Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns
These homemade sticky orange pistachio buns are a fragrant, less-sugary, nutty twist on classic cinnamon rolls. Made with an enriched yeasted dough, honey, cream cheese and a touch of wholemeal spelt flour for extra depth, they’re irresistibly soft and flavoursome. Just what you need for an indulgent breakfast or teatime treat.
Dive Right In
- Why Make Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns?
- Sticky Orange Pistachio Yeasted Buns
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns
- How To Thicken Cream Cheese
- Other Pistachio Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why Make Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns?
- Fragrant and Flavoursome – With orange zest in the dough, a honeyed cream cheese and pistachio filling and a sticky orange syrup glaze every bite is irresistible.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – You can prepare the dough in advance for easy baking the next day.
- A More Wholesome Treat – Made with a touch of wholemeal spelt flour for extra depth of flavour and nutrition, as well as less sugar for a more balanced sweetness.
- Nutty Crunch – Ground pistachios in the filling and chopped green pistachios on top add delicious texture and richness as well as visual appeal.
- Soft and Pillowy Texture – Yeasted dough creates beautifully soft, fluffy buns with a tender crumb, despite the addition of wholegrain flour.
- A Treat For Anytime Of Day – Ideal for breakfast, brunch and teatime, or as a special treat to share.
- Unique Twist on Classic Sweet Buns – As delicious as traditional cinnamon rolls are, it’s sometimes good to ring the changes. These buns have bright citrus notes as well as nutty ones.
Sticky Orange Pistachio Yeasted Buns
Orange goes brilliantly with pistachios. It adds a little zing, but doesn’t overwhelm that gorgeous, but subtle pistachio flavour. Add a little honey and these sticky orange pistachio yeasted buns take on a middle eastern vibe.
Cream cheese adds richness and although it’s in the filling, it sort of melts into the dough, leaving a lovely green crunchy pistachio swirl behind.
These swirled buns aren’t particularly sweet, but you can add extra sugar if you’re after something more indulgent. I’ve given instructions for this in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
As with many yeasted buns of this type, it’s best to eat them on the day of baking. They’re at their very best still slightly warm from the oven. Whilst still edible, and even enjoyable, on days two and three, they lose their fluffy texture and become more dense. It’s best to warm them up in the oven for ten minutes before eating. 170℃ is about the right temperature.
Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
You need surprisingly few ingredients for something that seems quite complex. Not that it is of course, these sticky orange pistachio buns are quite simple to make.
Dairy
I like the slightly sour element that kefir brings to these buns. They taste a bit like sourdough. You can, of course just use milk, but buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt all make a fine replacement for kefir.
We just happen to have copious amounts of kefir in the house as we make our own.
I’ve used a cream cheese mix as the filling for these buns. It doesn’t really matter which one you use, but the better the quality, the less runny it will be when you stir in the honey. Ricotta cheese and mascarpone are both good, but will give varying amounts of richness.
I used a supermarket own brand of cream cheese and it went runny very quickly. If this happens to you, see the section on how to thicken cream cheese filling.
Flour
As well as strong bread flour, I’ve used wholemeal spelt flour in this recipe. It gives some nuttiness, texture and nutrition. It makes the buns good to eat even after a couple of days, especially if you warm them in the oven first. However, the dough will never be as good as it is on the day you bake them.
Swap the spelt for ordinary wholemeal wheat flour if you don’t have any.
It’s important to use some bread flour as it has a higher percentage of protein than ordinary flour. This helps to develop gluten which makes the dough stretchier and gives a softer, fluffier result to the finished buns.
Green Powder
Green powder is entirely optional, but it does enhance the green colour of the pistachios. It also adds a nutritional boost to the buns. I have a recipe for homemade nettle powder which would be ideal.
Pretty much any edible green powder works here. You’re very unlikely to detect any flavour from it, although I’d steer clear of spirulina, which does have quite a powerful taste. I used barley grass powder, but there are quite a lot of green powders available these days to choose from. Wheat grass, hemp, spinach, broccoli and the list goes on.
Honey
The type of honey you use will make a significant difference to the flavour of your buns. If you’re a honey fan, go for honey that’s big on flavour, otherwise a mild floral honey such as acacia or clover works well.
Set honey is a good one to use as it’s nice and thick, but runny is fine if that’s all you have. You’ll probably need to thicken the filling with cornflour though. See section on how to thicken cream cheese filling.
Orange
Because you’ll be using the orange zest, it’s really worth tracking down organic oranges for this recipe if you can. Although they’re more expensive, they’re unwaxed and aren’t sprayed within an inch of their life.
I’ve also used some orange blossom water in the filling. It fits with the middle eastern flavours of the buns. But it’s entirely optional.
