The Best Sticky Pecan Cinnamon Buns

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

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Rated 4.80 out of 5

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I never thought any sweet bread could ever trump my favorite cinnamon rolls, but then I ate these Sticky Pecan Cinnamon Buns and stood corrected! They combine my pillowy soft cinnamon rolls with a sticky, crunchy caramelized maple pecan topping, and every bite is nothing short of extraordinary. They taste and smell like fall, with a beautiful cinnamon-y, nutty and caramel-y flavor. And the best part is, this is a very simple, fuss-free recipe, which you can make without a stand mixer (although you can use one if you want).

A hand holding a sticky pecan bun, with more glazed pecan buns on a wooden board in the background.

These sticky pecan cinnamon rolls have been a reader favorite on my blog for 3+ years, and are especially popular during Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are always a crowd-pleaser, so I highly recommend making them if you’re hosting. And if you’re still on the fence, just check out some of the reviews!

This is literally the BEST batch of ANY baked good I have had in my LIFE! They are fool-proof, because if anyone is dough challenged, it’s me.. and these turned out PERFECT! This is my new “impressive dish to bring to every party” choice!

– Jordan, ★★★★★

You really should try these!

If you still need convincing after the review and pictures, here are some reasons why you will love these:

  • The rolls are pillowy soft, just like my soft and gooey cinnamon rolls. My sister in law is married to a Swedish man who has a family recipe for cinnamon rolls. So when she was about to try these buns, she warned me that she has very high standards. But after her first bite, her eyes bugged out of their sockets, and a delirious “oh my god” stuttered out of her mouth. She told me these are the softest buns she’s ever had!
  • The pecan topping is sticky, crunchy, nutty and caramel-y all in one. The pecans are toasted first, and therefore retain a crunch even after being baked in the sticky sauce. The result is a nutty caramel goodness that is hard to explain – and the smell is out of this world
  • They are actually quite easy to make. I know many people are intimidated by yeast recipes, but I’m here to tell you it’s just an ingredient like any other! And this recipe is intentionally designed to be fuss free. There are no unnecessary steps, and almost all components come together quickly
  • You don’t need a stand mixer. I have kneaded this dough both with and without a stand mixer, and both methods work perfectly fine. It comes down to your preference (and whether you have one)
A hand holds a sticky, glazed cinnamon roll topped with pecans. More cinnamon rolls with pecans are visible in the blurred background.

3 simple components

These sticky pecan cinnamon buns are made of 3 key components:

  1. The dough. This is the heart of these buns, and a recipe I am extremely proud of. The dough isn’t too wet or sticky to work with, but results in very soft, fluffy buns. The key to get it right lies in the kneading and proofing, both of which should be given the right amount of time
  2. The cinnamon sugar filling. Made by simply mixing together the ingredients, this filling gives a wonderful grit and balanced cinnamon flavor to the buns
  3. Sticky pecan topping. First, toast the pecans until they become fragrant. This step is a must as otherwise pecans can taste a bit earthy and become soft. Spread them out in the baking tray. Then make a sauce with maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and milk, and pour on top of the pecans. Place the rolls on top and bake. At the end, the baking tray is flipped upside down so the sticky pecans become the topping

How to make sticky pecan cinnamon buns

The detailed method is provided in the brown recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview of the steps:

  1. Knead the dough. Simply mix together all ingredients and knead until the dough reaches the window-pane stage
  2. Proof the dough. Cover and let it double in size
  3. Make the sticky pecan topping. While the dough is rising, make the sticky sauce and pour it over the toasted pecans in the baking tray. Stick this in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool down
  4. Make the cinnamon sugar filling
  5. Shape the buns. Roll out the dough, spread on the filling, cut into strips and roll them up into 12 cinnamon rolls. Place them on top of the pecan topping in the baking tray
  6. Proof the buns. This is a shorter proof which allows the buns to become fluffy again before being baked
  7. Bake! Voila, time to go in the oven
  8. Flip and serve. Wait for 5 minutes, then carefully flip the buns onto the serving platter, remove the parchment paper, and serve!
12 cinnamon rolls shaped and placed on top of sticky pecan filling in a 9x13 baking dish, waiting to be proofed
12 cinnamon rolls shaped and placed on top of sticky pecan filling in a 9x13 baking dish. they have proofed and puffed up
12 cinnamon rolls shaped and placed on top of sticky pecan filling in a 9x13 baking dish. they have been baked and now fill up the tray with swirls of cinnamon sugar seen in them

3 tips for the softest dough

There are three things you need to get right for your dough to turn out perfect:

