These are the Best Gooey Sticky Cinnamon Buns you'll ever make! They are fluffy and soft cinnamon rolls with the best gooey caramel sauce in the bottom of the pan. So easy to make them ahead and they're also freezer friendly!
Why you'll love sticky cinnamon buns recipe
- Made from-scratch: gooey breakfast sweet rolls with incredible cinnamon filling that everyone adores.
- Rich dough: Homemade yeast dough that is buttery and rich.
- Simple enough: A dough recipe for even beginning yeast dough bakers.
- Best icing: A really simple to make icing gets spread all over the top while the buns are still warm.
It's a good thing I don't eat like this every day! This could seriously wreck all your resolutions and wreak havoc on your life. I am not making any promises of low-fat.
I am not going to tell you that you will just have a little bite. This is the kind of breakfast, dessert, or snack (maybe even dinner) that will make you get teary-eyed. These sticky rolls are a very special treat for those you love. I've shared quite a few rolls over the years. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls and sweet orange buns are also very special.
I'm also not going to lie and say my kids eat these gooey sticky cinnamon buns every week. This is a new tradition that I will make for my cuties. A very rare and special tradition. Not only for Christmas morning. I will treat them with this ooey gooey cinnamon buns yumminess when I feel like spoiling them with a little more sugar. Because this is so ooey and gooey and dreamy, only sometimes!
Ingredients for sticky cinnamon buns
Here is all you need to make these amazing buns (full printable recipe below):
- Whole milk: 2% milk is what I typically use for the dough. Whole milk is fine. You could also use non-dairy unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
- Active dry yeast: I prefer to use Red Star Platinum yeast which is an instant yeast. This means you don't have to let the yeast "proof" and the rolls rise faster. Active dry yeast works fine, too. Check the yeast packet to see how to add the yeast to the recipe.
- Warm water 100 to 110 degrees: to activate the yeast.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar goes in the dough to sweeten it a little.
- Eggs: Large eggs are standard for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter: helps to enrich the dough.
- All-purpose flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour, as either flours would work. If you choose bread flour, that will make a more chewy and fluffy texture. All-purpose flour makes for softer buns.
- Sea salt: Just a touch of salt to enhance the flavor of the dough.
- Unsalted butter: helps to create the gooey cinnamon filling.
- Granulated sugar + packed light brown sugar: to sweeten the filling (you could use dark brown sugar)
- Ground cinnamon: depending on if you could find it, but use Saigon cinnamon in this filling.
- Pecans -optional
- Raisins -optional
- Confectioner's sugar: to make the icing
- Milk: to mix with the confectioner's sugar for the icing (you could use unsweetened almond or coconut milk, if you prefer).
How to make sticky buns gooey recipe
(Full printable recipe is below.)
- DOUGH
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, eggs and butter. Beat in cooled milk.
- Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.
- Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours. Or leave covered in the fridge for a slow cold rise and prep the rolls the next day.
- Coat two 9-inch round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with spray.
- FILLING
- Mix butter, both kinds of sugar and cinnamon together in a medium-size bowl.
- PREP BUNS
- Punch down dough.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an 18 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter-sugar mixture over the dough.
- If you are using nuts and raisins in the recipe, sprinkle them on now. I chose to not use nuts and raisins. Starting on one long side roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch seam to close. Cut crosswise into 12 generous 1 ½ inch pieces.
- Arrange 6 pieces, cut-side down, in each prepared pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden-brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Tent with foil halfway through baking so they will not brown too quickly. I did bake my second batch of roll for less time (closer to 30 minutes). So check the rolls around 30 minutes to see if they are done.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
- GLAZE
- Mix confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk as necessary, to make a smooth glaze. Invert buns to a serving platter.
- Drizzle glaze on top of buns (about ⅓ cup per pan). Serve warm! ENJOY! If you have any left, refrigerate them. I doubt you will have any leftovers.
How can I make the best cinnamon rolls ahead of time?
The first way to do it is to prep the dough until step 6 of the "DOUGH" directions. Without letting them rise, you cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a slow cold rise overnight. The next day, remove the dough, roll it out, fill, cut and shape into the buns. Let rise again and bake.
