Baked Honey Buns

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Vanilla: Extract Medium

Soft yeast buns rolled around a honey-cinnamon brown sugar swirl and finished with a sugary honey glaze. This is the baked version of the classic Southern honey bun. Makes 12 buns in about 3 hr 36 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 26 min

Cooling 2 hr 30 min

Total 3 hr 36 min

Yield 12 buns

Ingredients

Adjust yield

buns

3 ¾ cups (480 g)bread flour
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast
¼ cup (50 g)granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g)fine salt
1 cup (240 ml)whole milk, warm, about 110 F (43 C)
1 (50 g)egg
¼ cup (60 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled, for the dough
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract, for the dough
¼ cup (60 g)unsalted butter, very soft, for the swirl
½ cup (100 g)light brown sugar
2 ½ tsp (6 g)ground cinnamon
2 tbsp (40 g)honey, for the swirl
1 ½ cups (180 g)powdered sugar
2 tbsp (40 g)honey, for the honey glaze
2 tbsp (30 ml)milk
½ tsp (3 ml)vanilla extract, for the honey glaze

Fresh ingredient guides

CinnamonHow to pick, season & nutrition

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla and knead 8 minutes by machine (10 by hand) until smooth and slightly tacky.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
Stir the swirl butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and honey into a paste.
Roll the dough into a 12 by 16 inch (30 by 40 cm) rectangle. Spread with the swirl paste to within 1/2 inch of the long edges.
Roll up tightly from the long side, pinch the seam, and cut into 12 slices. Set cut side up in a buttered 9 by 13 inch (23 by 33 cm) pan.
Cover and rise 40 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
Bake 22 to 26 minutes until golden, with an internal temperature of 190 F (88 C).
Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth and spread over the buns while they are still warm.

Tips

Warm milk should feel like bath water; hot milk will kill the yeast.
Slice the log with unflavored dental floss for clean spirals.
For softer buns, bake until just golden and cover loosely with foil if browning too fast.
Good with coffee or cold milk.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make baked honey buns?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 26 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 12 buns.

How should I store baked honey buns?

Cover and keep at room temperature 2 days, or freeze unglazed buns up to 2 months. Warm 15 seconds in the microwave to refresh.

Can I make baked honey buns ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract, for the dough (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with coffee or cold milk.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

330 Calories / serving

10.6g Fat

54.5g Carbs

5.3g Protein

36.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3960 cal · 127g fat · 654g carbs · 64g protein · 432g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.