Homemade Gooey Rum Soaked Pecan Sticky Buns…just the holiday breakfast you’ve been looking for! Soft and fluffy sweet dough, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and baked with a simple rum, brown sugar, and pecan sauce. There’s really nothing not to love about these sticky buns! Every bite is truly melt in your mouth delicious and full of delicious rum flavor. If I had to say any treat tasted like the holiday’s, it’s definitely these buns! From the gooeyness of the rum sauce, to the crunch of the pecans, and finally finishing with the soft and pillow-y sweet dough…SO. GOOD. These buns are the perfect make-ahead breakfast rolls the whole family will love, and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or just when you want an indulgent but delicious breakfast!

overhead shot of sticky buns with bottom left bun missing

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About The Recipe

I know it’s still the first week of October, but I can’t stop thinking about the holiday’s! I know Halloween is right around the corner, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the forefront of my mind. It’s one of my favorite times of year! So, we are getting ready for the holidays a little early by sharing these oh so delicious rum soaked pecan sticky buns!

If you’re searching for an indulgent treat, these sticky buns are perfect.

syrup being poured onto two stacked buns on a white plate

Growing up, we always made these sticky buns during the holiday’s. It was the gift to give and the perfect pastry to bake for breakfast on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. We always called them Rum Nut Rolls, but it really doesn’t matter what they’re called…they’re always going to be delicious!

But this is the first ever time we’ve made them in years! We had so much fun trying to remember what we used to do and, I’ll admit, the first test bake was a bit underdone. They still tasted amazing! Just needed about 10-15 more minutes in the oven.

So, we re-baked them and had a perfect sticky buns! Of course, we made them again because…I mean, can you really have too many sticky buns?

hand pulling bun away from the rest on parchment paper

close up of rum pecan bun on white plate

Every bite is sweet, rum-y, and just SO. GOOD.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

For The Filling:

Brown Sugar
White Sugar
Cinnamon
Salted Butter

brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in bowls

For The Dough:

All-Purpose Flour
Sugar
Salt
Instant Yeast
Whole Milk
Unsalted Butter
Egg

milk, sugar, egg, flour, salt, yeast, and butter on marble counter

For The Syrup:

Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Dark Corn Syrup
Salted Butter
Rum
Chopped Pecans

nutmeg, cinnamon, corn syrup, rum, butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans on marble counter

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside.

cinnamon, brown sugar, and white sugar in a glass bowl

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.

Combine the milk and butter in a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat until it reaches anywhere between 120-130 degrees.

With the mixer running, slowly pour the milk and butter mixture into the dry ingredients.

butter mixture being poured into dry ingredients

Add egg and mix. Once the egg is mixed in, change the beater for the dough hook and knead until smooth. About 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased lidded container and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

dough doubled in size in plastic container

While the dough rises, let’s make the syrup! Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and corn syrup in a small pot. Place over medium-low heat and heat until butter is melted.

corn syrup, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter in small pot

Stir in the rum.

Pour syrup in a greased casserole. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Set aside.

rum syrup in white casserole with chopped pecans

Roll the dough out on a floured surface. It should be about an 1/4 inch thick rectangle.

dough being rolled out with marble rolling pin

Spread the top of the dough with melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.

Roll longways into a large log.

Slice into 1 inch thick slices and place the rolls in the syrup.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Turn out onto a plate and enjoy!

overhead shot of sticky buns on parchment with whole spices around

Difference between Sticky Buns and Cinnamon Rolls

While they’re both very similar, they both are also completely different! A cinnamon roll is baked as-is and topped with a delicious vanilla glaze. Whereas a sticky bun is baked with a syrup on the bottom of the pan, then turned out to give you a delicious sticky-syrupy-gooey mess that just tastes so. DARN. GOOD.

Sweet Dough Troubleshooting

The dough isn’t rising in the times stated in the recipe card: The recipe card/post states the times it took our dough to rise. We live in Texas. So, it tends to be a bit warmer here and doughs generally take less time to rise. I promise there’s nothing wrong with the dough! Just let it do it’s thing, but if you really need it done, try placing near a warm oven. The warmth from being near the oven will help it rise faster. Just don’t put the dough in the oven!

My dough didn’t rise AT ALL: This could be a few things. Is your yeast in-date? If not, then you need to get new yeast and try again. If it is, did you check the temperature of the butter/milk mixture? When the mixture is over 120-130 degrees, it’ll kill your yeast! Be sure to have a thermometer on hand.

My dough isn’t smooth after kneading: Did you change to the dough hook on your mixer? This is a very important step! If you did, no worries! Just keep kneading and it’ll smoothen out.

two stacked sticky buns on a white plate with more buns behind

How To Store

Once the rolls have been baked (but not turned out!), you can store them in the freezer by covering the top of the pan with foil. This is the best way to store them! Whenever you want them, set them out an hour or so before you want them, allowing them to thaw and come to room temperature, then place them in the oven to reheat!

Substitutions

Not feeling the pecans? No worries! You can use walnuts.
We use rum, but you could use bourbon in it’s place, if that’s what you prefer. Just make sure the flavor profile has some cinnamon/vanilla undertones!

Other Recipes You May Like

two pecan rum buns on a white plate with book pages underneath and two stacked buns behind

Expert Tips

Double check your yeast to ensure it’s in-date before baking!
If milk mixture gets too hot, don’t worry! Allow it to cool to 120-130 degrees before pouring it into the dry ingredients.
If you don’t have a big enough lidded container to allow the dough to rise, you can put the dough in a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap!
Don’t over fill the buns with the filling!
These buns will only reheat once! Anything more will cause the syrup to burn and not be good.

When you make these Gooey Rum Soaked Pecan Sticky Buns, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Gooey Rum Soaked Pecan Sticky Buns