Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns (Pecan Toffee Buns)

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cooking Time: 25 mins

Rising Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients

Sweet Buns Dough

500 g all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk (if allergic to dairy products, kindly use any plant-based milk, preferably full-fat coconut milk)
57 g butter (if allergic to dairy products, kindly use any preferred plant-based butter or any vegetable oil)
53 g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt (if using salted butter above, feel free to skip it as the extra sweetness would get balanced)
1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
1 large egg (if you are avoiding animal products, kindly use 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce for the best & similar results; or you may use 2 tablespoon of yogurt to achieve the same spongy soft texture)

Caramel

142 g butter (if allergic to dairy products, kindly use any plant-based butter or preferred vegetable oil like avocado or olive)
265 g light brown sugar
⅓ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup heavy cream (If allergic to dairy products, kindly use full-fat coconut milk)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
180 g pecans (coarsely chopped)

Filling

57 g butter (softened. If allergic to dairy products, kindly use full-fat coconut cream)
106 g packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cooking Instructions

How to make Buns at Home (Sweet Buns Recipe)

For the dough, heat milk in a medium saucepan until the milk is just steaming but not boiling (means it hasn’t started simmering, but is hot enough that little bubbles are forming around the edges).
Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or if doing by hand, pour it in a large bowl and use a spatula for mixing).
Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted, and let the mixture cool until warm (means if you dip a finger in, it should be comfortable to work around).
Stir in the yeast and let rest for 5-7 minutes until the yeast is foamy (we are letting the yeast activate before adding the flour, because in bread recipes with milk, the dough rises quicker/better if the yeast is activated first).
Now, add the egg (applesauce/yogurt) and then gradually add the flour until it forms into a ball coming together well, without getting stubbornly sticky to your hands or mixer walls. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until soft and smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled (for about an hour).
Roll or press the dough into a big rectangle. Use filling ingredients here, starting with spreading the softened butter over the top. Now, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the butter.
Starting with one long end, roll up the dough into a semi-tight log (do not stretch or pull the dough). Using a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss or thread, cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
Place the rolls in the baking pan (3 across, 4 down). Cover with a lightly greased plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise until noticeably puffy and the sides of the rolls are huddled together.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes until rolls are lightly golden on top.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes (do not take longer than that as the caramel will harden and make the buns hard to turn out & do not make that time too short as the caramel will get too runny).

How to Make Caramel Pecan Mixture at Home

While the dough rises, prep the caramel pecan mixture.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.
Heat over medium heat until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is well-combined (it should not simmer, just bubbly enough to melt ingredients to combine them).
Off the heat, whisk in the cream and the vanilla until well-combined.
Lightly grease a baking pan (like 9X13-inch used here).
Spread the caramel mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle pecans over the top.
Set aside until the caramel mixture has cooled to room temperature or just slightly warm.

How to Assemble Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

Loosen the edges of the rolls with a butter knife. On a clean surface, take the buns out by upside down tapping of the baking tray. Take this whole loaf of bun and dunk it top-layer of buns into the caramel mix. Place a big serving tray on the dunk buns and flipping everything into the serving tray quickly. Scrape any additional caramel and pecans over the buns. Serve warm!

You may simply place the baked bun loaf into a large serving tray with raised edges (to contain dripping caramel later). And then pour the warm caramel over the buns by helping spread pecans evenly with a spatula. Serve warm!