Pistachio Nuts
You need unsalted pistachio nuts for this recipe. They’re easy to find in the baking aisle or fruit and nut section in your local supermarket. You can also purchase them from health food or whole food stores. And if you’re lucky enough to have one, any middle eastern store will stock them. They generally come already shelled.
Yeast
Personally I prefer fresh yeast for bread and bun making, it’s never let me down and always gives an excellent result. Sadly, as more and more independent bakers disappear from the hight street, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find. I’ve had to use dried yeast for a few years now.
The next best thing is active dried yeast, but I’m finding that difficult to source now too. So, if like me all you can get is instant yeast, that’s what you have to use.
How To Make Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns
Although there are a few processes involved in making these sticky orange pistachio buns, hands on time is relatively minimal. This is especially true if you have a stand mixer. It’s mostly a case of waiting for your dough to rise.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Make Dough
Before you start, take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into small cubes. It needs time to soften.
Measure the two flours, yeast, sugar and salt and place in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, if kneading by hand. Rinse and dry the orange then finely grate the zest into the bowl. A microplane (affiliate link) is ideal for this.
Make a well in the centre, then break in the egg and pour in the kefir.
Using the dough hook of your stand mixer or wooden spoon, if mixing by hand, combine the ingredients together to form a sticky dough. It will become less sticky as you knead.
Knead the dough either by hand or with your stand mixer. After a couple of minutes, start adding the butter cubes, one by one. Knead each one in to the dough before adding the next one. Keep kneading until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
Cover the bowl with a plate or, if kneading by hand, the dough ball with a plastic bag. Leave it to rise until nearly doubled in size.
Step 2. Prepare Filling
Whilst the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and honey together with a spoon. Include the green powder and orange blossom water too, if using. Stir until smooth.
The mixture needs to be of a spreadable consistency. If it’s not thick enough, see the tip below on how to thicken it.
Roughly grind the pistachios in a coffee or spice grinder, if you have one. If not a mini food processor should do the trick. Don’t worry if there are lots of larger pieces, they provide a bit of crunch and make the texture of the filling more interesting.
How To Thicken Cream Cheese Filling
Depending on the type of cream cheese and honey you use, the mix could end up on the runny side. You can thicken it with up to thirty grams of cornflour. Add it bit by bit, stirring all the time, until you have a spreadable consistency.
Step 3. Roll Dough
Shape the risen ball of dough into a rectangle with your hands, then on a lightly oiled surface, roll it out into a large flat rectangle. You may need to oil your rolling pin too so that it doesn’t stick.
Spread the filling over the dough with a palate knife or back of a spoon as evenly as possible. Leave a small border around the edge so that the filling doesn’t squidge out.
Sprinkle the ground pistachios over the cream cheese, again as evenly as possible.
From the short end, roll the dough up as tightly as you can. Seal the seam by pinching it together with your fingers.
Top Tip
With bread dough, it’s generally better to oil your surface and rolling pin rather than use flour. Flour dries the dough out, which is then likely to make the finished bake tough. You don’t need much oil, I use about half a teaspoon of sunflower oil for both surface and rolling pin.
Step 4. Slice Roll
With the seam side facing down, mark the roll into nine even pieces with a sharp knife. Then slice them as carefully as you can. Don’t worry too much if they get a bit misshapen, you can reshape them once they’re in the tin.
Line your tin with parchment or greaseproof paper, then lay the slices, cut side down in the tin. Place them in three rows of three, spacing them apart evenly.
Top Tip
The best way to cut the rolls cleanly and so that they don’t go flat, like mine do, is with dental floss. However, I never seem to have any of that when I need it, so I just use a knife. They don’t look as beautiful, but they still taste amazing.
Dental floss is quite useful for this, though I never seem to have any when needed.
Step 5. Prove And Bake
Cover the tin with a plastic bag and let it rise until the buns have nearly doubled in size. They’ll rise further in the oven, so what you see before they go in isn’t as impressive as when they come out.
Once the buns have risen, place the tin in the middle of a preheated oven and bake until the buns are puffed up and golden. Transfer the tin to a wire rack.
Top Tip
If preparing the buns the day before baking, cover the tin with a plastic bag and leave to rise slowly in the fridge overnight.
Step 6. Glaze Buns
Whilst the buns are in the oven, make the glaze. In a small pan dissolve the sugar in the orange juice over a gentle heat. Give it a swirl or stir a couple of times. Once dissolved, bring it to the boil and simmer it for a couple of minutes until syrupy, but not too thick.
Chop the remaining pistachios roughly with a knife.
Brush the warm syrup over the buns as soon as they’re out of the oven. Keep brushing it on until all of the syrup is used. Then sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top.
