See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card. Hot Cross Buns are sweet buns traditionally served around Easter (often on Good Friday), with history that goes back centuries! Although there are plenty of theories about how they came to be and what they symbolize, today we’re just talking about how to make these sweet, spiced, fluffy little pockets of deliciousness! For this recipe, I started with my Mom’s Homemade Buns — because they are so light and fluffy and loved by so many already. I wanted a smaller batch for this recipe — one 9×13″ pan with 12 perfect rolls, since we love to enjoy them fresh out of the oven. I halved the original recipe, added in some spices, raisins and sweetness, and topped them with an incredible maple glaze. If you want to take them totally over the top, slice and serve with some of this Cinnamon Butter — you won’t regret it!
How is the cross made on Hot Cross Buns?
There are two ways to make the cross on Hot Cross Buns: with a flour paste that is piped on before baking, or with frosting. I use the flour paste method because, well, because I want to! If you want to use frosting, you can skip the flour paste and pipe your cross on afterwards. (Spoiler: they are also delicious without the cross 🙂 ). The important thing to remember when using a flour paste is that you don’t want it too thick or thin. It will not be firm like frosting (if it is you will end up with a very dry, hard cross on top once baked), but it shouldn’t be “drizzling” consistency either. You don’t need any fancy equipment to make the cross: a simple plastic sandwich bag with the end snipped off will do the trick just fine!
Ingredients and substitutions:
Flour: you can substitute the all purpose flour for some whole wheat flour, but I don’t recommend using 100% whole wheat flour as they will not be very fluffy. Since these are a sweet bun and are a treat to begin with, I go ahead and use all purpose flour. Sugar: you can substitute the sugar with brown sugar or liquid (clear) honey — just keep in mind that honey is a wet ingredient and may alter the amount of flour required in the recipe. Yeast: I usually bake with quick or instant yeast, because I’m impatient to enjoy my baked goods 😉 You can swap the instant yeast with active dry yeast, but be prepared to wait a little longer for your dough to rise. Milk: Milk adds richness and flavor to our dough, but you can swap with water if you need this recipe to be dairy free. Butter: I use unsalted butter when baking, which accounts for the higher amount of salt added. You can use salted butter and reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon. You can also swap the butter for a firm dairy-free margarine if you need these buns to be dairy-free. Spices: Depending on how “well-spiced” you like your hot cross buns, you can adjust the spices as you desire. These buns as is are mildly spiced, but definitely with lots of flavor! If you would like to add in nutmeg or cloves, I would recommend reducing the cinnamon slightly. Raisins: Dried fruit is a traditional addition to Hot Cross Buns, but what you add is up to you! Feel free to swap these out for dried currants or even chopped, dried apricots or cranberries.
How to make Hot Cross Buns:
Can I make these buns ahead?
Absolutely! One of the great thing about yeast breads is that they are easy to prep ahead so that you can enjoy them fresh out of the oven. Here are a few different ways to make them ahead:
First rise in the fridge:
You can let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out your buns. Simply cover your bowl tightly, place in the refrigerator and refrigerator overnight. I like to allow my dough to come to room temperature before rolling, but this isn’t absolutely necessary. Continue with the rest as listed.
Second rise in the fridge:
If you want to have these buns ready to bake in the morning for an Easter brunch, you can allow the dough to rise the first time, then roll your buns and place in a greased pan. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap (make sure it is airtight! We don’t want them drying out). Refrigerate overnight (they will continue to rise, but it will be slow). In the morning, pull the pan out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature and rise until doubled if they have not already — they should look puffed and fluffy and will likely be touching each other. Continue with baking instructions as listed.
Freezing Hot Cross Buns:
These buns also freeze well! To freeze, follow the recipe and let cool completely on a wire rack — this will take several hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (I like to use a couple of layers) and place in the freezer where they are not squished by other items. Freeze up to 3 months. To serve, allow buns to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then warm in a 300 degree oven until warmed through.
More Easter brunch recipes!
Coconut Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze Loaded Baked Potato Quiche Baked Lemon French Toast French Toast Casserole
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