Homemade Honey Buns
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Once you try homemade honey buns, you won’t go back to store-bought! My honey bun recipe can be baked or fried, and both methods yield incredibly tender, tasty buns. Perfect with a cup of coffee! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Must-Try Honey Bun Recipe
Here’s a fun weekend baking project for you! Homemade honey buns surpass those pre-packaged buns you can buy at the store. You can either bake or fry them–they look better fried (the color is more golden), and that is the traditional way to make them. However, frying is also a pain (in my humble opinion) and they’re still quite delicious baked.
The dough is similar to a sweet yeast bread, like what I used for my blueberry cheesecake buns–super tender, perfectly sweet, and easy to make. You’re going to love them!
Why This Recipe WORKS
- Two options for cooking: frying or baking. Both yield incredibly tasty results, so you can choose whichever you are most comfortable with (just like my homemade mozzarella sticks!).
- These are true honey buns–not cinnamon buns with honey. Just a pinch of cinnamon in the filling adds sweetness and flavor without overwhelming the buns.
- Cutting the dough in strips and rolling the buns individually is easier and neater than rolling into a log like you would with cinnamon rolls (or my overnight cinnamon rolls).
- Using a stand mixer creates soft, plush buns without any hint of dryness. Kneading by hand often involves adding extra flour, which can make for dry results (a common complaint with homemade yeast breads). So we use a stand mixer for kneading, when available.
What You Need
Nothing too out of the ordinary for a yeast bread recipe–I’ll review the staples before we begin.
- Honey. Use a honey you enjoy the taste of. We’ll add this to the buns, filling, and glaze–this is a honey bun recipe, after all!
- Cinnamon. Yes, we are adding a little bit of cinnamon in the filling, but this honey bun recipe isn’t at all cinnamon-forward. The spice is very subtle here (just ½ teaspoon), much less than you’d find in a cinnamon roll recipe, which typically has a full tablespoon.
- Yeast. You will need active dry yeast. Make sure yours is within date and foams when you add it to your warm milk/water mixture; otherwise your dough will not rise properly.
- Bread flour. How much flour you ultimately need will vary depending on quite a few factors like the weather, your kitchen, etc. Start with what I have listed and go from there; adding it gradually is best, as too much can make for dense or dry buns.
- Butter. I use both unsalted butter and salted butter in this recipe, but I include notes for how much salt to add if you only keep unsalted butter on hand.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Sam’s Tip
If you don’t want to waste your leftover egg white (we are only using the yolk from the second egg!), use it to make candied nuts: I have recipes for candied pecans, candied walnuts, and candied almonds.
Frying vs. Baking Honey Buns
Frying is traditional, and will give you the most authentic flavor–but it is also a lot more work. As you can see, the fried honey bun (left above) is much darker in color with a slightly crisp exterior and less springy interior compared to its baked counterpart (right above).
Both options are extremely tasty, so choose your preference based on your effort and skill level. If you don’t mind frying (maybe you’ve tried my fried pickles or donut holes), or simply want the most authentic result, give the fried version a try. If frying makes you a bit nervous or you just don’t feel like dealing with the hot oil, make the baked version!
Either way, you’ll be satisfied! 🍯
How to Make Homemade Honey Buns (Step-by-Step)
- Make the dough. Proof your yeast (if it doesn’t foam, you must start over!), then add honey, egg and egg yolk, 3 cups of flour, and salt. Stir until everything is combined, then start adding the butter a tablespoon at a time. Add remaining flour as needed until you have a tacky (not sticky!) dough that clings to itself and pulls away from the bowl.
- Knead. Knead with a dough hook attachment until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes or so. You can also do this step by hand–it will take closer to 15 minutes. Add flour sparingly during this time.
- First rise. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in size.
- Roll out & fill. Roll the dough into an 18×10″ rectangle. Spread butter evenly over the surface, add your cinnamon sugar, then drizzle honey overtop.
- Roll up. Use a pizza cutter to cut 16 equal strips. Roll each strip firmly into a spiral and press the edges to seal.