Another option is to bake the rolls the night before and skip adding on the glaze. Let them cool completely and cover with plastic wrap. The next morning, remove the wrap and tent with foil paper. Reheat them at 325F oven for about 10 minutes, or until completely warm. Remove from oven and glaze them.
I do not recommend filling the unbaked rolls and letting them rise overnight in the fridge. We have done that and it resulted in rolls that were not as fluffy and the filling doesn't stay snug inside the buns.
Expert Tips on how to make the best cinnamon rolls
Dough making tips:
The soft and fluffy dough is the secret to this recipe. To make sure your dough rises, here are some good tips to follow:
- Be sure that your milk is warm to activate the yeast, but not too hot so that it kills the yeast (about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit is good). You'll also want to warm the butter so it is soft and mixes in easily. But again, the butter should not be over 110º Fahrenheit. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works well too.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature also by placing them in a glass of warm water before adding them to the mix. If the ingredients are not cold, they'll help the yeast to do what it needs to do quickly and give a beautiful rise to your cinnamon rolls.
- In the video I use a stand mixer to mix the dough. If you have bread machine you can use the dough cycle to make this extremely easy. Or, go the old-fashioned route and get those hands working by kneading the bread without a mixer. Any way works. If you decide to knead by hand, be careful not to add too much flour. The dough is supposed to be tacky, which is what keeps these rolls soft.
- Don't add too much flour. Start with 4 cups (spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level it with a knife). The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch. A dry dough will lead to dry cinnamon rolls. If you feel like you need a little more flour, add up to ½ cup more, but add it just a tablespoon or two at a time. The dough will be tacky and soft. It shouldn't completely stick all over your hands, but if you touch it should feel tacky and not dry and floury. Don't be tempted to keep adding flour!
- Don't kill the yeast. If your butter/milk mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you won't really notice until you're far into the recipe… when the rolls won't rise! Keep the temperature warm to the touch, around 100-110°F (38-43°C).
- Use a very sharp knife to gently cut the rolls. You want to make sure you're not pushing and changing shape by squishing them down when cutting.
- Use the correct size pan. This recipe makes 10-12 rolls, which fit in a 9- or 10-inch pan. If the pan is too small, they'll be overcrowded. You can use a 9- or 10-inch pie dish, round cake pan, or square baking pan. If you want larger rolls, check out this recipe for jumbo cinnamon rolls!
- Let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free environment. Here's my favorite trick: Preheat your oven to 150°F (66°C), then turn it off. Cover the shaped rolls with aluminum foil and place the pan inside the warm oven. Leave the oven door cracked open for about 30 minutes, then close it and let them finish rising (another 30-60 minutes) in the oven with the door closed. Just don't forget to take them out of the oven before you preheat it to bake them!
And here are all the expert steps together.
- The first thing is the dough. Be sure not to rush through the yeast prep. The water shouldn't be too warm and not too cold or the yeast won't activate. The yeast will start to bubble and that's when you know you'll be good to go to begin the dough. If you don't have a bubbly yeast, start all over again.
- The second step is to make sure the dough rises. No rushing on the rise time, as this will ensure the fluffiest rolls. I like to find the warmest part of my kitchen or dining area. It has to be a place without a draft so the dough will proof and you'll get the softest rolls!
- Next, once the dough is ready to go, and rolled out, make sure you roll your buns up very tight. If you roll them in a loose way, the filling will leak out.
- The last and important step in prepping the buns is the knife. I always use a serrated knife when I cut the rolls. This makes sure they don't lose their shape and it cuts them in a clean way so they stay puffy, keeping their cinnamon sugar snug inside.
Variations and Substitions
- Skip the nuts and raisins for a classic cinnamon bun.
- Add chocolate chips to the filling for a delicious twist.
- Use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the filling for a richer flavor.
- For a fun twist, add chopped apples to the filling before rolling up the dough.
- Swap out regular milk for almond or oat milk for a dairy-free version.
- Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose for a healthier option.
- Add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the filling for a fall-inspired treat.
- Make mini cinnamon buns by cutting the dough into smaller pieces and baking in muffin tins.
- Swap out the pecans for walnuts or almonds.