Leave the buns to cool a little, then tuck in.
Other Pistachio Recipes You Might Like
Apparently pistachio recipes are trending this year. I’m not sure why, but I can see why these green jewel like nuts are so appealing. Luckily, I have quite a few pistachio recipes on Tin and Thyme. Here are some of them:
- Dubai chocolate filo rolls
- chocolate baklawa (baklava)
- honey pistachio shortbread biscuits
- honeyed rose hot chocolate with a crunchy pistachio nut topping
- Nigella’s chocolate pistachio cake
- pistachio & orange blossom cake
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these sticky orange pistachio buns, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for cooking with pistachios?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, tag me @choclette8 so I can see them.
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If you’d like more yeasted bun recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns. PIN IT.
Sticky Orange Pistachio Buns
Ingredients
- 150 g strong white flour
- 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 35 g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast / fast action / easy bake
- ¼ tsp sea or rock salt
- 1 organic orange zested
- 1 medium egg
- 125 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt
- 40 g unsalted butter softened and cut into small pieces
Pistachio Filling
- 125 g full fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp orange flower water (optional)
- 2 tbsp set honey
- 2 tsp green powder of your choice see note 1 (optional)
- 80 g pistachios
Orange Glaze
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 orange juiced
- 20 g pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl (if kneading by hand) or electric stand mixer, weigh in the dry ingredients along with the orange zest.150 g strong white flour, 100 g wholemeal spelt flour, 35 g golden caster sugar, 1 tsp instant yeast / fast action / easy bake, ¼ tsp sea or rock salt, 1 organic orange
- Make a well in the middle and break the egg into it. Then pour in the liquid.1 medium egg, 125 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt
- Mix everything together and knead for ten minutes by hand and about seven in a stand mixer. The dough is quite sticky, but will become easier to handle as you knead.
- After the first couple of minutes, drop the butter into the dough piece by piece as you knead until it’s all thoroughly incorporated.40 g unsalted butter
- Leave the dough to rise in the bowl until nearly doubled in size. It should take an hour or two depending on the temperature. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic bag so the dough doesn’t dry out.
- Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking tin with parchment paper.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and form it into an even rectangle with your hands.
- Roll the dough out to form a rectangle measuring roughly 25 cm (10 inch) x 38 cm (15 inch). Flour your rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Using a palate knife, spread the cream cheese mix (see below) over the dough in as even a layer as you can manage.
- Sprinkle the ground pistachios over the cream cheese mix, again in as even a layer as you can manage.
- Roll the dough up tightly from the shortest side, so that it measures 25 cm (10 inch). Seal the seam by pinching it together with your fingers.
- Cut the roll carefully into nine even slices. If they get a bit squished you can rearrange their shape in the tin.
- Lay the slices cut side down in the lined tin, so you have three rows of three.
- Cover the tin with a plastic bag and leave to rise for an hour or so until the scrolls have nearly doubled in size. They will continue to rise in the oven, so don’t worry if they don’t look as big as you’d expect.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6) for 30 minutes or until the buns are bronzed all over and look done. If the tops look like they're getting too dark, cover with a piece of kitchen foil.
Pistachio Filling
- In a small bowl, stir the honey into the cheese along with the orange flour water, if using and green powder, if using. Stir until mixed and smooth. If mix is runny, see note 2 for how to fix it.125 g full fat cream cheese, 1 tsp orange flower water, 2 tbsp set honey, 2 tsp green powder of your choice
- Roughly grind the pistachios in a spice grinder or mini food processor until you have some that are finely ground and others that are actual pieces.80 g pistachios
Orange Glaze
- Whilst the buns are baking, squeeze the orange juice into a small saucepan and add the sugar. Dissolve the sugar over a gently heat then simmer for a few minutes until you have a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat.1 tbsp golden caster sugar, 1 orange
- As soon as the buns are out of the oven, brush the warm glaze over the tops, making sure you use it all.
- Scatter the chopped pistachios over the top. There should be enough glaze so the pistachios stick to it.20 g pistachios
- Leave the tin on a wire rack until the buns are cool enough to handle. Prepare to get sticky. Tear the buns apart with your hands and tuck in.
Notes
- The green powder is more for colour than flavour, it just helps the pistachio filling to look a bit greener than it might otherwise do. But of course, you also get additional nutrition depending on what you used. I used barley grass powder, but there are quite a lot these days to choose from. Wheat grass, hemp seed, spinach, nettle and the list goes on.
- Depending on the type of cream cheese and honey you use, the mix could end up on the runny side. You can thicken it up with up to 30g of cornflour. Add it bit by bit, stirring all the time, until you have a spreadable consistency.