  1. Measure accurately. I strongly recommend using a weighing scale instead of measuring cups as that will yield the most accurate results. Otherwise, you may end up with too much flour, making the rolls dry
  2. Knead to the window-pane stage. If a dough is not properly kneaded, it doesn’t have enough gluten formation and cannot rise as well, making it denser. Whether you are using a stand mixer or kneading by hand, make sure to knead until the dough becomes soft, smooth, and stretchy, and passes the window-pane test. If you hold a piece of dough in your fingers and slowly stretch it, it should get paper thin and translucent before it starts to rip
  3. Don’t under or over proof. Under-proofed dough will result in denser buns that don’t hold their shape properly, and over-proofed dough will result in deflated, sad buns. Proofing time can vary depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, so look for the signs. After the first proof, the dough should more than double in size, and partly spring back when poked with a finger. After the second proof, which is done after shaping the buns, the buns should look puffy but not yet take up the whole tray

I’ve covered everything in more detail with pictures in my cinnamon roll recipe, and highly recommend taking a read.

Overhead view of a sticky rectangular pecan cinnamon rolls on a wooden board with parchment paper, set on a textured white surface.
Print
A hand holds a sticky bun topped with glossy caramelized pecans, with more pecan-topped buns visible in the background.

Best Sticky Pecan Cinnamon Buns

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.80 stars from 27 reviews

Unbelievably soft and pillowy cinnamon buns topped with a sticky, crunchy, caramelized pecan topping – these buns are extraordinarily delicious and come together without a stand mixer!

Yield:12 buns

Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Rest time:
90 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs, 40 mins

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 cup whole milk (240g)
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66g)
  • 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour (490g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (85g)

Sticky pecan topping:

  • 2 1/3 cup pecan pieces and halves (260g)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup (100g)
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (200g)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g)
  • 1/4 cup milk (60g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Cinnamon sugar filling:

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened or slightly melting (85g)
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (150g)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Assembly:

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (80g), optional – drizzled over the shaped buns for an even softer texture

Instructions

Dough:

  1. Microwave milk in 20-30 second increments until it is warm to touch (~100-110F). Add it to a bowl with the yeast and whisk. If using active dry yeast, rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture looks foamy. If using instant yeast, proceed without waiting
  2. If kneading by hand: Add the rest of the dough ingredients (sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and room temperature butter) to the same bowl. Use a large wooden spoon to mix everything and bring it into a shaggy dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface, then use clean hands to knead the dough with a push-pull motion. The dough will be sticky to begin with, but don’t add more flour at this point. After 5 minutes, clean your hands to remove sticky dough bits from them. If the dough still feels too sticky, add just 1-2 tbsp flour and keep kneading. After about 15 minutes of kneading, the dough will become soft, smooth and very stretchy, and pass the window-pane test
  3. If kneading with a stand mixer: Transfer the milk and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer (or use that bowl to begin with), and add the rest of the dough ingredients. Knead using the dough hook attachment on medium high speed for 7-10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, pulls away from the edges of the bowl, and is stretchy enough to pass the window-pane test
  4. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl sprayed with oil, cover with cling wrap and rest in a warm place (75-80F) for 60-90 minutes, or until the dough has at least doubled in size and springs back partly when gently poked with a finger

Sticky pecan topping:

  1. Line a 9×13″ baking tray with parchment paper and brush with butter. Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional, no fan)
  2. Spread the pecans in the baking tray, and place in the pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Set aside
  3. Add the remaining ingredients of the topping (maple syrup, brown sugar, unsalted butter, milk and salt) to a saucepan, and cook and stir over medium low heat until everything is melted and combined (no need to cook more)
  4. Pour the sauce on top of the toasted pecans and ensure it is spread evenly. Place the tray in the fridge for ~15 minutes so the sauce cools down

Cinnamon sugar filling:

  1. In the meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing softened butter with cinnamon, sugar and salt. If it feels hard to mix, microwave for a few seconds and mix again

Assembly & baking:

  1. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a clean surface dusted lightly with flour. Using your hands and a rolling pin, roll it into a 12×16″ rectangle. The dough will be really soft so won’t need much pressure
  2. Use a spatula to spread the filling evenly across the rectangle
  3. With the 12″ side towards you, divide the dough into 12 strips (each strip will be 1″ wide and 16″ long)
  4. Roll each strip tightly into a cinnamon roll, and transfer to the baking tray with the sticky pecan topping. You will arrange the rolls in a 4×3 formation
  5. Once all buns are shaped, let them rest in a warm spot for another ~30 minutes until they look a bit more puffed up and spring back partly when gently poked
  6. If you turned off your oven earlier, in the last 20 minutes of the proof, preheat it to 350F (conventional) again
  7. Optional: Right before putting the rolls in the oven, drizzle the heavy cream over them carefully. This results in even softer, moister buns, but can be skipped
  8. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the rolls develop a light golden color and feel firm to touch
  9. Remove from oven and let the rolls rest for 5 minutes. Carefully flip the tray onto the serving platter so the pecans are on the top. Remove the parchment paper. Serve and enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Notes

