Vegan Hot Cross Buns

Easy, fluffy vegan hot cross buns! This is a tried and true recipe that will surprise you with just how easy it is to make your favourite Easter treat plant-based. The perfect sweet, spiced buns with dried fruits and a touch of zest!

Course Baking, Breakfast

Cuisine British

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Proofing 2

Total Time 3

Servings buns

Calories 292kcal

Author Jess & Dan

Ingredients

For the buns:

4.25 cups plain flour
0.25 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fast-action yeast
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1.5 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cup oat milk – unsweetened
⅓ cup vegan butter
1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest - 1 orange
1 tablespoon unwaxed lemon zest - zested
1 cup sultanas

For the crosses:

0.5 cup plain flour
5 tablespoon water

For the glaze:

2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon boiling water

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Making the dough:

Sieve the flour into the bowl of your stand mixer then add the sugar, yeast, spices and salt. Stir to combine. If mixing by hand, do this into a large mixing bowl.
4.25 cups plain flour, 0.25 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon fast-action yeast, 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1.5 teaspoon nutmeg powder, 1 teaspoon salt
Add the milk, melted butter, fruit and zest.
1.5 cup oat milk, ⅓ cup vegan butter, 1 tablespoon unwaxed lemon zest, 1 cup sultanas, 1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest
Mix on a low speed for 5 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic dough. By hand, mix using a wooden spoon or similar for 5 minutes to achieve the same result.
At this point the dough shouldn't be sticking to the edge of the bowl and shouldn't be overly sticky to handle. If the dough is too sticky, add up to another ¼ cup of flour, a little at a time until it’s not sticking so much.

Proofing and shaping:

Cover with a wet tea towel and leave to rise for 30-90 minutes in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size. The amount of time will depend on how warm it is – we find it takes around 60 minutes in our warm kitchen.
Line a 9 x 13 inch (or close to this size) baking tray or sheet with parchment paper, leaving excess overhanging paper that can be used to lift the buns out later. Ideally, the tray will have sides or a small rim at least.
Remove the tea towel from the mixing bowl and punch the dough to deflate it, then empty onto a flour dusted surface.
Shape the dough into an oblong and cut 12 evenly sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place onto the baking tray in a 4 x 3 grid.
Dampen the tea towel again and place it over the baking tray. Leave in a warm place to rise again for 30-60 minutes. The balls should increase in size by 50-75%.
Preheat the oven to 180°c / gas mark 4.

Making the crosses:

Mix the flour and water to form a paste. It should be runny enough that it can be piped onto the buns using a piping bag or squeeze bottle, but not so runny that it will run off the buns once it’s piped on. If you’re unsure, test it out before piping onto the buns!
0.5 cup plain flour, 5 tablespoon water
Once the second rise has finished, put the flour paste into a piping bag or squeeze bottle and start piping. Pipe the mix slowly to make crosses on each bun. The buns should’ve risen so that they’re touching. That means it should be possible to pipe 4 long lines across the whole row going in one direction, then 3 lines going in the other direction.

Baking & glazing:

Put the buns in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they’re a rich golden brown colour (check the photos of the finished vegan hot cross buns for the colour to look out for).
While the buns are in the oven, mix the sugar and hot water together to make the glaze. Use hot water from the kettle or microwave the water and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved.
2 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoon boiling water
Once the buns have finished in the oven, carefully lift them out of the tray onto a cooling rack using the overhanging parchment paper.
Brush the buns with the glaze and leave to cool slightly before eating. Enjoy warm or toasted, with plenty of plant-based margarine or butter smothered on!

Notes

Make sure the yeast is alive by testing it. Add half a teaspoon of yeast and half a teaspoon of sugar to a bowl, add ¼ cup of very warm tap water and leave for 10 minutes. If bubbles and foam appear on the surface, the yeast is good to go. Otherwise you'll need fresh yeast.
Try a mix of different fruits such as raisins, sultanas and currants, or just a whole cup of one. You could even get creative by using alternative fruits like dried cranberries.
Unsweetened soy milk can be used in place of oat milk. If the milk is sweetened it will upset the balance of the recipe and the buns will end up too sweet.
Test the flour mix for the crosses to ensure it’s not too runny. Pipe some out onto your hand or an upside down bowl – does it run? If so, the mix probably needs more flour as it would also run off the buns that you pipe it onto.
This recipe uses a simple glaze of sugar and water, but you can get creative with other sweet ingredients. Maple syrup, agave or even marmalade all make a delicious glaze when mixed with water.
Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days – do not put in the fridge, otherwise they will dry out much quicker.
They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to defrost, cut in half and toast before spreading with vegan butter and serving.

Nutrition