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Not much can beat these homemade Extra Sticky Maple Pecan Sticky Buns. Soft and fluffy homemade bread dough, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and baked with a maple pecan “sticky” sauce. These rolls are nothing short of perfect and better than anything you could get from a bakery. Try making these as a weekend morning treat, or serve them up Thanksgiving morning for a special holiday breakfast.
{This post is sponsored by The American Pecan Council.}
With Halloween arriving tomorrow and October now coming to a close, I have my eyes on all the coziest, sweetest recipes for November and the upcoming holiday season. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away. But I have to say, I am so very excited, and already have my menu set.
Over the next couple of weeks I will be rolling out all of my Thanksgiving dinner recipes. But before that happens I’m really excited to share these sticky buns. I feel like Thanksgiving breakfast can so easily be overlooked. But the bottom line is that everyone needs a little something in their stomachs pre-Thanksgiving feast. And this year I am all about these sticky buns.
They’re hands down the best sticky bun I’ve ever made. And while they take a little more time than a bowl of cereal, they are extra special. They are equally perfect on your holiday breakfast/brunch table as they are for a cold weekend in at home.
{pouring sticky sauce over pecans}
If you’ve been reading HBH over the years, it’s pretty obvious that come November, pecans are one of my favorite nuts to incorporate into my recipes. Growing up, my mom would make her chocolate chip pecan pie for holiday dinners, and to this day it’s still one of my favorite pies. American Pecans are also harvested in the fall – making it the perfect time to enjoy your pecans, harvested straight from pecan farmers across the country. And of all the major tree nuts eaten in the U.S., pecans are the only ones indigenous to America – making it the perfect nut to serve on Thanksgiving!
Over the years I’ve developed a lot of recipe using pecans, but I’ve never shared a homemade pecan sticky bun…
All I have to say is that I’m so sorry I didn’t create this recipe earlier. These buns are some of the best ever.
Soft, buttery, super sticky, perfectly sweet, and just a little crunchy from the pecans which are actually nutrient dense! I know I already said this, but nothing beats these buns. Especially when warm, right out of the oven.
So good!
{buns before baking}
Here are the details.
I used a very simple and basic dough recipe, but it’s one that I love. It leaves you with rolls that are moist, soft, and fluffy. It’s also very easy to make and doesn’t require much time. Which is great, since everyone is extra busy this time of year.
The most important aspect of a sticky bun recipe is the sticky sauce. It’s KEY.
Start with your pecans. I’ve teamed up with the American Pecans. When you buy pecans you’ll want to ensure they’re a golden color which indicates that they’re fresh. To maintain their freshness, store your pecans in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To create the perfect pecan sticky bun. Spread the raw pecan halves and pieces in the bottom of a baking dish, then make the maple butter sauce. Pour the sauce over the pecans…smell the goodness.
Now, you’ll want to roll out the dough like you would as if you are making cinnamon rolls. Place the rolls cut side down into the sticky pecan sauce. Nothing too fancy or hard.
At this point, you can let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. Then simply bake up and enjoy!
These are great to make the night before and then pop in the oven for a super easy breakfast or afternoon snack. Your house will smell incredible as they bake. And trust me, no one will be able to resist grabbing a roll (or two) to enjoy.
Also, these travel very well, so you could even think about gifting them for the holidays season. So fun…and delicious!
Either which way, you need to make these rolls soon. Betting they will soon become a new holiday tradition!
If you make these pecan sticky buns, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Extra Sticky Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Servings: 12 makes rolls
Calories Per Serving: 1395 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Sticky Sauce
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 2/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. To make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, brown sugar, eggs, butter, 3 ½ cups flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, to make the sticky sauce. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment. Spread the pecans in an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish. 4. In a medium sauce pot, combine the milk, maple syrup, brown sugar and 12 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sauce bubbling, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the sauce over the pecans.5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and the cinnamon. 6. Lightly dust a surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9×24 inches). Spread 4 tablespoons softened butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push the mixture into the butter. Starting with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20-30 minutes or transfer to the fridge to rise overnight.7. Transfer to the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top. If the rolls are browning too quickly on top, cover with foil halfway through cooking. 8. Let the rolls sit 5 minutes and then carefully invert the rolls onto a serving plate. Serve warm and enjoy!
