HEAT oven to 400°F.
SPRINKLE nuts onto bottom of 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan sprayed with cooking spray. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter; mix with syrup until well blended. Drizzle over nuts.
MELT remaining butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish. Separate dough into 20 biscuits; press each to 1/4-inch thickness. Roll cream cheese cubes in cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Place 1 cream cheese cube in centre of each biscuit circle; gather up sides of dough to enclose filling. Press edges of dough together to seal; roll into ball. Dip top of each ball in remaining butter, then in cinnamon sugar.
ARRANGE half the balls, cinnamon sugar-sides up, in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining balls to form second layer. Drizzle with any remaining butter; sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar.
BAKE 30 min. or until golden brown. Cool 1 min. in pan; invert onto platter. Spoon any nuts remaining in pan over buns. Serve warm.