These easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns are an indulgent breakfast treat to offer guests or family. They take just 15 minutes to prep with frozen roll dough, butterscotch pudding mix, pecans, brown sugar, and lots of butter!
These deliciously indulgent sticky buns are one of our favorites. They are so good. So easy, too, and especially nice if you have a house full of overnight guests because you prepare everything the night before and bake them off the next morning.
I really love the simplicity of this recipe. There’s no yeast to proof, no flour to mix, and no kneading required at all. Instead of making the dough from scratch, you’ll simply use frozen Parker House rolls! It’s such a great shortcut!
But I’m not going to lie to you. They are jam-packed full of buttery, sugary calories. That’s why we have them only about once a year.
— This post was originally published on February 11, 2009. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Microwave & Oven
Total Time: 35 Minutes (plus overnight waiting time)
Servings: 12
Primary Ingredient(s): Frozen Parker House Rolls, Pecans, Butterscotch Pudding Mix
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Ahmazzzinnnnng– so simple and indulgent. I make these every year at Christmas or New Year’s morning.“
— Marie
Ingredient Notes
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- Frozen Parker House Rolls — You’ll need 24 frozen Parker House rolls. I recommend the Bridgford brand.
- Butterscotch Pudding Mix — You’ll need the regular “Cook & Serve” Jell-o, not instant pudding mix. Other brands may work, but I always use Jell-o brand for this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar – Be sure to pack the sugar into the measuring cup for an accurate amount.
- Chopped Pecans – We love pecans in the South. I suppose you could substitute walnuts, but it wouldn’t be the same recipe.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on pages 58-59 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How I Make Easy Overnight Sweet Rolls
Prep the Night Before
- Generously butter a 9×13 pan or baking dish and spread the chopped nuts over the bottom.
- Space the frozen rolls evenly on top of the nuts.
- Sprinkle evenly with the dry pudding mix.
- In a medium-size bowl, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave. Start with one minute and stir. Then continue in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is melted. Stir the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.
- Drizzle the melted mixture evenly over the top of the rolls.
Pro Tip
Be careful when checking your butter-sugar mixture. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bowl from the microwave, as it can get hot really quickly. Also, be careful with the melted mixture. It’s hot, and you can get a burn if it gets on your hands!
- Lastly – Cover the pan loosely with waxed paper and place it in a cold oven overnight.
Pro Tip
Now, here’s a little trick from years of experience. Even waxed paper will stick to the thawed, risen rolls. So, to keep that from happening, I lay the waxed paper over the pan, spray the area that will touch the rolls with cooking spray, and then flip it over so that the sprayed side is over the rolls. You can also use the non-stick aluminum foil and you won’t even need to spray it. Works great!
Bake the Next Morning
The next morning, you’ll find that your rolls have defrosted and risen beautifully overnight! The lovely topping and chopped nuts are mostly on the bottom with the rolls on top just waiting to be baked up into warm, ooey-gooey sweet goodness.
- Remove the waxed paper or non-stick foil and discard it.
- Place the pan back into the cold oven and turn it on to 350 F.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the rolls are a lovely golden brown, just like dinner rolls should be.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the buns to cool slightly (about 8-10 minutes should do), and then invert them onto a serving plate or board. Cut or pull apart the individual rolls.
How to Serve
Serve these delicious buns with all their sticky pecan caramel topping with a lovely warm cup of coffee or glass of milk. They’re excellent for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert.
Storage and Reheating
To store the leftovers, just wrap them in plastic wrap or non-stick aluminum foil. They can be left out at room temperature for up to 24 hours or stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Reheat individual buns for a few seconds in the microwave or for about 10 minutes in a 200F degree oven.
Questions About Easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns
You use regular pudding mix in this recipe because the instant variety has a different thickening agent. That thickener will cause the pudding to more or less “congeal” while it sits on the thawing and rising rolls overnight. It will then separate and form into lumps instead of a smooth sauce-like topping. Not what you really want.
Typically sticky buns (also called caramel buns) have the toppings placed on the bottom of the pan. After rising, the buns are baked and inverted to reveal the toppings. Cinnamon rolls are baked and then topped after cooling.
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Easy Overnight Pecan Sticky Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 24 frozen Parker House rolls
- 3.5 ounce butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
The night before:
- Generously butter a 9×13 pan or baking dish and spread the chopped nuts over the bottom.1 cup chopped pecans
- Space 24 frozen rolls evenly on top of nuts24 frozen Parker House rolls
- Sprinkle evenly with the dry pudding mix.3.5 ounce butterscotch pudding mix
- In a medium-size bowl, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the microwave. Start with one minute and stir. Then continue in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is melted. Stir the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.½ cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Drizzle the melted mixture evenly over the top of the rolls.
- Cover loosely with waxed paper (or non-stick foil) and place in cold oven overnight.
The next morning:
- Remove waxed paper (or foil) and discard.
- Place the pan back in the cold oven and turn on to 350 F.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the buns to cool briefly (about 8-10 minutes) and then invert them onto a serving plate or board. Cut or pull apart the individual rolls.
