Light, airy dough covered in a sticky, sweet syrup is a real treat… But not something you should be eating every day. So, how do you store excess sticky buns for the long term successfully?
Can You Freeze Sticky Buns?
Yes, you can freeze sticky buns for up to 3 months. The best way to do this is to place the buns into an airtight container and then wrap the container in a layer of cling film. Then, place the buns into the centre of the freezer.
Do Do Sticky Buns freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Sticky Buns? Yes
How to Freeze Sticky Buns
Freezing sticky buns isnāt too tricky but following our steps is the best way to ensure success for yourself:
- Portion and Cool: Always allow anything that youāve cooked or baked to cool to room temperature totally before you place it in the freezer. The reason for this is that when food is still warm in a humid environment, bacterial growth can begin, speeding up the rate at which the buns spoil.
- Seal in a Container: Sealing the cooled buns is necessary, of course, but especially so for sticky buns. The reason for this is that the sugary outer layer of the buns can start to dissolve in the moist atmosphere of a freezer, leading to a disappointing final bun when you thaw and eat it.
- Wrap in Cling Film: Wrapping the container in cling film provides an additional barrier against freezer burn in your freezer, even though itās not an essential one. Instead, the barrier itself serves more importantly as a layer of moisture protection – it keeps out freezer moisture very effectively.
- Label and Freeze: Finally, write a clear label on the outside of the package and then carefully pop it into the freezer for up to 3 months.
The other option for freezing sticky buns is to place them onto a lined baking tray with space between each bun and freeze them on the tray. Once they’re solid, you can remove them and pop them into a freezer bag.
3 Tips for Freezing Sticky Buns
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing sticky buns to have the best results:
Keep Moisture at Bay
Moisture in the container that youāre using to freeze your sticky buns is something that will make for a poor final bun. The reason for this is that the moisture will dissolve the sugar in the outer glaze, leading to a disappointing final texture. For that reason, we recommend an airtight container as well as a layer of cling film on the outer edge.Ā
Don’t Pack Them Tight
The buns contain a lot of air, as theyāre typically light, fluffy things. Therefore, if theyāre frozen together, the air can be pressed out of the buns, leading to a poor final bun. Instead, the actual final baked product can be a little deflated. Avoid this by using a container with a bit of excess space.Ā
Try Flash Freezing Them
If you’re worried that you’ll only want one bun but that they’ll freeze stuck together then consider freezing them individually or flash freezing them on a baking tray initially. Ā
How Long Can You Freeze Sticky Buns?
You can freeze sticky buns for up to 3 months. However, we recommend freezing them for as little time as possible.
The reason for this is that buns and other baked goods have tiny air pockets throughout them. When these air pockets are frozen, the pockets themselves will typically condense into water and then freeze into ice, leading to a level of freezer burn directly within the buns themselves. Naturally, this should be avoided.
When kept in an airtight container, sticky buns will last in the fridge for around 1 week before they begin to turn stale.
How Do You Defrost Sticky Buns?
The simplest way to defrost sticky buns is to leave them in the fridge overnight. The reason thatās a great place to store them is that the fridge will allow the ice crystals to melt while also keeping the food and the environment within the buns dry.
This will ensure the buns donāt sit in a small pool of water, which would damage their texture and flavor massively.
Can You Refreeze Sticky Buns?
Yes, you can refreeze sticky buns – the buns themselves contain no meat, raw dairy, or fish, meaning that they can be safely thawed and frozen as many times as needed.
However, the problem is that the buns are typically damaged from their time in a freezer. To ensure that the buns retain their quality as well as possible, we would recommend not repeatedly freezing them wherever possible.
Do Sticky Buns Freeze Well?
Sticky buns freeze very well – the outer layer of sugary, thick syrup means that they can be frozen with great ease. That layer keeps out quite a lot of contaminants, allowing for the buns to freeze and maintain their quality well.
If they’re frozen for months on end then you may find that enriched-dough loses some of its texture but the changes will be pretty negligible.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing sticky buns or buns in general, then these may help:
Yes, it is possible to reheat buns from frozen but you may find they are a little dense as the water inside hasn’t had a chance to escape.
