These Overnight Sticky Buns are so decadent - soft, pillowy dough rolled with cinnamon sugar, and coated with a sweet, sticky, caramel-like topping.
I have always had a huge weakness for cinnamon buns. In fact, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had such a big craving for them that Mr. Dreamboat once made an early-morning tour to pick up a variety of some of the most highly regarded cinnamon buns from local spots in the city.
However, my preference for which type of cinnamon buy I like best has changed over the years. I used to prefer a cinnamon bun that was slathered with cream cheese frosting.
Now my preferred type is a sticky bun. It doesn't necessarily have frosting, but it doesn't need any because it has a sticky, caramel-like coating from being cooked in a layer of sugar and butter. My very favorite sticky bun is the one from the Bear's Paw Bakery in Jasper (which is currently closed due to the devastating forest fire that occurred this past summer).
When I make cinnamon buns of any type, I'm usually making them to eat for breakfast, and I definitely don't want to have to get up before the sun rises to start making them. So I use an overnight method to make them the day before, and bake them fresh in the morning when I get up. Keep reading to learn how to make Overnight Sticky Buns.
How to make Overnight Sticky Buns
Making cinnamon buns of any type starts with making the dough. For this recipe, I used my Granny's dinner roll recipe, which I cut in half to make a more reasonable-sized batch. I like to make my dinner buns (and cinnamon buns) with a little bit of whole wheat flour, but you can use only all-purpose if you want.
I find it easiest to make this particular dough in my stand mixer, but if you don't have one, you can knead the dough by hand.
If you're using active dry yeast, first proof it with some warm water and a little bit of sugar. If you're starting with instant yeast, you can skip this step and just mix it in with the dry ingredients.
Once the dough has formed a sticky ball, place it into an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise at room temperature for about 90 minutes. Punch the dough down, and roll it into a rectangle (with the long sides at the top and bottom). Spread the dough with softened butter, then sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar.
Roll the dough up from the bottom to form a 16-inch long cylinder. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, then put the pieces into a baking pan that has been spread with a mixture of additional cinnamon sugar, melted butter, and corn (or maple) syrup.
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge. In the morning, take out the baking dish and let it sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes (or up to an hour) while you wait for the oven to heat up.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the tops of the buns are golden brown and the center of a center bun measures 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning the pan over onto a baking sheet or cutting board to remove the sticky buns.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a day or two at room temperature, or in the freezer if you want to keep the leftovers for an extended time.
Overnight Sticky Buns Ingredients
- Lukewarm water - use whatever water you normally drink. Tap water that has been slightly heated is fine.
- Granulated sugar - you will be using a little bit of granulated sugar in the sticky bun dough.
- Active dry yeast - or feel free to substitute instant yeast. In this case, skip step 1 and simply whisk the yeast in with the dry ingredients.
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour - this is optional. If you want white sticky buns, replace the whole wheat flour with an equal amount of additional all-purpose flour.
- Skim milk powder - while skim milk powder is a convenient addition to bread and other baked goods, you can skip it if you don't have any. In this case, replace the water in the dough with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
- Salt - the measurements for this recipe are based on using table salt.
- Canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Large egg
- Brown sugar - I like to use brown sugar in the sticky bun filling and coating because it has a richer flavor with a hint of molasses.
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter - you will need some of the butter you are using for this recipe to be softened. The remainder will be melted. Feel free to substitute your favorite dairy-free butter alternative to make your sticky buns dairy-free.
- Corn syrup or maple syrup - this is to help the sticky "coating" on the buns to be extra sticky. Use maple syrup for a hint of maple flavor, and use corn syrup for a more neutral flavor.
Overnight Sticky Buns Variations
One of the best things about these mouthwatering Sticky Buns is that they are versatile and you can make them to suit your tastes:
Add Nuts
Nuts like pecans or walnuts make a great crunchy addition to sticky buns. If you want to add some, sprinkle them on top of the sticky topping at the end of step 7 before placing the buns in the baking dish.
