Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon: A Quick & Delicious Recipe
Craving a sweet and savory treat? Discover how to make incredibly delicious Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon in just about an hour! This shortcut recipe uses store-bought puff pastry, eliminating the need for yeast and saving you valuable time. Get ready to indulge in the ooey, gooey goodness of caramel-glazed sticky buns combined with the irresistible crunch of crispy bacon. These are perfect for a speedy, indulgent breakfast, a satisfying brunch, or a delightful dessert!
I am a longtime devotee of store-bought puff pastry. Its versatility knows no bounds. I’ve used it to create a myriad of dishes, transforming the flaky, buttery sheets into everything from a puff pastry football for game day to elegant pumpkin mousse-stuffed cornucopias for Thanksgiving. But sticky buns made with puff pastry? This was a revelation.
All credit and accolades go to Ina Garten, the culinary genius who conceived this fantastic shortcut to homemade sticky bun perfection. My contribution was simply removing the raisins (a personal preference) and adding crispy bacon, a swap that elevates these buns to a whole new level of deliciousness. This bacon addition truly sets these sticky buns apart.
The “Barefoot Contessa” and I go back a long way. Ina Garten was the second reason (my Mom was the first!) I decided to pursue a career in the food industry. While other kids were engrossed in comic books at the kitchen table, I was immersed in Ina’s cookbooks. Even now, my entire collection – from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook to Barefoot Contessa Foolproof – is proudly displayed on my kitchen counter. I even waited in line for two hours once just to have my picture taken with her. Ina is that inspiring and influential!
So, one Sunday morning, when I found myself with an intense craving for something undeniably sweet and utterly satisfying, I immediately thought of sticky buns. However, the traditional method, with its yeast, kneading, proofing, and rolling, seemed like a weekend-long endeavor. I needed sticky buns, but I needed them now, before the month was over.
Before discovering this recipe, the phrase “easy sticky buns” seemed like an impossible contradiction. But it turns out, all you need are two sheets of store-bought puff pastry, a generous handful of chopped pecans, and a few slices of thick-cut bacon to create sticky bun magic. The best part? The bacon is enveloped in a brown sugar-whipped butter mixture that caramelizes during baking, resulting in irresistible candied bacon pieces nestled within the buns. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t have a soft spot for candied bacon?
So, thank you, Ina, for inspiring me while also gently challenging my ability to fit into my favorite pair of jeans. If you ever need a girls’ weekend getaway in the Hamptons, please don’t hesitate to call. I’m just a quick train ride and a warm pan of bacon-studded sticky buns away!
Ingredients
- Bacon: Use your preferred type of bacon. And don’t discard the bacon drippings! They can be used to add a depth of flavor to various other dishes, such as caramel popcorn or savory bacon-cheddar biscuits.
- Unsalted butter: Essential for richness and flavor. It is a key ingredient in creating the luscious caramel sauce. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but reduce or omit any additional salt called for in the recipe to balance the sweetness.
- Light brown sugar: Used for the sticky bun base and filling, light brown sugar imparts a warm, caramel-like sweetness and adds depth of flavor.
- Pecans: The quintessential nut for sticky buns. However, you can easily substitute chopped walnuts if you prefer.
- Puff pastry: Frozen store-bought puff pastry forms the flaky, buttery foundation for these shortcut sticky buns. It needs to be fully thawed to ensure it rolls out smoothly. The best method is to thaw it slowly overnight in the refrigerator.
- Filling: Similar to traditional sticky buns, the filling consists of melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for that warm, comforting flavor.
See the recipe card for full details on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon
- Cook the bacon. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Cook the bacon in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat until the fat is rendered, and the bacon is nearing crispness. A saucepan is useful here as the high sides help to contain any grease splatter. Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon to drain the excess grease.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This step incorporates air, creating a light and tender base for the buns.
- Divide the butter and toppings. Evenly distribute the creamed butter mixture into the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin. Then, sprinkle the chopped pecans and cooked bacon over the butter in each cup.
- Roll the puff pastry. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto the surface and roll it out gently to ensure an even thickness. Brush half the sheet of puff pastry with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Starting at the edge closest to you, tightly roll the puff pastry into a log.
- Trim and cut. Trim off the slightly uneven ends of the log (you can discard these or bake them separately). Cut the log into 6 equal pieces. I find it easiest to cut the log in half, then cut each half into three pieces. Place each roll, sticky side up, into 6 of the muffin tin wells.
- Repeat. Repeat the rolling, topping, rolling, and slicing process with the remaining sheet of puff pastry, filling the remaining muffin tin wells.
- Bake. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon are a rich, golden brown color. To prevent a messy oven, I highly recommend placing the muffin tin on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch any drips or spills.
- Let cool and invert. Once the sticky buns are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for *exactly* 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully invert the muffin tin onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Scrape out any of the topping that may have stuck to the muffin tin. The caramel will continue to harden as it cools, so inverting at the 5-minute mark ensures they release properly.
Kelly’s Recipe Tips
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans and bacon on top of the butter mixture in each muffin tin. This prevents them from burning during baking.
- Remove promptly after baking. Don’t allow the sticky buns to cool in the pan for longer than 5 minutes. If they cool for too long, the topping will harden and won’t release with the buns when you invert the muffin pan.
- If you prefer a purely sweet moment, omit the bacon entirely and double the amount of pecans. Alternatively, skip both bacon and pecans for classic caramel sticky buns!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can these sticky buns be prepared in advance?
- Yes, these Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon can be prepared in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a low, 350ºF (175ºC) oven until warmed through.
- Can sticky buns be frozen?
- Absolutely! After the sticky buns have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the freezer. They can be stored for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the container in the refrigerator overnight before reheating as directed above.
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Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon
Kelly Senyei
20
mins
40
mins
1
hr
12
sticky buns
Ingredients
For the sticky buns:
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 (17.3-oz) package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
For the filling:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until a majority of the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter with ⅓ cup light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Divide the butter mixture between the cups of a nonstick 12-cup muffin pan. Divide the chopped pecans and cooked bacon between the cups, sprinkling them on top of the butter. (See Kelly’s Notes.)
- Lightly flour your work surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto the surface with the folds opening left to right. Brush the whole sheet of pastry with half of the melted butter then sprinkle it with half of the light brown sugar and half of the cinnamon. Starting at the bottom edge (closest to you), tightly roll up the pastry ending with the seam side down. Trim and discard the two ends then cut the roll into 6 equal pieces, about 1 ½ inches wide. Place each piece, spiral facing up, in each of six muffin cups. Repeat the filling, rolling and slicing process with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
- Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (to catch any overflow) and bake the sticky buns on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes until the buns are golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove the sticky buns from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes only, then invert the pan onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, scraping out any topping from the cups. Let the buns cool slightly then serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- It’s important that you sprinkle the chopped pecans and bacon on top of the butter mixture in each muffin pan so that they do not burn while baking.
- Do not let the sticky buns cool for longer than 5 minutes in the pan or the topping will become too hard and not release along with the buns when you invert the muffin pan onto the baking sheet.
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Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 28g,
Protein: 3g,
Fat: 29g,
Saturated Fat: 12g,
Cholesterol: 45mg,
Sodium: 157mg,
Potassium: 86mg,
Sugar: 18g,
Vitamin A: 415IU,
Calcium: 29mg,
Iron: 0.9mg
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