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Caramelly Pumpkin Pecan Sticky Buns [With Video]
Pillowy soft, caramelly sweet pumpkin pecan sticky buns will have you jumping out of bed to start your day! These sticky buns are so easy, you’ll never buy the store bought dough again.
Pumpkin pecan sticky buns are everything pumpkin cinnamon rolls wish they could be. Fluffy dough is filled with a spiced brown sugar filling and topped with a soft caramel and toasted pecans. It’s the perfect breakfast for when you want something special or even for a show-stopping breakfast. I like to make them especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
MAKE-AHEAD THANKSGIVING BREAKFAST
Good news: Pumpkin sticky buns can be made ahead of time! I love making double the recipe for these because I can pop a set in the freezer. Instead of waiting for the rise times, I can just pop them into the oven and enjoy a fresh, hot sticky bun in no time!
To make these ahead of time, make the dough up until it’s ready to go into the oven. Don’t make the topping. Instead, put the sticky buns in a greased pan without the toppings and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. The buns will be very pale but set. Let them cool completely before placing them in an airtight container and freezing. You can freeze them for up to 4 weeks.
When you’re ready to bake them, pull them out of the freezer the night before and thaw at room temperature. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all of the ingredients to the sticky bun topping in a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour into the bottom of a prepared baking pan. Place the sticky buns on top of the topping and bake for 15 minutes.
PUMPKIN PUREE MAKES THIS DOUGH SPECIAL
These sticky buns are the real deal and the perfect fall treat! They’re made with pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) and paired with pumpkin pie spice that takes these buns to the next level. This recipe uses canned pumpkin, but you can use a homemade pureed pumpkin or even mashed sweet potato for a southern US-style treat!
The pumpkin puree gives this dough a wonderfully rich flavor without being too overpowering. I prefer this dough over the regular sticky buns dough, not only because it’s healthier (it’s a vegetable, right?), but because the flavor really is so good.
These days it seems that everyone prefers using a stand mixer to mix the bread. Unless kneading by hand is something physically difficult, I don’t recommend making bread in the stand mixer. This is because kneading the dough helps you better gauge when it’s ready and it helps prevent overworking the dough. You’ll know when to stop kneading when the dough starts to feel soft and smooth.
If you prefer to use a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead the dough on level 2. Let it knead for about 4 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take it out if it starts to look smooth before the 4 minutes is up.
Kneading dough is an important step for some breads because it helps create the gluten content that makes bread fluffy and chewy. I find that it’s best to work the dough as little as possible for the best result. The point is, knead it how ever you want, but knead it only until it’s smooth.
THE TRICK TO NOT LETTING YOUR STICKY BUNS STICK TO THE PAN
This recipe is different from standard cinnamon buns because the buns are baked in a caramel syrup glaze. If you let the pumpkin pecan sticky buns cool completely without removing them from the baking pan, they will stick to said pan. You need to remove them while the syrup is still very hot!
To do this, make sure you’re using the right kind of pan. I like to use glass dishes that have a handle that sticks out. Cake pans and commercial sheet pans are what professional bakers use, but it’s a lot harder to flip them, especially if you’re inexperienced at baking.
To prevent the sticky buns from sticking, I like to let them cool on a wire rack for about 3-5 minutes. Then, I place a cookie sheet lined with foil upside down on top of the hot sticky bun pan. If you have oven gloves, use them instead of kitchen towels for more control. Grip the cookie sheet and baking pan firmly and quickly flip the trays. Carefully remove the hot baking pan from the sticky buns. If any of the topping is still stuck on the pan, scrape it off and slather it back onto the buns.
PUMPKIN STICKY BUN INGREDIENTS SUBSTITUTIONS
Pumpkin pecan sticky buns are made with–you guessed it–pumpkin and pecans. Both of these ingredients can be substituted.
For the pumpkin, you can substitute this with equal parts sweet potato that has been cooked and mashed. Sweet potato pie is a popular dessert in the Southeast United States and substituting pumpkin with sweet potato will channel that southern vibe. If vegetables aren’t your jam (they should be), you can substitute this with some sour cream or yogurt for the most decadent of sticky buns. And I do mean decadent.
For the pecans, you can substitute with any toasted nut you prefer. Walnuts and slivered almonds are great alternatives. You can even go a middle eastern route and use pistachios with a dusting of cardamom. Use whatever nut you prefer, or omit them altogether if you’d like.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN STICKY BUNS
Making sticky buns is so easy and perfect for the first-time baker. The hardest part is really just the waiting game for the dough to rise! Here’s how you make them:
Mix the Wet Ingredients
Use a big bowl and mix all the wet ingredients together. It might look a little lumpy, but that’s ok. Make sure that you are using instant yeast instead of active dry. You can use active dry yeast, but you’ll need to activate it and adjust the proofing times.
