Spicy Peach & Pecan Sticky Buns
There is nothing better on a cold day than a sticky bun that warms you from the inside, full of peaches and bourbon, toasted pecans, spicy gochujang caramel, and mascarpone frosting.
Big fan of this one, gang. I’m a sucker for cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, whatever you want to call them, and these are just so warming and gooey and cozy. I’m more than a little obsessed. It definitely cracks the top ten for me, let me know if they do for you as well!
Servings: 12 | Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Glass measuring cup
Thermometer
Hand-mixer / Stand-mixer
Large skillet
Small saucepan
9x13” glass baking dish
Offset spatula
Rolling pin
Plain dental floss
Pastry brush
Aluminum foil
Sticky Bun Dough:
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup sugar, divided
4 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, room temp
2 eggs
Bourbon Peach Pecan Filling:
2 cups cubed peaches
1 tbsp cornstarch
18 oz peach preserves, divided
1 tbsp bourbon
1 cup pecans
Gochujang Brown Sugar Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter, room temp
¼ cup gochujang paste
Gochujang Caramel:
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp gochujang paste
Mascarpone Frosting:
8 oz mascarpone
8 oz butter, room temp
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
Sticky Bun Dough (15 minutes)
In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk and cream. Microwave until it registers 105 to 115° F on a thermometer.
Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar in the warm milk mixture and set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand-mixer, add the remaining sugar, flour, salt, butter, and eggs.
Pour in the yeast mixture and mix until well combined and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, make the fillings and caramel.
Bourbon Peach Pecan Filling (25 minutes)
In a large skillet, toss the cubed peaches and cornstarch together, and heat over medium heat until peaches have softened (about 3 minutes if fresh, 10 if frozen).
Add 12 oz of the peach preserves and heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in the bourbon.
Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Set aside the remaining 6 oz peach preserves until needed.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 6 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant.
Let cool completely before chopping into medium size pieces, then set aside.
Gochujang Brown Sugar Filling (5 minutes)
In a small bowl, whisk to combine the brown sugar, butter, and gochujang paste until smooth. Set aside.
Gochujang Caramel (15 minutes)
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk until the sugar has melted and the mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Grease a 9x13” glass baking dish with butter.
Pour the gochujang caramel into the bottom of the dish and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Set aside.
Sticky Bun Dough Cont’d (1 hour 10 minutes + 30 to 35 minutes baking)
Punch down the dough and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin to a rectangle about 12x16” and ¼” thick.
With an offset spatula, spread the gochujang brown sugar filling evenly over the dough.
Sprinkle the chopped toasted pecans over the filling.
Pour the bourbon peach filling on top of the gochujang brown sugar filling and spread evenly.
With your hands along the short side of the rectangle, carefully roll the dough up into a 12” long log.
Using plain dental floss, cut the log into 12 evenly sized buns, about 1” thick.
Carefully place each bun into the pan on top of the caramel.
Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Warm the remaining 6 oz peach preserves and brush it evenly onto the tops of the buns.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the buns registers 180° F. Cover the top with foil if the buns begin to darken too quickly.
Let cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Mascarpone Frosting (5 minutes)
In a medium bowl, with a hand-mixer, cream together the mascarpone and butter until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Spread the mascarpone frosting onto the buns and serve immediately.
Unfrosted buns may be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Frosted buns and leftover frosting should be stored in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade