If you’re a fan of cinnamon rolls, then you’re going to fall in love with these gluten-free sticky buns! These sticky buns feature a homemade dough, layered with a brown sugar glaze, and our award-winning Candied Pecans. The soft interior of the gluten-free sticky buns paired with the crunch of the pecans makes the texture of these buns irresistible.

For the Dough:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1 packet active dried yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 4 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 4 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 room temperature eggs, whisked

For the Filling:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

For the Topping:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup Santé Candied Pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions:

For the dough:

1. Add the water to a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat until it reaches 110-115 degrees. Stir in one tablespoon of sugar, then add the active dry yeast. Mix again and allow it to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast has activated. The mixture will begin to foam and smell yeasty (beer-like) when activated. If this does not happen in the 10 minute span, then start over as the yeast did not activate.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining sugar, flour, tapioca flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Mix together, then set to the side.
3. For the wet ingredients, first melt the butter. Then, allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. While the butter is cooling, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm then add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, then whisk on medium-low speed to combine.
5. Once the butter has cooled, add the butter and mix again. At this point, the yeast should be activated and foamy. Add it to the bowl and mix one more time to combine all the wet ingredients.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients, half at a time and mix between on medium-low speed to fully incorporate. Repeat until the dry and wet ingredients have been combined and a dough has formed. The dough should be sticky, but not too wet.
7. Then, use your hands or a dough hook to knead the dough. If you use your hands, you’ll need to knead the dough for 6-8 minutes. If you use a dough hook, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough should be sticky, but not sticking to the bowl. If it is, then add a little more flour.
8. Once the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl, it’s ready for the next step. Transfer the dough to a warm, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place in a warm environment for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size. You can also use the proof setting on your oven for this section. Or preheat the oven to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it off and then put the oven-safe bowl with the dough in the oven to proof.

For the Topping:

1. Add the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup to a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Then, add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
4. Then, pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce over a large baking pan. Add enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
5. Reserve the rest of the sauce for the top of the sticky buns.

For the Filling:

1. After the dough has sat for the allotted time and doubled in size, transfer to a lightly floured surface. Dust the dough with more flour before using a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s roughly 16 inches long and 12 inches wide with a thickness of 1/3 inch.
2. Brush the melted butter over the length of the dough. Then, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and sprinkle over the entirety of the dough.
3. Slowly take one end of the long side of the dough and roll it down to the other edge. You want to roll the dough either up or down instead of left or right.
4. Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1 1/2″ slices and place in the baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes. While the sticky buns are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Reheat the sauce and add the majority of remaining sauce to the top of the sticky buns. Then top with the chopped pecans. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over the pecans.
6. Transfer the baking pan with the sticky buns to the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
7. Remove the sticky buns from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Recipe by The Bottomless Pit featuring Santé Candied Pecans.