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Homemade Honey Buns (Baked or Fried)

Heather Baird
Soft, sweet, and swirled with cinnamon, these homemade honey buns are topped with a glossy honey glaze. Baked or fried, they’re a nostalgic treat made fresh in your own kitchen—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Use your favorite honey in this recipe: wildflower honey, orange blossom honey, or clover honey - just to name a few.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
2 hours rising time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 42 minutes
Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • wire cooling racks

Ingredients
 
 

Dough

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed, up to 1/4 cup, if the dough is too sticky
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

  • 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Honey Glaze

  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons honey

Instructions
 

Dough

  • Place the water, whole milk, vegetable oil, unsalted butter and honey in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool to 120°F.
  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together to combine.
  • When the milk mixture has cooled to 120°F, add the mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed. Add in the remaining flour and beat on low speed until just combined.
  • Switch to the dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, about 5 minutes. If the dough seems lax and doesn’t pull away, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time as you mix. The dough should be very soft and slightly tacky, but not overly wet and sticky.
  • Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour (longer for room temperatures below 69°F).
  • Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • After the dough is doubled, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough to a 12-inch square about 1/4-inch thick.

Filling

  • Sprinkle the dough with the granulated sugar and then with the ground cinnamon. Roll the dough up jelly roll style into a log or baton shape. Cut the dough at a 45° angle (called bias cut or slant) into twelve 1” thick buns.
  • Place 6 buns well-spaced on each lined baking sheet. Using a piece of parchment paper or greased hands, flatten each bun to 1/4-inch thickness (they will rise again before baking). Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until inflated and puffy, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until well-browned and an instant read thermometer registers 190°F when inserted near the centers of the buns.
  • Remove the buns to a wire rack placed inside a baking sheet.

Honey glaze

  • Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and salt.
  • Add the milk, honey and melted butter. Whisk well until a smooth glaze forms. If glaze is lumpy, run it through a sieve.
  • Dunk the tops of the pastries into the glaze and turn upright; place on the wire rack to drain. Let the pastries stand until the glaze sets, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
  • Best served warm for breakfast, brunch, or as an afternoon treat with coffee or tea.
  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. These pastries are at their peak flavor the day they are made. Heat day old pastries for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to improve their texture; enjoy while warm.
  • See recipe notes for frying directions.

Notes

Fried Honey Buns: Cut twelve 6x6 inch squares of parchment paper and arrange them on two large baking sheets (6 per pan). Flatten each honey bun on a parchment square as directed in the recipe and let rise until doubled. Pour cooking oil to 2-inches depth in a large Dutch oven or in an electric skillet. Heat the oil to 360°F. Use parchment paper to transfer a bun to the frying oil; remove parchment. Fry buns until golden brown, turning with kitchen tongs. Remove to paper towel-lined baking sheets. Cool and glaze as recommended.
Instant Yeast: Instant yeast (also called rapid-rise or bread machine yeast) is a type of dry yeast that doesn’t need to be dissolved in water before using. It’s milled finer than active dry yeast, so it activates quickly and blends easily with dry ingredients. You can find it at most grocery stores in the baking aisle, and kitchen specialty shops, and online. Store the leftover instant yeast in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container for longer shelf life.
Keyword baked honey buns, comfort food recipes, fried honey buns, homemade honey buns, homemade pastries, honey buns recipe, instant yeast, unsalted butter, wildflower honey
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