MAPLE PECAN CINNAMON ROLLS

Sam
Dec 25, 2025
6 min read

Close-up of a cinnamon roll with creamy icing and chopped pecans. A section is missing, showing the swirled interior and nuts.

This recipe is originally from Red Currant Bakery. If you haven't followed her on social media I highly recommend, I love her recipes so much! My dad is a huge fan of pecans so I try to make him different pecan recipes, especially for his birthday.

His birthday is Christmas and these maple pecan cinnamon rolls felt perfect for a Christmas morning sweet treat. I prepped the dough on a baking sheet the night before and took another hour or two before they were ready to eat. So if you want these straight away definitely leave your butter out overnight and get up early!

To proof the rolls quicker, I find leaving them in the microwave with the light on really helps.

Let's get into it!

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

400 grams Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour

60 grams Granulated Sugar

10 grams Instant Yeast

¼ tsp. Fine Sea Salt

200 grams Whole Milk, lukewarm

1 Egg, room temperature

65 grams Salted Butter, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

FILLING

130 grams Pecans, raw and unsalted

125 grams Salted Butter, softened

125 grams Dark Brown Sugar

¼ tsp. Fine Sea Salt *if using unsalted butter increase to ½ tsp.

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tbs. Cinnamon

50 grams Heavy Whipping Cream, for pouring on top

MAPLE GLAZE

40 grams Salted Butter, melted

150 grams Powdered Sugar

60 grams Maple Syrup

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 pinch Fine Sea Salt

2 pinches Flaky Sea Salt, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

DOUGH

In a small measuring cup, combine warm milk and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast has dissolved.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the yeast mixture, flour, and sugar– whisk to combine.
Sprinkle in the salt. Then add in the egg, butter, and vanilla.
Use a dough hook to knead everything together on medium low speed for 15 minutes until the dough has smooth edges and the bowl is clean.
If baking same day, keep the dough in the bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to rise.
If prepping the dough the night before, line a quarter sized baking sheet with a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle that is about an inch thick. Top the dough with another sheet of plastic wrap.
Place the dough on the sheet pan immediately into the fridge to proof overnight.

FILLING

Pour the pecans into a large shallow pan, place over low heat, tossing regularly.
Toast until the pecans feel quite warm to the touch, make sure you don't burn them, their color shouldn't change at all.
Immediately remove them from the heat and chop finely, think ⅛"-¼" in size.
In a medium mixing bowl, add in the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Use a fork or spoon to mix them together into a smooth butter spread.

ASSEMBLE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Or just below if the heat comes from the top of the oven.
If not using a nonstick pan, line your pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
Once the dough has doubled in size, or the next morning, knock any air out of the dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 15" x 12".
Spread the cinnamon brown sugar filling over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle with 90% of the chopped pecans and gently press them into the surface so that they stay in place.
Starting with one long side, roll the dough up, keeping the ends as even as possible.
Give the roll a slight squeeze until it is about 18" long.
Trim about ½" off of each end then use a ruler to mark 8 marks. They should be between 1¾" and 2" wide to create 9 rolls total.
Place the rolls into a 9" x 9" pan, they should be arranged in a 3×3 grid. Or a round 9" baking pan with one roll in the center and the other 8 surrounding it.
Place the pan somewhere warm until the rolls are puffy, this can take anywhere between 30 mins and an hour depending on the temperature of your home. I like to put mine in the microwave with the light on.
Once puffy, drizzle the top of the rolls with the heavy cream.
Bake for 15 minutes in the hot oven. Then rotate 180 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.
5 minutes before they are done baking, make the glaze.
Once golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and set on a rack to cool for 5 minutes before glazing.

GLAZE

To make the glaze, whisk together the melted butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to make a thick glaze.
Spoon the glaze over the top of the rolls and use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Sprinkle with the leftover chopped pecans and flaky sea salt.
Serve warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

DOUGH

In a small measuring cup, combine warm milk and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast has dissolved.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the yeast mixture, flour, and sugar– whisk to combine.

Sprinkle in the salt. Then add in the egg, butter, and vanilla.

Use a dough hook to knead everything together on medium low speed for 15 minutes until the dough has smooth edges and the bowl is clean.

If baking same day, keep the dough in the bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to rise.

If prepping the dough the night before, line a quarter sized baking sheet with a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle that is about an inch thick. Top the dough with another sheet of plastic wrap.

Place the dough on the sheet pan immediately into the fridge to proof overnight.

FILLING

Pour the pecans into a large shallow pan, place over low heat, tossing regularly.

Toast until the pecans feel quite warm to the touch, make sure you don't burn them, their color shouldn't change at all.

Immediately remove them from the heat and chop finely, think ⅛"-¼" in size.

In a medium mixing bowl, add in the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Use a fork or spoon to mix them together into a smooth butter spread.

ASSEMBLE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Or just below if the heat comes from the top of the oven.

If not using a nonstick pan, line your pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

Once the dough has doubled in size, or the next morning, knock any air out of the dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 15" x 12".

Spread the cinnamon brown sugar filling over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle with 90% of the chopped pecans and gently press them into the surface so that they stay in place.

Starting with one long side, roll the dough up, keeping the ends as even as possible.

Give the roll a slight squeeze until it is about 18" long.

Trim about ½" off of each end then use a ruler to mark 8 marks. They should be between 1¾" and 2" wide to create 9 rolls total.

Place the rolls into a 9" x 9" pan, they should be arranged in a 3×3 grid. Or a round 9" baking pan with one roll in the center and the other 8 surrounding it.

Place the pan somewhere warm until the rolls are puffy, this can take anywhere between 30 mins and an hour depending on the temperature of your home. I like to put mine in the microwave with the light on.