{This post is sponsored by The American Pecan Council. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
I have enjoyed making these and the outcome looks good 😍Just wondering if I can freeze them to be eaten in a few weeks time?
Hey Breanna,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it and your comment:) Sure, that would work nicely for you! xT
Hi! I have seen in other recipes you can bake them for 10 mins, cool them, and freeze them before thawing and baking them completely. Would this work for this recipe too? Also wondering about using walnuts instead of pecans?
Thanks! Cant wait to try this recipe for Christmas.
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried that with this recipe so I can’t say for sure! Let me know if you give it a try! xT
I am wanting to make something like this for Christmas morning. If I made them the night of the 23rd and refrigerated is that too much time between or do you think they would still bake up well. Thank you and I’ve loved all your recipes I’ve tried these sound amazing.
Hi there! That should work well 🙂 xT
As usual your flavors are spot on. The dough is simple and delicious. I wanted them for breakfast and left them in the fridge overnight, but I don’t think I’d do it again. The pecans got soft (maybe they would anyway with the caramel??). I put them in the oven straight from the fridge and they took 30 minutes to start to get brown (admittedly every oven is calibrated differently) and I had to let them stay in there closer to 40 just so the “bottom” touching the caramel had time to cook. We pulled a center roll out to test and it was still doughy. Overall, great recipe. Delicious combo. But I am curious, Tieghan, if you let your rolls come to room temp or bake them cold!
Hi Jamie! Yes, if you’re putting them in the fridge I would maybe let them sit a little bit before baking! xT
Can’t wait to bake these… I didn’t have whole milk or cream so I’m hoping the sauce will be ok with 2% milk and I used some yogurt in the dough with 2%milk.
First attempt at dough and rolls! I was nervous but these ended up being super easy to follow and a really great outcome! I look forward to wow-ing my extended family at the next holiday gathering with this recipe.
Hey Emily,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
Very tasty! I made the night before and set out for about an hour in the morning before baking. I think the sauce at the bottom becomes separated from the butter, and may be better to bake right away instead of refrigerating overnight. My rolls were also a bit uncooked on the side closest to the pecans. I will definitely make again, but will bake right after I make them. The dough is very easy to make and a homemade cinnamon roll is the best! Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Susan,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
They smell amazing, I followed all the steps to a T, yet the rolls came out not cooked on the top (pecan side). I chilled them overnight like you said in the sauce and I think that needs to be more clear in the recipe if you shouldn’t put the raw dough in the sauce if you are refrigerating until morning. Flipped them onto serving tray, and baking again now to see if I can save the recipe. So sad!
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. You can put the dough in the sauce, you can do everything through step 6 even if you are chilling overnight. Sounds like they just needed to bake a little longer:) xx
Thanks for the quick reply! If the 25 mins at 350F wasn’t enough, do you recommend dropping the temp to 315F and trying 35-40 mins? Do you need to allow them to cook to completely room temp before baking if overnight chilled?
I would keep baking them at 350. Sorry, I’m so confused, if you are letting them sit overnight you don’t need to bake them first:)
I’d like to make this recipe but want to be clear on the brown sugar. Rolls are 1 Tablespoon.
Sauce is 1/4 to 1/2 cup
How much is the brown sugar & Cin mixture pressed inside of rolls? Or is it 1/4 for the sauce and 1/4 for the mixture inside rolls?
Hi Elizabeth,
You are going to use 1 tablespoon in the dough in step 1. You are going to use 1/4 cup in the sauce in step 4. Finally, you are going to use 1/2 cup in step 5. I hope this helps! xx
I love your recipes!! The cinnamon rolls are always a hit. I made these rolls this time and the butter and milk mixture Curdled. This happened during the baking process. Sauce looked good on the stove top. I did put rolls in fridge to rise over night. Maybe I should not have put the sauce in the fridge and made it right before I put them in the oven?What did I do wrong 🥴??
Hey Dana,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear about the milk and butter! I think the issues was putting that in the fridge. So sorry! xT