These Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon come together in just an hour. That’s right: You’re just 60 minutes away from their ooey, gooey glory. That’s because these shortcut sticky buns are yeast-free, using puff pastry to shave off major time.
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I’m a longtime member of the store-bought puff pastry fan club. I have twisted, folded, filled and topped the buttery sheets into every creation imaginable, from a puff pastry football to pumpkin mousse-stuffed cornucopias. But sticky buns? Mind = blown.
Please direct all high-fives and OMGs to Ina Garten, who is the mastermind behind this spectacular shortcut on the otherwise lengthy road to homemade sticky bun satisfaction. All I simply did was remove the raisins and add bacon, which just might be the swap-out to end all swap-outs.
The Barefoot Contessa and I go way back. She was the second reason (Mom was first) I ever pursued a career in food. Because while most kids were flipping through comic books at the kitchen table, I was flipping through Ina’s cookbooks. To this day, the entire set—from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook to Barefoot Contessa Foolproof—sits on my kitchen counter. I even stood in line for two hours once to snap a photo with her. Ina’s just that kind of gal.
So when last Sunday morning rolled around and I was craving something seriously sweet and satisfying, I knew sticky buns were in my future. But all that yeast … and kneading … and proofing … and rolling. I needed a sticky bun, and I needed it before November.
Prior to discovering this recipe, I always thought the phrase “easy sticky buns” was an oxymoron. But as it turns out, two sheets of store-bought puff pastry, a handful of chopped pecans and a few slices of thick-cut bacon, and suddenly I was in business. Best of all, the bacon is surrounded by brown sugar-whipped butter, which results in candied bacon. And I know we all have a thing for candied bacon.
So thank you, Ina, for inspiring me while simultaneously preventing me from fitting into my pants. Please don’t hesitate to call if you’re ever in need of a girls’ weekend in the Hamptons. I’m but a train ride, and a hot pan of bacon-studded sticky buns, away.
- Bacon: Use your favorite variety. Save the bacon drippings! They can be used to add extra richness and flavor to other dishes, like caramel popcorn or bacon-cheddar biscuits.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer to use unsalted over salted butter, which will help you control the final amount of salt in the recipe. Plus, bacon’s salty on its own!
- Light brown sugar: You’ll use this for the sticky buns and for the filling to add a caramel-like sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Pecans: This is the classic sticky bun nut of choice. However, you could use chopped walnuts instead.
- Puff pastry: Frozen store-bought puff pastry is the buttery, flaky base for our shortcut sticky buns. You’ll need it to be thawed to roll it out. The best way to thaw puff pastry is overnight in the fridge. All-butter puff pastry will have the best flavor.
- Filling: Similar to traditional sticky buns, you’ll need melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Cook the bacon. After preheating the oven to 400ºF, cook the bacon in a large saucepan until the fat’s rendered and the bacon is on its way to being crispy. I like to use a saucepan so its high sides contain grease splatter. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy.
- Divide the butter and toppings. Scoop the butter evenly into a 12-cup muffin tin, then top with the chopped pecans and bacon.
- Roll the puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll a sheet of the puff pastry out, making sure it’s evenly thin. Brush half of it with melted butter and sprinkle with half of the brown sugar and cinnamon. Tightly roll the puff pastry into a log, starting at the edge closest to you.
- Trim and cut. Remove the scraggly ends, then cut the log into 6 pieces. (I like to cut it in half and then each half into 3 pieces.) Place the rolls sticky side-up into 6 of the muffin tins.
- Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry. Roll, top, roll and slice the other sheet of puff pastry, filling the remaining muffin tin wells.
- Bake. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon are golden brown. I recommend putting the muffin tin on a parchment-lined baking sheet, which will catch any drips.
- Let cool. After 5 minutes, invert the muffin tin, scraping off any of the toppings.
- It’s important that you sprinkle the chopped pecans and bacon on top of the butter mixture in each muffin pan so that they don’t burn while baking.
- Remove quickly after baking. Don’t 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.
- While I love a sweet-salty moment, you could leave out the bacon and double up on the pecans. Or you can skip both and just have good ol’ caramel sticky buns!
Frequently Asked Questions
Kept in the fridge, these Easy Sticky Buns with Bacon will keep for up to 2 days. You can reheat them on a baking sheet in a low, 350ºF oven until warmed through.
After cooling the sticky buns, place them into an air-tight container and into the freezer. They’ll keep for up to 6 months this way. Thaw them in the container in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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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
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 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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Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.
Can i make a vegetarian version and just not add the bacon or will that mess with the cooking time (etc…)
You can absolutely leave out the bacon, Anna!