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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 a questions about the brown sugar. Is the 1/4c. for the sauce and the 1/2c to be mixed with the cinnamon for the inside?
Hi Pam,
You are going to use 1 tablespoon in the dough, 1/4 cup in step 4 for the sauce, and 1/2 cup in step 5. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am going to try and make these but my daughter is not a fan of maple, can I just omit it or should I adjust it with more brown sugar? Can’t wait to try these!
Hi Michelle,
I haven’t tested this but I would add some honey to the recipe to substitute for the maple syrup! I hope they are delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just started making these and realized that I am out of parchment paper!! Do you have any recommendations for a substitute? Aluminum foil? Extra greasing the pan? Help!
Hi Sarah,
I would just be sure to grease the pan well! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I would love to have these for my christmas morning brunch, but am wondering that if i made them the day before, how do you recommend reheating them? or if i did want to bake them the day of, would I construct the whole recipe and refrigerate and just pop them in the oven in the morning?
HI! You can warm these in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Or you can assmeble the rolls completely, then bake them off in the morning. Either option will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I’m making these for breakfast on Christmas morning! They look amazing, I literally can’t wait!
That is so great! Thank you so much Melissa! xTieghan
Can you freeze these so you can bake them another time?
Hi Irene! Yes, that will work great! Just thaw the pan of rolls overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
Lord this recipe was so was easy and so darn yummy. I am TUUUUUUURIBLE (WORSE THAN TERRIBLE) with ANY recipe involving yeast and this was so so simple. I took the pecans out bc i’m not a big fan and they were so darn good.
I am so glad you loved this Casey! Thank you! xTieghan
What are your recommendations If trying to make these gluten free? Can I just substitute gluten free flour or would you add anything or do more/less flour if using gluten free?
Thank you!! So excited to try these.!
Hi Mattie! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I would love to make these for Christmas morning! Can you make the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a night?
Yes! That works great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
When do you put the sauce on top?
Hi Courtney, the sauce is added to the baking dish in step 4. It is baked underneath the rolls. Once the rolls have baked, the pan is inverted and then the rolls are flipped out of the pan and the sauce will then drip down over the rolls. Does that make sense? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Hi, I was wondering if you bake the rolls right on top of the pecan and carmel?
Hi there! Yes, you should bake the right on top of the pecans and caramel. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I have made this recipe 4 times perfect everytime.
Thank you Wendy! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
Hi! Thinking of making these for a bachelorette party. If prepped on a Thursday, (travelling to location on Friday) could they be kept in the fridge until Saturday AM when they would be baked, or would they rise too much?
Hey Beth! These can be kept in the fridge until Saturday. That works really well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These were delicious, just a little dry, I over baked them but he stcky sauce saved the day! Thank you
Thank you so much Mirna! xTieghan
Hello! I made these the night before and baled them accordingly the next day but the bottoms did not bake! They were still raw after 30 minutes. I was wondering what could have happened ?
HI! Sounds like you just needed to cook the rolls a bit longer. Next time I would cover the rolls with foil and cook until they are cooked through in the center, I would guess an additional 15-20 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan