Homemade Honey Buns Recipe (Just Like the Corner Store)

Soft, fluffy, and dripping with sweet glaze, these Homemade Honey Buns taste just like the ones from your childhood—fresh from your own kitchen!

These homemade honey buns remind me of my high school days when I used to grab one for a quarter before school. Am I aging myself with that memory? LOL These cinnamon-infused delights, with their golden-brown exteriors and sticky-sweet glaze, are a yummy sweet treat and so good for anytime.

I remember in high school when honey buns used to be 25 cents at the corner store! Those days are long gone but you can still make these popular treats right at home.

If you grew up in a certain era in a certain kind of neighborhood, you know exactly what I’m talking about — that cellophane-wrapped pastry from the bodega or the corner store, usually stacked near the register, absolutely a quarter or maybe 50 cents by the time you were in high school. Soft, slightly greasy, with that white glaze that would be half-melted by the time you got to school. I can still picture grabbing one before first period.

I’ve been making these from scratch for a while now, and the first time I nailed the glaze — that thick, sweet shell that hardens around the outside — I genuinely felt something. This is comfort food in the most specific way. Not “comforting” in a vague sense, but this-exact-thing-from-a-specific-moment-in-your-life comfort.

Fair warning: this is a project. You’re making yeasted dough, proofing it twice, frying in batches, and making a separate glaze. Total time is about two hours and you will need a stand mixer. But the recipe makes 12 and they keep beautifully, and the first one you eat warm straight from the glaze drip rack is going to be a full memory unlock. I promise it’s worth it.

What ingredients do you need for these sweet treats?

For the Honey Bun Dough:

• Warm water
• White granulated sugar
• Active yeast
• All-purpose flour
• Honey
• Butter, melted
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla extract
• Salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

• White granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

• Powdered sugar
• Honey
• Melted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Hot water

How To Make Honey Buns Step by Step Instructions:

In a stand mixer, start by adding the warm water, sugar and yeast. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can activate.

Then pour in the flour, honey, melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Use a hook attachment to mix and knead together for 8 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides as needed throughout the mixing. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Transfer the dough to an oiled mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof at room temperature for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.

A few minutes before the dough is done proofing mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl with a fork.

Once proofed, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a clean, floured surface.

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle about ¼-½ inch thick. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough. Coat all areas by spreading with your hands and press the mixture into the dough.

Tightly roll the dough, lengthwise, into a long log. Place the log diagonally on your clean surface. Use a knife to cut straight vertically along the diagonal log to create 2 inch slices.

Place these cut honey bun rolls on a baking sheet. Cover in plastic wrap and allow to proof for another 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.

The honey buns will have almost doubled in size after proofing. Once the frying oil is hot, place 3-5 buns in at a time, depending on the size of your pan/pot.

Let cook on each side for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides.

Remove from the oil and place on a plate with paper towel to drain excess oil. Fry all the honey buns and set aside to cool. Use a spatula to press down each honey bun and create a flat look, just like the packaged version. The Press: While the honey buns are still warm (within a few minutes of coming out of the oil), use the flat bottom of a spatula or even your palm protected by a paper towel to gently press each one flat. You want them about ½ inch thick — the same flat oval profile as a packaged honey bun. They puff up during frying; this step brings them back to the right shape and also helps the glaze coat them more evenly. Don’t wait until they cool — they won’t compress as easily and may crack.

While those cool, make the glaze.

In a mixing bowl add the powdered sugar, honey, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt all at once. Whisk together until combined. The mixture will still look like slightly clumpy powdered sugar.

Slowly pour in the hot water while whisking the powdered sugar mixture until a thick white glaze is formed. Start slowly because you may not need all the water.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and a cooling rack on top.

Dip each honey bun into the glaze, coating each side. Because this is a thicker glaze be sure to shake off excess frosting before transferring to the cooling rack.

Let the rest of the honey bun glaze drip off and then harden on the pastry for about 20 minutes

Enjoy or store in a tight sealed container!

Can I Bake These Instead of Frying?

Yes, with a texture trade-off. Baked honey buns won’t have the crispy exterior that frying creates — they’ll be softer and more brioche-like throughout, closer to a glazed dinner roll than a classic honey bun. If that’s what you’re going for, it works beautifully.

To bake: after the second proof, place the shaped buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet with space between them. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Press flat while warm (same as the fried version), then glaze the same way. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes before serving.

The baked version is also slightly easier to manage in batches — no oil temperature to monitor, no splatter, and you can do all 12 at once on two sheet pans.

FAQs

These homemade honey buns are a labor of love that will fill your home with the delicious aroma of freshly baked pastries. With their soft, golden-brown exteriors, cinnamon-infused interiors, and sweet glaze, they are sure to become a cherished favorite in your kitchen.

Here are some more fun copycat dessert recipes to try: