Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Maple pecan cinnamon rolls

If you love cinnamon rolls for your brekkie, try these maple pecan rolls. They will take you to another level of breakfast indulgence.

With fluffy bread and a delicious cinnamon aroma, the rolls have a delicate maple flavor that marries well with crunchy pecan nuts. 

In this recipe, you can cover them with creamy, sticky mascarpone cheese frosting that makes the whole thing more satisfying. 

If you tried this before when you went to your favorite bakery, do not be intimidated by its deliciousness and think it’s hard to make. It is not.

It’s so easy that I couldn’t believe how effortless it was when I made it the first time. In ten minutes, I can prepare the dough rolls using a handheld or stand mixer and stick them in the oven to proof for about half an hour. Then, bake them for about 15 minutes. So, in less than an hour, I get the heavenly breakfast to pair with my favorite cup of coffee. 

The difference between cinnamon rolls and sticky buns

Both cinnamon rolls and sticky buns are made of rolled bread dough filled with brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. 

The difference is that sticky buns – which originated from German’s schnecken – usually have caramel sauce that makes the buns sticky.

And in the UK, they have their version of these rolls called Chelsea buns. 

As for the maple pecan cinnamon rolls in this recipe, the buns are covered with cream cheese frosting. 

The ingredients you need

There are three elements you need to make for maple pecan cinnamon rolls. The buns, the filling, and the frosting.

So, the buns’ ingredients will be similar to the items in the bread recipe. You will need strong white flour/ white bread flour, salt, instant yeast, butter, milk, and egg.

And for the filling, you will need cinnamon powder, butter, soft brown sugar, maple syrup, and pecan nuts.

If you choose frosting, you will need cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract. 

I’d say coconut palm sugar gives the best taste for brown sugar. But if it’s unavailable, light, soft brown sugar is a good alternative. And I put this latter option as I understand it is easier to obtain.

For the frosting, mascarpone cheese gives a creamier yet lighter texture. However, ordinary cheese cream is a good substitute. However, it has a hint of sourness. Just bear that in mind.

How to make the filling and the frosting.

Place the brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and softened butter in a small bowl. Use a fork or a spoon to mix them all up. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer, place the sot. Then mix them until you get a smooth and fluffy mixture. Set it aside.

Next, roughly chop the pecan nuts in a separate bowl. Set them aside. 

How to make the bread for the rolls 

Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, such as bread flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.

Add the egg, melted butter, and warm milk to the flour mixture. Then mix them all using a handheld or stand mixer until you get a smooth dough. It takes approximately 7 minutes. 

How to turn the dough into maple pecan cinnamon rolls

Once the dough is ready, place it on a floured surface and roll it out to a rectangular shape around 13” x 9” with ½-inch thickness. 

Generously spread the brown sugar mixture onto the rolled dough, leaving a half-inch gap on one of the horizontal edges. Then sprinkle the chopped pecan nuts over the sugar and drizzle the maple syrup on top of it.

Now, carefully roll the dough. Starting from the edge covered with sugar towards the edge with a gap. Once fully rolled, gently press the edges with a gap to seal the roll. 

Cut the rolled dough into equal 9 slices and place them on a greased square pan of 9 inches/ 23 cm. 

Lightly oil one side of the cling film and cover the pan with oiled cling film facing the buns. Here, you can keep the dough in the refrigerator to proof overnight and bake it in the morning. But if you are baking right away, leave the cling film-covered pan in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough doubles. 

Bake the buns in a preheated oven at 200℃/400℉ or gas 6 for 15-20 minutes until your maple pecan cinnamon rolls are golden brown.

Once you remove the buns from the oven, leave them to rest in the tin for about a minute before spreading the frosting over them. 

Creamy mascarpone cheese frosting

Place the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl to make the frosting. Beat them with a stand or handheld mixer until you get a nice smooth buttercream. 

Then mix in the mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract until all is combined, smooth, and fluffy.

Spread the cheese frosting over the cinnamon rolls.

Tips to make the best maple pecan sticky buns

• Get the finest bread flour you can because it makes the bread texture finer and smoother.
• Make sure your yeast is ‘fresh’ and not expired. 
• If your pecan nuts have gone soft but not stale, you can revive their crunchiness by roasting them on a frying pan for about 5 minutes and letting them cool completely before using.

Store your baked goods

These maple pecan cinnamon rolls keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before serving, warm the buns in a microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds. 

If you do not use mascarpone cheese frosting, you can keep the rolls in a food container or a box at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

More breakfast recipe ideas

If you need more ideas of what to make for your breakfast treats, try these scrumptious maple pecan muffins, orange blueberry muffins, orange cardamom muffins, or pistachio muffins.

Thank you for checking this maple pecan cinnamon roll recipe. Hope you like it and will try it. When you do, please share your thoughts in the comments below. I really appreciate it.

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Take care and all the best.