Best Homemade Sticky Bun Recipe With Caramel Topping!

Few things feel more comforting than the smell of warm, gooey sticky buns fresh out of the oven. Whether you grew up eating them on Sunday mornings or discovered them at your favorite bakery, sticky buns hold a special place in the world of homemade treats. They’re sweet, buttery, cinnamon-spiced, and dripping with caramelized goodness—and once you make them from scratch, it’s hard to go back to store-bought.

Let’s walk through how to make the perfect sticky buns at home and explore a few ways you can put your own twist on this classic recipe.

What Exactly Are Sticky Buns?

Sticky buns are soft, sweet rolls baked with a rich caramel glaze and usually topped with chopped nuts—most often pecans. The dough is rolled with cinnamon sugar (kind of like cinnamon rolls), but the magic happens on the bottom of the pan: that brown sugar-butter mixture turns into a sticky, caramelized topping when flipped after baking. It’s messy in the best way.

Homemade Sticky Bun Dough

The base of any great sticky bun is a slightly sweet yeast dough. Don’t let the idea of yeast scare you—this one’s beginner-friendly and worth the wait.

Dough Ingredients:

• ¾ cup warm milk
• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Activate the yeast: In a large bowl, mix warm milk and sugar, then sprinkle in the yeast. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
2. Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the egg and melted butter. Slowly add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead and rise: Knead the dough for about 5–7 minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Sticky Caramel Topping

Here’s the part that makes these buns unforgettable.

Topping Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional but highly recommended)

Melt butter, brown sugar, and syrup together in a saucepan until smooth. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and sprinkle pecans over the top.

Filling and Assembly

Roll out the dough into a rectangle and spread with:

• ¼ cup softened butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Roll it up tightly, slice into 12 pieces, and place them cut-side up on top of the caramel mixture. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake and Flip

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then carefully invert the pan onto a serving platter so the gooey topping ends up on top.

Try These Variations

• Add chopped apples or raisins to the filling
• Use walnuts instead of pecans
• Swap maple syrup for honey in the topping for a deeper flavor

Final Thought

Sticky buns take a little time, but they’re worth every minute. Make a batch on the weekend, share them with family, or freeze some for later—you’ll love the way they turn your kitchen into the best-smelling place on Earth.