If you are craving for something warm and sweet on a cosy weekend at any time of the year, you are at the right place. These delightful cinnamon pecan sticky buns are an ultimate treat to indulge. A mouthwatering afternoon sweet snack and of course a perfect dessert for impressing guests as well. It’s totally a crowd pleaser. These are super soft and buttery, rolled around a cinnamon sugar filling topped with a crunchy nutty caramel pecan layer that makes it out of the world delicious. The aroma of the spectacular spice cinnamon adds warmth and depth of flavour to these buns and I guarantee that your house will smell just like a gourmet bakery. This is a perfect recipe for beginners since it needs only one rise and requires less effort. Let’s dive into the recipe.
This recipe has got three main components
- The buttery soft, rich dough
- The cinnamon-brown sugar filling
- The honey pecan topping
Ingredients for the Dough:
- 1/2 cup warm milk 110°F (120mL)
- 2tsp active dry yeast
- 1/5 cup sugar (50g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus more for the pan (apprx.45g)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp vanilla (5ml)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting counter (240g)
Ingredients for the Topping:
- 6 tablespoons of firmly packed light brown sugar (75g)
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (50g)
- 3 tablespoons of honey (30ml)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup 100g coarsely chopped pecans
Ingredients for the Filling:
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (50g)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon(Ceylon cinnamon)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (35g)
How to make these perfect cinnamon pecan sticky buns:
Instructions to make the dough:
In a large mixing bowl or in a standing mixer add the all the ingredients except for the milk. Mix them gently until everything just comes together. Add warm milk (make sure that your milk is at the correct temperature if you are not using a thermometer just dip your finger in milk and hold for 10 seconds, if you can handle the heat, it is just the right temperature). It takes about 4 minutes in a standing mixer at medium speed to form the dough. If you are making it by hand knead the dough for about 5 to 7 minutes until a slightly sticky dough forms. Transfer the dough into a buttered bowl and Cover it with cling wrap and allow it to rise until the dough doubles in size probably 1 to 1.5 hours. (Depending on the weather)
Instructions to make the Topping:
Add the brown sugar, butter, salt and honey to a pan and gently stir it in low heat until the butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture is completely smooth. Pour it to the bottom of a lined 8*8 inch baking dish or 9 to 10 inch pie dish and add the chopped pecans on top of it.
Instructions to make the Filling:
In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar and keep aside.
Let’s assemble the buns:
Roll out the dough in to a rectangle shape around 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Brush it with melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly. Roll the dough to a cylindrical shape and turn the seam side down cut it into 12 slices. (Use a dental floss or a thread for clean cuts).
Place these slices on top of the pecan filling leaving space in between the slices bake at 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) for 30 to 35 minutes. After 20 minutes if the tops of the buns are brown, cover it with foil and then continue baking. Leave it on the tray for about 3 minutes run a knife around the edge of the pan and flip it on to a tray.
Notes:
Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature (you’ll make the best dough ever).
Use Ceylon cinnamon instead of cassia it make a world of difference in terms of flavour. I’ve curated many recipes using cassia but they never matched the depth and smoothness of true Ceylon cinnamon.
Make sure that you warm your milk right. Too much heat will kill the yeast and will not result in a fluffy and soft dough.
