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    Home » Easy Sticky Buns

    Easy Sticky Buns

    Published: Jul 9, 2018 · Modified: Apr 12, 2020 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy sticky buns are made with a quick, made-from-scratch dough so you can have easy homemade sticky buns whenever you want them!

    Easy sticky Bun on an off-white plate with a fork taking a bite

    Sweet rolls are a total weakness for me. I love cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, and sticky buns!

    This easy sticky bun recipe starts with an easy homemade dough that's made in about half the time that it takes to make a traditional roll dough.

    So, these sweet rolls can be ready whenever the craving strikes. 

    How are sticky buns different than cinnamon rolls?

    Sticky bun filling uses less cinnamon than cinnamon rolls filling. Also, these buns are baked in a pan with the sticky topping underneath.

    Cinnamon rolls are topped with icing or cream cheese frosting.

    How to make sticky buns

    Sticky bun roll dough in a pan

    The process is fairly similar to making cinnamon rolls.

    First, make the homemade dough and sticky topping.

    Then, homemade dough is rolled out, topped with filling, rolled up, sliced into pieces, and placed on top of a sticky topping.

    Easy sticky buns on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan

    How to store

    They are best eaten when they're fresh and warm. If you have leftovers, simply cover, and store at room temperature.

    Easy sticky Bun on a cream plate on a wooden cutting board

    More sweet roll recipes

    • Honey Buns
    • Easy Caramel Rolls
    • Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
    • Maple Sticky Buns

    I love to hear from people who've made my recipes! If you've made this easy sticky bun recipe, don't forget to leave me a comment below!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Easy Sticky Buns

    Easy homemade sticky bun recipe
    5 from 46 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Rising time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 12 sticky buns
    Calories: 466kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    DOUGH

    • â…“ cup milk low-fat ok
    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • â…“ cup butter
    • 3 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
    • ¾ cup warm water 105F – 115F
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    FILLING

    • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • ¼ cup butter softened

    TOPPING

    • 6 tablespoons butter melted
    • ½ cup brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup dark corn syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans optional

    Instructions

    • Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan; set aside.
    • In a small saucepan, stir milk, sugar, and butter together. Heat over low heat just until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to about 100-105 F.
    • Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
    • Add the yeast and warm water.
    • Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for about 1 minute.
    • With the mixer still going, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time. Mix about 1 ½ minutes, or until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl.
    • Knead on low speed for about 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic – the dough will still be slightly sticky to the touch.
    • Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover the dough with a clean, dry dish towel.
    • Let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 10 minutes.
    • While dough is rising, prepare the topping.
    • Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth.
    • Add water and whisk until combined.
    • Pour mixture into prepared pan. If necessary, tilt pan to get mixture to cover pan. Sprinkle evenly with pecans, if using. Set aside.
    • Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
    • Stir filling ingredients together, and spread over dough. Since the filling is a little crumbly, I gently press it into the dough to help it stick.
    • Roll dough up lengthwise, pinching seam to seal.
    • Cut into 12 pieces, and place over topping in prepared baking dish. I use a serrated knife to cut the dough.
    • Cover the baking dish with the dish towel, and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
    • Bake at 20-25 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.
    • Tent with aluminum foil, and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until baked through.
    • Let the sticky buns cool in pan for 5 minutes.
    • Place a serving dish over the pan, and carefully invert pan. Be careful as topping will be hot.
    • Remove pan, and replace any topping that has fallen off.
    • Let buns sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    *Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sticky bun | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angelina

      February 10, 2021 at 10:30 am

      I have never made yeast dough from scratch before but these came out wonderfully! My rolling out and filling skills leave a lot to be desired but hardly noticeable after baking. They are addictive while warm and still very tasty at room temp.
      I made a little extra topping because I like extra drippy and next time I would add a dash of vanilla to the topping
      to add some more richness! As though they aren't rich enough!!! OMG!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 12, 2021 at 1:25 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad that you liked them!

        Reply
    2. Mary

      February 02, 2021 at 8:14 pm

      I am so hungry for sticky buns I was going to send for some the the price is out of sight. I will be 84 on the 8th and I am going to try to makes these my myself for my Birthday. I pray they come out good. Thank you for sharing this .

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 03, 2021 at 2:11 pm

        Happy birthday!! I hope you enjoy the sticky buns!

        Reply
      • Sondra

        February 07, 2021 at 7:46 am

        @Mary Happy Birthday! These are my Mom’s favorite too! Hope they turn out well for you! So easy! I’m going for Sunday Morning Sticky Bun Hero!

        Reply
    3. Kat

      January 29, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      My dough had a lot of spring to it, it was really hard to get it to stay in a rectangle, even a sloppy one. Not sure how I went wrong because I followed the recipe exactly. Any thoughts?

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 30, 2021 at 10:09 am

        Normally if there's a lot of spring when you check it, it means that it needs to rise a bit longer because the dough should slowly rise when pressed, not spring back. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Kat

      January 29, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      Is it really 3 1/2 tsp of yeast? That seems like a lot..

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 30, 2021 at 10:03 am

        It is! The extra bit of yeast helps the dough to rise more quickly.

