These vegan sticky buns are the ultimate in decadence! They're sweet, fluffy, swirled with gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling, and covered in sticky pecan topping. These make a great dessert or an incredibly decadent breakfast. OH YEAH!
Sticky buns are such a nostalgic treat for me. Growing up, they were the special dessert in my family. If someone baked up a batch of sticky buns, it was definitely a holiday or celebration, and man they were good!
Homemade vegan sticky buns are a bit of work, but I promise you they are so worth it!
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I created my vegan sticky bun recipe based on both the buns I grew up loving, as well as my vegan cinnamon rolls recipe, which is pretty similar, but whereas the cinnamon rolls are topped with frosting, my sticky buns are covered in a gooey brown sugar sauce and pecans. It only took a few simple swaps to veganize sticky buns, and they were at least as delicious as the ones I enjoyed as a kid. Maybe more!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Non-dairy milk. You can use pretty much any non-dairy milk that you'd drink, such as almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or oat milk. My guide to dairy-free milks can help you navigate your options if needed!
- Active dry yeast.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to ensure the recipe stays vegan. Conventional sugar may have been processed using animal bone char.
- Vegan butter. Most grocery stores sell this in the refrigerated section, near the regular butter.
- Salt.
- Flour. We're using all-purpose flour, also known as white flour. I have not tested the recipe with any other types of flour, so make substitutions at your own risk.
- Brown sugar. Just like with the white sugar, this needs to be organic. You're welcome to use either dark or light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Maple syrup.
- Chopped pecans.
- Ground cinnamon.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Warm up your milk to about 110°F, then stir in a packet of active dry yeast and a bit of sugar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. It should start to get frothy.
Step 2: Transfer the milk mixture to a large mixing bowl, then stir in some more sugar, melted (and cooled!) vegan butter, and salt.
Step 3: Add flour to the liquid mixture to make a dough. Stir in a bit at a time until it's all been added, working it in with your hands at the end.
Step 4: Knead the dough! Roll it into a ball, place it on a floured surface, and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Tip: You might find it challenging to stir all of the flour into the dough at first. Do your best, then dump everything onto your kneading surface. As you knead the dough you'll work in those last few bits of flour, and probably some extra!
Step 5: Lightly oil the inside of a large mixing bowl, then roll your dough into a ball and place it in the bowl.
Step 6: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, place it in a warm spot, and let it rise until it has doubled in size.
Tip: Your dough should take about two hours to rise, but the amount of time can vary depending on the temperature. A warmer spot will speed up the process. Some ovens have a bread proofing setting that heats it to around 95°F. If yours does, use it. If not, you can turn on the oven light to warm it up in there.
Step 7: Combine some brown sugar, vegan butter, maple syrup, and salt together in a saucepan. Heat the mixture just until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Step 8: Pour the sauce into a rectangular baking dish, then sprinkle in some chopped pecans.
Step 9: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large rectangle.
Step 10: Brush the dough with melted vegan butter, then sprinkle it with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Step 11: Now roll the dough up, rolling from a long edge and enclosing all that buttery brown sugar cinnamon filling inside.
Step 12: Slice your dough roll into a dozen pieces, doing your best to get them to be uniform in size.
Tip: If you really want to get your pieces evenly sized, use a ruler! I also like to cut the roll in half first, then cut each half in half to make four pieces, then slice each section into three slices.
Step 13: Place your slices into the baking dish, over the topping.
Step 14: Cover the dish and let the buns rise (yes, again!) until they've puffed up a bit.
Step 15: Pop the baking dish into the oven and bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, until they're puffy and browned on top.
Step 16: Let the buns cool in the baking dish for five to ten minutes.
Step 17: Time to remove the buns from the pan. Loosen the edges with a knife, then invert the pan onto a baking sheet.
Tip: Don't wait to remove the buns from the pan! As they cool, the topping will harden, and eventually, they will stick.
Your vegan sticky buns are ready to enjoy! They're best served right away.
Leftovers & Storage
As your sticky buns cool, the topping will firm up a bit, so they won't be quite as sticky. They'll still be delicious though, and are totally worth saving! They'll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about two days, in the fridge for about four days, or in the freezer for about three months. I love to microwave my leftover sticky buns for a few seconds to warm it back up before enjoying!
Variations
- Raisin sticky buns. We loved raisin sticky buns when I was a kid! Just replace half or all of the pecans with raisins.
- Spiced sticky buns. You can add warming spices to the filling. Try ginger, cloves, nutmeg, or allspice. Some orange peel is also a nice addition!
- Switch up the nuts. Replace the pecans with chopped walnuts.
- Iced sticky buns. Yes, you can ice your sticky buns! Mix up two cups of organic powdered sugar with three or four tablespoons of non-dairy milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then drizzle it over the topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually indicates that the yeast is dead. Unfortunately, you'll need to start over with a new packet of yeast, and make sure to check the expiration date!
It's not an exact science, and it's perfectly fine to eyeball it! When it has doubled in size it will not only occupy a larger space, but have a smoother surface and puffy appearance. I like to take a photo of the dough before rising so I have a basis for comparison.
You can use a couple of smaller baking dishes, as long as the buns fit properly. You want them to just fit with some gaps around the corners when you first place the dough slices in the dishes. After the second rise, the dough should have puffed up so that the buns fit snugly together.
I don't recommend it. Gluten-free yeast doughs require quite a few adjustments.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Sticky Buns
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, heated to 110°F
- 1 (¼ ounce/7 gram) packet active dry yeast
- ½ cup organic granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the Topping
- ¾ cup organic brown sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
For the Filling
- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
- â…” cup organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir the milk together with the yeast and two tablespoons of the sugar. Set the mixture aside for about five minutes, until it becomes frothy.
- Transfer the milk mixture to a large mixing bow. Stir in the remaining sugar (6 tablespoons), along with the melted butter and salt.
- Begin stirring in the flour. Continue adding flour until a shaggy dough is formed, using between 3 ½ and 4 cups total.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, then knead it for six to eight minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, then place it in a warm spot to rise until it doubles in size. This should take about two hours, but the time will vary depending on the temperature.
- Make the topping while the dough rises. Combine the brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, and salt in a small saucepan. Place it over medium heat. Heat the mixture up while stirring, just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
- Lightly grease the sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, then pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle it evenly with the chopped pecans.
- Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured surface, Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle.
- Arrange the filling over the dough. First, brush it evenly with the melted butter. Next, stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the butter, leaving a small (½ inch or so) border.
- Starting from a long edge of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the fillings.
- Cut the dough log into twelve equal slices.
- Arrange the slices over the topping in the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, then place it in a warm location for a second rise. Let it rise for about an hour, just until the slices have puffed up a bit.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the oven has come up to temperature, place the baking dish inside. Bake the buns for about 30 minutes, until they're very puffy and golden brown.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the buns cool for five to ten minutes (Note 1).
- Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the buns. Place a baking sheet over the pan, then invert the pan to release the buns onto the baking sheet.
- Serve.
Notes
- Don't let them cool any longer than ten minutes, or they will become very difficult to remove from the pan.
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Can they be placed in frig after 2nd rise and baked the next day?
I would place them in the fridge right after you put them in the pan, then do the second rise the following day. I've done that with my cinnamon roll recipe, which uses a similar dough, and it works well!