are using instant yeast). They’ll rise during baking.

Bake the rolls.

Pour heavy cream over the rolls before baking. This makes them extra soft and gooey.

Baking time will vary between about 25-30 minutes, depending on the type of pan you use and size. I use a ceramic pan and it takes about 28-30 minutes. Metal pans may bake more quickly. 

Check your rolls at 20 minutes. If they are starting to get too brown, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the baking time.

Flip and glaze.

Remove them from the oven and let them sit for about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY flip the pie plate over on a serving plate so that the buns are sticky side up (The maple syrup will be super hot so be careful!).

Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Add more heavy cream as needed to get the glaze the consistency you’d like.

But seriously...look at that gooey center of this maple pecan sticky bun:

Serving and Storage

After baking your Maple Pecan Sticky Buns to a perfect golden brown, let them cool slightly before serving. They are best enjoyed warm, allowing the flavors of the maple syrup and pecans to meld beautifully with the soft, fluffy dough.

For storing, let the buns cool completely. Place them in an airtight container to maintain their freshness. You can keep them at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate them and gently warm in the oven or microwave to reheat.

Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

5 from 4 votes

Maple Pecan Sticky Buns are swirled with cinnamon, drenched with maple syrup and topped with pecans and a maple syrup glaze.

Servings 6

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

For the dough:

• 1/2 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk 4 ounces
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
• 1/4 cup salted butter very soft, nearly melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups bread flour 260 grams, plus up to ¼ cup more flour if needed

For the filling:

• 4 tablespoons salted butter softened, almost melted
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

For the pan:

• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup heavy cream for drizzling over the rolls before baking

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar 160 grams
• 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
• 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream 2 ounces
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or ½ teaspoon maple extract

Instructions

 

• Make the dough. Pour the warm milk (115ºF) in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Allow this to sit for 3-4 minutes so that the yeast starts to activate.
• Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Add 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture forms a smooth ball. The dough should be tacky to the touch, not dry at all. If the dough is too sticky, add up to ¼ cup more of bread flour. Just add tablespoon or two at a time. Don't be tempted to add too much flour or it will make the rolls dry.
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough and place it in the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap.
• Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until almost double. It normally takes about 30-60 minutes for the dough to rise but the time can vary based on weather and even altitude. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or the sticky buns will be airy.
• Assemble the rolls. While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the almost melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
• Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with a light dusting of additional flour.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 14×9" rectangle. (The size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
• Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon sugar filling over the whole large rectangle.
• Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style. Cut into 8 slices.
• Prepare the pan. Line a 9" deep dish pie plate with parchment paper. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the dish. Then sprinkle the pecans over the top.
• Place the cinnamon rolls cut side up into the baking pan, sitting on top of the syrup and pecans. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes while the oven is heating. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

  It's ok if the rolls don't rise a lot (especially if you are using instant yeast). They'll grow during baking!
• Bake the rolls. Drizzle the warmed cream over the rolls. Then bake at 375º F for 28-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they look like they are getting too browned, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
• Remove them from the oven and let them sit for about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY flip the pie plate over on a serving plate so that the buns are sticky side up (The maple syrup will be super hot so be careful!).
• Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Add more heavy cream as needed to get the glaze the consistency you'd like.
• Serve warm. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

See the article for tips, tricks and process photos.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 8 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 sticky bun. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running th

Nutrition

Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 305mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 1mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Calories 812

Keyword cinnamon roll recipe, pecan rolls, sticky buns recipe

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