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    Home » Breakfasts » Honey Buns

    Honey Buns

    Published: Jan 25, 2019 · Modified: May 7, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Best homemade honey buns! This easy homemade honey bun recipe makes soft sweet rolls topped with honey butter icing in about an hour. Homemade Honey Buns in a baking pan

    Homemade honey buns are dangerous! These unassuming little sweet rolls are crazy delicious.

    They are are also easy to make. It looks like there are quite a few steps, but that's just because everything is really broken down.

    And the buns! They are so good!

    The dough is soft, and they have a brown sugar cinnamon filling. The buns are topped with a sweet honey butter icing.

    All of which makes for a delicious breakfast or dessert! 

    How to make homemade honey buns

    Yeast proofing in a bowl for honey buns

    Begin by melting the butter and milk together. Let the mixture cool to about 100 F.

    Add to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the warm water, honey, and yeast.

    Gradually mix in the flour and salt until it forms a smooth elastic dough.

    Honey bun dough and filling in bowls

    Cover, and let the dough sit for about 10 minutes to rest.

    Meanwhile, mix the filling ingredients together until combined.

    Honey bun filling spread over dough

    Roll the dough out into a rectangle and spread the filling over the dough.

    Roll the dough up lengthwise and pinch the seam to seal.

    Honey buns rising in a metal pan

    Cut the dough into 12 rolls and place in the prepared baking pan. I use a serrated knife to help to cut the dough.

    Cover, and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

    Honey bun icing in a bowl

    Toward the end of the baking time, whisk the icing ingredients together until combined.

    Remove the honey buns from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

    Spread the icing over the warm rolls, and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

    Iced honey bun in a metal pan

    How to store honey buns

    I store the honey buns, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    How to reheat honey buns

    I reheat the honey buns, uncovered, for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave.

    Homemade frosted honey bunMore easy sweet roll recipes!

    • Easy Sticky Buns
    • One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
    • One Hour Caramel Rolls

    If you’ve tried this honey bun recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes! You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Homemade Honey Buns in a baking pan

    Honey Buns

    Easy homemade honey bun recipe that's made from scratch in about an hour. Check out the tips and step-by-step photos above the recipe. 
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Rising: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 12 honey buns
    Calories: 304kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    DOUGH

    • â…“ cup milk¹
    • â…“ cup butter
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 3 ½ teaspoons instant yeast²
    • ¾ cup warm water 105F – 115F
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour³
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    FILLING

    • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ cup butter at room temperature

    ICING

    • 1 tablespoon butter melted
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • Pinch salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan; set aside.
    • In a small saucepan, stir milk and butter together. Heat over low heat just until butter melts. Cool to about 100-105 F.
    • Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
    • Add the honey, yeast, and warm water. Stir to combine.
    • 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 filling.
    • Stir the filling ingredients together until combined. Set aside.
    • Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
    • Spread filling over dough.
    • Roll dough up lengthwise, pinching seam to seal.
    • Cut into 12 pieces, and place 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 20-30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and baked through.
    • Let the honey buns cool in pan for 5 minutes.
    • While buns are cooling, whisk icing ingredients together. Icing will be thick.
    • Spread icing over warm buns.
    • Let buns sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Anything from skim to whole milk will work. However, a milk with more fat will give you a more tender roll. 
    2. A packet of yeast has 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast, so you will need 2 packets to get 3 ½ teaspoons worth of yeast. 
      If you would like to use active dry yeast, after step 4, let the yeast mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. 
      If your yeast doesn't foam, start over or your dough won't rise. 
    3. You may need to use a little more or a little less flour. Go by the look and feel of the dough. You want the dough to be smooth and elastic. 
    4.  

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1honey bun | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
    « Morning Glory Muffins
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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. Wanda

      May 27, 2022 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made these honey buns several times! I Love them! And my picky husband loves the, too, as long as I add raisins to them. I usually add them with the filling. Thank you for this amazing recipe. Who knew you could have such delicious honey buns within an hour?

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 31, 2022 at 7:47 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    2. John

      January 31, 2022 at 8:46 am

      5 stars
      These rolls are simply amazing and so easy to make.
      I will be making these again real soon, this time I am going to experiment by adding some cinnamon to the dough and to double the recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 03, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        Thank you so much! I'd love to hear how that turns out!

