Sticky Buns: 14 Gooey Christmas Morning Pans Home Bakers Shape the Night Before and Just Flip

Sticky buns are the Christmas morning bake that turns waking up early into the best part of the day. Picture a warm pan flipped onto a platter, brown sugar caramel sliding down soft swirls and toasted pecans glistening on top. One YouTube baker’s sticky bun video has passed 2.3 million views, and home cooks are sharing their versions by the thousands this season. The secret is that most of the work happens the night before: shape the buns on Christmas Eve, chill them, and bake while the coffee brews. This collection starts with classic caramel pecan sticky buns, then moves to gingerbread, cranberry orange, maple, honey and chocolate hazelnut pans, plus old-world cousins from Philadelphia and London. Grab a 9×13 pan and a roomy platter..

Classic Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

These are the sticky buns that make a house smell like Christmas morning before anyone is awake: soft, buttery swirls baked on brown sugar caramel and toasted pecans, then flipped so the glaze runs down every side. A caramel pecan version shared on Facebook this week drew 6,100 reactions and more than 800 shares. Serve them next to Christmas breakfast casseroles..

You will need: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F), 1 large egg, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup heavy cream, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt, add warm milk, egg and melted butter, and knead 6 to 8 minutes; this is the basic sweet dough. 2. Let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 3. Simmer 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, honey, cream and salt 1 minute, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 4. Roll the dough to 16 by 12 inches, spread with soft butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, roll up and cut 12 buns. 5. Rise 45 minutes in the pan, then bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. 6. Cool 5 minutes and carefully flip onto a platter.

Overnight Make-Ahead Sticky Buns

The best Christmas morning trick is doing the work the night before. Shape the buns on Christmas Eve, cover the pan tightly and chill it, where a slow, cold rise deepens the flavor. By the time the coffee is ready, the tray is golden and crowned with pecans. Add more holiday breakfast bakes to the night-before list.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup heavy cream, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Pour the simmered caramel into a greased 9×13-inch pan, add the pecans and set in 12 filled, sliced buns. 2. Cover tightly and chill 8 to 16 hours. 3. Rest 30 minutes, bake at 350 degrees F for 28 to 32 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Gingerbread Sticky Buns

All the cozy spice of a gingerbread house goes into these: molasses in the caramel and ginger, cinnamon and cloves in the filling. The dark glaze bakes up glossy and almost toffee-colored. Use mild molasses rather than blackstrap, which can taste bitter, and scatter chopped crystallized ginger on top. These surprise anyone who thinks they have tasted every holiday bake. Want more spice? Try these gingerbread treats.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, brown sugar, molasses, cream and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 2. Fill the rolled dough with soft butter, sugar and spices, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes in the pan. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Philadelphia-Style Sticky Buns With Raisins and Cherries

Philadelphia claims the sticky bun as its own, and the story goes back to German bakers in Pennsylvania who made coiled sweet rolls called schnecken, meaning snails. The local style is generous with cinnamon, plumped raisins and a dark, honey-rich glaze. For Christmas, tuck chopped candied cherries in with the nuts. Soak the raisins 10 minutes so they stay juicy. Love this kind of baking? Try these Amish recipes next.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/3 cup honey, pinch of salt, 3/4 cup raisins or currants, soaked and drained, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup chopped candied cherries, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Melt butter, dark brown sugar, honey and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans and cherries. 2. Fill the rolled dough with soft butter, sugar, cinnamon and raisins, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Orange Cranberry Caramel Buns

Orange zest and tart cranberries cut through rich caramel like sunshine on a winter morning. Fresh berries burst in the oven and bleed ruby streaks into the glaze, which looks stunning on a white platter. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips to release the oils. Got extra berries? Turn them into more cranberry desserts for the week.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, pinch of salt, 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, brown sugar, orange juice and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the cranberries. 2. Rub the zest into the sugar, fill the rolled dough with soft butter, orange sugar and cinnamon, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

In New England kitchens, maple syrup stands in for corn syrup, giving a deeper, woodsy caramel that tastes like a snowy morning. Toast the walnuts 8 minutes first and the flavor jumps. Bake them tall in a deep pan, then finish with a thin maple glaze. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup, because the flavor really shows. Want more? Try these maple desserts.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, pinch of salt, 1 1/4 cups walnut halves, toasted, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the walnuts. 2. Fill with butter, sugar and cinnamon, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes, flip and drizzle with powdered sugar whisked with maple syrup.

Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Buns

Chocolate hazelnut spread swirled through soft dough, a caramel bottom and toasted hazelnuts on top: these are the ones kids race for. The spread melts into dark ribbons as the buns bake. Rub the papery skins off the toasted nuts in a kitchen towel, and chill the filled log 15 minutes so the swirls slice neatly. Got a chocolate lover at home? Browse more chocolate hazelnut desserts.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, pinch of salt, 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped, 3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, brown sugar, cream and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the hazelnuts. 2. Spread the rolled dough with chocolate hazelnut spread, roll up, chill 15 minutes, cut 12 to 15 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Homemade Honey Buns

Southern gas stations made the glazed honey bun a road-trip legend, and this homemade version brings that flavor to the holiday table. Honey goes into both the dough and the caramel for a floral sweetness and tender crumb, and a thin honey glaze after flipping adds that familiar shine. Use a mild clover honey so it does not overpower the cinnamon. Serve them beside other Southern breakfast classics.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup honey, pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons milk

How to make it: 1. Make the basic sweet dough with 2 tablespoons honey added and let it rise. 2. Melt butter, brown sugar, honey and salt and pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan. 3. Fill with butter, sugar and cinnamon, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes, flip and drizzle with powdered sugar whisked with honey and milk.

Apple Cider Sticky Buns

Boiled-down apple cider makes a tangy, fruity caramel that tastes like a fall orchard. Reduce the cider until syrupy before adding butter and brown sugar. Diced apples go into the filling and over the top for little pockets of soft fruit; a firm apple like Granny Smith holds its shape. These bridge Thanksgiving and Christmas. Got extra cider? Try more apple cider bakes this week.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1 1/2 cups apple cider, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup finely diced apple, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Boil the cider down to 1/3 cup, stir in butter, brown sugar and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 2. Fill with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and diced apple, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Butterscotch Pecan Buns

Old church cookbooks call these butterscotch rolls, and the secret is dark brown sugar and cream cooked a minute longer than usual, until the syrup smells toasty. That gives the old-fashioned flavor people remember from potlucks. Pile on more pecans than seems sensible, and spoon any syrup left in the pan back over the tops. See more butterscotch desserts Grandma made.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, dark brown sugar, cream and salt for 2 minutes, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 2. Fill with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes, flip and spoon the pan syrup over the tops.

Eggnog Glazed Caramel Rolls

Eggnog goes into the dough in place of milk and into a creamy glaze on top, so these rolls taste like the holiday carton in the fridge. Grate the nutmeg fresh, since it is what makes eggnog taste like eggnog. Warm the eggnog gently to 110 degrees F, as it scorches easily. Pair the rolls with these eggnog recipes.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe made with warm eggnog in place of milk, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup eggnog, 1 cup chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons eggnog

How to make it: 1. Make the basic sweet dough with warm eggnog instead of milk and let it rise. 2. Simmer butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup eggnog, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 3. Fill with butter, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon, roll up, cut 12 rolls and rise 45 minutes. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes, flip and drizzle with powdered sugar whisked with eggnog.

Mini Muffin Tin Sticky Buns

A muffin tin turns one batch into two dozen little buns, perfect for a brunch buffet where people want to try a bit of everything. Each cup gets its own spoonful of caramel and chopped pecans, so every bun comes out with a crunchy nut crown. Mini sticky buns freeze well, so tuck some away for unexpected guests. Find more muffin tin recipes for busy mornings.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup finely chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of melted butter, brown sugar and honey into each cup of a greased 24-cup mini muffin tin and add chopped pecans. 2. Fill and roll the dough, cut 24 slices, set one in each cup and rise 30 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F on a sheet pan for 15 to 18 minutes, cool 2 minutes and flip onto parchment.

Maple Cardamom Buns

Cardamom is the warm, floral spice behind many Scandinavian Christmas breads, and it loves maple. A maple cardamom version posted about a month ago has already drawn more than 136,000 YouTube views. Grind the cardamom fresh if you can, since pre-ground loses its perfume quickly, and add a pinch of orange zest. Explore more Scandinavian baking next.

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon orange zest

How to make it: 1. Simmer butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt, pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and add the pecans. 2. Fill with soft butter, brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and orange zest, roll up, cut 12 buns and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes and flip.

Chelsea Buns

Across the ocean, the British have their own cousin of American sticky buns: the Chelsea bun, first made at the Bun House in Chelsea, London, in the 1700s. It is a square currant bun, spiced and swirled, with lemon zest and a shiny sugar glaze. The buns bake snug in the pan, which gives them their boxy shape. Curious about more classic British bakes?

You will need: 1 batch basic sweet dough from the first recipe, 4 tablespoons soft butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 cup currants, 1 teaspoon mixed spice or cinnamon, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons milk

How to make it: 1. Roll it to 16 by 12 inches, spread with soft butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, currants, spice and lemon zest. 2. Roll up, cut 12 buns, set them snugly in a greased 9×13-inch pan and rise 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, then brush with the sugar dissolved in hot milk.