Golden fluffy cinnamon rolls drizzled with a rich, gooey pecan caramel sauce, fresh out of the oven, will be the ultimate crowd-pleaser this time of the year. The warm and sweet smell in the air will sure add holiday magic to your mornings.

These pecan sticky buns are so soft, and pillowy. They pull apart easily and just melt in your mouth.

If the making process sounds intimidating to you, that is why I am here to help you! I was once in your shoes! But after many trails of errors, I have included step by step fool-proof instructions to help you make this recipe successfully!

What Makes the Pecan Sticky Buns Different

The pecan caramel sauce is made with coconut cream instead of the heavy cream used in most traditional pecan sticky buns.

I used maple syrup and brown sugar as sweeteners, both providing a warm flavor.

For the base, I used my most popular eggless cinnamon roll recipe. It is simple and yet so delicious. Now we added the coconut cream pecan sauce to take it up a notch!

Lastly, this recipe is customizable based on what ingredients are accessible to you. I will make a few alternative options in the ingredient section below.

Easy to Make and Store For the Busy Holidays

These pecan sticky buns are simple and can be reheated nicely. So if you are short on time in the morning before your brunch party, you can make this the day before!

plus, this could add to a new tradition in your family, having these for breakfast on special occasions or holidays!

Ingredients For the Pecan Pie Sticky Buns

This recipe is made eggless, dairy free, yet still super fluffy and soft.

In order to make this recipe eggless- I used apple sauce, which acts as a binding agent as well as a light sweetener.

In order to make it dairy free- I used a vegan butter and canned coconut cream (full fat).

The star of this show however is the pecan caramel sauce- you will want to be adding this to all of your sweet treats! Chopped pecans, coconut cream, maple syrup, brown sugar…it doesn’t get much better than this!

Step by Step to Make Sure You Get it Right

These sticky buns require a 3-step process:

  • Dough Assembly
  • Filling
  • Pecan Caramel Sauce
Begin by adding the yeast to the heated mixture
Let sit

Once the yeast has been activated, add in the rest of the wet ingredients.

Mixture should be getting a slightly foamy top
Add in remainder sugar and salt
Add in your flour
Mix until well combined
Slowly add remainder flour
Mix until sticky and well combined
Knead the dough with your hands
Grease a clean bowl
Then add the dough ball back in

While the dough is going through the fist proofing, start making the sticky pecan sauce.

In a small sauce po over medium heat, combine all the ingredients except for the pecans.
Whisk well and continue to stir as it simmers for 10 – 15 minutes (the sauce should becomes thicker).
Pour the sauce over a greased 8×8 baking dish.
Spread the pecans evenly in the baking dish.
Dough should double in size
Roll out on a clean and lightly floured mat
Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the roll
Slowly roll into a formed log
You can now cut the rolls with floss

Place rolls in the 9×9 pan
Preheat oven to 250
Bake for 20-25 minutes then let cool for 5 minutes
Flip them over onto some parchment , let sit for about 5-10 more minutes
After sitting for about 5-10 minutes you can remove the pan, and then enjoy!

The longest part of all of this is waiting for the dough to rise, which I have some tips and tricks I learned from my mom! I can’t wait for you to try these!

Important Tips You Need to Know

There are a few things that will make these sticky buns NEXT LEVEL!

  • Let the dough rise in a warm spot. Whether on a warm stovetop, in a warm window, or in the oven with the light on but not heated up!
    • It saves you time and results that magical light and fluffy texture.
  • Use room-temperature butter
  • Maple syrup is important

Lastly, these can be stored on your counter for about a day, or in the fridge for 3. I recommend reheating for about 30 seconds before indulging, if you are not enjoying them fresh out the oven.

I can’t wait to see what recipes you would like to see next!

Get the recipe:Vegan Pecan Sticky Buns

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
These soft, moist Pecan Sticky Buns rolls with sweet and tangy filling are the perfect breakfast or dessert for the fall.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

  • 1 cup milk *
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 pack active dry yeast, 7g
  • 3 tbsp cane sugar, divided
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce, 85g
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour, 375g + 1/2 cup more for dusting

Roll Filling

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, room temp or softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Pecan Caramel Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • Start with taking the butter for the filling out from the fridge to make it soft and spreadable. 

Sticky Bun Dough

  • In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When fully melted, add the milk to the butter. Heat the milk and butter mixture until it’s warm (100-110 F). It should be warm, but not hot to touch.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir well to dissolve the sugar crystals.
  • Sprinkle the active dry yeast across the milk mixture and let it activate/bloom for about 10 minutes. The yeast should be foamy when activated.
  • When the yeast is activated, add the remaining sugar and pinch of salt to the milk mixture.
  • Slowly add the flour to the milk mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon as you add the flour.
  • Once you add all 3 cups of flour the dough should still be very sticky. Move the dough to a floured kitchen counter and knead the dough with your hands. Gradually add flour and knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough is semi-smooth.
  • Form the dough into a round ball. 
  • Grease a clean large bowl with either coconut oil or olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking to it and add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid. 
  • Let the dough rise for about one hour in a warm place (See tips in the post).

Pecan Caramel Sauce

  • While the dough is rising, mix the coconut cream, brown sugar, maple sryup and salt in a medium pot.
  • Bring to a boil and, simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk periodically to make sure it is while combined during the reduction.
  • Grease an 8×8 baking dish. Pour the caramel sauce into the dish. Then spread the pecans across the mixture. Set aside.

Sticky Bun Assembly

  • Once the dough has doubled in in size, gently remove it from the bowl and place onto a well floured surface.
  • Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a roughly 10×11 rectangle.
  • Spread the room temperatured butter on the dough with a big spoon or spatula. Then mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle across the top evenly.
  • Tightly roll the dough into a long cylinder and cut it into 9 even pieces using a sharp knife or a long piece of unflavored floss (slide the floss under and pull to the opposite end).
  • Place the rolls cut-side down on to the pecan caramel sauce.
  • Preheat your over to 350 F.
  • Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap to rise again for an additional 20-30 minutes.
  • Bake for 25 – 28 minutes.
  • Once the buns are slighly cooled , put another baking pan or a big plate on top. Hold the bottom of the rolls and the bottom of the pan tightly, flip it to have rolls face down on the pan.
  • Gently wiggle the 8×8 baking dish and lift it up, away from the pecan sticky buns. The buns are now on the pan and have the pecan caramel sauce ON TOP.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 78mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American