This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Shaw’s Supermarket. All opinions are 100% mine.
These Pecan Sticky Buns are an easy, classic, and cozy breakfast or dessert treat that’s gooey, sweet, and super delicious!
The simple dough has a filling of butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar and then is baked on top of a sticky molasses, butter, sugar, and pecan topping!
Pecan Sticky Buns are such a decadent treat! They take traditional cinnamon rolls to a whole new level by baking them in an ooey-gooey molasses and sugar sauce loaded with chopped pecans!
These pecan cinnamon rolls are absolutely perfect for a cozy brunch, especially for the holidays or special occasions! They only take about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish, including the proofing time!
You’ll love the brown sugar and cinnamon flavors throughout this sweet rolls recipe and the topping is just pure indulgence!
Sticky Bun Ingredients
This recipe is made with 3 different components: dough, filling, and topping. Each component is made with pantry staples and unlike many sticky bun recipes, this one doesn’t contain any eggs.
You can find all of these ingredients at Shaw’s Supermarket, just look for their exclusive line of products including Lucerne®, Signature SELECT™, O Organics®, and Open Nature®!
- The Dough is a basic yeast dough made with butter, milk, water, flour, salt, and sugar. I use instant or rapid-rise yeast in this recipe.
- The Filling is made by brushing butter all over the dough and sprinkling on cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar before rolling it up.
- The Topping is where the true magic happens and what gives these glorious buns their name! It’s made with a mixture of molasses, salted butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans.
How To Make Sticky Buns From Scratch
Begin by heating the milk, water, and butter in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Once the milk and butter mixture reaches 120 to 130 degrees F.
Slowly add it to the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm area. The dough should double in size – DO NOT punch it down!
While the dough is proofing, add the topping ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter has fully melted and a sticky sauce forms. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface and gently roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 12×14-inches in size. Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Roll the dough up tightly to form a log.
Use dental floss or a very sharp knife to slice the log into 12 even rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking pan on top of the molasses mixture and cover and proof. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the centers are done.
Why This Recipe Works
Instant Yeast – This eliminates the activation period needed with dry-active yeast and you can start mixing your dough fast!
The yeast is added directly to the dry ingredients, so it’s important that your milk and butter mixture is between 120 and 130 degrees F to activate it.
I highly recommend using a kitchen thermometer to make sure the liquids are the correct temperature, otherwise, your dough could have issues rising.
To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, multiply the amount of yeast by 1.25. In this case, you don’t need to be super exact and add 5.625 teaspoons of yeast, you can simply add 5.5 teaspoons and the results should be great.
Warm the milk, water, and sugar ONLY to 70 to 80 degrees F and let it bloom. Add it to the dry ingredients and then mix in the melted butter separately. You will also need to increase the initial proof time by about 15 minutes.
No Eggs – Omitting eggs reduces the amount of fat in the dough and cuts down on proofing! While sticky buns are delicious either way, I prefer this simple, lighter version.
No Punching – Punching down the dough after it rises is a pretty common step in making homemade bread, however, when making cinnamon rolls, I like to skip this step.
I skip it because when the dough gets rolled out the rolling pin works out a lot of the larger air bubbles, but smaller ones get to remain and I think this is the true KEY to light, fluffy, pull-apart cinnamon rolls. And don’t exert too much pressure when rolling out, just enough to spread it.
Molasses – This gives the sticky part of the recipe a super cozy flavor and makes a nice and thick stick bun topping!
Corn syrup is the most common addition to this kind of recipe but I prefer the molasses and I have a few other options in the variations section below!
Nutmeg – This ingredient gives the traditional cinnamon filling a bit of dimension. When it comes to nutmeg, a little goes a long way.
Sticky Cinnamon Buns Variations
- Pure maple syrup can be used instead of molasses if you prefer that flavor. The mixture won’t be quite as thick but will still be really sticky! Try using Shaw’s Signature RESERVE™ Vanilla Maple Syrup that I also used in my Apple Donut Slices!
- Caramel sauce also makes a lovely substitute for molasses and add a distinct flavor to the pecan rolls!
- Honey is another lovely alternative to this recipe.
- Walnuts also make for a delicious option, you can substitute them for the pecans or use both! You can find both pre-chopped in the baking aisle at Shaw’s!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are they good for?
Can you freeze sticky buns?
How are sticky buns and cinnamon rolls different?
Classic cinnamon rolls are topped with cream cheese or vanilla icing but stick buns are actually baked on top of their topping and then the whole pan is inverted and the bottom becomes the top.
This results in something similar to an upside down cake.
Save Money At Shaw’s!
