Homemade Honey Buns
These bakery-style homemade honey buns feature soft from-scratch yeast dough and a sweet honey glaze, baked to golden perfection and even better than the packaged kind!
Baked Honey Bun Recipe
My husband has always had a soft spot for honey buns because they were one of his favorite childhood snacks. As the baker in the family, he has been working on a homemade honey bun recipe for months and has finally perfected it!
These are not the same old plastic-wrapped pastries from childhood. These are fluffy, flavorful, bakery-style buns that are sure to impress kids and grown-ups alike!
The dough uses a classic Japanese technique known as “tangzhong” to create extra soft and fluffy bread that stays fresh longer. Don’t worry…this step isn’t complicated! It takes 2 simple ingredients and only 6 extra minutes and is SO worth it!
These are the best honey buns I’ve ever tasted! The dough is supremely fluffy, with just the right amount of cinnamon, and the glaze brings all that sweet honey flavor. Bake a batch and watch how fast they disappear!
Related: Get that delicious honey bun flavor in a SUPER easy recipe with our Honey Bun Cake!
What is the Difference Between a Honey Bun and a Cinnamon Roll?
Cinnamon rolls and honey buns start from the same delicious place — a soft yeast dough rolled up with a cinnamon swirl — but they take slightly different paths from there.
Honey buns are typically finished with a light, sweet honey glaze that soaks into the dough, and they can be either baked or fried, giving them that signature soft, slightly sticky texture.
Cinnamon rolls, on the other hand, are almost always baked and topped with a thicker, richer icing (often made with cream cheese). Not surprisingly, they also have a much more intense cinnamon flavor, while honey buns lean a little sweeter and more subtle overall.
Ingredients
I’ve provided this quick list of shop-able ingredients and supplies for your convenience; read our disclosure policy here.
- Dry goods: bread flour, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, milk powder, oil, salt, brown sugar, vanilla paste, honey, ground cinnamon, powdered sugar
- Dairy & Refrigerated: Milk, eggs, egg yolks, salted butter
Full ingredient amounts and detailed directions available in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Large baking sheet
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
Instructions
- First, prep the yeast – Proof the yeast in warm water or milk with teaspoon of sugar. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Next, make the tangzhong – This is the “secret step” for extra fluffy dough! You’re going to cook a little bit of bread dough and milk while stirring continuously. This takes 6 minutes.
- Make the dough – Add the yeast and the tangzhong to the bowl of a stand mixer and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. You’ll need a dough hook attachment for this step.
- Let the dough rise – Once you have a cohesive ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, put it in a greased container to rise for up to one hour.
- Roll the dough – Roll out the dough on a floured surface so that it is a rectangle that is about 15″ x 24″ in size.
- Make the filling – Stir together the filling ingredients until combined and spread evenly on the surface of the dough.
- Form the rolls – Cut the dough into 2-inch strips, then individually roll up each strip to make your buns.
- Let rolls rise – Place the rolls on a lined baking sheet and press to flatten into that distinctive honey bun shape. We used a large baking sheet and were able to fit all 12 rolls on a single pan. Allow to rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Bake – Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes at 350°F.
- Frost – When the rolls are cool enough to handle, dip the top of each roll in the glaze, and place back on the lined baking sheet to dry.
Prep Tips
- Storage – Keep cooled honey buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for longer-term storage.
- Yeast – If your dough didn’t rise, it is very likely due to the yeast. If you don’t know when you purchased the yeast, it could be old. Always check “best by” dates before baking!
- Dough Rising – If the dough doesn’t seem to be rising, you can try to help it along by letting the dough rise in the oven with the light on, or setting it near a warm appliance.
More Homemade Pastry Recipes To Try:
Homemade Honey Bun Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Homemade Honey Buns
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Large baking pan lined with parchment paper
- Stand mixer with bread hook
- small saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
Tangzhong Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup bread flour
Dough Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm water or milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon for proofing yeast
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 Tablespoons milk powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup oil + 1 1/2 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste
- 1/4 cup honey
Glaze Ingredients:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste
Instructions
First, prep the yeast:
- Add 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3/4 cup warm water to a small bowl.
- Stir and then allow to sit for 10 minutes so the yeast can proof.
Next, make the tangzhong:
- Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup bread flour in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook while stirring continuously, for 6 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
Make the dough :
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, using a bread hook, add remaining dough ingredients.
- Add the yeast and the tangzhong and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes until you have a cohesive ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Let the dough rise:
- Put the dough ball in a greased container to rise for one hour.
Roll the dough:
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface so that it is a rectangle that is about 15" x 24" in size.
Make the filling:
- Stir together the filling ingredients until combined and spread evenly on the surface of the dough.
Form the rolls:
- Cut the dough into 2-inch strips, then individually roll up each strip to make your buns. You can tuck the end of the dough under so hold it together.
- Place the rolls on a lined baking sheet. We used a large baking sheet and were able to fit all 12 rolls on a single pan.
- Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the rolls and gently press to flatten the rolls slightly into an oval-ish shape.
- Allow to rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake:
- Place the rolls on a lined baking sheet. We used a large baking sheet and were able to fit all 12 rolls on a single pan.
- Bake for 18 minutes at 350°F.
Frost:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth.
- When the rolls are cool enough to handle, dip the top of each roll in the glaze, and place back on the lined baking sheet to dry.
Notes
- Storage: Keep cooled honey buns in an airtight container at room temp for 3–4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
- Yeast: If dough doesn’t rise, yeast may be expired—always check the date before baking.
- Rising Tip: If dough is slow to rise, place it in a warm spot like an oven with the light on or near a warm appliance.
Nutrition
Pin our Homemade Honey Buns on Pinterest:
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