Pear and Walnut Sticky Buns

This recipe for Pear and Walnut Sticky Buns will blow all other sticky bun recipes out of the water. Sorry. Not Sorry!

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2014. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

Here's what I wrote back in 2014:

With this month's #TwelveLoaves theme being pears, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to make.

When I realized that I had never made or posted sticky buns on my blog, I decided that I'd go ahead and make some Pear and Walnut Sticky Buns. Yep. Good choice on my part I'd have to say!

I've made Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and shared them with you once before. They're probably one of my most popular posts to date. I can only hope these will give those a run for their money. 😉

These sticky buns are so good that they just about exploded from the pan during baking.

Can't say I blame them though.

When I sampled the few end pieces hot from the oven, my taste buds nearly exploded with excitement too!

These Pear and Walnut Sticky Buns are absolutely delicious (if I do say so myself).

What I love about them is that the flavor of the pears comes through nicely and they don't get lost in all that delicious caramel and walnuts.

Sometimes, because of the mild flavor of pears, they can become virtually invisible to the taste buds when used in recipes.

Happily, this is not the case here. SUCCESS!

The dough for these sticky buns is slightly sweet with the addition of honey and brown sugar. Then I pumped up the fiber value by adding in some quick-cooking oats so you won't feel guilty having more than one.

They're actually good for you because fruit, oatmeal, and walnuts are a fantastic way to start any day!

The recipe:

PEAR AND WALNUT STICKY BUNS    {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 18 buns      Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes rise time)  

Bake Time: 60 minutes

For the dough:
¾ cup warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon honey
½ cup warm milk (110 degrees)
2 tablespoons butter
3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup quick-cooking oats
For the filling:
1 pear (I used Bartlett), diced small with the peel on
1 ½ cups roughly chopped walnuts, divided
1 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
honey
pinch salt
For the caramel:
1 stick butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons milk
remaining 1 cup of walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

To make the dough:
-In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the honey and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
-In another small bowl, warm the milk and butter in the microwave on low power until warm, not hot.
-In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and salt.
-Use the dough hook and with power on low, add the yeast and water mixture to the flour and knead until incorporated. Then add the milk and butter mixture and knead until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
-Add in the oatmeal and knead the dough until all the oatmeal is incorporated throughout the dough.
-Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour).

To make the filling:
-Place the diced pears in a bowl and set them aside.
-In a large skillet over medium/low heat, saute the walnuts in the butter and cinnamon for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Divide the nuts into 2 bowls (1 cup and ½ cup).

To roll the buns:
-Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate.
-On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to form an approximate 12" x 15" rectangle.
-Sprinkle ½ cup of the walnuts evenly over the dough, leaving about a 2" border around the edges.
-Spread the diced pears evenly over the walnuts, leaving the same border.
-Drizzle a little honey over the pear and walnuts and sprinkle the pear and walnuts with a little pinch of salt. (no measurements here...use your best judgment).
-Roll the dough lengthwise, as evenly as possible, making sure the seam is on the bottom when complete.
-Use a serrated knife to carefully slice the log into 18 uniformly sized slices. *Note - you may need to slice off a segment from each end to make the roll even. *see photo*
-Carefully place each slice into a 9" x 13" casserole dish that has been prepared with baking spray. *Note - place the end segments on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they don't go to waste.
-Allow the buns to rise again until doubled (about 1 hour) in a warm, draft-free place.

To make the caramel:
-In the same large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
-Stir in the remaining ingredients (except vanilla) and stir and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the caramel starts to get thick.
-Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-When the buns have risen the second time, spoon the caramel and walnut sauce evenly over the buns.
-Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 60 minutes or until the buns are puffy and a deep golden brown.
-Cool for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
-Enjoy!!!

Here are some step-by-step photos I took during the making of these sticky buns that may be helpful to you when you decided to make these for yourself (and I highly recommend you do)! Should you have any questions for me, please leave them for me in the comment section and I'll be happy to answer.

A little bit of honey mixed in with the yeast and water gives the yeast something to feed off of and makes it nice and foamy. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, and salt, and prepare warm milk and butter.

Use the dough hook on the stand mixer and knead the ingredients until it forms a ball. Once that happens, knead in the oatmeal until thoroughly incorporated.

Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place.

Prepare the nuts by sauteing them in a skillet with butter and cinnamon. Divide them in half. Dice the pear into small pieces, leaving the skin on.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into an approximately 12" x 15" rectangle. Spread ½ cup of the prepared walnuts and the diced pears evenly over the dough surface, leaving a border around the edges.
Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Evenly roll the dough lengthwise making sure it's seam side down upon completion. *Trim the two sides of the roll to make them as even as possible. Place the trimmed edges on a parchment-lined baking sheet so you don't have to waste them.

Use a serrated knife to cut the log into 18 even slices. Carefully place the slices into a prepared baking dish. Allow the buns to rise again in a warm draft-free place for about an hour.

Make the caramel by melting the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and milk in a skillet. Add in the remaining walnuts. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Spoon the caramel sauce evenly over the buns. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes. Cool about 15-20 minutes and serve.

This is an original recipe that I'm extremely proud of, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you!