Recipe Details
Community Pick: Schnecken (Sticky German Cinnamon Buns)
Photograph by Jonathan Melendez
Recipe Basics
| Detail | Info |
|--------|------|
| Total Time | 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Servings | 12 buns |
| Total Ingredients | 19 |
Ingredients
Dough
3 ⅓ cups bread flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ ounce fast-rise instant yeast (or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast)
⅓ cup unsalted butter
½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs
Sticky Bottom Syrup
½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw recommended)
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup chopped walnut or pecan pieces
Pre-Bake Dough Glaze
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
Cinnamon Filling
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup light brown demerara sugar (or ½ cup turbinado sugar, Sugar in the Raw recommended)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions
Prep your bakeware first: Grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin with butter. Line a large roasting or baking sheet (large enough to cover the top of the muffin tin) with parchment paper — this will be used to invert the buns after baking.
Mix the dough base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt butter into the milk, then let the mixture cool slightly before beating in the eggs.
Stir the warm milk-butter mixture into the dry ingredients to form a shaggy dough. Knead by hand for 10 minutes, or 5 minutes with a stand mixer dough hook, until the dough is smooth, satiny, and springs back when gently poked. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, turn the dough to coat all sides, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Make the sticky bottom syrup while the dough rises: Use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in the sugar, then beat in both syrups until fully combined. Divide this mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups, then top each cup with ~1 tablespoon of chopped nuts.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack under the muffin tin to catch any sticky drips during baking.
Punch down the risen dough to release air, knead it once or twice, then roll it out into a large rectangle (approximately 24 x 12 inches), with the long edge facing you. Whisk the egg and milk together for the glaze, then brush the mixture evenly over the entire surface of the rolled dough.
Mix all filling ingredients together in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the glazed dough. Starting from the long edge farthest from you, roll the dough carefully and firmly (not too tight) away from you into a uniform log shape.
Cut the log into 12 even slices, place each slice cut-side up (with the spiral facing up) on top of the nut and syrup mixture in the muffin cups.
Let the buns rise for an additional 20 minutes, then bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown all over. They will come out crispy on some edges and perfectly gooey elsewhere.
Invert the buns: Place the parchment-lined baking sheet on top of the muffin tin, then carefully flip the whole assembly over. Lift off the muffin tin, scrape any stuck nuts or leftover syrup from the tin onto the inverted buns.
Let cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Community Reader Reviews
I’m extremely picky about cinnamon rolls — most are either too bready and dry, or gummy and undercooked like chain store versions. These are perfect: light, fluffy, and full of delicious gooey sweetness. They were a huge hit at my Tuesday morning Bible study, and my car smelled like cinnamon heaven the entire drive home! I used regular active dry yeast, and proofed it for 5 minutes in 115°F milk with 1 tablespoon of sugar after a bad experience with another recipe. After proofing, I added melted butter, eggs, then the remaining sugar, flour, and salt. I mixed everything in my Cuisinart and it only took 2 minutes to get perfect dough with the exact amount of flour called for. I swapped brown sugar for turbinado, and added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the bottom syrup. My only feedback is that the original instructions were a bit confusing and jumpy. I had to re-read multiple times to make sure I didn’t miss a step, and I still missed that the egg glaze goes on the dough before baking (I’m used to glaze being added at the end!). Luckily, skipping it didn’t hurt the flavor at all, and everyone loved them. I also wish I’d put the muffin tin on a larger baking sheet like suggested — goo dripped all over my oven, oops! Instead of inverting the whole pan, I lifted each roll out with a fork, flipped them sticky-side up, and spooned all the extra goo from the muffin cups on top. Next time I’ll make extra syrup to make them even gooier. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
This is such a fantastic recipe — I always get rave reviews every time I make it. I follow it exactly except I bake mine in two 8-inch round cake pans instead of a muffin tin. I’ve been making these for 4 years now, and they turn out perfect every single time. I tested prepping them the night before: I did everything except the final rise before baking, then stuck them in the fridge overnight. I pulled them out an hour to an hour and a half before baking the next morning, and it worked perfectly! We had fresh, warm Schnecken for breakfast, it was wonderful.
These are a total hit with everyone who tries them. I had never baked anything before I made these, so trust me — if I can pull these off, anyone can! I can’t wait for the holidays to have an excuse to make them again.
I’m only commenting on the dough because I use my own filling with raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon sugar. I absolutely love this dough — it’s so easy to work with! I accidentally thought it was too dry at first (I forgot I still had to add the two eggs!) so I added 5 extra tablespoons of milk. Once I added the eggs the dough got too watery, so I ended up adding an extra 2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons of bread flour to get a smooth, elastic dough. The final texture was absolutely perfect! Thank you for sharing this great base recipe.
These were incredibly delicious! I swapped pecans for walnuts and they turned out perfect. I can’t get enough of these.
26 additional reader reviews are available for this community recipe
Popular Home Baker Tweaks
The most common adjustments shared by bakers who love this recipe:
Proof active dry yeast first in warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes before mixing to ensure it activates properly
Swap brown sugar for turbinado sugar if that’s what you have on hand
Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the bottom sticky syrup for extra warm flavor
For extra gooey buns, increase the amount of bottom syrup and bake any extra in a small separate dish to pour over top after inverting
If you don’t want to invert the whole pan, simply lift each roll out with a fork and spoon extra syrup on top after baking
Prep the night before: Complete all steps except the final rise, refrigerate overnight, then let come to room temperature for 1–1.5 hours before baking for fresh warm breakfast buns
About the Recipe Submitter
This recipe was submitted by a community member who lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina on Butler Mountain. She works as a mystery shopper for restaurants and retail locations, and graduated from UNC-Asheville with a BFA in photography. She recently married her partner KC in Costa Rica, and is stepmom to KC’s 6-year-old son Ty; her wedding was attended by many of her recipe community friends, and it was a perfect day she’ll always remember.
Her family includes a large menagerie of pets: 6 Bengal cats, a Jack Russell Terrier named Harley, a ferret named Mason, giant goldfish, a water dragon named Crusoe, and multiple horses: Sassy (an Appaloosa/Arabian), Sweet Pea (a Palomino Quarter Horse), Domino (a black Standardbred), and Pebbles, a rescued Leopard Appaloosa.
She is an active community member and forum host on RecipeZaar, where she has made many close friends. She loves hosting game events in the Contest & Events Forum, and has co-hosted the popular Zaar World Tour cooking event multiple times, growing the event from a small gathering to a massive community favorite. She also hosts the Beverage Forum — with past experience as a bartender and bar owner, she loves experimenting with new cocktails, cooking with spirits, and creating homemade liqueurs.
She prioritizes cooking with organic ingredients and fresh, local produce when possible, and loves experimenting with fusion cuisine and new global flavor profiles. Her favorite foods and cuisines include sushi, spicy dishes, mussels, shrimp, lobster, stone crabs, artichokes, traditional Thai food, Middle Eastern, Moroccan, French, Mexican, Indian, Asian, and Turkish food. She is always chasing that perfect first bite that makes you stop and savor every flavor.
She honors fellow Zaar chefs that have passed away, keeping them in her heart: Stacky5, Redneck Epicurean, Latchy, Cool Monday, Chef I Am, and Mille®.