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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Breakfast + Brunch

    Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

    Published: May 10, 2016 · Updated: Feb 5, 2021 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Pinterest image for Maple Walnut Sticky Buns with text

    Yeah, I went there – gooey Maple Walnut Sticky Buns with caramel, drippy icing and an addictive filling. Your morning just got better.


    Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

    Here in New York City I have some of the best bakeries in the world outside my door. Artisan breads, flaky croissants and delectable pastries at my fingertips. And you'd better believe I take advantage of them, despite that I have to wear my chubby-clothes for a week afterwards.

    One of my favorite pastries at some of these shops are the sticky buns. I had to figure out how to make a version at home! Usually they are a tender brioche-style dough, not too sweet and very buttery, with crunchy nuts doused in caramel.

    The dough was fairly easy. It's a yeast dough, loaded with butter, enriching milk and eggs. One reason I say it is so easy, is there's no trick to this yeast dough. With all the rich ingredients it stays very soft and gets mixed completely in your mixer. You don't need to deal with a sticky mess on your counter, kneading by hand.

    Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

    I kept everything streamlined and opted to buy caramel sauce instead of make my own. Guess what!? It's NBD (no big deal), it tastes amazing and cuts out about a million steps. I also can't leave well enough alone and wanted a unique, fun, morning flavor so I added maple to the recipe. Thank goodness I'm crazy like that, because dang! They are like a mix between my favorite pastry and a maple donut. Heaven.

    Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

    Genius really struck when I started experimenting with a make-ahead option. These babies freeze! You can make them large or standard size and freeze them unbaked for up to 3 months. Pull them out 2 or 3 hours before baking and bam! you have breakfast, brunch, or a little nibble for a baby shower spread.

    📖 Recipe

    Sticky buns on plate

    Maple-Walnut Sticky Buns

    Tara Teaspoon
    This recipe makes a dozen large buns so if you aren't serving a group, you can freeze some to bake later. To make smaller, standard-size buns for a crowd, see note at the end of the recipe.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
    Course Dessert

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup milk plus 2 tbsp
    • 2 pkg (1½ tbsp) active dry yeast
    • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
    • 21 tablespoon unsalted butter (softened)
    • 3 eggs (at room temperature)
    • 5⅓ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 teaspoon maple extract
    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    • 2 cups walnuts (chopped)
    • ⅓ cup caramel topping sauce (such as Smucker's)
    • 1½ cups confectioners' sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Scald 1 cup milk (heat to steaming). In a mixing bowl combine warm milk, yeast and sugar. Let yeast start to bubble, about 5 min.
    • Add 12 tablespoon butter and eggs to mixer and beat, with the paddle attachment, until slightly blended. Stir in flour and salt, about 2 min. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed to develop the dough, 3 min more.
    • Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm place and let rise until doubled, about 1 hr. Grease tow large-cup muffin tins. Melt 6 tablespoon butter and stir in 1½ teaspoon maple extract; set aside.
    • Gently punch down dough and divide in half. Roll into 2 12-by-18-inch rectangles on a lightly floured work surface. Spread maple-butter mixture evenly over both rectangles. Sprinkle each with half the brown sugar and walnuts. Roll tightly into logs, starting at the long edge, and pinch seams together. Cut each log into 6 3-inch pieces for a total of 12 buns. Place in muffin tins cut side up, cover and allow to rise for 30 min. Heat oven to 325°F Bake until golden brown, 28 to 30 min.
    • Combine caramel topping and 1½ teaspoon maple extract. carefully remove hot buns from pan and place on a clean baking sheet; drizzle with caramel.
    • For icing: Melt 3 tablespoon butter and stir together with confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoon milk; drizzle over buns. Serve warm or cool. Store airtight for up to two days.

    To make 18 standard-size buns:

    • Grease 18 standard-size muffin tin cups. Fill and roll dough as directed. Cut each log into 9 2-inch pieces. Place cut side up in muffin tins, cover and let rise 30 min. Bake as directed, 22 to 25 min.

    To Freeze:

    • Prepare buns as directed, in either size. Do not let rise a second time; cover pan, freeze until solid, then keep frozen in pan or transfer frozen buns to a zip-to bag. To bake, thaw in pan and let rise at room temperature until double in size, 2 to 3 hr. Bake as directed.

    Notes

    These babies freeze! You can make them large or standard size and freeze them unbaked for up to 3 months. Pull them out 2 or 3 hours before baking and bam! you have breakfast, brunch, or a little nibble for a baby shower spread.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 8484kcalCarbohydrates: 1082gProtein: 131gFat: 421gSaturated Fat: 177gCholesterol: 1156mgSodium: 3316mgPotassium: 2613mgFiber: 33gSugar: 543gVitamin A: 8560IUVitamin C: 3.1mgCalcium: 933mgIron: 41.6mg
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    If you are throwing a buffet event these rolls are perfect. You can also try my Spring Vegetable Ricotta Tarts and the luscious Raspberry French Toast Strata.

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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe by Tara Bench. Photographer: Lisa Hubbard. Food Stylist: Susan Vajaranant. Prop Stylist: Penelope Bouklas. Originally published in LHJ 11/11

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

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    1. Mary Bench says

      July 17, 2018 at 3:13 pm

      I think these may be my new FAVORITE!

      Reply
    2. Brittany Smart says

      July 19, 2018 at 3:17 pm

      I need like all of these right now, they are so yummy!

      Reply
    3. T Oleson says

      June 13, 2023 at 1:17 pm

      I'm curious if you copied this directly from November 2011 Ladies Home Journal. Recipe is identical and your comments are the same. It only takes a second or two to give them credit.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        June 13, 2023 at 5:29 pm

        I did! In fact I was the food director of Ladies’ Home Journal and wrote the recipe along with all of the other recipes in that magazine! (Take a peak at my About page)
        If you’ve got the magazine copy you can see my name in the front. When the publication closed I chose to share some of my favorite creations on the blog.

        Tara

        Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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