Substitutions:
- Butter can be substituted with margarine or coconut oil.
- Milk can be replaced with plant-based milk such as almond, coconut, or oat milk.
- For a vegan version, substitute the eggs with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water).
- Use gluten-free flour for those with dietary restrictions.
Variations:
- Make savory cinnamon buns by omitting the sugar and adding herbs, cheese, and garlic to the filling.
- Swap out the cinnamon for cardamom for a unique flavor twist.
- Add a cream cheese frosting instead of a glaze on top of the buns.
- Make mini buns using puff pastry dough for a quick and easy version.
- Use different types of nuts in the filling such as hazelnuts, almonds, or cashews.
- Add a layer of fruit preserves on top of the butter-sugar mixture before rolling for a fruity twist.
What to serve with these homemade sticky buns:
- Enjoy these sticky buns warm with a cup of hot coffee or tea for a cozy breakfast or snack.
- Perfect as party of a brunch spread, along with scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit.
- Serve the buns still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.
How to store cinnamon rolls
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container. They stay good at room-temperature for up to 2 days, or place in the refrigerator for up to one week
How to freeze unbaked cinnamon buns
The unbaked buns could be frozen for up two 3 months. As we have tried it and found they don't turn out as fluffy as baking the same (or even next day if you do slow cold rise), we don't recommend it.
A better way to do it is freeze the already baked cinnamon buns with the glaze. Simply cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. , with frosting, covered tightly, up to 3 months. Another idea is to leave the glaze off and heat in the oven at 225 degrees F for 20 minutes. This is the way to get rolls that taste as if they were just baked for the first time!
Yes, you could use instant yeast. If you do use instant yeast, you will not have to proof the yeast like you do when you use active yeast. When you use instant yeast, you just add to the flour.
Cinnamon buns and rolls look the same, as they are both formed into a spiral spiral shape. Cinnamon buns could sometimes be made more delicate and thinner. A big difference is cinnamon buns often have pecans, walnuts, or even raisins in the filling.
When cinnamon rolls turn out too hard and dense, the yeasted dough didn't rise adequately. If the dough used in a cinnamon roll recipe hasn't doubled in size before being rolled around the sweet filling, too few air bubbles will form.
Try to let the rolls cool down for 5 to 10 minutes before icing. IF you ice them while they're too hot, the icing will just slide into the bottom of the pan and it will look like a soup of icing. IF the buns are a little warm, it will help you to spread on the icing.
Cinnamon rolls will not turn out as fluffy if you do not give the dough enough time to rise. With any yeast based dough, sometimes it just requires a little patience. It can't be rushed.
Another reason could be that too much flour was added to the dough. The end result should be a soft, tacky and workable dough. Too much flour will result in a stiff and hard dough, and dry cinnamon buns.
Over-crowding the rolls would cause them to rise unevenly. If you use a pan that's too small, they'll be squished.
We recommended when first writing this post in 2011 to not prep the rolls and let them rise overnight in the fridge. A reader back in 2011 mentioned that it "ruins" the rolls. The reader didn't expound on this comment, but we assume it's because of what we found (and mention above), that the rolls are not as fluffy as baking same day as prepping dough.
Originally published June 2019 updated for content June 2023.
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Gooey Sticky Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
- DOUGH
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ ounce envelope active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water 100 to 110 degrees
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 ½-5 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- FILLING
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons cinnamon depending on how much cinnamon you like
- 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped -optional
- 1 cup raisins optional
- GLAZE
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 -3 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- DOUGH
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, eggs and butter. Beat in cooled milk.
- Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.
- Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours. Or leave covered in the fridge for a slow cold rise and prep the rolls the next day.
- Coat two 9-inch round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with spray.
- FILLING
- Mix butter, both kinds of sugar and cinnamon together in a medium-size bowl.
- PREP BUNS
- Punch down dough.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an 18 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter-sugar mixture over the dough.
- If you are using nuts and raisins in the recipe, sprinkle them on now. I chose to not use nuts and raisins. Starting on one long side roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch seam to close. Cut crosswise into 12 generous 1 ½ inch pieces.
