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Honey Buns Recipe (7 Ingredients in Under 60 Minutes)

Are you craving a yummy breakfast treat that can be ready in under an hour? This baked honey buns recipe is just what you’re looking for!

With only seven ingredients, they’re quick and easy. And they’re guaranteed to please a crowd! And with the added bonus of being baked, they’re healthier than their deep-fried counterparts!

Keep reading to learn all about this fantastic honey buns recipe!

A plate of glazed honey buns.  Honey buns recipe.

What Are Honeybuns?

Honey Buns are as American as apple pie! These yummy confections were originally deep-fried.

Originating in 1926 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, restaurant owner Louis Griffin added them to his menu when his mother, Mary Ellen, began making honey buns and other small pies. The buns were such a success he soon moved his family to Greensboro, North Carolina.

In 1929, he established the Griffin Baking Company so she could continue making them to sell to other local restaurants. The business expanded its deep-fried pie distribution, eventually opening the Griffin Pie Company in London in 1953.

In the 1970’s, the honey buns recipe became a favorite of swimmers. The high caloric content, as well as the buns being high in sugar, gave the competitor’s the idea that they’d get an added boost of energy for their races.

These deep-fried pies went on to become a staple in convenience stores and vending machines, and as an on-the-go breakfast food.


Are Honeybuns the Same as Cinnamon Buns?

Despite the fact that both of these treats have cinnamon inside them, a honey buns recipe and a cinnamon buns recipe are not the same. While both of these confections are made with dough filled with cinnamon, the main difference between the two is the toppings.

Closeup of a bottle orange blossom honey.

The honey bun glaze is heavy with a honey flavor. Some recipes also call for honey to be drizzled inside the dough prior to baking or deep-frying, as well. The cinnamon content inside the dough is considerably less than a traditional cinnamon roll.

The cinnamon roll is coated with powdered sugar and cinnamon or with a cinnamon-based glaze. The cinnamon content inside the dough is much higher, giving it a much spicier flavor overall.


Honey Buns Recipe Ingredients

So, what are these seven ingredients that make this delectable honey buns recipe? The good news is, you’ll probably have most of them in your kitchen already!

Ingredients for our honey buns recipe: cinnamon, butter, crescent, vanilla, honey, milk, and powdered sugar.

Begin by sifting through your pantry to find ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and honey. Check your refrigerator to be sure you’ve got milk and butter on hand.

That leaves picking up the refrigerated crescent dough sheet! These are available in most grocery stores in the cold section. Be sure to grab two of them. These delicious baked honey buns will get gobbled up fast, so you’ll need to make plenty!


How to Make Honey Buns

Now it’s time to prepare your honey buns recipe!

You’ll start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, so it has plenty of time to heat up.

On a lightly floured surface (or a pastry mat for easy clean-up), unroll both canisters of crescent dough sheets. Place them side by side and pinch the centers together. Using a rolling pin, roll them out to approximately 12”x18” measurements. This doesn’t need to be exact since you’ll be cutting it up.

Cresent dough rolled.

Next, you’ll sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon over the dough. Using your fingers, brush the cinnamon evenly across the dough.

Cinnamon sprinkled over dough.

Beginning on the long side, roll the dough up into a long log. Rub the loose edge of the dough with water and press the dough together to seal it completely. If it doesn’t stick, use more water. This will keep the individual buns from unraveling as they bake.

Rolling up the honey buns dough.
Honey buns dough log.

You might notice the ends of your dough are uneven. Feel free to cut off the ends so the log is perfectly flat at each end.

Using a knife, slice the log into 1” pieces. As you cut, the dough may flatten a bit. Take the time to reshape each of the buns so they are circular once more.

Using a chef's knife to cut honey buns from the dough log.

Place each bun on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet as you slice them.

Now it’s time to bake your honey buns recipe! Once the baking sheet is filled, slide your baking sheet of honey buns into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Honey buns placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet on an oven rack.
Baked honey buns cooling from the oven.

While they bake, mix together your glaze. In a medium bowl, stir together 6 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk.

Adding melted butter to powdered sugar in a mixing bow..

Add 2 ½ tablespoons of honey. Mix until smooth.

Adding honey to butter, milk, and powdered sugar mixture.
Using a whisk to blend honey buns glaze.

Once the honey buns are finished baking, allow them to cool completely. Evenly spread the glaze on top of each of the baked honey buns. Allow them to sit for another 15 minutes until the glaze has set.

Drizzling spoonfuls of glaze onto honey buns.
Closeup of plated glazed honey buns.

Serve warm!


Variations for Your Baked Honey Buns

Hoping to make a more traditional style honey buns recipe? Try deep-frying them!

The preparation for deep-frying your honey buns is the same as what’s listed above. When it comes time to bake them, gather your supplies for frying them, instead.

To Fry Your Honey Buns

Bring 3 cups of vegetable oil to 320 degrees in a large pot. Working with one or two buns at a time, drop the buns into the pot using a slotted spoon. Fry for 90 seconds to two minutes.

Flip the bun over. Fry an additional 90 seconds to two minutes. Buns are finished when they are an even golden brown all around.

Using the slotted spoon, place the buns on paper towels to allow the excess oil to be soaked up.

Allow the buns to cool 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.


Storing Your Honey Buns

This honey buns recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave the buns for 10 seconds. To store long-term, freeze the baked honey buns in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To store the extra honey glaze, put in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to a week.


Are You Ready to Make Your Own Honey Buns?

Closeup of plated honey bun cut in half.

Are you ready to try making your own honey buns recipe? With just seven ingredients, you can’t go wrong! These simple honey buns that can be ready in under an hour, which makes this the perfect go-to recipe when you’re short on time!

Looking for more yummy treats to make? Visit our Cookie Page for more recipes!

Plated honey buns.

Honey Buns Recipe (7 Ingredients in Under 60 Minutes!)

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cooling & Glaze Set Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

This easy 7-ingredient honey buns recipe is a must-make for weekends (maybe even weekday mornings if you're so inclined)! Using refrigerated crescent dough is the real time-saver here with buns made and baked in just 30 minutes. This delicious shortcut means you'll be enjoying warm cinnamon-spiced buns drizzled with homemade honey powdered sugar glaze just that much quicker!

Ingredients

  • For the Pastry:
  • 2 canisters of refrigerated crescent dough sheets
  • For the Filling:
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • For the Glaze:
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 ½ tablespoons honey
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-5 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the dough sheets, placing them side-by-side. Gently pinch the two sheets together.
  3. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12”x18” rectangle.
  4. Sprinkle cinnamon over the dough and rub into the dough.
  5. Beginning on the long side, roll the dough up into a log.
  6. Rub the loose edge with water and press together to seal the dough. If it doesn’t stick, use more water.
  7. Using a knife, cut the log into 1” slices. If the dough gets misshapen, reshape each piece until it’s circular.
  8. Place each bun on the parchment paper as you slice them.
  9. Once the baking sheet is filled, bake the honey buns for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. While they bake, mix the glaze, adding the melted butter to the powdered sugar, then the milk, and finally the honey.
  11. Whisk until smooth.
  12. Once the buns are done baking, allow them to cool completely.
  13. Spread the glaze on top. Allow them to sit for 15 more minutes until the glaze has set.
  14. Serve warm!
Pinterest image for Honey Buns Recipe.

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