Pull Apart Pecan Sticky Rolls

I actually call these Christmas Sticky Buns. Since it is now unofficially summer, I thought I would forgo that title and just stick with something more descriptive and less out of season.

These became a tradition in our house two Christmas's ago after our daughter was born. (My plan is for her to never know a Christmas without them!) A coworker gave me the recipe and I am oh so grateful she did. I love the kind of breakfasts you prepare the night before. It makes for a much easier morning as I stagger around the kitchen searching for that first cup of coffee. Not to mention that these taste like something from a fancy bakery.

Have you heard of Monkey Bread? It's the same concept. The main difference is that the recipe calls for frozen yeast rolls instead of canned biscuits. Big difference in my opinion. Also, it uses a small box of cook and serve vanilla pudding mix. Are you intrigued yet?

The recipe that was given to me was not very exact. I have played around with it a few times and finally got what works for my bundt pan. Mine is not very large. Maybe 10 inches? But not to worry. I will give you tips so that you can make it work for whatever size pan you have on hand. Regardless, you can't really mess this recipe up as long as you don't over do it on the number of frozen rolls you use.

Pull Apart Pecan Sticky Rolls

12-18 frozen yeast rolls (golf ball sized)

1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 small box cook and serve vanilla pudding (I have been told butterscotch works great, too)

6-8 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 to 1 cup of brown sugar

cinnamon

Directions: 

-Spray bundt pan with cooking spray. Be sure to get every bit of the inside covered. This is important so that the rolls turn out of the pan with no issues. 

-Sprinkle in the chopped pecans. Lay the rolls in one layer. The rolls are not perfectly round and in fact are a bit flat. I tilt them up on their sides so that I can fit more in my pan. (My pan fits 12 rolls.) Be sure and fit only one layer of rolls. It may seem like there is way too much of the other ingredients in comparison to the small rolls, but trust me, these things rise a lot. 

-Sprinkle the pudding mix and brown sugar over the rolls. For my size pan I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar. If you have a larger pan that fits 16-18 rolls, you can use a cup of brown sugar. 

-Drizzle on the melted butter. Again, for my size pan I used 6 tablespoons. For a larger pan, use 8.

-Finally, sprinkle on cinnamon. The recipe I was given gave no amount. I use about a tablespoon.  If you love cinnamon, use more.

-Spray a sheet of aluminum foil and place it sprayed side down over the pan and secure. Allow rolls to rise overnight. (This is where the number of rolls is crucial. If you have more than one layer of rolls you risk the rolls rising to the point of pushing the foil off the pan and ending up on your counter or they won't bake thoroughly and will fall when you turn them out of the pan.)

-The next morning,  preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 10-15 or until done. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a dish and dig in!

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These rolls are prefect for overnight guests. Heck, they are perfect for anytime. I made them this past weekend and they were a delectable Memorial Day breakfast. No one would ever guess they are so easy!