Description
Delight in these soft, spiced Pumpkin Sticky Buns featuring a moist pumpkin-infused dough swirled with cinnamon sugar, topped with a rich caramel glaze and crunchy pecans, perfect for an autumn breakfast or cozy dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 180g (¾ cup) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 170g (¾ cup) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 55g (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Caramel
- 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 170g (6oz) pecan halves
Filling
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Warm the milk to 95-104°F (35-40°C) and pour into a stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the milk. If using active dry yeast, let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy; skip this if using instant yeast.
- Mix dough ingredients: Add flour, salt, pumpkin puree, spices, and egg. Mix on low speed with a dough hook to form a thick dough.
- Add butter and knead: Gradually add softened butter cubes while mixing on medium speed for 10 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away cleanly from bowl sides. For hand kneading, mix with a wooden spoon until shaggy, then knead on floured surface incorporating butter cubes for 10-15 minutes until smooth and strong.
- First rise: Shape dough into a smooth ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour. Dough can be refrigerated up to 16 hours if made ahead.
- Prepare filling and caramel: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon for filling. Roughly chop pecans. Line 9×13-inch pan with parchment. Melt butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt over medium heat until smooth caramel forms. Pour into prepared pan, spread gently, then sprinkle pecans evenly on top.
- Shape buns: Punch down dough and turn onto floured surface. If chilled, let warm 10 minutes. Roll dough into 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar filling evenly, then roll tightly from long edge into a log. Cut into 12 equal slices using dental floss or serrated knife. Place slices atop pecans and caramel in pan, cover, and let rise until doubled.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake buns for 25-27 minutes until deep golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly.
- Invert and cool: Remove from oven and carefully invert onto a parchment-lined tray to release caramel and pecans. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
Notes
- All cup measures are US standard and smaller than metric cup sizes; for best accuracy, weigh ingredients in grams.
- Dough rises best in a warm, draft-free area.
- You can refrigerate the dough for up to 16 hours before shaping for more developed flavor.
- Use unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife to cut the rolls cleanly.
- If buns brown too fast during baking, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Ensure to cool buns before serving to let caramel set properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sticky bun (approx. 1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