Add in the Dry Ingredients
Add in the dry ingredients to the dough and mix everything together just until it comes to a shaggy dough.
Knead the Dough
There’s no right or wrong way to knead the dough. Everyone has their own way of moving it across the workspace! You want to knead the shaggy dough together until it becomes smooth on the outside.
The First Rise
Put the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel. Keep it in a warm place for about an hour and a half. If your kitchen is cold, you can heat your oven to about 100 degrees. Turn the oven off and place the dough inside the oven in an oven-safe bowl.
Roll out the Dough
When the dough has doubled in size, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, it should be nice and smooth. Roll it out to about a ½ inch thick rectangle. To get a square dough instead of a round dough, I like to form the dough into a log shape and then start rolling with a rolling pin.
Add the Filling
There are actually 2 ways that you can make the filling for this. The first is to use softened butter and sprinkle the sugar mixture on top. If you don’t have room temperature butter for whatever reason (no judgment here), melt it in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Then, add the filling mixture to the butter to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the dough. Easy peasy.
Roll the Dough and Cut
Leave a 1” border along the edge opposite you without any filing on it. This will help you seal the dough. Start rolling the dough towards that seam. Roll it tightly, so everything stays together as it bakes. Pinch to seal the seam of the log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 pieces.
Make the Topping
Add all of the ingredients for the sticky topping into the bottom of your baking dish and give everything a good whisk. Sprinkle on the toasted pecans evenly across the pan. Place the sticky buns on top of the caramel base, giving each one a little breathing room in between.
Final Rise and Bake
For the final rise, let the pumpkin pecan sticky buns sit in a warm place for another half hour. They’ll get nice and puffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the rise, put the sticky buns in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. They’re done when the caramel topping is bubbling (on the sides and in the center of the pan) and the tops of the buns are nice and browned.
Cooling and Flipping
Let the sticky buns cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack. While the pan is still hot, invert them onto a cookie tray. Be sure to get all that delicious caramel out of the pan and onto the sticky buns! Let cool (almost) completely and enjoy!
Yield: 12
CARAMEL PUMPKIN PECAN STICKY BUNS
Pillowy soft, caramelly sweet pumpkin pecan sticky buns will have you jumping out of bed to start your day! These sticky buns are so easy, you’ll never buy the store bought dough again.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Additional Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
- DOUGH INGREDIENTS
- ¾ Cup Milk (heated to 110F)
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 ¼ Tsp Instant Rise Yeast
- ¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree (Not pumpkin pie mix)
- ¼ Cup Melted Butter
- 1 Egg
- 3 Cups Bread Flour
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (Or to taste but use more than you think you’ll need)
- FILLING
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar (Double this if you like gooier filling)
- 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (Or to taste)
- ½ Cup Butter, Room Temp
- CARAMEL PECAN TOPPING
- ½ Cup Butter, Melted
- ⅓ Cup Light Golden Syrup (or Maple Syrup)
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Cup Chopped Pecans, Toasted
Instructions
- Add the milk, brown sugar, yeast, pumpkin puree, egg, and melted butter into a large mixing bowl and mix everything together.
- Add in the pumpkin pie spice, bread flour, and all purpose flour. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough into a ball. Then, knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes, or until smooth.
- Place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out into a ½ inch thick rectangle. Spread the butter on top of the dough.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice together. Spread the mixture evenly across the dough, leaving a 1 inch border on the opposite edge from where you are working.
- Tightly roll the dough towards the edge with no filling. Pinch the seam to seal the dough.
- Using a sharp paring knife, slice the log into 12 slices.
- To make the caramel topping, dump the melted butter, golden syrup, heavy cream, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice into the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish. Give everything a good mix to combine. Sprinkle the pecans on top. Add the sticky buns into the mixture.
- Let rise for ½ hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake the sticky buns for 30 minutes, turning the tray halfway through cooking. Bake until the topping is bubbling both on the sides and in the center of the cooking dish. The tops of the sticky buns will be nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Use a cookie sheet to invert the sticky bun pan. Carefully remove the sticky bun pan off of the sticky buns. Scrape out any leftover topping from the pan and add it back onto the sticky buns. Let cool and enjoy!
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If you tried these pumpkin pecan sticky buns and love them as much as I do, leave me some feedback in the comment section below! Feel free to share it with others, too!
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