Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Imagine the irresistibly sweet aroma of freshly baked Maple Pecan Sticky Buns wafting through your home on a lazy October Sunday. Now consider it a reality! This recipe from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate shows you how to prep the dough the night before, so all you have to do come morning is let it rise and bake.
There’s nothing quite like the smell of cinnamon buns baking on a weekend morning. It just sets the tone for a great weekend, don’t you think? I’ve had a lot of good cinnamon buns, but this recipe for Maple Pecan Sticky Buns really takes the cake.
Not only are these sticky buns light, fluffy and tender, but the maple and pecan sauce they are baked in is also beyond words.
I’ve made these countless times trying to get the recipe absolutely perfect and I had to make them one more time to make sure they could be made a day in advance. Who wants to wait hours for dough to rise on a Sunday morning? Maybe some people, but not my family. So, I’ve included instructions on how to prep the dough the night before and store it in the refrigerator. In the morning, all you need to do is give them a quick rise on the countertop, do the Wordle and then pop them in the oven!
12 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the dough:
1 cup milk
1 packet active dry yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the maple topping:
2 cups chopped pecans
½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup half and half
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- To make the dough: Heat the milk in a small pot over medium-high heat to 110 F.
- Sprinkle the yeast and ¼ cup of sugar in the warm milk and give it a little stir. Cover with a towel and let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla, remaining ¼ cup of sugar and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the yeast mixture and the butter mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine.
- Add half of the flour and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour and mix to combine.
- Using a dough hook, knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding an additional ¼ cup of flour if needed. The dough will be sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a surface dusted with flour and knead until it’s smooth and bounces back when you press it.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- To make the topping: Sprinkle the pecans on the bottom of a greased 9”x13” baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter, brown sugar, half and half, maple syrup and salt over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and then cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour the mixture over the pecans in the baking dish. After the dough has risen, heat the oven to 375 F.
- To fill the rolls: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle that is approximately 12”x18”. Spread the melted butter on the dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Starting at one of the long ends, roll the dough into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces and place them on top of the maple pecan mixture. At this point, you may cover the rolls with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then invert the pan onto a serving plate.
