These sticky pecan bites, which are kind of like mini-pecan sticky rolls, are the best way to get your caramel-y, buttery, nutty fix fast. Easy as can be.

Think bite-sized sticky buns without the time-consuming yeast dough. Rich, tender, cakey, with a bit of caramely brown sugar goop. These little cheaters are made with a quick stirred-together cream biscuit concoction. Too simple for words.–Alice Medrich

What to expect from these sticky pecan bites

Everyone, it seems, expects something a little different from a sticky bun. So while these buttery little bites are really quite irresistible, just to be clear, they're not the puffy, yeasty rolls of your childhood that, incidentally, took hours to make, roll, rise, and bake. These are more like scones with their denser, chewier substantialness, their shy sweetness, their dough that comes together in mere minutes.

And you can tweak them to your preference. If you're particularly fond of caramely loveliness, double the filling. Like your sticky buns exceptionally moist? Err on the low end of the baking time. Partial to pecans? Chop some and add them to the filling. And so forth and so on. You get the idea.

Sticky Pecan Bites

24 sticky pecan bites arranged in rows.

These sticky pecan bites, which are kind of like mini-pecan sticky rolls, are the best way to get your caramel-y, buttery, nutty fix fast. Easy as can be.

Alice Medrich

Prep 30 mins

Cook 45 mins

Total 1 hr 15 mins

  • 1 miniature muffin pan with 24 cups or 2 miniature muffin pans with 12 cups each

  • 24 pecan halves
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for the work surface
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt plus additional for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup packed brown or muscovado sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter very soft, plus more for the muffin cups

  • Place a pecan half in each muffin cup, top side down. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

  • Make a well in the center. Pour the cream into the well. Use a rubber spatula to fold and stir the flour mixture and cream together just until the dry ingredients are completely moistened and a soft dough is formed. The dough won't look perfectly smooth. Let the dough rest for 2 to 3 minutes to firm.

  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

  • On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a rectangle about 12 by 7 inches and 1/4 inch thick.

  • Use a small offset spatula or your fingertips to spread the dough with the soft butter, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the brown sugar, leaving a 1/8 to 1/4 inch border. Press the seam to seal. Starting at one short end, roll the dough tightly. Gently stretch the dough to lengthen the roll slightly to about 12 inches in length. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Lightly butter the muffin cups.

  • Cut the dough roll crosswise into 24 equal pieces. (It's easiest to do this by cutting the dough in half, then cutting each half in half, then cutting each portion into 6 pieces. This math is easier than it sounds.) Place each piece of dough in a muffin cup, cut side up.

  • Bake the sticky buns for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned. Rotate the pan(s) from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. (The longer you leave them in the oven, the crisper the edges but the drier the dough.)

  • Immediately turn the buns out onto a sheet of parchment on a heatproof surface. (And we do mean immediately, otherwise the buns may stick to the pan.) Serve warm.

Serving: 1 bite Calories: 81 kcal (4%) Carbohydrates: 9 g (3%) Protein: 1 g (2%) Fat: 5 g (8%) Saturated Fat: 2 g (13%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 13 mg (4%) Sodium: 29 mg (1%) Potassium: 40 mg (1%) Fiber: 1 g (4%) Sugar: 5 g (6%) Vitamin A: 141 IU (3%) Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%) Calcium: 18 mg (2%) Iron: 1 mg (6%)

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Originally published January 23, 2021

Recipe © 2010 Alice Medrich. Photos © 2021 Cenk Sönmezsoy. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.

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