Hot Cross Buns
Categories: All, Breads, Breakfast Treats, Holiday, Recipes
Tags: , Dairy Free, Easter, Gluten-Free Bread, Gluten-Free Easter Bread, Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns, Hot Crossed Buns, Yeast Bread
Hot Cross Buns! One of the foods most associated with the Easter season, but certainly yummy enough to make and eat any time of year!
This recipe is super easy, and can be modified depending on what you have on hand. They only take a few minutes to make, but since they are yeast breads, allow 1 1/2 hours for rising and baking. A great thing to whip up before church, set aside to rise, and bake as soon as you get home for a hot, crossed bun experience the whole family will love!
For more Easter recipe ideas, hop on over to my article on menus and candy!
Hot Cross Buns
Buns:
- 2 eggs, room temperature (or flaxseed meal & water egg substitute)
- 1/3 cup sour cream, dairy or non-dairy (or So Delicious® plain coconut yogurt or coconut Greek style yogurt)
- 1/2 cup milk, or non-dairy milk (So Delicious® Coconut Milk or Almond +Protein Milk)
- 3 Tbs. melted coconut oil, or light olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 6 Tbs. light agave nectar or honey
- 1/2 tsp. orange or lemon extract
- 2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ Flour
- 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves)
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 Tbs. freshly grated orange or lemon zest (or use dried orange or lemon peel)
- 2 1/4 tsp. rapid rise/instant/bread machine yeast -1 packet – (Red Star® Quick Rise Yeast)
- 1 cup baking raisins (or regular raisins, boiled in water, then well drained)
Egg wash:
- 1 large egg + 1 Tbs. water (or dairy or non-dairy milk of choice)
Icing:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 Tbs. milk, dairy or non-dairy (or may use orange juice)
- 1 tsp. freshly grated orange or lemon zest (or use dried orange or lemon peel)
- 1/4 tsp. orange or lemon extract
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix together all wet ingredients: eggs; sour cream; milk; oil; agave; and extract. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl: Jules Gluten Free Flour; flaxseed meal; salt; spices; zest; and yeast. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet until smooth. Fold in the drained raisins.
Scoop batter onto parchment using an ice cream scoop or large spoon. They should form approximately 10 smooth buns. Cut a cross slightly into the top of each bun using a sharp knife, rocking back and forth to slightly separate into four sections.
Set aside to rise in a warm area for 1 hour (on top of a preheating oven, or in an oven preheated to 200F, then turned off, is a good place to rise the buns). Once risen, brush buns with egg wash.
Preheat oven to 375 F (static) or 350F (convection).
Bake buns for 20 minutes. Remove to cool.
Whisk together the icing ingredients, taking care not to add too much liquid or the icing will drip all the way off the buns. Once the buns are fully cooled, slowly spoon icing in a line across each cut of the cross on the top of the buns.
20 Comments
We'd love to hear yours!
Leave a Comment
Here's your chance to speak.
- 5-lb bag of Jules flour
- 1-lb bag of Jules’ Oats
- 1.3-lb bag of Jules’ Cookie Mix
- .8-lb bag of Jules’ Cornbread Mix
- Nearly Normal Cooking e-book
- Cookie Mix e-book
- Bread Baking e-book
- FREE shipping!
New to Jules Gluten Free?
Say Hi to 50% OFF:
Lynda said: on March 30, 2012
Wow!!! This is one bread I really looked forward to every year before being Gluten-Free. I can’t wait to try them. Since I attended your class in Seattle, I know just how good your stuff tastes.
Jules said: on March 30, 2012
Ah, Lynda – that makes me smile! Can’t wait to hear how you like these, too!