  • Yeast: You can use both instant or active dry yeast for this recipe. If using instant, you can combine all dough ingredients and knead. If using active dry yeast, first combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar, and rest for 10 minutes or until frothy. Then add the rest of the ingredients
  • Egg substitute: You can substitute the egg with 1/4 cup of full fat yogurt (60g)
  • Pecan substitute: If you don’t like pecans or can’t find them, walnuts make a great substitute in this recipe
  • Maple syrup substitute: If you can’t find maple syrup, you can swap it with 100g of honey 
  • Overnight rise:  If you want to split the work between 2 days, you can do the first rise of the dough in the fridge overnight. Then shape the rolls the next day, and give the rolls their second rise at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking (longer because the dough will be cold to start with)
  • Storage: You can store these buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Any longer than that, store them in the fridge and microwave for 15-20 seconds before enjoying!

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Comments

  1. Sadaf

    I guess I made this recipe 4 to 5 times and every single guest loved it…it’s awesome. keep it up zoha..proud Pakistani

  2. Albert

    As a amateur baker, first time making STICKY PECAN CINNAMON BUNS. The finished STICKY PECAN CINNAMON BUNS have a good taste but was disappointed with the topping, it was a bit gritty, as if the sugar crystalized or didn’t cook long enough. The buns were a bit dry, maybe a little more milk in the mix was needed. I didn’t incorporate the optional heavy cream over the buns in the bake.

    This recipe sounds like a delicious delight and so much want to taste it. What can I do to fix the problems I have?

  3. Christine

    I compared the recipe for the best cinnamon roll ever and the sticky pecan cinnamon buns. I noticed that the best cinnamon roll has a bigger dough batch than the latter. Is there any reason for this? For a 9×13-inch pan, which dough recipe should I use? Thank you.

  4. Robin

    Great sticky buns, but I won’t add the cream next time. The rolls looked done but the center rolls were too gooey to eat. The dough was so tender to begin with, it shouldn’t be needed.

  5. Kate

    I made these for Christmas morning. They were a huge hit. Using the food processor for kneading (and a scale for measuring) helped to not add too much flour. I decided to try the cream. Wow! I’m so glad I did. They came out pillowy soft topped with ooey gooey deliciousness. And with just 20 seconds in the microwave, they are just as wonderful the next day. Thanks for the recipe and the tips on how to perfect this delightful confection!

  6. nj

    I do have questions with the topping, it seemed to have way too much liquid as I poured it into the pan. After baking the suggested time to a light golden brown & flipping, the roll tops were very soggy. I put them back into the oven with the top side up in hopes to bake away the sogginess. After 15 minutes I took them out & let them sit overnight in hopes they would be okay the next morning. They were okay..but still a bit gooey.

  7. Lisa

    Totally decadent and delicious alternatives is to make these as directed, with the pecans + syrup layer on the bottom of the baking pan. When they’re done baking, DON’T turn them out onto a platter so the pecans are on top. Instead, use the typical cinnamon roll spread.

    Not a daily treat by any means but oh so wonderful for the moments they’re upon your lips. Worry about your hips tomorrow lol

  8. Andrea

    I’ve been searching for the perfect sticky pecan roll for years. YEARS. These easily top them all. Even with cheating on dough in the bread machine! Perfection.

  9. Lorri ann

    Can I do the last rise overnight in the fridge and then bake in the morning?

    1. Megan

      making these now and wondering how they turned out doing it this way with the last rise overnight in the oven ?

      1. Dina

        Wow!
        These are amazing,
        So soft and gooey and I did significantly cut the sugar but nevertheless so amazing and still sweet.
        Thank you so much zoha,this will be my go to recipe From now on!

        1. Zoha

          Aren’t they so good! I am so happy you loved them

  10. Sharon

    Good morning, Zoha! Could you explain “soaking the buns” in heavy cream? How does this work and when do you do it?

    1. Nancy Moore

      Exactly the question I was looking for! I made about a year ago, but didn’t have the cream to add, or know when to add, so omitted it. This year I looked for the answer and here it is! Thank you!

    2. Rose

      “Right before putting the rolls in the oven, pour the heavy cream over them carefully.”

      1. Nancy Moore

        Trying this tomorrow! Last year I wasn’t sure what the answer was as to adding the cream, so I made without the cream. The neighbors (and hubby and me!) really loved them, but saw the answer today so tomorrow, that is what I’m doing! Had to look up what kneading dough to “window-pane” meant, lol, but I think I have it down now! However, I am going to try and roll into 16 instead of 12 rolls so we can keep some for ourselves, and most for hubby to take to work, lol!

