A sticky bun is a sweet breakfast/brunch roll that originated in Germany in the 1800s. They are very similar to cinnamon rolls. In fact, the dough is prepared with the same techniques and ingredients. The difference is in the topping. While cinnamon rolls are typically iced/frosted, sticky buns are slathered with a gooey topping containing nuts (normally pecans). It's poured into the bottom of the baking dish then topped with the rolls and baked. After baking, the whole pan is inverted so that the rolls are topped with the sticky sugary nut mixture.