Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

, Gemma's Best Recipes

4.59 from 271 votes

  • Jump To Recipe
  • Jump To Video
  • Loading…Save Recipe

Make my soft, caramel and pecan Best Ever Sticky Buns without a mixer and no-kneading required!

By Gemma Stafford | | 389

Last updated on November 11, 2019

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (1)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

Create a Profile!

Already have an account?

Breakfast pastries are near and dear to my heart. A few years ago I had a catering business where I mainly served breakfast, so yeah I love making breakfast. I took the opportunity to practice with a lot of doughs and experiment with different breakfast sweets. Best thing was I had a hundred people everymorning who loved sweets. My Best-EverSticky Buns recipe was born at this same time and now I get to share it with you!

Similar to a lot of my doughs I have made previously, this is a No Knead Dough, which means you don’t need toknead the dough on a machine to develop the gluten. You just need to mix everything by hand in a bowl and then leave to rest. The fermenting period willdevelop the gluten for you and also theflavor. It really is that simple.

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2)

A benefit to this dough is that after only 4 hours of fermenting you are free to use it. If you don’t want to use it yet after the 4 hours you can put it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The extra fermenting and time will give your dough even more flavor.

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (3)

Are you a breakfast connoisseurlike me? If so, I recommend checking out my no knead Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Croissants and other Bold Baking Breakfast recipes.

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (4)

Try These Recipes!

Homemade Corn Tortillas Recipe
Easy Sourdough Popovers Recipe
Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
Wholesome Breakfast Pizza Recipe (No-Knead)

Watch The Recipe Video!

Best Ever Sticky Buns (No Machine)

4.59 from 271 votes

Print Recipe

Make my soft, caramel and pecan Best Ever Sticky Buns without a mixer and no-kneading required!

Author: Gemma Stafford adapted from Zoe Francois

Servings: 8

  • Breakfast
  • Caramel
  • Nuts
  • Oven
  • Baking Pans

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Make my soft, caramel and pecan Best Ever Sticky Buns without a mixer and no-kneading required!

Author: Gemma Stafford adapted from Zoe Francois

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cups (8oz / 240g) milk
  • 2 teaspoons Fast acting dried yeast or Instant yeast.
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup (2 ½ oz/75g) honey
  • ½ cup (4oz/115g) butter, melted
  • 3 ½ cups (18½ oz/525g) all-purpose flour

  • Caramel Topping and filling
  • ¾ cup (6oz/170g) butter, melted, plus more for sides of the pan
  • 1 ¼ cup (7 ½ oz/220g) brown sugar
  • cup (4oz/115g) honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups (4 ½ oz/105g) chopped pecans

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt. Set aside.

  • In a separate jug, mix together the milk, honey, butter. Pop in the microwave and gently heat for a few seconds until the mix is lukewarm and the butter is melting.

  • Once the butter has melted quickly whisk in the eggs until combined. You want to make sure the mix isn’t hot otherwise the eggs will cook.

  • Pour the wet into the dry and mix until it forms a dough and all the flour is mixed in. It only takes a minutes to mix the dough together.

  • Cover with cling wrap and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises for a minimum of 4 hours. After the 4 hours you can place it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

  • For the filling: Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Set aside.

  • Using a 9-inch cake pan, with a spatula spread half the caramel mixture evenly over the bottom and all over the sides Scatter the pecans over the caramel mixture and set aside.

  • Dust your work surface with flour. Roll out the dough to a 1/8 -inch thick rectangle (around 20 inches long). As you roll out the dough, make sure there is enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface

  • With the remaining caramel mixture evenly spread it over the rolled out dough leaving 1 inch around the edge of the dough without the filling.

  • Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a log. Roll it over until its seam is underneath.

  • Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 2 ½ inch rolls (around 8/9 pieces). Arrange the rolls over the pecans in the prepared pan, so that the swirled cut edge is facing upward.

  • Cover the tin with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour. During this time they will rise up to meet the tin and becoming bubbly.

  • Once proofed, place the rolls on a baking sheet covered with parchment, in case the caramel bubbles over.

  • Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC) and bake for roughly 40 minutes, or until golden brown and firm in the center.

  • While still hot, run a thin spatula around the outer edge of the pan to release the caramel rolls, and invert immediately onto a serving dish. If you let them set too long they will stick to the pan and will be difficult to turn out. Enjoy warm!

Recipe Notes

Make the dough in advance and place in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Subscribe

389 Comments

most useful

newestoldest

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (11)

Alison Lopez

4 years ago

can i use maple syrup instead of honey

7

Reply

View Replies (3)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (12)

Chesca

3 years ago

Hi, Gemma! How do you suggest I make this if I have active dry yeast? Also, your suggestion regarding using maple syrup instead of honey caught my attention! Will using maple syrup affect the flavour? Asking since I would definitely like to make it as yummy as yours and have both ingredients at home! What made you choose honey over maple syrup for your recipe? 🙂

1

Reply

View Replies (5)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (13)

Nora M Penn

10 months ago

I can not wait to try these

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (14)

David

1 year ago

Made these several times with your crazy dough recipe and they are delicious!!

Reply

View Replies (1)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (15)

Jenny

1 year ago

Turned out amazing! Rich and buttery dough.