- Second rise. Arrange on parchment lined baking sheets, cover loosely, and let rise again until puffed. Preheat your oven (if baking) or oil (if frying) during this time.
Sam’s Tip
If you’re frying, you can cut out parchment squares and put the honey buns on those after shaping/before rising. In the video, I lower the parchment squares by hand, but a safer way is to just place them in the frying spider with the parchment attached, lower them, then remove the parchment with tongs once it separates.
- Fry or bake. If frying, carefully lower one or two buns at a time into the hot oil. Fry 60 seconds per side, then remove to a wire cooling rack. If baking, transfer to a 350F oven for 11-13 minutes.
- Glaze & enjoy! Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth, adding warm water if needed until it flows easily off the whisk. Spoon over your buns while they are still warm (not hot!) and let set before digging in.
Sam’s Tip
When frying, make sure to let your oil come back up to temperature between batches. If you find your homemade honey buns are greasy or underdone, your oil was probably not quite hot enough (355-360F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Honey buns are traditionally fried, but you can absolutely bake them too (and I think they are almost just as good this way!).
I include instructions for both methods in my honey bun recipe. I also talk more about frying vs. baking in the post above and in the recipe notes below, if you need help deciding!
There are subtle differences in the dough, and more major differences in the filling and topping.
You’ll find a heavily cinnamon and brown sugar-based filling in cinnamon rolls, while the filling here is very lightly spiced and sweetened with granulated sugar and honey.
Topping wise, we’re using a lighter, honey-infused vanilla glaze in this honey bun recipe, while cinnamon rolls typically have thick cream cheese frosting or my cinnamon roll icing.
Unlike their store-bought counterparts, homemade honey buns are best enjoyed fresh. You can, however, store and enjoy them up to 2 days after making if needed. If you do this, I recommend heating them for a few seconds in the microwave first to bring back their freshness.
Related Recipes
If you love honey, try my honey cookies or honey butter next!
Enjoy!
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Homemade Honey Buns
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot for frying, optional
Ingredients
For activating the yeast
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
For the dough
- ¼ cup (84 g) honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 cups (500 g) bread flour, divided, plus additional as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 6 pieces
For the filling
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add ⅛ teaspoon table salt)
- 2 Tablespoons (42 g) honey
For frying (optional, see note)
- Neutral cooking oil, for frying (I recommend canola, vegetable, or refined avocado oil)
For the honey glaze
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, melted (if using unsalted butter add ¼ teaspoon table salt)
- ¼ cup (84 g) honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- warm water, if/as needed
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Combine milk and water in a microwave-safe measuring cup and heat until it reaches a temperature between 110-115F (43-46C). Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), add yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey, and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. If your yeast doesn’t foam, it is likely dead and you’ll need to start over.¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, ⅓ cup (80 ml) water, 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
- Begin the dough. Add ¼ cup (84 g) honey, egg, egg yolk, and approximately 3 cups (375 g) of bread flour, then sprinkle salt over the flour. Use the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.¼ cup (84 g) honey, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- Add the butter. Add softened butter, one Tablespoon at a time, mixing on low-speed (or with a wooden spoon) until completely incorporated into the dough before adding the next Tablespoon.6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 6 pieces
- Add remaining flour. If using a stand mixer, swap the paddle attachment for dough hook attachment and, with mixer on low-speed, gradually add remaining 1 cup (125 g) flour as needed until the dough begins to cling to itself and pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but should not stick to a clean fingers when gently pressed.
- Knead the dough. If using a stand mixer, continue to knead with the dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10-12 minutes). If making by hand, turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic (about 15 minutes). If needed, add additional flour sparingly, only as needed to keep the dough manageable.
- First rise. Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until nearly doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
- Prepare the filling. Whisk together sugar and cinnamon and set aside.2 Tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Roll. Once dough has risen, use your hand to gently deflate the dough and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out into an 18” x 10” (46 x 25 cm) rectangle.
