Sticky Pecan Bites

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.

Adapted from Alice Medrich | Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies | Artisan, 2010

Think mini 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

Why our testers loved this

There’s a whole bunch of reasons our recipe testers devoured these sweet treats. They found the recipe to be “well-written and easy to follow.” The testers all loved how quickly they came together, making them perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Leanne A. joined in with her comment, “These sticky pecan bites are definitely going into our morning rotation! These flaky, sweet cinnamon bites are some of the quickest breakfast treats I’ve made in a long time.”

Notes on ingredients

• Pecans–you could substitute a different type of nut, such as walnuts, but if you do, be sure to choose nuts of a similar size.
• Ground cinnamon--If you prefer your bites to have more of a cinnamon roll flavor, you can double the amount of cinnamon.

How to make this recipe

1. Place a pecan half in each well of two muffin tins. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the cream. Mix until you form a soft dough. Let it rest for a few minutes.
3. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
4. Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Spread the dough with butter, then sprinkle over salt and the sugar mixture. Roll the dough up tightly and chill while the oven preheats.
5. Heat the oven to 400°F.
6. Slice the dough into 24 pieces. Place each piece into a muffin tin well, cut side up. Bake until browned.
7. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the pecan bites out of the muffin tins. Serve warm.

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.

Recipe FAQs

Helpful tips

• Roll your dough tightly to help hold all the filling and to allow them to fit inside the muffin tin.
• Turn the pecan bites out of the pan immediately after baking or they will stick to the pan as they cool.
• The bites are best eaten the day they are made but can be kept in a covered container for up to 1 day. Rewarm in the microwave or in a low oven until just heated through.

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