If you love using the pop tube crescent rolls, then you'll love these Homemade Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls!
The dough is sweet and easy to make. It requires no rise time and only a few minutes of light kneading. Plus it tastes just like the pop tube crescent rolls, only better!
I found (and adapted) this recipe from a pamphlet-style Amish cookbook called "Old Amish Recipes" which I had found last year while visiting the state capitol building gift shop in St. Louis.
The dough for these caramel sweet rolls is light, buttery, and super easy to make from scratch, just as you would expect from an Amish cookbook. No frills and no fuss, but utterly delicious!
Since I like to keep things real, I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that the reason I needed to adapt the original recipe from the cookbook was because I left these rolls in the oven a bit too long.
Because of my neglect, when it came time for me to turn them out of the muffin tin, they stuck terribly to the pan and were completely ugly on the bottom (which should have been the top) when they were turned out. #BakingFail
Because I didn't want to pitch the entire batch of muffins (and I was hoping that I could still salvage them and share the recipe with you), I scraped them out of the pan the best I could, flipped them right-side up and decided to make some caramel sauce to spoon over the top.
As you can see, the few extra minutes it took to make the caramel sauce was well worth the effort, and now these Homemade Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls have a double dose of sticky caramel goodness, which is never a bad thing!
The ingredients you'll need to make these Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls is relatively short and sweet. They are: flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, butter, milk, egg, pecans, brown sugar, and heavy cream.
If you're ready to bake along with me, let's get busy...You're going to love these Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls, and so will your family!
Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar mixture. Add the beaten egg to the dry mixture.
Add the vanilla and milk the the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until almost combined.
Work the dough with you hands, and then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for 3-4 minutes.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle, approximately ¼" thickness and cut the dough into strips approximately ¾" wide.
Roll each strip of dough into a pinwheel. Add butter brown sugar and chopped pecans in the bottom of a muffin tin.
Add the rolled dough into the muffin tin on top of the brown sugar, butter and nuts. Bake in a preheated 375 degree for 20-25 minutes.
Pop the rolls out of the muffin tin, and turn the rolls right side up (if desired). Spoon the caramel pecan sauce over the top of each muffin! Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store these Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Or you can freeze the baked sweet rolls before adding the caramel sauce and then make the caramel sauce the day you plan to serve the sweet rolls.
I suggest warming the sweet rolls before serving if you've made them ahead of time and stuck them in the freezer.
Just remember to thaw them first and then warm them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 300 degrees.
Printable Recipe Card
Homemade Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
- TO MAKE THE SWEET ROLLS:
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter cut into pieces (plus 2 additional tablespoons for the muffin tins)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
- TO MAKE THE CARAMEL PECAN SAUCE:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- TO MAKE THE SWEET ROLLS:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Use a pastry blender or two forks to blend the ⅓ cup butter into the flour mixture to form coarse crumbs.
- Add the vanilla, milk, and beaten egg to the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until almost combined.
- Knead with hand to bring the dough together and then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for an additional 3 -4 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is approximately ¼" thick.
- Cut the dough into ¾" strips, vertically.
- Roll each strip to form a pinwheel.
- Spray a muffin tin liberally with baking spray.
- Divide the remaining butter into the bottom of a muffin tin and divide the brown sugar and chopped pecans evenly into each muffin space.
- Place one pinwheel dough into each muffin compartment on top of the butter, brown sugar and pecans.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Once baked, allow the sweet rolls to cool for 3-4 minutes and then immediately turn them out. If desired, flip them right side up.
- TO MAKE THE CARAMEL PECAN SAUCE:
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottom medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and pecans.
- Continue to stir the sauce until it bubbles. Cook and stir for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and carefully stir in the heavy cream.
- Cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, cool slightly and then spoon the caramel pecan sauce over each muffin.
Notes
pastry blender or two forks
wooden spoon
rolling pin
knife or pizza wheel
heavy bottom sauce pan
muffin tin
baking spray
Nutrition
I hope you've enjoyed this recipe for Sticky Caramel Sweet Rolls as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you. If you're hungry for more homemade breakfast sweet roll recipes, please click on the links below to check out some of my other recipes. I know you'll love them just as much as we do!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I need to make these this weekend!!
Cookin Canuck says
That caramel sauce looks amazing! Thank goodness you left these in the oven a bit too long. 🙂
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
Best "Mistake" ever!
Delaney | Melanie Makes says
I would love to have this for breakfast!
Jen says
These looks so decadent! I'm pretty sure I'm going to be addicted to these after one bite!!
Megan | Allergy Free Alaska says
I think I've died and gone to heaven! Those look amazing, and so easy too!
bellalimento says
You had me at sticky rolls!
Shelby says
Yup, I''ve made similar rescues myself! I love using the crescent dough so it will be great to have this recipe to try out also!
thatskinnychickcanbake says
I know I'd love them without the caramel, but I'm delighted you decided to add it! I'm always game for sticky buns!!!