Sticky buns from frozen bread dough are the shortcut I turn to when I want a warm, gooey breakfast without babysitting scratch dough all morning. You start with frozen dinner rolls, dip them in butter, roll them in cinnamon sugar, and let them rise overnight over a layer of brown sugar and pecans. Come morning, you bake them and flip the whole pan out onto a platter, caramel and all. It’s the kind of recipe that looks like you worked a lot harder than you did.
My family has enjoyed these sticky buns for holiday mornings for years. They make the morning feel special without me having to do a lot of extra work in the kitchen, and honestly, that’s exactly what I want when everyone’s still in pajamas, and I’d rather be sitting at the table than working in the kitchen.
Main Ingredients Needed For Sticky Buns from Frozen Bread Dough
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Frozen dinner rolls: These are what make the whole recipe possible. I use Rhodes, but any brand of frozen dinner roll dough will work the same way.
- Butter: You’ll need it both softened and melted, so plan to split a stick between the two uses. The softened butter goes into the caramel layer on the bottom of the pan, and the melted butter is what you’ll dip each roll in before coating it in cinnamon sugar.
- Brown sugar: This is what turns into that deep, sticky caramel on the bottom of the pan once it bakes.
- White sugar: This is what the rolls get rolled in along with the cinnamon, for that classic sticky bun coating.
- Ground cinnamon: Mixed with the white sugar for coating the rolls before they go in the pan.
- Pecans and walnuts: These are optional, but they add a nice crunch under all that caramel. If you’d rather keep things nut-free, you can leave them out entirely, or swap in almonds if that’s what you have on hand.
- Non-stick cooking spray: This is what keeps everything from sticking when it’s time to flip the pan, so don’t skip it.
How To Make Sticky Buns from Frozen Bread Dough
This one’s mostly hands-off once you get the rolls in the pan, and I let the overnight rise do the real work for me.
Tip: If the tops start browning too fast, cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes so the inside finishes rising and baking without the top over-crisping.
Sticky Bun Variations to Try
If you want to change things up a little, I like blending a bit of ground cardamom and nutmeg into the cinnamon sugar mixture before coating the rolls. It gives the buns a warmer, slightly spiced flavor that’s especially nice around the holidays, and it’s the only change you need to make; everything else about the recipe stays exactly the same.
Make Ahead Tips for Sticky Buns with Frozen Bread Dough
Sticky buns from frozen bread dough are exactly the kind of recipe I want on hand for houseguests and holiday mornings, since almost all the work happens the night before. You do all the real work the night before: pan prep, the caramel layer, coating the rolls, and getting everything arranged. Then you cover it and let it rise overnight, 8 to 10 hours, so all that’s left in the morning is preheating the oven and baking. The overnight rise isn’t just convenient; it’s actually what gives the rolls their texture, so making it ahead makes the recipe better, not just easier.
If you’re feeding a full house, this is one of the make-ahead breakfasts I keep in rotation. My biscuit and gravy breakfast bake is another one that bakes ahead just as easily, and if I want something a little different, I’ll pull out my french toast casserole with sourdough bread instead.
Questions When Making Sticky Buns from Frozen Bread Dough
A colder kitchen overnight is usually the culprit, since a room that feels comfortable during the day can drop several degrees at night and slow the yeast way down. Wrapping the pan too tightly can also press against the rolls as they try to expand. Keep the wrap loose and pick a slightly warmer spot if your kitchen runs cold.
A 10-inch deep ceramic pie pan works best for this recipe. It gives the rolls enough room to rise and bake evenly without crowding each other or drying out at the edges.
Sticky Buns from Frozen Bread Dough
Ingredients
- 10 bread dough , frozen rolls, such as Rhodes, kept frozen
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick, divided (softened and melted separately)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup pecans, optional, chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts, optional, chopped
- cooking spray, Non-stick
Instructions
The Night Before
- Spray a 10-inch deep ceramic pie pan with non-stick spray.cooking spray
- sprinkle the chopped pecans and walnuts evenly across the bottom.¼ cup pecans, ¼ cup walnuts
- Soften half the butter and stir in the brown sugar until well combined, then spread this mixture over the nuts in the pan, this layer becomes your caramel sauce once it bakes.½ cup butter
- Melt the remaining butter, then mix the white sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.½ cup brown sugar
- Dip each frozen roll in the melted butter, coat it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and place it cinnamon-sugar side up on top of the nut and sugar layer, leaving a little space between rolls so they have room to rise.10 bread dough
- Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap or foil and cover the pan loosely; the wrap should not press tightly against the rolls. Let it rise overnight, 8 to 10 hours, either in a cold oven or on the counter.
