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ByLana Stuart Published: Last Updated:
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4.96 from 24 votes
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These easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns are an indulgent breakfast treat to offer guests or family. They take just 15 minutes to prep with frozen roll dough, butterscotch pudding mix, pecans, brown sugar, and lots of butter!
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These deliciously indulgent sticky buns are one of our favorites. They are so good. So easy, too, and especially nice if you have a house full of overnight guests because you prepare everything the night before and bake them off the next morning.
I really love the simplicity of this recipe. There’s no yeast to proof, no flour to mix, and no kneading required at all. Instead of making the dough from scratch, you’ll simply use frozen Parker house rolls! It’s such a great shortcut!
But, I’m not going to lie to you. They are jam-packed full of buttery, sugary calories. That’s why we have them only about once a year.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Frozen Parker House Rolls – You’ll need 24 frozen Parker House rolls. I recommend the Bridgford brand.
- Butterscotch Pudding Mix – Regular (Cook & Serve by Jell-o), non-instant pudding mix. Other brands may work, but I always use Jell-o brand for this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar – Be sure to pack the sugar into the measuring cup for an accurate amount.
- Chopped Pecans – We love pecans in the south. I suppose you could substitute walnuts, but it wouldn’t be the same recipe.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Easy Overnight Sweet Rolls
Prep the Night Before
- Generously butter a 9×13 pan or baking dish and spread the chopped nuts over the bottom.
- Space the frozen rolls evenly on top of the nuts.
- Sprinkle evenly with the dry pudding mix.
- In a medium-size bowl, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave. Start with one minute and stir. Then continue in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is melted. Stir the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.
- Drizzle the melted mixture evenly over the top of the rolls.
👉 PRO TIP: Be careful when checking your mixture. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bowl from the microwave as it can get quick hot really quickly. Also, be careful with the melted mixture. It’s hot and you can get a burn if it gets on your hands!
- Lastly – Cover the pan loosely with waxed paper and place it in a cold oven overnight.
👉 PRO TIP: Now here’s a little trick: even waxed paper will stick to the thawed, risen rolls. So, to keep that from happening, I lay the waxed paper over the pan, spray the area that will touch the rolls with cooking spray, and then flip it over so that the sprayed side is over the rolls. You can also use the non-stick aluminum foil and you won’t even need to spray it. Works great!
Bake the Next Morning
The next morning you’ll find that your rolls have defrosted and risen beautifully overnight! The lovely topping and chopped nuts are mostly on the bottom with the rolls on top just waiting to be baked up into warm, ooey-gooey sweet goodness.
- Remove the waxed paper or non-stick foil and discard it.
- Place the pan back into the cold oven and turn it on to 350 F.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the rolls are a lovely golden brown just like dinner rolls should be.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the buns to cool slightly (about 8-10 minutes should do) and then invert them onto a serving plate or board. Cut or pull apart the individual rolls.
🍽️ How to Serve
Serve these delicious buns with all their sticky pecan caramel topping with a lovely warm cup of coffee or glass of milk. They’re excellent for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert.
🍚 Storage and Reheating
To store the leftovers, just wrap them in plastic wrap or non-stick aluminum foil. They can be left out at room temperature for up to 24 hours or stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Reheat individual buns for a few seconds in the microwave or for about 10 minutes in a 200F degree oven.
❓ Questions About Pecan Sticky Buns
Why can’t I use instant butterscotch pudding mix?
You use regular pudding mix in this recipe because the instant variety has a different thickening agent. That thickener will cause the pudding to more or less “congeal” while it sits on the thawing and rising rolls overnight. It will then separate and form into lumps instead of a smooth sauce-like topping. Not what you really want.
What’s the difference between sticky buns and cinnamon rolls?
Typically sticky buns (also called caramel buns) have the toppings placed on the bottom of the pan. After rising, the buns are baked and inverted to reveal the toppings. Cinnamon rolls don’t often contain nuts and are baked and then topped after cooling.
🧾 More Popular Breakfast Recipes
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Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls
Easy Pumpkin Spice Cruffins
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Waffles
- Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries
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- Crescent Roll Breakfast Stacks
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Cruffins
- Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
- Sausage Gravy and Biscuits with Tomatoes
More Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
Easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns
These easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns are an indulgent breakfast treat. They take just 15 minute to prep with frozen rolls and butterscotch pudding mix.
4.96 from 24 votes
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Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 227kcal
Author: Lana Stuart
Ingredients
- 24 frozen Parker House rolls
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3.5 ounce butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
The night before:
Generously butter a 9×13 pan or baking dish and spread the chopped nuts over the bottom.
Space 24 frozen rolls evenly on top of nuts
Sprinkle evenly with the dry pudding mix.
In a medium-size bowl, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave. Start with one minute and stir. Then continue in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is melted. Stir the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.
Drizzle the melted mixture evenly over the top of the rolls.
Cover loosely with waxed paper (or non-stick foil) and place in cold oven overnight.
The next morning:
Remove waxed paper (or foil) and discard.
Place the pan back in the cold oven and turn on to 350 F.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the buns to cool briefly (about 8-10 minutes) and then invert them onto a serving plate or board. Cut or pull apart the individual rolls.
Notes
- For this recipe, be sure to purchase Butterscotch Pudding Mix – Regular* (Cook & Serve by Jell-o), non-instant pudding mix. This is one time when the specific ingredient makes the difference between a recipe working or not.
- To store the leftovers, just wrap them in plastic wrap or non-stick aluminum foil. They can be left out at room temperature for up to 24 hours or stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Reheat individual buns for a few seconds in the microwave or for about 10 minutes in a 200F degree oven.
Nutrition Information
Serving 2rolls | Calories 227kcal | Carbohydrates 25g | Protein 1g | Fat 15g | Saturated Fat 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat 8g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 224mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 21g
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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— This post was originally published on February 11, 2009 . It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Lana Stuart
Lana Stuart is the cook, writer, and founder of Lana’s Cooking. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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