HG's Nutty Caramel-Coated Sticky Buns

Imagine sinking your teeth into a sweet, sticky, spiral-shaped bun studded with pecans. Now imagine that the treat you're chewing is guilt-free. QUIT IMAGINING THINGS! That bun is REAL, and the recipe is right here...

Ingredients:
Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Buns
1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet (or HG Alternative!)

Topping
3 tbsp. fat-free or light caramel dip (like the kinds by Marzetti)
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
3 tbsp. chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

To make filling, combine brown sugar with butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, or until butter has mostly melted. Mix in cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Lay dough on a dry surface with the short sides on the left and right and the long sides on the top and bottom. Roll or stretch out dough into a large rectangle of even thickness. Evenly spread filling onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border around all edges.

Tightly roll up dough from the bottom, forming a log. Pinch the long seam to seal. Gently turn so the seam side is down. Cut log widthwise into 8 equally sized buns. Place a bun in each of the 8 sprayed muffin cups, spiral side up. Set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all topping ingredients except pecans. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until butter has mostly melted. Add pecans and mix well. Evenly distribute topping among buns, about 1 tbsp. each.

Bake in the oven until golden brown, 12 - 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly. Gently remove buns from pan while still warm. Enjoy!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! If you can't find the Recipe Creations dough, go for Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent roll dough. (The products are nearly identical.) Then just pinch/seal up the perforations for a seamless sheet.

Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns, Average

It's a funny thing. When the word "sticky" is applied to non-food items (e.g., children's fingers or the floor of a movie theater), it typically implies that something's kinda icky. However, when used to describe the sweet 'n sugary coating on baked goods, it's a completely different story! The problem, sadly, is the typical calorie count of these goodies. Tasty as they may be, pecan sticky buns are generally loaded with sugar and fat. (The stats below represent a reasonably sized bun, but many buns out there are jumbo-sized and pack in TWICE as many calories!) Were you to encounter a standard nut-studded sticky bun, we'd tell you to drop it as quickly as you could (or at least drop it after one bite). Not because we're mean, but because we've got a super-decadent swap (and because we care about you). Behold the salty-sweet caramel goodness of our nut-laden treats! One bite of these buns, and you'll be stuck like glue to this recipe. Mmmmm...