Once upon a time, there was a family who hated Nutella.
I know — it sounds like blasphemy.
Why did they hate it?
I’m honestly not sure.
So I made these.
Maybe combining toasted sliced almonds with Nutella seems odd, and yes, Nutella already contains hazelnuts, so convincing a nut-averse family to try it is a stretch. But thin, toasty almonds and a rich Nutella caramel turned out to be the trick.
For years I couldn’t stand Nutella either. Apparently my family and I simply hadn’t experienced it in the right forms: baked into muffins, cookies, brownies and sticky buns; stirred into yogurt; spread on pancakes; or spooned straight from the jar. Once I started using it in recipes, it quickly became one of my favorite indulgences.
Truth.
So I built a base of gooey Nutella caramel, filled the rolls with Nutella, and baked them until golden, chewy, fluffy and hot. The result is irresistible — no one should say no to this.
After all, it’s the season for sweet breakfasts. Calories seem to not count when eaten first thing on holiday mornings, right? Right.
P.S. I’ll be on the treadmill until January, thanks, bye.
Now that I have a child, I want to do all the holiday things. I’ve been planning since October, but I’m trying to slow down and enjoy the season rather than racing through it.
(Yes, the comma overuse is noted.)
One of the easiest ways to savor the holidays is to prepare a festive breakfast ahead of time — or to prep a pan and give it as a gift. Last year I prepped multiple pans of cinnamon rolls before my due date and it was a lifesaver. You can also gift a pan to yourself and your family: stay in pajamas, sip coffee under twinkling lights, and enjoy a slow morning.
Quick confession: my raw dough slicing is not uniform. But that’s okay — imperfect slices still bake into delicious buns. If I can do it, you absolutely can.
I make up for my lack of patience with perfectly crisp, slow-fried bacon.
Have a cozy family pajama breakfast. Last year I made a sweet orange cinnamon pull-apart bread that pairs beautifully with something rich and caramelly like these Nutella sticky buns. Consider serving one citrusy option and one chocolatey option for a balanced holiday spread — and add plenty of lattes, spiked if you like.
Nutella Sticky Buns
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Ingredients
Buns
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened and cut into pieces
Nutella Caramel
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup loosely packed sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 2/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup Nutella
Instructions
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Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until about 105–110°F (just warm). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the milk, and let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until smooth.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. With the paddle (or dough hook), slowly add the milk mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the softened butter pieces one at a time, beating until incorporated. Increase to medium-high and mix for about 5 minutes to knead the dough until silky and smooth. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let double in size for 1–2 hours.
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Just before the dough is ready, make the Nutella caramel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the sugar, cream, honey and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer 3–4 minutes until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, then the Nutella until combined. Pour most of the caramel into a 9×13-inch baking dish, reserving about 1/2 cup. Sprinkle the almonds over the caramel. Optionally, drop a few spoonfuls of extra Nutella on top.
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Roll the dough on a floured surface into roughly an 18×12-inch rectangle. Brush with the melted butter, spread the Nutella leaving a 1-inch border, then sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt mixture over the filling. Tightly roll from the long side into a log and slice into approximately 1-inch rounds. Arrange the rounds on top of the caramel and almonds in the dish, brush with more melted butter, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30–45 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered for 45–50 minutes, covering with foil if they brown too quickly. The caramel should bubble and the buns should be set. Remove from the oven and spread the reserved Nutella caramel over the top. Let sit 15–20 minutes, then carefully invert the pan so the buns flip out and the caramel and almonds sit on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
Crying. So good.