  11. Jordan

    OHMYGOSH If you’re reading this, stop what you’re doing RIGHT now, go buy all the ingredients, and get baking, bc this is LITERALLY the BEST batch of ANY baked good I have EVER made in my LIFE!!!!!! Trust me when I say they’re FOOL PROOF! Bc if anyone is dough-challenged, it’s me…and these turned out PERFECT. Normally, my attempts at any sort of dough (pie crust, pizza, rolls, etc) literally ends in crying and screaming and a kitchen covered in flour and expletives lol and that ALMOST happened with this when my yeast didn’t activate at first. But I realized my milk hadn’t been warm enough, so I tried again and this time the yeast activated, and I just continued to follow the recipe to a T and I have literally never been more proud of or impressed with myself! I also have the added challenge of baking at altitude, and the only adjustment I needed was baking for a tad longer. This is my new “impressive dish to bring to every party” choice! I am going to be baking these for the rest of my life!!!!

  12. Lea

    Yall these were soooooo good.
    At first for my first time I was unsure how these were gonna come out but yall Tis was a 1000/10 like so good yall sleeping on this.
    Gurl thx Tis was one of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve had. 🎀✨🤍

    1. Zoha

      I’m so glad you loved these as much as I do!

  13. Bill

    Hi Zoha:
    I’ve had this question for quite some time and I guess since your recipe calls for it three times you get elected to answer it! The question is why do you call for unsalted butter and then also call for salt to be added? You call for this in the dough, filling and the topping. Isn’t that redundant? Thanks.

    1. Zoha

      Hi Bill! Great question. Salted butter doesn’t have a set standard for how much salt it has; so using unsalted and adding salt ourselves gives us more control. In addition, a lot of salted butter also has a more “brittle” texture while unsalted butter is softer.

  14. Ria

    Hi Zoha I made these sticky pecan buns today! Omg they were so pillowy and absolutely decadent. Your recipe was so easy to follow. Most definitely the best sticky pecan buns I have ever made or tasted. My family loved them just as much.

    1. Zoha

      YAY thank you so much, Ria!!

  15. Zeeny

    Can you substitute salted butter? If so, are there other alterations I need to make? Thanks.

    1. anonymous

      these are excellent.. thanks for the recipe…lm vegan so i veganized them: egg sub 1/8 cup water and 1/8 cup veg oil and 1 tsp baking powder… use earth balance for the butter. and soy milk for the milk or any plant based milk. they turned out excellent…again thank you

      1. Zoha

        Thanks so so much for the detailed review! I am sure many will find it helpful 🙂

    2. Zoha

      I recommend unsalted butter if you can get it. Otherwise, skip the salt!

  16. Greg Nolan

    Amazing recipe. Buns came out amazing!! As good, if not better than, the major retailer. Cinnab*** 😉 Your measurements are bang on! keep up the great work!!

    1. Zoha

      Thank you SO much, Greg!!!!

      1. Mah-Ann Mendoza

        I followed the recipe to the letter including weighing instead of measuring cups.

        First, the dough was way too sticky and unmanageable no matter how long I kneaded the dough. Way too wet and sticky. I had to add some flour just to be able to pick up, push and pull.

        After rising time, I added the cream sparingly and baked for 30 minutes at 350

        After 5 minutes, turned it over and tried it. It was too gooey and seems
        Like it’s like eating raw dough in the middle. Ugh. So disappointed. 😔

        1. Tammy

          For anyone reading this one star comment, don’t let it put you off from making this – the total hydration in this dough is around 60% so it’s quite literally impossible for it to be unmanageable and that wet if you follow the recipe.
          I weighed everything too – the dough was beautiful to work with, and the buns were fully baked after 30 mins. This recipe is a keeper!

          1. Zoha

            Thank you so much, Tammy! Really appreciate it <3

  17. Saaliha

    Another really delicious (and foolproof) recipe! 😍

    1. Zoha

      :’) Thank you so much!

  18. Sundus

    The buns turned out amazing! Love your work! ❤️

    1. Zoha

      thank you so so so much!

      1. Cathy

        Easy and delicious recipe with great instructions. Big payoff for just a little bit of effort.The result was a tender and delicious sticky bun.

        1. Zoha

          I love these so much! Glad you liked them 🙂

  19. Zainub Mohamed

    Tried these sticky pecan buns last night… buns were soft.. taste was absolute yummy..

    1. Zoha

      YAY!

  20. Arianna Da Silva

    will it turn out the same if i cut all the measurements in half but still use a whole egg ( since it would be difficult to use half an egg) ? i’m only 1 person but still want to make them, just not so many

    1. Zoha

      Hi Arianna! You can do 1/2 the recipe and replace the half egg with 2 tbsp of yogurt 🙂

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