Reply

View Replies (1)

Daniyal Khizar

2 years ago

Hi Gemma,
This Recipe Was So Easy And Fast To Make!
I Used Margarine Instead Of Butter And 1/2 Table Syrup And 1/2 Honey. I Also Split The Dough In Half And Rolled It 10 Inches Long 2 Times (Because I Had A Small Workspace).
These Were Amazing And Flavourful (8 People LOVED It!)
I Will Definitely Make This Again 🙂

Reply

View Replies (1)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (18)

Shannon

2 years ago

How can I make my filling more thicker . I have made your recipe multiple times and I love them but I can never get my filling thick it also turns out runny. Thank you

Reply

View Replies (2)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (19)

Miranda

2 years ago

Hello, I watched the video and read some of the comments but how do you store the dough in the fridge? I’ll be keeping it in the fridge for a days or two and aren’t sure how to cover the bowl to ensure the dough does what it’s supposed to. Thank you!!

Reply

View Replies (1)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (20)

Jacki Spath

2 years ago

You’re amazing Gemma!!!💛

Reply

View Replies (1)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (21)

Aman

2 years ago

Hi Gemma! I was wondering if there’s something else I could substitute for the eggs in the recipe? I want my dough to be nice and soft and pillowy but we don’t eat eggs.

Any suggestions?

Reply

View Replies (1)

This Recipe Made By Bold Bakers

57 Images

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (22)

Marisol

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (23)

L.hg17

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (24)

smatin685

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (25)

Shaybarda

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (26)

Lolly

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (27)

Frey

About Us

Meet Gemma

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (28)

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

Read More

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (29)

Best Ever Sticky Buns Recipe (No Machine) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a cinnamon roll and a sticky bun? ›

Though sticky buns may contain cinnamon, they do not always contain the spice, whereas cinnamon rolls always contain cinnamon (as the name implies). As a result, sticky buns have a more nutty and toffee-like taste compared to cinnamon rolls, which are more sugar-and-spice forward.

Is there a difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns? ›

Structurally, cinnamon buns share the same spiral shape. They are sometimes thinner and more delicate. The most significant difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns is the inclusion of nuts. Cinnamon buns often have pecans, walnuts, or even raisins in the filling.

Why is my cinnamon roll dough so sticky? ›

Overly sticky dough is normally caused by a combination of using the wrong flour and using too much water.

What are sticky buns made of? ›

Cinnamon rolls and sticky buns both have a similar base: a "rich" dough, which has some fat worked into it like milk, butter, and eggs. Both recipes have a filling of butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and the dough is rolled up and cut into individual buns before being baked.

What are the three types of buns? ›

Some common types of buns are:
  • Brioche.
  • Hot dog buns.
  • Hamburger buns.
  • Dinner rolls.
  • Parker House rolls.
  • Sesame seed buns.
  • Whole wheat buns.
  • Potato buns.
Jan 16, 2023

What kind of cinnamon does cinnamon bun use? ›

Cinnabon's creators set out to find the most flavorful and aromatic cinnamon possible, and settled on "Korintje" or "Makara," a variety that can only be harvested from cassia trees in the mountains of Indonesia. It's considered the gold standard of the spice.

What is the Cinnabon secret ingredient? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

What is slang for cinnamon bun? ›

synonym ▲ Synonym: cinnamon bun. (slang, neologism) A person perceived as good, gentle and kind. Often a fictional character who undergoes emotional suffering.

What are cinnamon rolls called in England? ›

Here are the best cinnamon buns in the UK and where to buy them. Cinnamon buns are also known as cinnamon rolls and kannelbullen, and in Denmark they are even called Kanelsnegl; 'cinnamon snail'.

Can you let cinnamon rolls rise too long? ›

Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long? Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.

What helps sticky dough? ›

After the first rise, you would normally knead the dough again. However, if you find your dough is too sticky at this point, do not knead it again. Instead, gently press and deflate the dough. You can also use a light coating of flour on your hands and working surface to press and stretch the dough.

Why are my cinnamon rolls hard after baking? ›

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

How do you know when sticky buns are done? ›

If you don't have a thermometer, use a toothpick or sharp knife to gently prod one of the center buns. Insert the knife between two sticky buns and gently pry them apart, just a little bit! If things still seem doughy, give them a few more minutes in the oven.

What is the difference between a morning bun and a sticky bun? ›

Sticky buns start with a caramel glaze poured into a baking dish. Then, the buns are placed on top, and, after baking, you invert the pan onto a plate, so the glaze is on top. Morning buns have a different type of dough — more like a croissant, but a little chewier.

What is the difference between a roll and a bun? ›

Rolls are typically proofed and baked closer together for a softer, “pull apart” result. This makes them great for dipping or eating alongside other food. On the other hand, buns are proofed with space between them, which makes them crustier.

What is the difference between a morning bun and a cinnamon roll? ›

Morning Buns are similar to cinnamon rolls, except the dough is made from croissant dough. The croissant dough produces the tender, flakey, buttery layers that you just can't get from normal cinnamon roll dough.

What is another name for a cinnamon roll? ›

It goes by many names

But its English variations are countless too: roll, bun, bunny, swirl, snail... As long as it has cinnamon in it, we'll eat it.

Is a honey bun just a cinnamon roll? ›

Honey buns are filled with a mixture of honey and cinnamon and are often topped with a sweet glaze, while cinnamon rolls are filled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and typically topped with a cream cheese or powdered sugar icing.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rueben Jacobs

Last Updated:

Views: 5694

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rueben Jacobs

Birthday: 1999-03-14

Address: 951 Caterina Walk, Schambergerside, CA 67667-0896

Phone: +6881806848632

Job: Internal Education Planner

Hobby: Candle making, Cabaret, Poi, Gambling, Rock climbing, Wood carving, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.