Londa Buxton said: on March 30, 2012
Do you think it would work to make these the night before and bake Easter morning? They sound great -like all your recipes
Jules said: on April 1, 2012
Ah, Londa! So sweet! I’m thrilled you’re loving my recipes! With this recipe, you could probably make them the night before if you let them rise, then cover and refrigerate. Bring them back to room temp and them bake them the next day. Let me know if you try it this way, and how it turns out!
carolyn said: on April 1, 2012
are we able to use another all purpose flour because I am not sure if there is anywhere in Canada that I can get your flour?
Jules said: on April 1, 2012
Carolyn, all gluten-free all purpose flours are created differently. Not to sound trite, but it’s true! If you cannot find my blend, you need to try to find or make another (you can find recipes to make your own blends in my books like Free for All Cooking) that has no bean flours, very little (if any) rice flour … so there is no aftertaste or grit, and that has a bit more starches than heavy/whole grain flours. The blend should also already contain xanthan or guar gum, or you’ll have to add your own. The recipe was written for such a blend, so that is the kind of flour blend that will work best with this recipe. I hope that helps! Before I was manufacturing my pre-made blend, I would blend my own flour at home so I would always have some at the ready when I wanted to make a recipe. I would highly recommend making your own using certified gluten-free ingredients, or finding a pre-made blend that is similar to mine and works in most any kind of recipe. It’s quite liberating to have a go-to flour like this, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with each recipe!
denise said: on April 6, 2012
Made these last night….they are delicious! Thank you!
Jules said: on April 6, 2012
Fantastic, Denise!
Ann said: on April 6, 2012
does the yeast not have to be proofed? or at least use warm milk?
Jules said: on April 7, 2012
Ann – there’s no need to proof the yeast here, or in most gluten-free yeast bread recipes, actually. Of course, if a recipe indicates that proofing is necessary, follow those directions. No need to do it here. Having all ingredients at room temperature is always beneficial when making yeast bread recipes, though, so warm milk would be better. Thanks!
Marlys weber said: on April 6, 2012
Do you have any product that is both gluten free and corn free? I am sensitive to both.
Jules said: on April 7, 2012
Hi Marlys – I don’t currently have any products that are corn-free, but everything in my book, Free for All Cooking, can be made corn-free. Hope that helps! Here’s the book link: http://www.amazon.com/Free-All-Cooking-Gluten-Free-Allergy-Friendly/dp/0738213950/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282151967&sr=1-1
Ruthann said: on April 7, 2012
Jules,
Thanks so much for the Hot Cross Bun recipe. My buns turned out very well and were a real treat for 2 others who are Gluten free also.
Jules said: on April 7, 2012
Ho nice of you to make them for other gluten-free friends to enjoy too, Ruthann! So glad they turned out well – hope they made your holiday even better!
Carolyn R. said: on April 30, 2012
I made these and took them for Easter breakfast at my parents. They were a huge hit even with those who aren’t GF. My mother used to make hot cross buns but hadn’t had any in almost 20 years because she can’t have wheat products. She was so thrilled to have them again. We had some leftover so she just heated them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so the next day and said they were almost as good as fresh. Thank you for helping me make a 78 year old woman’s day!
Jules said: on April 30, 2012
Carolyn – what a wonderful story!! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. You just totally made my day!
Laurie Barrie said: on March 24, 2013
I have never heard of “baking raisins” and soaking them to soften them up makes complete sense. I can’t wait to make these! Thank you.
Jules said: on March 25, 2013
So glad the recipe will be useful to you, Laurie! I never liked it when raisins were hard and chewy in a soft recipe like oatmeal cookies or breads, so boiling them was the perfect solution for me. Buying “baking raisins” is even easier!
Kalyru said: on March 28, 2013
I made these and had to add nearly double the flour they were like soup. waiting for them to rise. will see if they are edible.
Jules said: on March 28, 2013
Hi Kalyru – did you make any ingredient substitutions when you made the recipe? I hope it works out for you, but that doesn’t sound like the dough was as it should be. You can send an email any time to Support@JulesGlutenFree.com to let us walk you through a recipe if you’re having any trouble or making other ingredient substitutions.