Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

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Soft, gooey Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls baked with heavy cream and topped with a rich pecan glaze—perfect for brunch or holidays!

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Rising Time1

Total Time2

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, sticky buns

Servings: servings

Calories: 666kcal

Author: Lois

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1 cup warm milk
2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
2 eggs
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 ½ cups all purpose flour

For the Filling:

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Buttered Pecans:

½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups pecan halves

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Instructions

In a bowl, pour the yeast on top of the warm milk and mix. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
Cube the butter and add it to the milk mixture along with the white sugar, and eggs. Mix well.
Add in the salt and 4 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix everything until just combined.
Use a hook attachment in a mixer to beat and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Add the extra ½ cup of flour if the dough is still sticky.
In a clean and oiled bowl place the kneaded dough into it and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size at room temperature.
While the dough rises, make the filling. In a bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger together. Then add the softened butter and vanilla extract and blend with a fork until a paste forms.
After 30 minutes have passed, remove the dough from the oiled bowl and roll out into a large rectangle on a clean floured surface about half an inch thick.
Spread the filling out evenly on the dough with a rubber spatula.
Create a long log by tightly folding the dough and rolling together.
Use a sharp knife or the string method to cut 10-12 cinnamon rolls out.
Place the cinnamon rolls into a greased pan and cover with a damp towel and let rise again for 30 minutes until the rolls have doubled.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Pour the heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
While the cinnamon buns are baking make the pecan caramel topping.
In a saucepan, add the butter over medium heat. Melt down completely before adding in the brown sugar. Let the two melt together until smooth and bubbly, stirring continuously the whole time to prevent burning.
Then pour in the heavy cream and salt. Stir together until creamy and smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, then add the pecan halves. Fold the pecans into the caramel mixture.
Once the cinnamon buns are out of the oven, pour the pecan caramel mixture all over the top of the rolls, spreading to coat the sticky sauce over each roll.
Serve and enjoy while still warm!

Notes

Don’t rush the dough – Give it enough time to rise until doubled; a slow rise makes the rolls extra soft and fluffy.

Roll the dough tightly – When rolling up the cinnamon rolls, keep it snug so the filling stays in place that will help you get those beautiful swirls.

Pour the heavy cream over just before baking – This helps soak into the dough and create that gooey, bakery-style texture.

Check early for doneness – Start checking the rolls 5–10 minutes before the suggested bake time to avoid overbaking; you want them just golden, not dry.

Spread the butter pecan sauce while warm – Pour the sauce over the rolls while they’re still warm so it melts into all the cracks and crevices.

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