- Arrange 6 pieces, cut-side down, in each prepared pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden-brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Tent with foil halfway through baking so they will not brown too quickly. I did bake my second batch of roll for less time (closer to 30 minutes). So check the rolls around 30 minutes to see if they are done.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
- GLAZE
- Mix confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk as necessary, to make a smooth glaze. Or add more sugar if you want the glaze to be thicker. Invert buns to a serving platter.
- Drizzle glaze on top of buns (about ⅓ cup per pan). Serve warm! ENJOY! If you have any left, refrigerate them. I doubt you will have any leftovers.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 6.
- Freezing Instructions: Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here's how: bake the rolls in step 6 for only about 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the pan of rolls out of the freezer and put into the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Then, finish baking them for the remaining 15-18 minutes.
- Special Tools : Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl with Rubber Spatula/Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9- inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) for icing | Icing Spatula
- Yeast: I highly recommend instant yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, you can use that instead. Active dry and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes (1:1). Active dry yeast has a moderate rate of rising and instant dry yeast has a faster rate of rising; active dry yeast will take longer to raise the dough.
- Milk: This recipe used to call for ½ cup (120ml) milk and ¼ cup (60ml) water. The rolls taste much richer using all milk, and that is what I recommend. Whole milk or even buttermilk are ideal for this dough. If needed, you can substitute ¾ cup (180ml) lower-fat or nondairy milk.
- Coffee Icing (or Vanilla Icing): Whisk 1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2-3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) strong brewed coffee together until smooth. Or swap milk for coffee for regular vanilla icing. Drizzle over warm rolls.
Jen says
Made these buns for Father's day and they were loved by all. It's a very forgiving dough!
Katie @ ohshineon says
These look amazing, delicious, sweet, and calorie-laden... just like a cinnamon bun should be! Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
Do not refrigerate it ruins them!!!
Jeff Patterson says
Mmmmm. 😉
cooketteonline.blogspot.com says
These look so good! I can't wait to try them this weekend!
Danielle says
Wow, I really want to make these right.now. They look SO good! Definitely saving these for later!!
Sue says
Kudos to you for featuring the good friends! Life can be painful sometimes, but these cinnamon rolls can help make things all better, reserved for your special friends! I'm sure YOU are a special friend to many:)
The Hedonistic Kitchen says
Aside from the fact that these sticky buns are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, I love the personal touch you bring to your blog. I myself, just bought a home last year as a single woman and hit the lotto in neighbors. Good for you girl!!!
The Mom Chef says
Oh Lora, these sticky buns are wonderful. They definitely go on the "to be made someday" list. Wow.
I have had many friends come and go over the years, but I'm blessed to still be good friends with my best bud from 5th grade as well as to be married to my best friend. Thanks for your words.
Maria says
Friendships are definitely complicated! And it is amazing how things do change throughout different phases of our lives ... but it is the true friends that will always stick by your side.
These buns are just the thing to soothe any friendship woes though ... they look amazing! Sinfully good to be exact. I just happened on your site when searching for a cinnamon bun recipe on Foodbuzz. And I am really glad I did because it looks like I will be making these tomorrow. It's going to be a "snow day" and I think the kids deserve a sweet treat for breakfast. I shouldn't really have any myself, but I don't think I will be so strong to withstand them!
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
What a beautifully written post! Friendships are very important--when you've got a good one, you have to protect it!
I love these sticky buns and will be SURE to try them at the end of my cleanse...with a friend! 😉
Stephanie says
I think I need to make this. Right now.
The Mistress of Spices says
I love your writing! Sorry to hear about the friends that disappointed you, but it sounds like you have some pretty special people in your life! And how lucky for you that you have such nice neighbors...in Paris, hardly anyone knows or speaks to their neighbors 🙂 I'm going to save this recipe, as my husband loooooves cinnamon buns - it's one of his favorite things about the U.S. 🙂
Liren says
Oh my godness, Lora, I made cinnamon buns last week but they did not look quite as gorgeous as these! And you are right - true friends are such a blessing - we must be thankful for them each and every single day!
Magic of Spice says
What a lovely post Lora, sorry about the friends that have hurt you recently...but you are right as long as you have those special few then you are blessed. And these sticky buns are just gorgeous, I say dinner would be a great time for them 🙂