- Fill & shape. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the butter, then drizzle the honey evenly overtop. Cut the dough into 16 even strips (each 10” long and approximately 1 ⅛” wide) and roll firmly but not too tightly into a spiral, pressing the edges together to (very tightly) seal and prevent unraveling. If you plan to fry the honey buns, you can cut the parchment into large squares around each bun and allow the buns to rise on the parchment squares; this makes it easy to transfer them into the hot oil without deflating or distorting them.¼ cup (57 g) salted butter, 2 Tablespoons (42 g) honey
- Second rise. Arrange the buns on two parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing several inches apart so they don’t touch. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until noticeably puffed, about 30-45 minutes. Near the end of the rise, prepare to either bake or fry the honey buns (preheat the oven to 350F/175C or begin heating the oil over medium-low heat to 355F/179C).
IF FRYING:
- Heat the oil. While the buns are rising, pour 3-4” of oil into a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot (making sure the pot is no more than ⅔ full). Heat the oil over medium heat to 355-360F (179-182C). Monitor the temperature closely and adjust the heat as needed while frying.Neutral cooking oil
- Gently flatten the buns. Immediately before frying, use your hand to very gently press each bun so the raised center is level with the rest of the bun. Don’t press out all of the air or flatten the bun completely (or they could become dense and oily), this gentle flattening just helps the honey buns cook more evenly and prevents the centers from being too thick and remaining under-baked and doughy after frying. Double-check that the seam is tightly pinched and re-seal if needed so the bun doesn’t unravel in the oil.
- Fry. Working with just one or two buns at a time, carefully lower into the hot oil using a spider strainer (or the parchment square). Fry approximately 60 seconds per side, until deep golden brown. If using parchment squares, lower each bun into the oil with its parchment attached, and once the parchment releases carefully remove it with tongs.
- Drain (and check for doneness). Use a spider strainer to carefully remove from the oil, drain and transfer to a wire cooling rack set over paper towels or a baking sheet (for easy cleanup!). Check to ensure the center is fully cooked, it should reach 185F-190F (85-88C). Monitor the oil temperature as you fry to make sure it stays in the proper range (355-360F (179-182C)). Repeat with the remaining buns, then glaze them while they’re still warm.
IF BAKING:
- Bake. Once buns are puffed and oven is preheated to 350F (175C), bake the honey buns, one tray at a time, on the center rack of the oven, until baked through and internal temperature reads 185-190F (85-88C) when temped with an instant read thermometer, about 11-13 minutes. These rolls do not get very golden and stay quite pale when baked. Prepare the glaze – it’s best applied warm!
GLAZE
- Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until glaze is completely smooth and flows easily from the whisk. If glaze is too thick, add warm water, a teaspoon at a time, until proper consistency is reached.½ cup (113 g) salted butter, ¼ cup (84 g) honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar, warm water
- Glaze the honey buns. Spoon the glaze generously and evenly over the honey buns while they’re still warm (but not piping hot!). Allow it to set briefly before serving. Honey buns are best enjoyed warm.
Notes
Stand mixer vs making by hand
I recommend a stand mixer for best results because this a very soft, slightly sticky dough which can be difficult to manage by hand. Kneading by hand typically requires a little extra flour to make the dough manageable, while a mixer helps keep the dough softer and allows you to use less flour, which makes the resulting honey buns even softer and more tender. However, you can still make great honey buns without a stand mixer, just add the flour sparingly and expect the dough to be a bit sticky as you work with it.Flour
The full 4 cups of flour may not always be necessary (or you may need more than called for). Add the last bit of flour gradually and stop once the dough is soft, elastic, and slightly tacky but doesn’t stick to a clean finger when pressed. Try to avoid adding too much flour, which can make the honey buns dense or dry.Frying vs baking
Traditionally, honey buns are fried, but I think they’re almost just as good baked (and they’re certainly easier to bake). They do stay quite pale when baked, and look more classic and golden brown when fried.Storing
Honey buns are best enjoyed the same day they are made. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They taste best slightly warm, so I recommend briefly microwaving before serving (though the honey glaze can melt a bit when reheating!).Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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