I am beyond thrilled to share my Chikoo Sticky Buns recipe with you! Above all, this is an ode to my Southern upbringing in North Carolina crossed with my Kerala kid roots. It is a fluffy dough that’s rolled with a sweet, warm blend of spices and chikoo. After it’s baked, it’s then drenched in a jaggery-ginger gooey sauce? Yes, please!
If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw the behind the scenes of me making these Chikoo Sticky Buns. I got a few messages from people telling me what they call chikoo. Apparently it goes by quite a few names. For example, some call it sapota, sapodilla or nispero. Overall, it’s a really sweet fruit that, to me, has a flavor of a pear crossed with a date. I use frozen chikoo slices in this recipe which I usually find at my local Indian grocery store (I’m using the Deep Indian Kitchen brand).
I’ll admit, my Chikoo Sticky Buns recipe is a little intermediate, but it’s so worth trying! My best advice is to approach this with a lot of patience throughout the process and keep a watchful eye throughout each step. In other words, just take it one step at a time. You’ll be fine!
What I love about this recipe is you can mix flavors. For example, if you can’t find chikoo, you could puree dates, apples, or even pumpkin! It’s a very versatile recipe to have in your arsenal. Additionally, it’s something that would look BEAUTIFUL as part of your upcoming Thanksgiving spread.
Love this Chikoo Sticky Buns recipe?
Try my other favorite baked treats like my Snickers Pie with Nut Crust, Gulab Jamun Cheesecake with Saffron Rose Cream, or Pumpkin Brown Sugar Oat Muffins. If you end up making my Chikoo Sticky Buns, tag me @thefamiliarkitchen on instagram. I’d LOVE to see how it turns out for you and answer any questions you might have!
Chikoo (Sapota) Sticky Buns
Ingredients
the dough
- Active Yeast, 1 Tbsp (mixed with 2 tbsp warm water + 1 tsp sugar)
- Eggs, 2 yolks + 1 egg white, room temp
- Milk, 1 cup, warmed
- Brown Sugar, 1/3 cup
- Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup (1 stick), melted
- AP Flour, 3 1/4 cups
- Salt, 1 tsp
the filling
- Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), partially melted
- Chikoo, 2 cups, pureed I'm using the frozen sliced version by Deep Indian Kitchen
- Cinnamon, 1 tsp
- Green Cardamom, 1 tsp, (10-12 pods), ground
- Cloves, 6-8, ground
- Fennel Seeds, 1/2 tsp ground
- Salt, 1/4 tsp
- Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup
- Raw Cashews, 1/2 cup, fine ground
the sticky topping
- Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick)
- Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup
- Jaggery (or Brown Sugar), 1 cup
- Vanilla, 1 tsp
- Ginger Powder, 1 tbsp you can also add about a tsp of freshly minced ginger
Instructions
Make the Dough.
- In a small cup mix the yeast along with the warm water and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes to let it bubble up and become frothy (proofing). In a bowl, whisk the egg, milk, brown sugar, and melted butter. Set aside. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the flour and salt. Slowly pour in the wet ingredients and the proofed yeast. Once everything is loosely combined, change the whisk attachment to the dough hook and knead on medium until your dough comes together (about 10-15 minutes). Transfer the kneaded dough to a large bowl that you have lightly greased with oil. Cover the bowl and let it rest for about an hour. It should increase in size.
Roll, Spread, Roll, Rest.
- While the dough is resting, make the chikoo filling. Start by pureeing the chikoo until it's creamy. Now add in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel, and salt. Mix this together then set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. After an hour of rest time for the dough is up, dust flour onto a clean surface and lightly dust your rolling pin. Punch down the expanded dough and transfer it to your floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about a quarter of an inch thick. Don't roll this too thin or your filling will leak through. First spread the partially melted butter, followed by the chikoo puree, then brown sugar, and finally the ground cashews.Now the fun/kind of messy part - with the wide side of the dough in front of you, rightly roll the dough forward into a roll. Once you have a tight roll, use a sharp knife or unscented dental floss to cut 12 rolls about 1-1 1/2" wide. Place rolls (cut side up) in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Loosely cover and let the rolls rise for about an hour.
Bake and Glaze.
- Preheat oven to 350° then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. While the rolls bake, let's make the sticky topping. In a sauce pot on medium heat add in all of the remaining ingredients. Stir together until the sugar complete dissolves. Add more cream if your syrup is too thick. Once the buns are baked. Remove from oven. Pour the sticky sauce on top and sprinkle crushed cashews on top. Let cool. That's it!
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