The summer after my freshman year of college, my mom and I flew up to Alaska for a week-long mission trip with a few of the members from my childhood church. Unlike the previous mission trips the pastor’s husband had organized, where we rebuilt sanctuaries and Sunday school classrooms, we traveled up north just to teach Vacation Bible School.
Since most of the adults in the two towns we visited earned the majority of their income during the summer tourism season, they worked extra long hours, making it hard (and expensive!) to hire baby-sitters, so by taking care of their children during VBS, it helped the community a lot more than we anticipated!
With only five kids in the second town’s VBS program, we took turns driving the half hour to that church in the afternoons. They didn’t need all twelve of us, even with their rambunctious personalities! So on one of our off-days, Mom and I walked down to the docks where most of the shops and eateries sat, and we wandered around, watched the fishermen deftly fillet their catches, and stopped for a snack at the bakery.
The moment we opened the door, the yeasty smell of freshly baked bread washed over us, drawing us near the display counter to gaze through the glass at the pastries. I opted for a classic chocolate chip cookie—the size of my head!—while Mom picked out a sticky pecan bun.
I almost turned up my nose at her choice. Back then, I hated nuts in all of my baked goodies! But I still politely accepted a taste, and…
Holy moly! That sweet caramel on the top (bottom?) of the bun… It was so rich and buttery that it immediately made me regret my choice! (Well, until I remembered that my cookie contained chocolate…) But it’s been nearly impossible to find something that gooey and perfect since then, so today, way too many years later, I finally decided to make my own Sticky Pecan Buns the easy way—in the slow cooker!
Yup, that’s right. In the slow cooker. So you can set it and forget it. (Well, not really… Not with that tempting caramel scent in the air!) But by using the slow cooker, I can mix them up, pop them in, and leave the kitchen to run and shower. By the time I’m clean, my sweet breakfast treat is ready!
And for a fun little baking twist, I’m proclaiming this week Slow Cooker Week! So every recipe I post is going to be made in a slow cooker. They’re all baked goodies—none of the traditional crock pot chili or chicken dishes—so you can save your oven for other things.
Even better, this whole wheat dough doesn’t need to rise at all! With most sweet roll recipes, you have to wait an hour after mixing up the dough for it to double in size, but I always get impatient while waiting. I tried making these healthier sticky buns both ways—with and without that first rise—and I couldn’t detect a difference in their taste or texture. So we’re saving time and skipping it!
The sweet cinnamon filling is very similar to my maple cinnamon rolls. It tends to squirt out the sides a little as you roll and cut the buns, but that’s okay! Just scoop up the escaped syrup with a spoon and pour it into the slow cooker between the buns. It adds extra gooeyness to the caramel sauce!
And yes, the caramel sauce is the BEST part of the entire recipe. It’s ooey, gooey, sweet, buttery… Everything a sticky bun should be! I saved (uhh, practically hoarded) the rolls in the center for last, just because they had the most caramel! To make it, simply heat butter, milk, and maple syrup together until the mixture darkens and thickens just a tiny bit; then pour it into the slow cooker and sprinkle with pecans.
However… Make sure to leave a ½” border along the rim! Otherwise, the buns push the pecans out of the way while rising, and the nuts end up on the sides of the buns instead of the tops. Leaving the border is mostly a pretty presentation thing, but I still like the buns better with the nuts in the center.
You guys… There are no words.
Just lots of sticky fingers covered in caramel.
My dad actually stole a few Slow Cooker Sticky Pecan Buns from my first batch to share with his coworker who adores this specific pastry, and she immediately asked if I had posted the recipe yet!
So here it is, but be warned… They’re highly addictive!
These sticky pecan buns taste just as indulgent as the traditional ones! The buttery caramel is the best part; it’s so sweet and gooey. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual buns in the microwave for 12-18 seconds.
- Lightly coat the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. If any lands on the rim where the lid rests, wipe clean with a paper towel.
- To prepare the dough, combine the milk, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20-second intervals, stirring for 1 minute after each one, until the butter melts. The mixture should feel warm but not hot (about 110°F). Add the yeast, and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until frothy.
