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National Sticky Bun Day

Food · February 21

A day for sticky buns, the soft spiral rolls baked over butter, brown sugar and often pecans, then flipped so the glaze runs down the sides.

National Sticky Bun Day falls on Sunday, February 21, 2027. That is 117 days away.

A sticky bun is a sweet yeast roll, rolled into a spiral with butter, sugar and cinnamon, and baked in a pan lined with a layer of butter and brown sugar. Many bakers scatter pecans or other nuts into that layer too.

The trick happens after baking. The pan gets turned upside down, and what was the bottom becomes a glossy, caramel top that slides down into every curl of the dough. It is a bit like a cinnamon roll that decided frosting was too polite and went for syrup instead.

Eating one is not a tidy business. The outside is chewy and shiny, the inside is soft and bready, and the nuts add crunch. Fingers get involved. Napkins help, and so does a cup of coffee to cut the sweetness.

People mark the day by baking a pan at home, which takes some patience because the dough needs time to rise, or by picking one up from a local bakery. They are best eaten warm, while the glaze is still loose.

If you bake them, flip the pan soon after it comes out of the oven. Wait too long and the caramel sets, leaving half the topping stuck to the pan.

Ways to celebrate

• Bake a pan of sticky buns and flip them while warm.
• Visit a local bakery and ask if they make sticky buns.
• Try a version with walnuts instead of pecans.
• Share a warm bun with a neighbor or coworker.

Dates

All national days on February 21

Also on February 21

• National Boiled Peanuts Day
• National Grain-Free Day

Categories: Food days