Notes
- For this recipe, be sure to purchase Butterscotch Pudding Mix – *Regular* (Cook & Serve by Jell-o), not instant pudding mix. This is one time when the specific ingredient makes the difference between a recipe working or not.
- To store the leftovers, just wrap them in plastic wrap or non-stick aluminum foil. They can be left out at room temperature for up to 24 hours or stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Reheat individual buns for a few seconds in the microwave or for about 10 minutes in a 200F degree oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Easy, delicious and few ingredients
Easy but center rolls did not cook. Possibly needed to bake longer or use less rolls. Was disappointed.
Sorry the rolls in the center didn’t cook through for you. I’ve never had that experience with this recipe. But everyone’s oven cooks differently and you have to judge for yourself when things are done.
My rolls did not get done in the middle either.
If you can’t let the rolls rise over night how long do they need to rise if done during the day?
“Overnight” is typically considered to be 8 hours, so I’d give them that much time to rise in a cool place.
When these rolls are finished, are the pecans on the bottom of them and the sticky buttery gooey on top?
When you take the pan out of the oven, both the nuts and the topping will be on the bottom. You will invert the entire pan on a large platter, a baking sheet, or just a large piece of parchment paper. The pecans and topping will then be on top.
Ahmazzzinnnnng– so simple and indulgent. I make these every year at Christmas or New Year’s morning.
They’re typically on my Christmas morning menu, too :-)
Very yummy delicious Rolls. So easy to make
These are so easy and taste amazing! Like restaurant quality delicious!
Thanks! I’m so glad you like the recipe.
Easy and delicious!
Some of the rolls were not cooked through and a little doughy. I will make again but maybe try with 18 rolls instead of 24.
I’ve never had that happen with this recipe, Linda. Could be that they just needed to cook a few more minutes. Oven temps can be sometimes be off.
These sound wonderful to me, but I can’t find butter scotch pudding any where. Have you ever subsuited any thing else?
I haven’t substituted the butterscotch pudding with anything else. You can order it from Amazon if you can’t find it in your local stores.
You can also use the cook and serve vanilla pudding by jello and it works super too!
We Use Vanilla – LOVED IT – ADDED IN A 1/8 Teaspoon of My Homemade Vanilla UNBELIEVABLE!
Rolls are so easy and taste amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.
My pleasure, April! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
made the same recipe for years when my grandchildren were small when everyone stayed overnight Xmas Eve. ( They are now adults with children of their own aka, our great Grandbabies ) I’m in Canada, here the recipe was referred to as “Land of Nod Cinnamon buns” recipe came from a popular Canadian cookbook series. It was made in a Bundt pan which was turned upside down once baked, while everyone waited and watched as the toasted nuts and syrup mixture dripped down to cover the buns. It was everyone for them self after that! I supposed the recipe I always made is quite similar to Monkey bread that’s quite popular in the US. Haven’t made them in years as there’s only two of us both who are on medically recommended diets, but If my memory is correct, the pudding ingredient was either Jello vanilla or butterscotch cook and serve pudding.
Thanks for bringing back a memory of happier days, Lana. It was great fun to read and to read your readers comments too.
Stay safe Stay well
One of the reasons I keep blogging is because of comments like yours, Joycelyn. I truly love bringing up good memories of food and family for people. Thank you so much for taking time to leave your thoughts on this recipe!
I have made these for years!! They are always a hit and quick and so easy to throw together on Christmas Eve. I don’t bother with plastic wrap or wax paper, I just let them sit in the oven and they are ready to go! I couldn’t find the butterscotch pudding this year so I used vanilla and it worked out great!😋
I only have instant butterscotch pudding. Can you explain why this cannot be used? It seems during the current global situation the cook and serve butterscotch pudding is not available, at least in Ontario, Canada.
Can you suggest an alternative to the cook and serve pudding?
The instant pudding has a different thickening agent that will “congeal” while sitting on the cold rolls overnight. It will separate and form into lumps instead of a smooth sauce-like topping.
These rolls are wonderful. I have made a similar recipe for years, I have found that the easiest way to keep them from sticking is to invert them onto a sheet pan covered with Release foil (Reynolds or store brand). It’s a bit pricey so I don’t use it for everything, but for this purpose, it’s definitely worth the extra money. They do NOT stick! Hope this tip is helpful.
I made the butterscotch pudding rolls using a dozen frozen cinnamon rolls. That’s the only change, as I had those rolls in the freezer. Delish! I recommend trying that.
If you don’t mind I am going to PIN this, because I have made these and they are so wonderful!
Thank you so much! Please feel free to pin!
Lana, I had to stop back over and tell you that these were a huge hit at our house. I made them over a week ago, and my children have already asked for them again twice.
While I love your site, my thighs now hate you. :)
I’m so glad your family liked these! Nothing makes me happier than when someone enjoys one of my recipes.
I just found your website from a photo posted on Refrigerator Soup. I’ve not spent more time than I had looking through your sight when I came across these delicious sweet rolls. All I can say is I am making these Sunday morning (beginning them Saturday night) because my mouth is watering for them.
What a great blog you have. I plan to be back!
Pam aka: BoredCook
Thanks for visiting, Pam! I’m glad you found the site and hope that you will return for more recipes in the future!