Sticky Buns with Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls
If you love sticky buns but hate making dough, this recipe is for you. I use Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls as the base, a quick brown sugar caramel with pecans goes into the pan first, and you bake the whole thing in a 9×13 pan. Flip it out hot and you have 12 gooey, bakery-style buns with almost no effort.
Why I use Rhodes cinnamon rolls for sticky buns
If you love the smell of fresh rolls but hate the mess of flour on your counters, this is your recipe. We’re skipping the yeast-stress and letting the freezer aisle do the heavy lifting.
I use Rhodes cinnamon rolls for the base, while butter, brown sugar, and pecans create the sticky topping underneath.
After flipping the pan, you get soft buns coated in a glossy, caramel-like layer that’s very close to made-from-scratch pecan sticky buns.
I’ve made enough homemade cinnamon roll recipes to know there’s a time for those, but this isn’t one of them. This recipe makes a batch of 12, which is plenty for sharing.
If you love the warm, cozy flavors in these sticky buns, my homemade cinnamon swirl bread is another easy no-knead recipe the whole family goes crazy for.
For another fun cinnamon-forward treat that’s just as simple to pull together, these snickerdoodle truffles are perfect for gifting or holiday dessert trays.
How to make sticky buns with Rhodes cinnamon rolls
Here’s a quick overview of how I make these buns. The full recipe with ingredient amounts is further down the page.
Tips for the best pecan sticky buns every time
Keep an eye on the rise. Since these start with frozen cinnamon rolls, they need time at room temperature to thaw and expand, but you don’t want to let them get completely puffy before baking.
They’ll keep rising in the oven, so bake them once they’ve increased in size but before they look fully doubled, which usually takes about 2 to 4 hours.
Flip the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. The pecan topping is much easier to release while it’s hot. If the pan sits too long, more of the sticky mixture will stay in the bottom of the pan instead of on the buns.
Use a tray or baking sheet with a little rim if you have one. The topping can run a bit when you invert the pan, and that extra space makes the whole thing less stressful.
What’s the difference between sticky buns and cinnamon rolls?
Not exactly. They’re similar, but sticky buns have a sticky topping made from butter and sugar in the bottom of the pan, and that topping becomes the top once they’re inverted.
Cinnamon rolls are usually baked plain, then finished with vanilla icing or glaze.
This recipe uses Rhodes cinnamon rolls with a gooey pecan topping, so it’s the best of both worlds.
Can I make sticky buns without corn syrup?
You can absolutely make these sticky buns without corn syrup, but it’s helpful to know that the flavor and texture will change slightly.
If you want to skip the corn syrup, you can use honey instead. You can also omit the corn syrup entirely and increase the brown sugar to 1 cup total.
The all-brown-sugar version still tastes great, but the topping turns out more like a thick cinnamon roll filling than a traditional, gooey sticky bun topping.
It won’t be quite as glossy, and it can have a slightly grainier texture instead of that signature smooth finish. That said, one of my taste testers actually preferred that version!
How to store and freeze sticky buns
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze the baked sticky buns in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these sticky buns overnight?
Yes, and this is one of my favorite ways to do it for holiday mornings. After assembling in the pan, spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay it sprayed-side down over the rolls to keep it from sticking to the dough as it rises. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, pull the pan out and check that the rolls have almost doubled in size. If they need a little more time, leave them on the counter to finish rising. Once the rolls look puffy, remove the plastic wrap and bake according to the recipe instructions below.
Can I use Rhodes dinner rolls instead of cinnamon rolls?
You can, but the result will taste a little different. Rhodes dinner rolls are plain bread dough, so you will lose the cinnamon filling that runs through each bun.
If that is what you have on hand, I would suggest rolling each thawed dinner roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before placing it in the pan to make up for that missing layer of flavor. The caramel pecan topping will still be delicious either way.
Why did my sticky topping stay in the pan?
This almost always comes down to timing. The topping releases best when the buns are flipped immediately out of the oven while everything is still hot and fluid.
If the pan sits even 5 minutes before inverting, the caramel starts to set and more of it will stick to the bottom of the pan instead of coating the buns. If this happens to you, just scrape the remaining topping out of the pan with a spatula and spoon it back over the buns. It still tastes exactly the same.
How do I reheat sticky buns?
For a single bun, the microwave works great. About 15 to 20 seconds is usually enough to warm it through and loosen the caramel back up.
If you are reheating several at once, place them in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and warm them in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. I would avoid going hotter than that since the pecans can get a little bitter if the caramel gets too dark a second time around.
If you’re serving these sticky buns for breakfast or brunch, a hot mug of cinnamon coffee pairs really well with the buttery brown sugar topping.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try Next
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup dark corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 package Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls, thawed, per package directions
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Instructions
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.½ cup unsalted butter¾ cup light brown sugar¼ cup dark corn syrup¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the hot topping into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the top.1 cup pecans
- Arrange the thawed cinnamon rolls in an even layer on top of the pecan mixture.1 package Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls
- Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick spray, then cover the pan (sprayed side down). Let the rolls rise until they’ve noticeably expanded in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Loosely cover the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Remove the pan from the oven and invert immediately. Carefully flip the pan onto a large serving tray or rimmed baking sheet while everything is still hot. Lift the pan off slowly so the topping releases cleanly.