Wake up to the aroma of these maple pecan sticky buns. Made with our cinnamon roll mix, these soft and fluffy, homemade sweet rolls are swirled with cinnamon sugar and then baked in a maple pecan glaze for breakfast perfection!
As kids, my siblings and I collected sap during the early spring, when the temps fluctuated. My mom made delicious homemade maple syrup every year. And for those like me who love maple, these maple pecan buns are pure bliss!
Sticky buns are easy to make ahead. Simply prepare the dough, fill and roll into buns. Place into prepared pan, cover and set it into the refrigerator to rise overnight. Then next morning, set rolls on counter to bring to room temp (about 40min) then bake. I hear the buzzer now, Oh, I can't wait!
Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Prep: 25 min l Rise: 30 min. l Bake: 27-30 min. l Makes: 9 servings.
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp soft butter or butter substitute
- 2 eggs
- ½ c. + 2 tsp whole milk or milk substitute
- 1 bag of Cinnamon Roll Mix
- ½ cup starch (tapioca or cornstarch) for pressing out).
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ⅓ c. brown sugar (granulated sugar works too)
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon (I use pensey's vietnamese ground cinnamon)
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 4 tbsp. heavy whipping cream (optional)
Maple Pecan Glaze
- 1 c. coarsely chopped pecans
- ½ c. whole milk or heavy cream
(Vegan; use reg.coconut milk) - ⅔ c. maple syrup
- ¼ c + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. butter or butter substitute
- 2 tsp GF vanilla extract (I use McCormick's pure vanilla extract)
Directions
- PREP: Grease a 9" round or square cake pan or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- MIX: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Using the flat paddle, combine on low speed. Add the warm milk with the cinnamon roll mix alternating until the ingredients come together (The milk should be just warm, registering between 100-110˚F. If it is hotter, allow to cool slightly). Coarsely chop pecans and spread over the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside. In a small bowl combine sugar with cinnamon and set aside.
- MAKE GLAZE: In a medium sauce pan, combine, milk or cream, maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar. Melt butter and sugar completely over medium heat. Let glaze come to a boil, about 8 minutes, while stirring. Let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour glaze over pecans. Set aside to prepare the rolls.
- ASSEMBLE - Press out dough: Lay 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a flat surface (necessary to roll up the dough). Sprinkle ¼ cup starch into the center. Transfer dough onto starch and sprinkle top with more starch (Dough will be sticky and starch helps to keep it from sticking to your hands). Press dough into a 8 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush 2 tbsp of melted butter on top, covering the surface. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar mix.
- ASSEMBLE - Roll up dough: Starting at the edge closest to you, lift the plastic wrap and turn the edge of the dough onto itself. Continue lifting the plastic wrap to roll up the dough, forming a log by rolling the rectangle away from you (If dough sticks to the plastic wrap, use a knife or a metal cake spatula and gently separate dough from wrap). Once rolled, press seam down. Brush off extra starch and even the ends of the log. Cut log in half, then divide each half into 4 evenly-sized slices. Arrange the slices, cut side down, onto pecans in the prepared pan. Spoon heavy cream on top of the swirled rolls.
- BAKE: Cover rolls with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise about 30-50 min in an 150°F oven, or until rolls double in size. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a roll comes out clean, 22 - 26 minutes. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes.
- SERVE: Turn pan over onto a large serving platter. Let the extra glaze coat the buns. Let cool 10 minutes. Pull the rolls apart and serve warm.