        Reply
    3. Denise D.

      September 18, 2021 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      Great, easy-to-follow recipe with Delicious results! The Honey buns are a crowd Pleaser for sure!!

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 21, 2021 at 9:59 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Diane Skudlarek

      April 18, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      My husband and I were in the mood this morning for honey buns. This recipe was PERFECT! It was fast, easy and soooo delicious. Soft warm sweet buns with Sunday coffee. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 23, 2021 at 9:49 am

        Thank you so much!!

        Reply
        • Louise

          September 25, 2021 at 11:03 pm

          5 stars
          These were a real crowd pleaser and didn’t take too long to make. Scrumptious!

          Reply
    5. Helen Davies

      April 18, 2021 at 3:47 am

      5 stars
      Easy to follow recipe and the end result was a plate of yummy indulgence! I am not the best baker but these turned out so well and my family now drop hints all the time about how good ‘my’ cinnamon rolls are!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 23, 2021 at 9:48 am

        Yay!! I'm so glad that they worked out well for you!

        Reply
    6. Sam M

      October 18, 2020 at 11:35 am

      These taste absolutely amazing, the recipe was really clear and easy to follow. Will definitely be making these again!

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 20, 2020 at 12:20 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    7. Stephanie

      April 30, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      5 stars
      I never leave reviews for recipes but these were just so good that I had to! They were very easy to make and are DELICIOUS! I will definitely make this recipe again! :)

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 01, 2020 at 9:49 am

        Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that! =)

        Reply
    8. Krista

      February 25, 2020 at 9:23 am

      5 stars
      So delicious! I have chronic medical issues and probably because of that I did find this recipe fairly labor intensive. I usually look for quick easy recipes. This took me about 3hrs start to finish and now my kitchen is quite a mess haha but my family's happy taste buds are worth it! This will be a special occasion treat for sure ;).

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 26, 2020 at 8:54 am

        Thank you! =) Do you have any questions, or is there anything I can help with to make it easier the next time around?

        Reply
    9. Delphine Lopez

      December 08, 2019 at 6:37 pm

      Could I make these with non-dairy milk and vegan butter?

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 09, 2019 at 9:50 pm

        Hi! I haven't tried that to say for certain.

        Reply
      • Shon

        August 20, 2020 at 12:59 pm

        I would say yes. I never have actual dairy products and my baking dishes always turn out perfect.

        Reply
    10. Sabina

      September 17, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      These were my first attempt at any kind of bun and it's seriously so easy and delicious. I used creamed honey for the icing and it was so nice. I can't get over it!

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 18, 2019 at 9:12 pm

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that they turned out well for you. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    11. JUDY WELLS

      August 10, 2019 at 5:42 pm

      I want to make a large amount of honey buns for my festival. What is the best way to keep them fresh and make a large amount? Will they freeze?

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 12, 2019 at 12:03 am

        I haven't tried freezing these buns, but sweet rolls should freeze well. I would just wait to add any icing until after freezing.

        Reply
    12. Beverly J Whitaker

      June 10, 2019 at 10:08 am

      I was surprised, no eggs. Most bread uses eggs.

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 10, 2019 at 1:47 pm

        Hi! I have several bread recipes that don't use eggs. Were you looking for a bread dough that used eggs?

        Reply
    13. Yolanda Smith

      May 25, 2019 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious I used almond milk instead of whole milk and for the icing I used a tiny bit of water.

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 26, 2019 at 9:28 am

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked them! Thanks for commenting! =)

        Reply
    14. Kelsey

      February 13, 2019 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      These buns are unreal! I love, love, love them!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 13, 2019 at 3:37 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad! Thanks for commenting! =)

        Reply
    15. Chelsea

      February 01, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      Uh-mazing!! The recipe was easy to follow and the buns were fantastic.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 01, 2019 at 4:09 pm

        Thanks! I'm so glad that you liked the honey buns. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!

        Reply
        • Heidi Van Brocklin

          February 15, 2021 at 3:07 pm

          Should the butter in the dough be salted or unsalted?

          Reply
          • Kate

            February 15, 2021 at 3:25 pm

            I use salted butter. You could also use unsalted butter and add an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dough.

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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