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Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns – A delicious Easter treat perfect for breakfast or dessert! Sweet rolls filled with currents and topped with an icing cross on top. Hot cross buns are easy and oh so tasty!

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

Happy Easter! It’s crazy that Easter is already here, it really snuck up on this year and this ended up my first holiday recipe.  Never fear though, it’s #EasterSweetsWeek so there are plenty more amazing Easter desserts and sweets coming the next few days! For more information on #EasterSweetsWeek and the giveaway, scroll down past the recipe!

Easy Hot Cross Buns Recipe

So these hot cross buns are absolutely wonderful! They reminded me a bit of cinnamon raisin bagels but were even better! Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter dessert that are to be eaten on Good Friday.  The buns are very flavorful with a rich blend of allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the dough and vanilla icing on top.  I opted to make the cross on top out of icing instead of shortcrust or similar options that are baked right into it so they had a little bit more of a sweet spin.

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Tips on hot cross buns recipe

  • Can’t find currants? You can use raisins instead!
  • These buns do take about 2.5 – 3 hours so make sure to plan accordingly.

Hot Cross Bun

More Easter Recipes

These recipes are perfect to serve for Easter!

Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Yield: 12 buns

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns - A delicious Easter treat perfect for breakfast or dessert! Sweet rolls filled with currents and topped with an icing cross on top. Hot cross buns are easy and oh so tasty!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Hot Cross Buns

  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup milk, warm but not hot
  • 1/3 cup water, warm but not hot
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup currants

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Hot Cross Buns

  1. In a large stand mixing bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add in milk, water, butter, egg, and currants. Using the hook attachment, knead on low for 10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
  2. Remove dough from bowl and onto a floured surface. Knead for 3 minutes before dividing into 12 evenly sized pieces and roll into balls. Place dough balls on a nonstick pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Once dough has finished rising, remove plastic wrap and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes before removing from oven and placing on a cooling rack.

Glaze

  1. While buns are in the oven, combine water and sugar to make the glaze in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Once the buns are out of the oven, spread over the tops of the buns while they are still warm.

Icing

  1. Once the buns have completely cooled, mix together ingredients for icing and place in a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe across the top of each bun before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible

Hot Cross Buns - A delicious Easter treat perfect for breakfast or dessert! Sweet rolls filled with currents and topped with an icing cross on top. Hot cross buns are easy and oh so tasty! Easter Recipe | Hot Cross Buns Recipe | Easter Dessert Recipe #easter #breakfast #dessert #recipe #easyrecipe

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Ashley

Tuesday 27th of March 2018

I love cheesecake and cherry pie!

Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic

Monday 26th of March 2018

I can't help but sing the song Hot Cross Buns whenever I see the actual buns. Thank you 5th grade music class. Your hot cross buns look so pillowy and delicious!

madi

Tuesday 27th of March 2018

Haha me too! I had to play that song way too many times when I started learning the clarinet!

Annette

Monday 26th of March 2018

My favorite Easter dessert is Red Velvet cake. It's also my favorite birthday cake. :)

Angie | Big Bear's Wife

Monday 26th of March 2018

I'm totally making Hot Cross Buns for Easter this year! I've been wanting to make them forever but couldn't decided on a recipe! I think yours in a winner!

Erin Vasicek

Monday 26th of March 2018

I don't think I've ever had hot cross buns with actual currants, it's always been raisins! Yours look perfect.

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