The Next Morning
- Remove the pan from the oven if that's where you stored it, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and take the cover off the pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown all over and touching each other.
- If the tops start browning too fast, cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Let the pan cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a large plate or platter while it's still hot, so the caramel flows over the buns instead of setting in the pan.
- Let the sticky buns cool slightly before serving.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Make Ahead: Assemble the pan completely the night before, cover loosely, and let it rise at room temperature (a cold oven or the counter works) for 8 to 10 hours. Bake fresh the next morning.
- Storage: Store covered on the counter for up to 2 days, though these are really at their best eaten within a day of baking.
- Reheating: Warm in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes, just enough to heat them through without drying them out.
- Freezing: This recipe isn’t recommended for refreezing after baking.
- Substitutions: Pecans and walnuts are both optional; leave out entirely for a nut-free version or swap in almonds.
- Variations: Blend a bit of ground cardamom and nutmeg into the cinnamon sugar mixture before coating the rolls, for a warmer, slightly spiced version.
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Hospitality with Rhodes Sticky Buns
Next time you have overnight guests, here’s a great way to make them feel special. What’s better than waking up to the smell of warm sticky buns baking in the oven, especially when you already did all the work the night before, and all that’s left in the morning is popping the pan in and pouring yourself a cup of coffee while it bakes? That’s really what treating guests to a special breakfast comes down to. It’s not some big production; it’s just taking a few minutes the night before so the whole morning feels easy for everybody, you included. If you want to round out the table for a full house, my sausage egg and cheese casserole for a crowd bakes right alongside these without much extra fuss. Romans 12:13 tells us to seek to show hospitality, and honestly, I think a warm breakfast waiting on someone the minute they wake up in your home is exactly that: no fuss, nothing to prove, just ready for them. It really is such a small thing to plan ahead like that, but it tells the people staying under your roof that they mattered enough for you to think of them before they even asked.
I want to make these…do I place them with the sugar cinnamon topping facing up does that side go down on top of the nuts
Great question! You’ll want to place the rolls with the cinnamon-sugar side facing up when you put them in the pan. The butter and sugar mixture underneath melts into a caramel sauce while baking, and when you flip the pan after baking, that caramel and nut layer becomes the gooey topping that covers the buns. So yes — cinnamon-sugar up, nuts and caramel mixture on the bottom. Thanks for asking, I’m going to add this detail to the instructions to help others.
Hello; I am not chef, but I look over your recipe as I copied it. You made it look so good, but I have to tell you I made some changes to your recipe. I hate wasting paper when I make a printed copy. I can leave you a copy of the instruction I changed below so you can see what I did, I hope you are OK with it.
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Instructions
The Night Before Prepare the Pan cooking spray
Spray a 9-inch round deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray.
Sprinkle chopped pecans and walnuts evenly on the bottom of the pan.
¼ cup pecans,¼ cup walnuts chopped
Make Brown Sugar Butter
Soften ¼ cup butter in the microwave (about 10 seconds at a time until soft, not melted).
Stir in ½ cup butter with ½ cup of the brown sugar until well combined.
Spread this mixture over the chopped nuts in the pan.
Prepare Cinnamon Coating
Melt the remaining ¼ cup butter.
In a small bowl, mix white sugar and cinnamon. Combine ½ cup white sugar,1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 Coating the Rolls
Dip each frozen roll in the melted butter, then coat it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
10 bread dough
Place the rolls and cinnamon sugar side up on top of the nut and sugar layer in the pan. Leave a little space between each roll to allow them to rise.
Let Rise Overnight
Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap or foil with non-stick spray and cover the pan.
Leave it in a cold oven or on the counter overnight to rise (8 to 10 hours).
The Next Morning Remove the pan from the oven if you stored it there.
Preheat the Oven to 350°F (175°C).
Take off the cover from the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
Tip: If the tops begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the pan cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip & Serve
Carefully invert the pan onto a large plate or platter using oven mitts.
Be cautious, the caramel sauce will be hot!
Serve Warm
Let the sticky buns cool slightly before serving for the best gooey texture.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
Storage & Reheating
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Warm individual rolls in the microwave for about 15–20 seconds.
Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 1155kcal, Carbohydrates: 213g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1938mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 20IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert Author: Gina Dickson
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