If you love cinnamon rolls, you'll adore these gluten-free sticky buns with irresistible candied pecans!
Why You'll Love This
Start your morning off right with homemade gluten-free sticky buns! This recipe combines soft dough with a brown sugar glaze and crunchy candied pecans from Santé Nuts. This end result is an irresistible texture and addicting flavor!
Jump to:
What are Sticky Buns?
Sticky buns have been enjoyed since the Middle Ages, originating in Germany and later brought to the U.S., known as "Schnecken."Sticky buns are made with a dough filled with butter and brown sugar, topped with glaze and nuts before baking.
Ingredients
What you need for the topping
Ingredients in the dough
For the Dough:
- Warm water: Activates yeast
- Granulated white sugar: Feeds yeast for growth.
- Active dried yeast: Helps dough rise.
- King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Provides light texture.
- Tapioca flour: Thickens the dough.
- Psyllium husk powder: Adds elasticity and flexibility.
- Baking powder: Aids in rising.
- Salt: Balances flavor.
- Xanthan gum: Adds thickness.
- Warm milk: Moistens the dough.
- Unsalted butter: Tenderizes dough.
- Egg: Provides structure.
The Filling:
- Unsalted butter: Binds dough and seasonings.
- Brown sugar: Adds a rich flavor.
- Cinnamon: Essential for that classic taste.
- Nutmeg: Enhances cinnamon flavor.
- Salt: Balances sweetness.
For the Topping:
- Unsalted butter: Helps toppings adhere and creates a crust.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and crust.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Pecans: Adds crunch and texture.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!
Substitutions & Variations
Here are some tips for modifying these gluten-free sticky buns:
- Nut Allergy: Omit pecans or substitute with your preferred nut.
- Flour: You can also use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour!
This recipe hasn't been tested with substitutions beyond those mentioned. Be aware that adding or replacing ingredients may alter the results.
Equipment
You'll need a microwave-safe bowl, a large mixing bowl, a mixer (or whisk), a saucepan, a large baking pan, a rolling pin, and a tea towel.
Instructions
First, heat the water in a microwave-safe bowl until it reaches 115°F. Stir in the sugar to nourish, then add the yeast.
Mix, then let it sit for 10 minutes. The mixture should foam and smell yeasty. If it doesn’t foam it may be because:
- The yeast is expired
- The water temperature is too high or too low (under 110°F)
Restart, then set the mixture to the side once the yeast has activated.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then set to the side. Next, melt the butter and let it cool. Warm the milk until lukewarm, then add it to a mixing bowl with the eggs and whisk on medium-low speed. Once the butter has cooled, add it and mix again.
Add the yeast to the bowl and mix. Incorporate dry ingredients by adding half at a time, mixing between on low until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Knead the dough using your hands for 6-8 minutes on a floured surface or with a dough hook for 3-5 minutes at medium-low speed. The dough should be slightly sticky but not cling to the bowl.
Roll dough to ⅓in thickness.
Brush dough with melted butter.
Spread your filling evenly before rolling.
Next, transfer the dough to a warm, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm spot for two hours until it doubles in size. You can use the proof setting on your oven for this part.
Then, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to approximately 16 inches long, 12 inches wide, and ⅓ inch thick. Next, brush melted butter over the dough, then combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the dough.
A look at the dough cut and rolled up into the baking pan.
Drizzled on top is the remaining glaze.
Finally, adding on the pecans for the perfect crunch.
Creating The Rolls
To roll and cut the dough, start by slowly rolling one long side towards the other, lengthwise. If you used parchment paper, it can help you roll tightly.
Once rolled, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into 1½-inch pieces. Trim the ends if desired. You can also use this floss method to cut your slices. Set aside.
For the topping, combine butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Add a pinch of salt, then remove from heat and let it cool for two minutes. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce evenly in a large baking pan and reserve the rest for later.
Place the sticky buns in the pan. Cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 30 minutes. Next, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Reserve a quarter of the remaining sauce and pour the rest over the buns. Then, chop the pecans and sprinkle them on top. Finally, pour add the remaining sauce over the pecans.
Transfer the pan with the sticky buns to the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool for five minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These sticky buns are best served warm right after baking. Enjoy them on their own as a breakfast treat!
Expert Tips: The Perfect Pecans
I use candied pecans from Santé Nuts, a family-owned company that produces small batches for guaranteed freshness. Their hand-seasoned nuts come in a variety of flavors, including Sweet & Spicy Pecans, Bourbon Pecans and Pumpkin Spice.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate them for up to a week or keep them at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat any leftovers in the microwave.
FAQ
If you're not a fan of pecans, go ahead and sub them for walnuts!
Sticky buns are best enjoyed warm but can be eaten cold.
Related
Each makes for a delicious gluten-free breakfast!
More Sante Nuts Recipes
Use my code "BOTTOMLESSPIT" for 15% off your order.
Gluten-Free Sticky Buns with Pecans
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, BrunchDifficulty: Medium15
servings45
minutes25
minutes2
HoursThese Gluten-Free Sticky Buns are sure to become a fan-favorite recipe after just one bite!
Ingredients
- For the Dough
1 cup warm water
⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 packet active dried yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
4 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup tapioca flour
4 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup warm milk
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 room temperature egg, whisked
- For the Filling
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
Pinch of salt
- For the Topping
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cups pecans, roughly chopped
Directions
- For the Dough
- Add the water to a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat until it reaches 110-115 degrees. Stir in one tablespoon of sugar, then add the active dry yeast. Mix again and allow it to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast has activated. The mixture will begin to foam and smell yeasty (beer-like) when activated. If this does not happen in the 10 minute span, then start over as the yeast did not activate.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining sugar, flour, tapioca flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthin gum. Mix together, then set to the side.
- For the wet ingredients, first melt the butter. Then, allow it to cool to room temperature.
- While the butter is cooling, warm the milk until it's lukewarm then add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, then whisk on medium-low speed to combine.
- Once the butter has cooled, add the butter and mix again. At this point, the yeast should be activated and foamy. Add it to the bowl and mix one more time to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients, half at a time and mix between on medium-low speed to fully incorporate. Repeat until the dry and wet ingredients have been combined and a dough has formed. The dough should be sticky, but not too wet.
- Then, use your hands or a dough hook to knead the dough. If you use your hands, you'll need to knead the dough for 6-8 minutes. If you use a dough hook, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough should be sticky, but not sticking to the bowl. If it is, then add a little more flour.
- Once the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl, it's ready for the next step. Transfer the dough to a warm, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place in a warm environment for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size. You can also use the proof setting on your oven for this section. Or preheat the oven to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it off and then put the oven-safe bowl with the dough in the oven to proof.
- For the Topping
- Add the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup to a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Then, add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, pour about ¼ cup of the sauce over a large baking pan. Add enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Reserve the rest of the sauce for the top of the sticky buns.
- For the Filling
- After the dough has sat for the allotted time and doubled in size, transfer to a lightly floured surface. Dust the dough with more flour before using a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it's roughly 16 inches long and 12 inches wide with a thickness of ⅓ inch.
- Brush the melted butter over the length of the dough. Then, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and sprinkle over the entirety of the dough.
- Slowly take one end of the long side of the dough and roll it down to the other edge. You want to roll the dough either up or down instead of left or right.
- Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1 ½" slices and place in the baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes. While the sticky buns are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Reheat the sauce and add the majority of remaining sauce to the top of the sticky buns. Then top with the chopped pecans. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over the pecans.
- Transfer the baking pan with the sticky buns to the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Remove the sticky buns from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or at room temperature for two days.
Leave a Reply