Is there anything better than warm and gooey Old Fashioned Sticky Buns fresh from the oven? I don’t think so! And after just one bite of these soft and delicious, pull-apart cinnamon sticky buns you’ll be coming back for more.
About this recipe
These Old Fashioned Sticky Buns a family recipe my Great Grandma would make (yes, that old-fashioned). We would always refer to the sticky buns as “brains”. She used to use frozen loaves of bread to make these and then pull it apart to give a brain-like texture.
Whether you’re looking for a sweeter holiday side dish, an addition to a decadent brunch, a weekend breakfast baking project, or a unique dessert, these Cinnamon Old Fashioned Sticky Buns are for you.
People are always impressed by the flavor and especially since they’re prepared with frozen foods! Yep, you heard that right. Freezer foods can be just as tasty and these sticky buns are proof of that.
And if you love cinnamon, also check out my Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, Apple Cinnamon Blondies, Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Energy Bites, or these Homemade Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls.
Recipe Ingredients
- Frozen Yeast Dinner Rolls – Make sure to buy yeast rolls and you can find them in the frozen bread section of the grocery store.
- Light Brown Sugar – This is just white sugar mixed with a bit of molasses to give a caramel-y flavor. You can also sub this for coconut sugar, too!
- Dry Vanilla Pudding Mix – Do not use instant jello for this, it will not work! I used JELLO brand vanilla pudding and that’s what worked for me.
- Butter – Needed for the caramel sauce that coats these tasty sticky buns.
- Cinnamon – No Old Fashioned Sticky Bun is complete without a healthy dose of cinnamon!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Prepare the bread rolls so that they rise, according to the package directions. *DO NOT BAKE THEM THOUGH* How to let the buns rise without baking them: Heat the oven to 200°F. Once the oven is preheated, turn it off. Place the rolls in a greased baking dish in the warm oven. Let them rise in the oven for about 2 hours with the oven off.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
3. After combined, add in vanilla pudding mixture. Whisk to dissolve the pudding mix and a caramel-like sauce has formed.
4. Once the rolls have risen, remove them from the oven and then gently pour the caramel sauce over the rolls. Place sticky buns back in the oven and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! If these sticky buns last long enough to freeze, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Then to thaw, heat the bun in a microwave for 50-60 seconds. You can also thaw overnight in the fridge if needed.
To make gluten free, simply buy a pack of gluten free dinner rolls to sub for the rolls. And for dairy free, simply swap vegan butter for traditional butter and check the ingredients in your rolls for any hidden dairy products!
If you want to have these buns with your breakfast spread, but don’t want to wake up two hours early to let the bread rolls rise, you can prepare them the night before.
To do this, skip the initial rise. Prepare the caramel and pour over the unrisen rolls. Cover your pan and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, place your buns in the unheated oven. Set the oven temperature to 350°F and set your timer for 40-50 minutes. By the time the oven reaches 350 degrees the rolls will have risen enough for the remainder of the bake.
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Old Fashioned Sticky Buns
Equipment
- Baking Dish
- sauce pan
- Rubber scraper
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 15 frozen yeast dinner rolls
- 1 ½ tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, can sub coconut sugar
- 1 package JELLO dry vanilla pudding mix, NOT INSTANT
- 6 tbsp butter, (¾ of a stick)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the bread rolls so that they rise, according to the package directions. DO NOT BAKE THEM THROUGH. How to let the buns rise without baking them: heat the oven to 200°F. Once the oven is preheated, turn it off. Place rolls in a greased baking dish and into the warm oven. Let rise in the oven for about 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
- After combined, add in vanilla pudding mixture. Whisk to dissolve the pudding mix and achieve a caramel-like texture.
- Once the rolls have risen, carefully remove from the oven. Gently pour caramel sauce over the rolls.
- Return the rolls to the oven and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days … if they make it that long 😉
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find OLD FASHIONED STICKY BUNS calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
seriously, these are a family favorite and such a simple recipe!!
Wow, these might be the best! Takes me back to my childhood when these were my favorite dessert to eat.
I made these sweet cinnamon buns for the first time at a friendsgiving last year (my family usually does savory), but definitely adding these to the holiday line up every year!!
I have been dissatisfied with recipes I have spent much more time on but this one is simple and delicious!