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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch Recipes » Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

    Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

    Gluten & Grain Free RecipesLow Carb & Keto RecipesSugar Free RecipesTrim Healthy Mama Recipes

    Published: Jan 16, 2016 by Taryn

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
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    pinterest image for caramel pecan sticky buns

    These caramel pecan sticky buns are low carb, gluten free, grain free, & sugar-free but no one will ever believe that. They are finger licking good.

    three caramel pecan sticky buns on a plate with a fork set in front of a small dish of pecans and a cup of coffee

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    Every time I walk into a Panera I stare at the pecan sticky buns. I contemplate buying one. And then I think about how far I've come (45 pounds lost and counting) and shake my head. Not worth it. Besides the fact that if I bought one of those and ate all the 740 calories and 89 grams of carbs I bet I would feel sick for days.

    This morning, with thoughts of Panera dancing in my head, I searched around online for a low carb version but couldn't find what I was looking for. Never fear. I broke out the food processor, turned on the oven, and here I am with a new recipe to share.

    These are lightly sweetened and go perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning. Trust me, I just ate two with my morning joe.

    hand pouring caramel sauce onto plate of Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

    What is a sticky bun?

    Sticky buns are a type of dessert or breakfast sweet roll that generally consist of rolled pieces of leavened dough — sometimes containing brown sugar or cinnamon — compressed together to form a kind of flat loaf corresponding to the size of the pan in which they are to be baked. -Wikipedia

     sticky bun dough rolled out onto parchment paper

    How to make sticky buns

    To make sticky buns you simply make a mozzarella dough, sprinkle it with sweetener, cinnamon, and pecans, roll it up and cut it. Bake it. Top with caramel sauce.

    There are several parts to this recipe but it is worth it. It shouldn't take you longer than 20 min of active work in the kitchen to have a batch of delicious sticky buns.

    If you've made fathead pizza dough before you can make these. It's only slightly harder than that type of pizza.

    sticky bun dough rolled out on parchment paper topped with cinnamon seasoning and pecan pieces

    Can I sub other nuts?

    Sure! If you prefer walnuts or cashews they are delicious in this. Almonds are a bit too hard but would work.

    dough rolled into log for Pecan Sticky Buns

    Mozzarella Cheese in Sweet Dough??

    Yes! You cannot taste it a single bit. I promise. My biggest tip with mozzarella dough is to mix it in a food processor and make sure the cheese is completely melted. This ensures you won't have strings of mozzarella in your sticky buns.

    This dough tastes like a traditional flour yeast dough without the flour or the yeast. If you prefer very sweet baked goods add sweetener to the dough.

    pie plate full of caramel pecan sticky buns before baking

    How to Make Caramel Sauce

    It is very easy to make caramel for the sticky buns. The most important thing is stirring frequently and not forgetting about it. If you leave the kitchen to do another task the caramel can easily burn. I’ve made caramel dozens of times and can tell by the smell when it is almost done. It will start to smell rich and fragrant and like caramel. The color changes and it thickens. There may also be a few darker bits forming at the very bottom. Those will look almost burned. This is when you remove the caramel from the heat.

    pie plate full of caramel pecan sticky buns drizzled with caramel sauce before baking

    Make sure to take a peek at my other brunch sweets:

    Healthy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

    Glazed Crumb Donuts

    Blackberry Coffee Cake

    close up on caramel pecan sticky buns in pie plate

     

    Like what you see? Follow me on Facebook! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!

    three caramel pecan sticky buns on a plate with a fork set in front of a small dish of pecans and a cup of coffee

    Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

    These caramel pecan sticky buns are low carb, gluten free, grain free, & sugar-free but no one will ever believe that. They are finger licking good.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 248
    Author: Taryn

    Ingredients

    Caramel Sauce Ingredients:

    • 4 tablespoon butter
    • 4 tablespoon heavy cream
    • ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
    • ½ teaspoon caramel extract
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Dough Ingredients:

    • 2 tablespoon butter divided
    • ½ cup pecan halves
    • 8 oz shredded mozzarella
    • 2 oz cream cheese
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • ⅓ cup almond flour
    • ⅓ cup coconut flour
    • ⅓ cup ground golden flax or additional almond flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
    • ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
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    Instructions

    • Caramel Sauce Directions: 
    • Combine first three ingredients and cook over medium-low heat until bubbly, slightly thickened, and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and add the salt and extract. Set aside.
    • Dough Instructions:
    • Preheat oven to 350. Spread 1 tablespoon butter in a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle the ½ cup pecan halves on top. Set aside.
    • Put cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave one minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir. At this point, all the cheese should be melted. Microwave 30 more seconds (it should look like cheese fondue at this point). 
    • Add the melted cheese, egg, flours, and baking powder to a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Alternatively, you can mix this by hand by you will need to dump it onto wax paper and knead it to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients.
    • Press it out into a 9×12 ish rectangle on waxed paper. Spread with 1 tablespoon butter, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sweetener, chopped pecans, and cinnamon. Roll up along the long side. Slice into 1 inch thick slices. Put them in the pie plate. Drizzle half of prepared caramel sauce over the top.
    • Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. until the dough is golden brown. Let cool for 5 min and quickly invert onto a serving platter. Scoop out any leftover pecans and caramel sauce and drizzle over the top. Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the sticky buns. Serve warm. Store in the fridge. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave.

    Notes

    If you caramel sauce hardens or separates before pouring it over the sticky buns just warm it again in the saucepan and whisk until it comes back together. 
    Notes on Sweeteners: 
    I use my own blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. This is twice as sweet as sugar. It is comparable to Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet and Truvia.
    To sub in Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit use 1.5 times the amount of sweetener called for. 
     
    To sub in Pyure or Trim Healthy Mama Super Sweet use half the amount of sweetener called for.
     
    Substitutions will work in most recipes. They may not work in candies, such as caramel.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 248 | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @joyfilledeats or tag #joyfilledeats!
    pinterest image for caramel pecan sticky buns

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    Comments

    1. Daycee says

      March 19, 2021 at 3:26 pm

      These were yummy but a bit bitter, I suspect too much baking powder... it says 1 tbsp so that’s what I used, should it really be 1 tsp?? Thx!

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        March 19, 2021 at 8:51 pm

        This type of dough needs a lot of baking powder to rise at all. I don't find them bitter but you can cut back to 2 tsp next time.

        Reply
    2. Wilma says

      January 26, 2021 at 12:02 am

      I'm very anxious to make these, but I wanted to know if I could make them up in the evening, refrigerate and then bake them in the morning? Thank you

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        January 26, 2021 at 2:53 pm

        I haven't tried that but it should work. Let them come to room temperature before putting in the oven.

        Reply
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