How to Make Morning Buns from My New Cookbook!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: My Sticky Maple Walnut Morning Buns are made with flakey, buttery Danish Dough and chock full of toasted nuts and cinnamon sugar. They’re an easy and impressive treat for any 5-star brunch directly from my new cookbook.

Some of my favorite weekends are the ones where we have no plans — the ones where we don’t have to get up, get dressed, or drive anywhere. Don’t get me wrong. I love going out and having fun. I just love these Sticky Maple Walnut Morning Buns more. 

When I know we’re going to have one of those glorious weekends all to ourselves, I love getting to spend that time making one of my recipes that take a bit more time, like my morning buns recipe. It all starts with the perfect dough. For my Sticky Maple Walnut Morning Buns, I use my Danish Dough recipe. You’ll need to refrigerate the dough overnight before you assemble the buns, so it’s not ideal for a hectic weekday, but it’s absolutely perfect for a weekend breakfast! 

These warm, soft morning buns just feel downright homey. The dough is deliciously buttery and, when baked, unbelievably flakey. That texture becomes almost sinful when combined with crunchy toasted walnuts, maple syrup, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon, which caramelize at the bottom of your muffin tin. It’s the perfect fall recipe or holiday breakfast! 

Who Has The Time? Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day! 

Yes, I’m a professional pastry chef. But no, I definitely do not always have as much time as I need to make treats like this recipe. And I suspect a lot of you don’t either! That’s why I’m beyond proud of my second cookbook, Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day.

When I set out to write the follow-up to my first book, Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere, I wanted to write a book that would help bakers at home bake their way through a busy week. 

I didn’t end up with that, though. What I ended up with was a cookbook with a collection of recipes to cook every single day, no matter what time constraints you’re working with! All of the recipes are all-new or fan favorites and highly tested, again and again, by me and our wonderful team here at BBB! (Shoutout to friends, family, and neighbors who didn’t mind tasting throughout that process.) 

What I really love about this book is how it’s organized. I’ve spent hours thumbing through cookbooks to find recipes that work for me at the moment, and to be honest with you, it ate up more time than some of those recipes took to make. Instead of organizing recipes by type (dough after dough, crumble after crumble, cake after cake, etc.), Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day’s 125 recipes are broken into chapters by occasion and the time of day.

For my “Breakfast in Minutes” chapter, you’ll find Raspberry Yogurt Scones and breads you can whip up anytime. My “Weeknight Family Favorites” chapter features a Chocolate Lover’s Cheesecake and simple, yet fancy and fun Smashed Raspberry Pavlova ! The “Short and Sweet Any Day” chapter includes one easy base recipe and a variety of flavors you can whip up including my Fall Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake (along with three other upside-down cakes and recipes for Fruit Fools, Fruit Crisps, Pan-Roasted Fruit, and more).

No matter who you want to serve or how much time you have, there’s a recipe for it — from my 5-Ingredient Dutch Baby Pancake from the “Weekend Brunch Treats” chapter to my Dulce De Leche Lava Cake, which is just one of the impressive desserts you’ll find in “Dinner Party Desserts.”

My Sticky Maple Walnut Morning Buns recipe can be found in my “Leisurely Weekend Recipes” collection. I also have a chapter of “Master Recipes,” which include pie crust, fruit compotes, and my Danish Dough, that can be used for a number of the other recipes in the book! If you grab my book, available wherever books are sold, don’t be afraid to double up on my Danish Dough to make this recipe and my Almond Twist and Buttery Fruit Danishes! 

Can you tell how thrilled I am with my book? Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming… 

What Kind Of Maple Syrup Should I Use In Baking?

For this recipe, I like to use dark maple syrup because I love the maple syrup taste and how it caramelizes with the brown sugar. 

Maple syrup, which used to be categorized through Grades, is now categorized by color (Golden to Very Dark.) This all has to do with how early, or how late, in the season the maple was harvested. Lighter maple syrup was harvested early in the season and has more of a sugar taste than that of maple. The later in the season, the darker the maple syrup will be and the more pronounced the maple flavor. “Very Dark” maple syrup has the strongest maple flavor. Dark and Very Dark maple syrup are great for baking because it maintains that flavor.

How Do I Toast Walnuts?

These morning buns are filled with a maple walnut mixture, which adds a wonderful flavor and texture to the buns. For the best flavor, you want to toast your walnuts. Raw walnuts can taste a bit bitter, but when toasted, they become buttery, rich, and crunchy. 

To toast walnuts, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the walnuts out into a single layer. Bake in a pre-heated 350°F for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so every side gets toasty. 

Tools You Need To Make Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Small saucepan
• 12-cup muffin tin
• My Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Morning Buns With Maple Walnut Filling

• Toast your walnuts! Nuts always taste better after they have been toasted than raw, especially walnuts, which can have a bitter taste. See my note above to learn how to toast your walnuts.
• Use dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light brown sugar, which makes it taste richer. The sugar also melts down and becomes wonderfully caramelized! 
• Use PURE maple syrup in this recipe. Pure maple syrup and pancake syrup are very different! Pancake syrup is made with corn syrup and flavoring; maple syrup is maple tree sap that has been boiled down. You will not achieve the same results if you substitute maple syrup for pancake syrup. 
• These buns are best the day they are made, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature overnight. Rewarm in the microwave for about 20 seconds at a time or in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes.

Try More Delicious Fall Recipes:

• My Top 20 Easy Fall Desserts
• Crunchy Maple Cookies
• Classic Irish Apple Tart
• Homemade Apple Cider Donuts

Try These Recipes!

1-Hour No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Classic Irish Apple Tart

Chef's Guide To Holiday Baking Prep