        Reply
    5. Daniela

      January 29, 2021 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      Recipe came out great! I added pecans to the filling and cinnamon to the topping. I also subbed agave for the Corn Syrup. They came out amazing! Family Favorite for sure!

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 30, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    6. Caroline

      December 26, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      The recipe and the instructions were perfect!
      Will definitely make these sticky buns again!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 28, 2020 at 8:49 am

        Thank you so much!!

        Reply
    7. John J

      December 23, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Does this recipe take salted or unsalted butter?

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 24, 2020 at 9:31 am

        I use salted butter in this recipe. If you would like to use unsalted butter, I would recommend adding a pinch or two of salt to the filling and an extra pinch of salt to the topping.

        Reply
        • John J

          December 24, 2020 at 2:35 pm

          I have no problem using salted butter, thanks for the quick reply!

          Reply
    8. Linda K Biven

      August 29, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      Why are there no eggs in your dough recipe?

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 29, 2020 at 3:22 pm

        Eggs aren't necessary in this dough. The dough is sufficiently rich without any eggs.

        Reply
    9. Marijo Martin

      August 16, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      First time trying sticky or cinnamon buns from scratch....and a novice with yeast...and these came out GREAT! The only change I made was using Active dry yeast instead of instant...I did this because I made the dough the night before and wasn’t sure how refrigerating the dough would affect the instant yeast....it worked great, I made the dough, rolled it out and filled with the cinnamon/sugar/butter filling, then tightly rolled into a log, then wrapped with Saran Wrap (sprayed with cooking spray first) then again with aluminum foil ...tightly with ends crimped so that the dough couldnt expand too much....and left in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I removed dough from refrigerator and let sit while I prepared the caramel topping, then sliced and put on topping, covered with towel and let sit for a total of about 30-40 min before baking as directed .. dough had risen some overnight but I mostly wanted to get it to room temp to bake.......they puffed up nicely while baking and were just delicious ! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 20, 2020 at 9:40 am

        Thank you! And thank you for sharing your notes! I hadn't tried making these buns and letting them sit overnight, so I appreciate you sharing those tips. =)

        Reply
    10. Melissa

      June 10, 2020 at 10:13 am

      Is there another way to make the dough if you don't have a stand mixer?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 15, 2020 at 1:06 pm

        You can mix the dough by hand. You'll just need to add additional time to the kneading time (probably about 4 minutes of total kneading if done by hand).

        Reply
    11. Kathy

      April 29, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made a double batch of these today and delivered them to family members. These are AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe! Was going to post pics, but couldn’t find a way to do it.

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 01, 2020 at 9:50 am

        I'm so glad that you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to comment! =)

        Reply
    12. Mika

      April 27, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Making these now! I used active dry instead of instant cause I didn’t have any. Dough is resting now. Should it double in size? Also, can I roll out rolls, then rest in fridge until read to bake? (About 6 hours)?
      I really don’t want to mess them up!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 28, 2020 at 9:55 am

        Hi! Are you asking about the first rise in step 9? If so, then no, the dough won't double in size during that rise. I haven't tried to rest the rolls in the fridge before baking, so I'm afraid I can't say for certain how that will work out.

        Reply
    13. Eric

      April 10, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      As a pastry chef of 20 years it's not often I scroll for recipes but this looked too good. I wasn't disappointed! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 11, 2020 at 9:24 am

        I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! =)

        Reply
    14. Candace

      April 05, 2020 at 3:55 pm

      Salted or unsalted bitter?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 05, 2020 at 9:10 pm

        I use salted butter. If you only have unsalted, you can use that. I just recommend adding an extra pinch or two of salt to the filling and to the frosting.

        Reply
    15. Alice

      April 02, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out amazing! Thanks :)

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 02, 2020 at 8:42 pm

        You are very welcome! I'm glad that you liked them, and I appreciate you commenting! =)

        Reply
    16. Shirley LeClerc

      January 21, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      Can I make these and warm th next morning? If so, how would I do that without them getting chewy?

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 22, 2020 at 9:09 pm

        You could try reheating them in the oven the next morning, but I haven't tried it to say for certain. Reheating in a low oven should help rewarm them without making them chewy.

        Reply
    17. Shortridge, Lori

      January 19, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous!! I laughed when a weight watchers add came up on the screen as I was making them :)

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 19, 2020 at 7:27 pm

        I'm so glad that you liked them! Haha! I'd love to know how they decide which ads to show where! =)

        Reply
    18. Maria Guerrero

      December 28, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Just made these and they were delicious. Thank u so much for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 28, 2019 at 8:55 pm

        Thanks! So glad that you liked them. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    19. MARIA GUERRERO

      December 28, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      Can I use maple syrup instead of corn syrup?

      Reply
      • lori

        December 26, 2020 at 7:58 am

        I was thinking the same thing.

        Reply
        • Kate

          December 28, 2020 at 8:40 am

          The corn syrup helps to keep the topping from crystallizing. Honey and maple syrup both crystallize. So, you could try to sub in maple syrup, but the topping may end up with some crystallization in it. Hope that helps!

          Reply
    20. Candace

      December 25, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      Is this calling for light brown or dark brown sugar?

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 25, 2019 at 3:02 pm

        You can use either one, but dark brown sugar will give you a little richer flavor.

        Reply
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