By becoming a just for U® rewards member and shopping at Shaw’s you’ll save money and earn rewards every time you shop! There are 3 ways to join:
- Text the word JOIN to 46359
- Download Shaw’s app
- Sign up at www.shaws.com.
As a just for U® rewards member, I get exclusive digital coupons and personalized deals in the app. I also scan the circular for Shaw’s HOT offers, which have HUGE savings on select items (it’s fun to plan recipes around those!).
On top of savings, I receive points for every dollar spent with each purchase that can be redeemed for money off of groceries and gas. As always, customers will be able to redeem 5 Rewards to get $7 OFF their next shopping trip, and 7 rewards to get $10 OFF their next shopping trip. When they earn 100 points, that point converts to 1 Reward. Rewards can be redeemed for $ off groceries or up to $1.00 OFF Gas at Exxon Mobil stations.
With everything I purchased on my shopping trip, I was able to earn 2 rewards toward my $15 Reward that I’m saving up for the holidays.
Plus, I save tons of time with Shaw’s Grocery Delivery and Pick Up services here in Maine. If you have little ones at home as I do, you know that having your groceries brought to you is a total lifesaver!
More Pecan Recipes
- Pecan Pie – A classic that should be on everyone’s holiday dessert table!
- Candied Gingerbread Pecans – A great edible gift for the holidays!
- Coconut Pecan Frosting – This is perfect for German Chocolate Cake!
Sticky Buns Recipe
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Pecan Sticky Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting surface and rolling pin
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4½ teaspoons instant yeast two ¼oz. packets
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
Topping
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1¼ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup molasses
Filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add the milk, water, and butter and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is between 120°F and 130°F, if it's too hot, allow it to cool until it reaches this zone.
- Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture while mixing on low speed until fully combined. Increase speed and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic but will still look as though it is sticking to the sizes but should pull away easily with a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl greased with non-stick spray and flip it once so the side of the dough that first was on the bottom is now on the top and has cooking spray on it so it doesn't stick. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 15 minutes, the dough should just about double in size in that time.
- Plop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 12×14-inches in size.
Topping
- While the dough is proofing, add all of the topping ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Filling
- Melt 4 tablespoons of sugar and use a pastry brush to brush the butter onto the dough leaving a small border around the edge.
- Sprinkle the butter with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and light brown sugar and start rolling the dough up as tightly as possible starting from one of the shorter ends.
- Once fully rolled up, use dental floss to loop around the roll and cross the ends to slice through the dough. You can also use a very sharp chef's knife, but dental floss will give these rolls the best shape. I like to cut the ends of the dough off and cut 12 rolls that are about 1-inch thick.
- Arrange the rolls on top of the pecan mixture and cover with plastic wrap and proof for an additional 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes. The tops should be golden brown in color when done.
- Allow the buns to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before running a paring knife around the edges of the pan and inverting onto a serving dish and enjoying. Then come back and leave a review and rating!
Notes
- To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, multiply the amount of yeast by 1.25. In this case, you don’t need to be super exact and add 5.625 teaspoons of yeast, you can simply add 5.5 teaspoons and the results should be great. Warm the milk, water, and sugar ONLY to 70 to 80 degrees F and let it bloom. Add it to the dry ingredients and then mix in the melted butter separately. You will also need to increase the initial proof time by about 15 minutes.
- Punching down the dough after it rises is a pretty common step in making homemade bread, however, when making cinnamon rolls, I like to skip this step. I skip it because when the dough gets rolled out the rolling pin works out a lot of the larger air bubbles, but smaller ones get to remain and I think this is the true KEY to light, fluffy, pull-apart cinnamon rolls. And don’t exert too much pressure when rolling out, just enough to spread it.
- The baked buns can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- How To Freeze: Prepare the recipe in full and allow the rolls to cool to room temperature before wrapping up and freezing for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm up in the microwave.
- Sticky Cinnamon Buns Variations
- Pure maple syrup can be used instead of molasses if you prefer that flavor. The mixture won’t be quite as thick but will still be really sticky!
- Caramel sauce also makes a lovely substitute for molasses and add a distinct flavor to the pecan rolls!
- Honey is another lovely alternative to this recipe.
- Walnuts also make for a delicious option, you can substitute them for the pecans or use both! You can find both pre-chopped in the baking aisle at Shaw’s!
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
KelleyA says
Dough roll part is perfect and easy…but the topping is not correct. Doing it exactly with 1/2C molasses, won’t even attract deer. (Yes, deers like molasses.) Waaaay too much!
My suggestion to others, follow the dough recipe and even the filling…but find another sticky bun topping recipe.
SO, today’s pan went into the trash(after several household family agreed)…and I’m going back to the caramel style with pecans(sugar, butter, light brown sugar and corn syrup plus vanilla).