Homemade Honey Buns

These homemade honey buns are rich, delicious, loaded with flavor, and, of course, coated in that classic glaze that we all love. If you’re looking for a great family treat, look no further.

Honey buns, Is there anything better? No. No, there isn’t. If you’re like most people, I’m sure you have many memories of eating these delicious treats, whether they were homemade, or more likely, purchased in the store. Honey buns are both a food and a brand, and in either case, they are so delicious.

I grew up on honey buns, and so did my kids. We still love them to this day. In fact, I love them so much that I decided to make my own homemade honey buns. It took me all of three seconds to realize that there was absolutely no good reason for me NOT to concoct a recipe for these delicious bakery treats, and that’s exactly what I did.

Perfect for Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, or Holidays

What I love so much about honey buns is that they’re perfect for any occasion. They make a great snack. They’re an excellent bunch item. Pair them with coffee for breakfast. Heck, put out a plate of them at potlucks, parties, or holiday get-togethers. They’re always delicious and always a hit. I can’t think of one person who doesn’t love these sweet, sticky bakery treats, so they’re the perfect item for practically any occasion. That’s one of the many reasons I love them so much. They’re so versatile!

A Brief History of Honey Buns

The honey bun that we all know and love is most often found pre-packaged in convenience stores or vending machines, but you can also find them at grocery store bakeries, as well. They’re delicious and extremely popular as a grab-and-go breakfast or snack for people hurrying into work. But where did they come from?

Although the honey bun is a very, very new addition to the food world relatively speaking, no one seems to know exactly where they originated. The most popular legend is that Howard Griffin, owner of Griffin Pie Co. in Greensboro, North Carolina, created the first honey bun in 1954, However, it’s not confirmed. For food so new, it’s quite a mystery. One thing we all know for sure is that they’re delicious.

Homemade Honey Buns

Wherever they came from and whoever made them may still be shrouded in mystery, but it’s not difficult to figure out why people love honey buns so much. They’re so good! These sweet, fried treats are so good with coffee, milk, or just on their own, and no one ever seems to be able to say no to them. That’s especially true of my homemade honey buns. They have everything we love about the individually-wrapped version we find at gas stations but with the delicious texture and flavor of a truly homemade recipe. These are better than the ones from our childhood, and everyone who eats them agrees.

Tips

Making these homemade honey buns is a relatively straightforward affair. There’s some manual labor involved because you’ll be rolling out the dough and then rolling it up to make the buns, but the ingredients and the actual know-how required to make this recipe are both minimal. That means that this tip section will be short. In fact, I only have two tips, but they’re important ones.

Pinch the Dough with Wet Fingers

When pinching your dough log closed, be sure that your fingers are wet. This seals the dough log shut, preventing it from unrolling as you cut it. If your fingers aren’t wet or wet enough, your log will unroll, and you’ll have to re-roll it. While it won’t ruin the recipe, it is a giant pain.

Glaze the Honey Buns While Warm

Unlike cakes and cupcakes that you want to let cool completely before frosting or icing, these homemade honey buns actually need to be warm when you apply the glaze. Take your warm honey buns and dip the tops into your glaze while they’re still warm. This will allow the glaze to melt down a bit and get into all the nooks and crannies of your honey bun layers.

Serving Homemade Honey Buns

These delicious honey buns are served exactly as you would the store-bought variety. I recommend serving them with coffee or milk as a snack or for breakfast. If you’re serving them as a dessert or at a potluck, all you need is a plate. That’s it!

Storing the Honey Buns

You can store these homemade honey buns on the counter for up to two days when covered with foil or plastic wrap and placed in a resealable bag or container to prevent them from drying out. They’ll keep for up to a week in the refrigerator when covered in the same manner.

For longer storage, you can freeze for up to a month. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Remember not to let them stay frozen for longer than a month. While they’ll be safe to eat, their texture and taste will deteriorate with time.

Give These Homemade Honey Buns a Try

If you love honey buns as much as I do – and most likely you do – you need to give this recipe a try. These homemade honey buns are so rich and delicious. They have all the flavors and feelings we love about the traditional honey buns we grew up on, but they’re so much better! You can’t beat homemade and these honey buns are proof of that. Try them soon! You’ll be so glad you did.

Ingredients to Make Homemade Honey Buns

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Milk
• Instant yeast
• Butter
• Large egg
• Oil
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar
• Honey

(Actual measurements are listed in the recipe card below.)

How to Make Homemade Honey Buns

For The Honey Buns

• Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add flour, sugar and salt.
• Heat milk in a microwave safe bowl for about 30 seconds until milk is 110°.
• Next, add yeast, melted butter, egg, and vanilla to warm milk. Whisk ingredients together until combined.
• Pour wet ingredients into stand mixer and knead on medium for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to ensure all ingredients are mixed.
• Grease a large bowl with oil.
• Remove dough and form a ball. Place dough into prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for about 1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.
• Press down the dough, with clean hands, then transfer to a lightly floured surface.
• Press dough out into a rectangle. about 15 inches long and 8 inches wide.
• Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and spread evenly over the top.
• Start rolling the long side of the dough into a log shape, dip fingers in water and run wet fingers along the edge of the dough, pinching the seam to seal.
• Once sealed, use unscented floss to cut the dough log into 1 inch size buns.
• Place buns on a piece of wax paper and spray the top of the honey buns with a non stick cooking spray and lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top. Let the dough rise for 30 additional minutes leaving a little space between dough slices to allow dough to rise.
• In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.
• Once oil is hot, place each bun, a couple at a time, in oil and fry each side until golden brown.
• Remove honey buns from oil and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
• While buns are cooling off a bit, make the icing.

For The Icing

• In a small bowl, add icing ingredients and mix well until icing becomes smooth.
• Take warm buns and dip the tops into the icing.
• Place iced honey buns on parchment paper and allow icing to harden. Enjoy!

Try These Delicious Homemade Honey Buns Today

Looking For More Delicious Desserts?

• Apple Fritters
• Peach Cream Cheese Danish
• Apple Cinnamon Hand Pies
• and this Caramel Bread Pudding from Great Grub, Delicious Treats

Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.