- Mix in the flour, about ½ cup at a time, until it forms a dough and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for a few minutes, or until the dough mostly springs back when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while preparing the caramel sauce and filling.
- To prepare the caramel sauce, combine the butter, milk, and syrup in a pot. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts. Continue stirring until the mixture darkens slightly in color and thickens a little. Pour into the prepared slow cooker. Sprinkle the pecans on top, leaving a ½” border around the rim.
- To prepare the filling, whisk together the maple syrup and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- On a clean, well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10x14” rectangle. Brush with the melted butter, followed by the cinnamon-maple syrup, leaving a ½” border on the two longer edges. Carefully roll up into a log from one long edge to the other. Slice into 12 rolls using unscented dental floss (as described here), immediately placing each roll into the caramel sauce in the slow cooker. If any cinnamon-maple syrup filling leaks, out, spoon it into the caramel sauce after fitting all of the rolls inside of the slow cooker.
- Fit the lid on snuggly, and place the setting on “Keep Warm” for 45 minutes, or until the rolls have risen and doubled in size. Switch the setting to “Low,” and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a wire rack.
Notes: Do NOT let the rolls cool in the slow cooker for longer than 10 minutes. The caramel will harden, and the rolls will not release from the slow cooker.
You may use a 6-quart slow cooker instead. The rolls will be wider instead of taller, but they should still bake for the same amount of time.
I haven’t tried it, but you could probably make these in the oven too. Use a 10”-round (or two 6”-round) baking pans coated with cooking spray. Once the caramel sauce and rolls have been added, cover the top of the pan(s) with a clean, dry towel, and place the pan(s) in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Bake at 350°F for 17-21 minutes, or until the tops feel lightly firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for no more than 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
{clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Wow Amy, I would have never have thought to bake/cook anything other than soup or meat in the slow cooker. This is awesome!
Thanks Alexa! I thought the same thing too, until I tasted a chocolate cake that had been made in a slow cooker. It was like a whole new world… The possibilities are endless!
It’s so wonderful of you and your mom to volunteer your time to help teach in Alaska. I’m sure that was a wonderful and humbling experience.
These sticky buns look delicious. I’ve never made them in a slow cooker but it sounds too easy not to. Pinning!
Thanks for your sweet comment and pin Jen! It was definitely the experience of a lifetime, and while writing this post, I realized just how much I wanted to go back… Freezing cold weather (only 45-60° in the summer while we were there!) and all. 🙂
These sound so wonderful! I can almost smell the sweet caramel wafting through my kitchen. So happy to find this slow-cooker recipe! I will be following along all week to check out all the recipes!
Thank you so much Chloe! It’s so fun making baked goods in the slow cooker instead of soups and chili. It definitely threw my family for a loop when they walked in and it smelled like caramel instead of chicken! 😉 I hope you enjoy the sticky buns if you try them!
what a fun recipe! love that it’s made in the crockpot. i’ve always wanted to try baking in mine 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I couldn’t believe how well baking in it turned out. I highly recommend it! 🙂
I love this story, Amy! I love the fact that these are cooked in the slow cooker even more! Pinned!
Thank you so much Justine! 🙂
Sticky Buns? IN THE SLOW COOKER??? I love you so much, my dear.
Aww I love you too Dorothy! 🙂 Your slow cooker caramel PB hot fudge cake looked incredible too! We should trade sometime!
You’re a genius! Best slow cooker recipe I’ve ever seen 🙂
Thanks Julia! I had so much fun making them. 🙂
I’ve yet to BAKE in my slow cooker, but these sticky buns look too good to be true. I also recently learned that the sticky part on top is actually the bottom! I love the nutty topping:)
You’re a crack-up Sarah! 😉 I had no idea sticky buns were like upside down cakes where you hid the good stuff underneath… That was seriously life-changing to learn. In the best sort of way!
Marry me sweetie
For the sake of honesty on the net I’ll quote you, ..”Even better, this whole wheat dough doesn’t need to rise at all!..”
THEN you say, “..Fit the lid on snuggly, and place the setting on “Keep Warm” for 45 minutes, or until the rolls have risen and doubled in size…”
Really? Which is it?
I apologize for the confusion. Both statements are true. Normally, dough goes through two rising stages: one right after kneading (and then is punched down) and one after it’s been placed in the baking pan. This dough skips the first rise, which saves a lot of time. I hope you enjoy the sticky buns if you try them!
How do you make these if your slow cooker doesn’t have a Warm Setting
You can take the center part of the slow cooker (just the ceramic part), lay a clean dry towel on top, and place that in a warm place to let the rolls rise for 30-60 minutes. I usually turn my oven on to the lowest temperature (usually around 170°F) for 3-4 minutes, turn it back off, and place the pan inside with the oven door shut. I hope you enjoy the sticky buns!
Thanks for that idea…making them Thanksgiving morning!
I’m excited to hear what you think of them Reggeie! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Did you use regular whole wheat flour for this recipe or whole wheat pastry flour??? also what type of yeast, rapid dry/instant?
Yes, I used regular whole wheat flour in the sticky buns. Any kind of yeast will work too (traditional, instant, etc — whatever individual packets or jars you usually buy will be fine!). I hope you enjoy them Darla!
great recipe ! but wow …stunned people still suggest using protein augmentating and dna ripping microwave ovens to warm a bun while destroying most nutritional value and messing with your gut microbyme… and people wonder why they gain weight and feel low energy.
I like the recipe but would like to know if you offer substitutions? I’m thinking gluten free and dairy free? Is it possible? Substituting the butter with alike product, the milk with an almond milk or such and the whole wheat flour with another type of flour (GFree)?? Please respond. Thank you
I haven’t tried baking with gluten-free flours in yeast breads yet, so I can’t confidently answer whether that substitution would work. I don’t recommend substituting anything else for the butter, but just about any milk should work though! I hope you enjoy the sticky buns if you try them Luny!
Hi, i have recently lost 70 pounds and do not use sugar or wheat products, do you think this recipe can be made using coconut flour, stevia?
Thanks
Congratulations on your weight loss journey Suzanne! Unfortunately, these sticky buns will not work with coconut flour. They need the gluten in wheat flour to hold their shape when rising and baking.
Hello – realize I won’t receive the answer before they finish but how do you know if they are done – you recommend 1 hr 15 – 1 hr 30 min. Curious at your method for considering them done.
Super excited to try them.
Will note my dough was especially sticky and I didn’t get 12 but they are still looking good and I have faith 🙂 they will be awesome
To tell that the sticky buns are done, touch the middle of the rolls in the center of the slow cooker. They should feel mostly stiff and no longer doughy. If the dough was really sticky, then add more flour! Yeast breads are very forgiving, and it’s best to continue adding flour until the dough is no longer sticking to your hands or the counter instead of adding only the minimum amount called for in the recipe. 🙂 I hope you enjoyed the sticky buns MacKenzie!
Can you use half whole wheat and half regular flour?
Yes, that’s perfectly fine Jeanette! I’m excited to hear what you think of the sticky buns!
Amy your pecan sticky buns look amazing. I’m on Weight Watchers and want to make them. Can I substitute white flour for the wheat? Thanks so much. I’m excited to try these!! And in my crock pot. bonus!!!!
Yes, regular all-purpose flour will work just fine! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these sticky buns Janet! 🙂
what type of yeast are you using in this recipe?
I’ve used both Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast and Red Star Active Dry Yeast, and both work wonderfully. Red Star is my favorite brand of yeast, but many other brands should work as well. I’d love to hear what you think of the sticky pecan buns if you try them Jeanne!
Thank you for this recipe!! These sticky buns were delicious and tasted really rich and sinful. These would be great if you are having lots of overnight guests, maybe around the holidays. Bonus: these made my whole house smell amazing!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the sticky buns Hilary! That means so much to me that you think they’d be great for company. Thank you for such a sweet compliment! 🙂