Description
Indulge in these delicious Pecan Praline Sticky Buns featuring a rich pecan praline topping, soft cinnamon sugar-filled dough, and a perfect balance of sweetness and texture. This recipe walks you through making the praline sauce, dough, and filling for bakery-style sticky buns right at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Pecan Praline Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cup pecan pieces
Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and lightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the Pecan Praline Topping: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla bean paste or extract, kosher salt, and heavy whipping cream. Stir and allow mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until butter melts and the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in pecan pieces. Transfer sauce to an airtight container. If using same day, leave out at room temperature; if storing, refrigerate and reheat before use.
- Pour Topping Into Baking Pan: Pour the pecan praline sauce into a 9×9 inch baking pan or similar oven-safe dish. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread evenly. Set aside.
- Activate Yeast for Dough: Warm milk to about 110°F (warm but not hot). In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle in yeast and sugar, then pour in warmed milk. Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to activate yeast if using active dry yeast. If using instant yeast, proceed to next step immediately without waiting.
- Mix and Knead Dough: Add melted butter, egg, flour, and kosher salt to the yeast mixture. Attach dough hook to mixer and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes until dough is smooth. Alternatively, knead dough by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- First Rise: Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased large bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and kitchen towel, then allow dough to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours depending on ambient temperature.
- Shape Dough and Add Filling: Punch down dough and turn onto floured surface. Roll into a 10×12 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter evenly over dough, leaving a margin around edges. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, then sprinkle cinnamon on top. Gently pat sugar and cinnamon mixture onto dough.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Roll dough into a tight log starting from the longest side with the seam down. Stretch log gently if needed and pinch seam to seal. Trim uneven ends. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut log into 9 equal pieces for rolls.
- Arrange Rolls on Topping and Second Rise: Place rolls directly on top of pecan praline sauce in the baking dish, pressing them gently into sauce so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise again in warm place until puffy, 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F towards the end of this rise.
- Bake Rolls: Remove cover and bake rolls in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Invert and Serve: Carefully remove pan from oven using oven mitts. Immediately invert pan onto a large plate or platter to release sticky buns with praline topping on top. Scrape any remaining sauce onto buns. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving to avoid burning from hot topping. Enjoy your pecan praline sticky buns fresh!
Notes
- For best results, use whole milk warmed to 110°F to properly activate yeast.
- If using instant yeast, no proofing step is needed; add directly with other dough ingredients.
- Trim ends of the rolled dough as they tend to be smaller and often less full.
- To make neat rolls, score dough log before cutting to guide equal pieces.
- Reheat pecan praline sauce gently if stored in the fridge before assembly.
- Allow inverted sticky buns to cool before serving as topping will be very hot and sticky.
- The recipe yields 9 sticky buns perfect for sharing or indulgent mornings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
