These Butterscotch Pecan Sticky Buns are my take on a nostalgic bakery classic, elevated with a buttery, rich butterscotch caramel sauce.

The result is pure comfort: soft, pull-apart rolls baked in a glossy sauce that tastes like melted butterscotch candy.

sticky bun dripping with butterscotch sauce

When you flip the pan, the topping flows over every swirl, coating the toasted pecans in a shiny glaze. It’s the kind of special breakfast that feels right for holidays, overnight guests, or any morning when you want to make something unforgettable.

This recipe is inspired by my Bourbon Apple Sticky Rolls—the same pillowy dough, but with apples replaced by buttery brown sugar, cream, and pecans.

The LorAnn flavoring adds incredible depth, giving the caramel a true candy-shop aroma that’s balanced and not overly sweet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfect texture: tender, fluffy rolls with golden-brown tops and gooey centers.
Deep caramel flavor: the butterscotch sauce is rich and buttery with hints of vanilla and cream.
Easy to make ahead: assemble the night before and bake fresh the next morning.
Simple ingredients: flour, butter, brown sugar, milk, and a few pantry staples.
Family-favorite payoff: everyone will hover around the oven waiting for that first pull-apart.

Equipment You’ll Need

Bowl of a standing electric mixer with dough hook
Rolling pin and lightly floured work surface
Small bowl (for filling)
Small saucepan (for topping)
9×13-inch baking dish or standard 12-cup muffin tin
Silicone spatula and plastic wrap
Baking sheet (to catch caramel drips)
Sharp knife or dental floss for slicing rolls

Your Shopping List

Dough: instant yeast, milk, heavy cream, butter, eggs, brown sugar, salt, flour
Filling: butter, brown sugar, cinnamon
Topping: butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup or maple syrup, salt, LorAnn Butterscotch Flavoring, toasted pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Dough

In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine yeast, warm milk, warm heavy cream, melted butter, eggs, and brown sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Add flour and salt and knead on medium speed for 4–5 minutes. The dough should pull from the side of the bowl but remain soft and tacky.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

2. Mix the Filling

In a small bowl, stir together softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. For a subtle flavor boost, add a few drops of LorAnn Butterscotch Flavoring.

3. Cook the Butterscotch Pecan Topping

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth and glossy, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt and LorAnn Butterscotch Flavoring. Pour the sauce into a greased 9×13 dish and sprinkle with 1 cup pecans.

4. Roll and Shape

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 9-by-24-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly, leaving ½ inch along one long edge. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log and pinch to seal. Slice into 12 equal 2-inch pieces.

5. Assemble and Rise

Arrange rolls over the pecan topping. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes in a warm place until puffy.

6. Bake

Preheat a degree oven to 350°F (177°C). Place pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Brush the top of the rolls with a little heavy cream.

Bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. The sauce will look thick and caramelized.

7. Invert and Serve

Cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and invert the entire pan onto a serving platter or cookie sheet. Spoon any remaining sauce over the rolls and top with the reserved pecans. Serve warm.the glaze should be thick and shiny, clinging to each swirl.

Tips & Tricks

Use a thermometer. Warm milk and cream should be around 105°F; hotter liquid can kill yeast.

Don’t over-flour. The dough should stay soft and slightly tacky for the best rise.

Overnight sticky buns: assemble, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Bake the next morning for fresh hot buns.

Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days. Warm in a 325°F oven for 8–10 minutes.

Flavor variations: swap corn syrup for maple syrup for cozier flavor; add flaky salt after baking for salted butterscotch.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

Bourbon Apple Sticky Rolls
Pumpkin Pie Toffee Crunch Latte
Cookie Butter Bars
Lemon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Butterscotch Pecan Sticky Buns

Soft, buttery cinnamon rolls baked in a rich butterscotch caramel sauce with toasted pecans. Made with LorAnn Oils Super Strength Butterscotch Flavoring for deep caramel flavor and a nostalgic candy-shop aroma.

Print Pin Rate

Author: Kala Boulard

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

14 g 2 packets instant yeast
240 g 1 cup warm milk warmed to about 105°F
120 g ½ cup warm heavy cream warmed to about 105°F
113 g ½ cup salted butter melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
100 g ½ cup packed light brown sugar
10 g 2 tsp fine sea salt
625 g 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tbs LorAnn Oils Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste

Filling Ingredients

113 g ½ cup salted butter, softened
150 g ¾ cup packed brown sugar
9 g 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Butterscotch Pecan Topping

113 g ½ cup salted butter
200 g 1 cup packed brown sugar
120 g ½ cup heavy cream
60 g 3 Tbsp light corn syrup or pure maple syrup
3 g ½ tsp fine sea salt
1.25 mL ¼ tsp LorAnn Oils Super Strength Butterscotch Flavoring
150 g 1 ½ cups toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 14 g instant yeast, 240 g warm milk, 120 g warm heavy cream, 113 g melted butter, 1 large egg + 1 yolk, and 100 g brown sugar 1Tbs Vanilla Bean Paste. Mix on low speed until combined.
Add 625 g all-purpose flour and 10 g salt. Mix on medium speed for 4–5 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl but still feels soft and slightly tacky.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Make the Filling

In a small bowl, mix 113 g softened butter, 150 g brown sugar, and 9 g ground cinnamon until smooth and spreadable.

Prepare the Butterscotch Pecan Topping

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 113 g butter.
Add 200 g brown sugar, 120 g heavy cream, and 60 g corn syrup or maple syrup. Whisk until smooth and glossy, about 2–3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 3 g salt and 1/4 tsp LorAnn Butterscotch Flavoring.
Pour the sauce into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Sprinkle 100 g (about 1 cup) of the toasted pecans evenly over the sauce, reserving 50 g (½ cup) for topping after baking.

Roll and Shape the Dough

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9×24-inch rectangle, keeping the long edge facing you.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along one long edge.
Starting from the long edge, roll tightly into a log and pinch to seal.
Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, slice into 12 equal rolls, each about 2 inches thick.
Arrange the rolls evenly over the butterscotch pecan topping in the baking dish.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffy and nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any caramel drips.
Brush the tops with 30 g (2 Tbsp) heavy cream for even browning.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
The rolls are done when the internal temperature reads 190°F (88°C).

Invert and Serve

Cool the rolls for 5 minutes after baking. Run a knife around the edges of the pan.
Carefully invert onto a large serving platter while still warm.
Spoon any remaining sauce from the pan over the rolls and scatter the reserved 50 g toasted pecans on top.
Let cool slightly before serving. The rolls should be soft, glossy, and coated in thick butterscotch caramel.

Notes

LorAnn Oils Super Strength Butterscotch Flavoring is highly concentrated. Start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust slightly if desired.
For salted butterscotch, sprinkle flaky sea salt after inverting.
For mini sticky buns, divide the dough and sauce among a standard 12-cup muffin tin sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.