Add Raisins
If you're the type of person who likes raisins in your baked goods, they fit well in sticky buns. If you do want to add them, place them inside the buns before rolling them up at the end of step 6.
Bake them now
While I provide overnight instructions to make cinnamon buns because I prefer to cook them first thing in the morning, it is completely possible to bake them without the overnight wait.
In that case, skip putting the baking dish in the fridge in step 8. Simply let them sit for about 10 minutes on the counter (covered with plastic wrap to avoid the tops drying out) while the oven heats up. They might cook a little faster than the overnight version because the dough isn't cold, so make sure to check them after 25 minutes.
Want more yeast bread recipes?
Overnight Sticky Buns Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one sticky bun if you make 8 sticky buns from the recipe. If you cut your dough into more (or fewer) buns, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
To make your Overnight Sticky Buns dairy-free, omit the skim milk powder and replace the water with an equal portion of your favorite dairy-free milk alternative. Also, replace the butter with a dairy-free butter alternative.
The Ultimate Overnight Sticky Buns
Equipment
- Dough Scraper optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar plus ½ teaspoon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups all purpose flour plus another ¼ cup as needed
- ½ cup whole wheat flour optional - see note
- ¼ cup skim milk powder see note
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ Tablespoons canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 4 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cups corn syrup or maple syrup
Instructions
- Dissolve ½ teaspoon of the sugar in 1 cup lukewarm water. Sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast on top of the water and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk 2 cups all purpose flour , ½ cup whole wheat flour, ¼ cup skim milk powder, and 1 teaspoon salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer that is fitted with a dough hook.
- When yeast becomes puffy in the warm water, stir it up, then stir in the 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons canola oil, and the lightly beaten egg. Turn the stand mixer on low speed, and slowly pour the water mixture into the flour mixture. Continue to mix until the dough forms a cohesive ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, scraping down the sides frequently. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add another ¼ cup of the flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, ensuring that all the flour has been incorporated before adding any more.
- Remove the dough from the stand mixer. Form it into a ball and transfer to a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
- While you're waiting for the dough to rise, mix together ¾ cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl until it's evenly combined and no large lumps of brown sugar remain. Set aside.
- When the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it into a 12x16" rectangle (the long sides should at the bottom - closest to you, and the top). Spread 4 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter evenly over the dough. Spread it all the way to 3 of the sides, but leave ½-1" unbuttered at the top edge. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture evenly over the butter.
- Stir together 4 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter, ¼ cups corn syrup, and the remaining cinnamon-brown sugar mixture in a small bowl until no streaks of butter remain and the mixture resembles caramel. Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan.
- Roll the cinnamon sugar-topped dough rectangle up from the bottom edge (the one closest to you) evenly to the top to form a 16" long cylinder. Roll the cylinder so that the seam is at the bottom. Cut the cylinder into 8 equal pieces using a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife (each piece should be 2" wide).
- Place the pieces swirl side up (and down) in the prepared baking pan (place them so that they have even spacing between each piece as well as the sides of the pan). Cover with greased plastic and place the pan in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge. Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the sticky buns until they are golden brown on top and the buns in the middle have an internal temperature of 190°F using an instant-read thermometer, about 30-35 minutes (if using a glass baking dish, add an additional 5-10 minutes to the baking time).
- After baking, let the buns rest in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn the pan onto a baking sheet or cutting board while the dish is still warm (if you let the buns cool completely in the pan, the sticky syrup topping will harden and it will be very difficult to remove them).
To Bake Now:
- If you don't want to let the dough rest overnight to bake in the morning, it's completely possible skip that step. Simply follow the recipe to the end of step 8, but instead of putting the baking pan in the fridge, leave it on the counter and prep the oven by moving the rack to the middle position and heating it to 350°F. Once the oven has reached temperature, go ahead and remove the plastic from the pan and put it in the oven. Because the dough isn't cold, the baking time will be a little shorter. Bake for about 25 minutes, or 30 minutes if using a glass baking dish. It's best to check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of one of the middle buns (the temperature should be about 190°F).
Notes
Nutrition
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