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flatlay and closeup of peanut butter sticky buns
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Peanut Butter Sticky Buns (Small Batch)

These small batch peanut butter sticky buns were inspired by my love for peanut butter on pancakes and the delicious combination of peanut butter and maple syrup. Filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a rich peanut butter caramel sauce and pecans, grab a glass of milk because these are oh so decadent.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramel, cinnamon roll, peanut butter, peanut butter sticky buns, sticky bun, sticky buns
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the enriched dough:

  • 1 1/4 cups bread flour + 1 tbsp
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 3/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp softened unsalted butter

For the peanut butter caramel sauce:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 tbsp)
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/8 cup maple syrup
  • 1/8 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1 dash salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

For the enriched dough:

  • 1) Add 1 tbsp of bread flour and 3 tbsp of water to a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, whisk continuously just until the mixture begins to thicken (you'll know it's close when you start to see streaks in the mixture). Immediately take off the stove and let cool. This should take a minute or less.
    2) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 1 cup bread flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast. Pulse the mixer a few times to mix the dry ingredients.
    3) In a small bowl, whisk the egg and then pour half of the egg into the saucepan with your flour paste. The add the heavy cream and whisk them all together until combined. (You can use the remaining egg for an egg wash.)
    4) In the stand mixer, form a small well and pour in the wet mixture. Mix on low just until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball. Switch the mixer to medium speed and continue kneading for 4-5 minutes until the dough forms a semi-smooth ball. (Don't worry if your dough is quite shaggy and doesn't seem like it's coming together. The longer you mix it, it will. Because this is a small batch, you may have to pause your mixer and bring the dough together by hand a few times and then return to the mixer to continue kneading. If you're at all concerned, you can switch over to kneading by hand.) If your dough seems too sticky, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup bread flour.
    5) After your dough has formed a semi-smooth ball, add 1/2 tbsp of the softened butter and continue mixing until well incorporated. The dough will seem quite messy at first. Just keep mixing. Once the butter is incorporated, then add the second 1/2 tbsp of butter and continue kneading for 4-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
    6) Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let proof for at least 1 hour. (If making the dough the night before, now is the time to place in the refrigerator and let proof overnight. Alternatively, you can also continue until the rolls are assembled and then proof overnight.)

For the peanut butter caramel sauce:

  • 1) Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup pecans into the bottom of the loaf pan.
    2) When your dough is nearing the end of its first proof, begin making the peanut butter caramel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the peanut butter, brown sugar and maple syrup and whisk to incorporate.
    3) Continue whisking and cooking for 3-4 minutes or until the brown sugar is semi-dissolved and the mixture has become slightly "frothy" on top. Remove from the heat. Add the whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract and dash of salt and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared loaf pan lined over the pecans. Set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

  • 1) Melt the butter and add the sugar and cinnamon. Mix together and set aside. You want the consistency to be semi-spreadable. Alternatively, you can use 1/4 softened butter and spread onto the dough, followed by sprinkling with the cinnamon sugar.

Assembly:

  • 1) Punch down your dough. On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle approximately 16-18" long and 4-6" wide. (In the photos above, I chose to make mini sticky buns. If you prefer to make miniature buns versus full-sized, roll the dough longer and less wide.)
    2) Spread the dough with your cinnamon sugar mixture.
    3) Roll up the dough length-wise. Cut into 8 rolls (or 15-16 mini rolls). Place rolls on top of the peanut butter caramel sauce in the prepared loaf pan. Let proof again until nearly double in size (1-2 hours).
    4) As the rolls near the end of their proof, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.
    5) Let the rolls cool for 5-10 minutes then turn out the rolls onto a baking sheet or dish. At this point, there is likely a bit of sauce left in the loaf pan. Using a spoon, scrape this out and spread back onto the rolls. Enjoy!