Bake up a batch of these fluffy, perfectly spiced Vegan Hot Cross Buns to make your Easter celebration complete! They're so good, you'll want to make them year-round!
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Have you ever eaten something for the first time and it's so good you want to buy more, or make more and just have it all the time?
I'm pretty sure the answer to that question is yes. Right? We've all been there. I've been there many times.
Years ago, I bought a package of hot cross buns from the grocery store. Yes, store bought hot cross buns. I KNOW.
Store bakery hot cross buns are not known for being the best tasting things, but these were different. They weren't made at the store, they were brought in from a very high quality outside bakery.
So they had to be better, right? They so were. They were perfect.
The Perfect Hot Cross Buns
They were so fresh and soft and had big flavour bursting through every bite. I think the package came with six buns and we finished them up really quickly.
I went back a few days later and bought another package. Shh, don't judge.
We made our way through those as well but I didn't go back right away to get more. Instead, I waited until it was grocery day. Grocery day came along and as I stepped through the store doors, the first place I headed to was the bakery section.
I went over to the area where the buns were found, but no hot cross buns in sight. Maybe they had moved them?
I searched, but couldn't find them anywhere. I went over to the bakery counter and asked when they would be getting more. The woman I spoke with said they weren't getting any more shipped in, that was it.
Sadness. No more of those heavenly hot cross buns.
I checked back the year after in the weeks leading up to Easter and the year after that and they were never to be found again. I've never had them since.
I did cut out the ingredient list from one of the packages I bought and have held on to it all these years. Since Easter is almost here, those hot cross buns came to mind again.
It was time to dig out that ingredient list I've kept for so many years ago and make my own vegan hot cross buns.
Of course, an ingredient list does not list measurements, so I had to figure those things out for myself.
Those original buns were also not vegan, so that was another thing to figure out.
You will find that my recipe is not for "traditional" hot cross buns. They're not loaded with mixed fruit peel and they do not have the flour paste crosses on top.
These are my take on those buns I enjoyed so many years ago.
Overall, I think my results are pretty amazing. I didn't grow up having hot cross buns at Easter, so it's not a tradition for me but I think after making these buns, I need to make it a tradition! They're that good.
But don't only make vegan hot cross buns at Easter. They can be made year-round to enjoy at breakfast, brunch, or just to have around to enjoy as a snack or with tea, coffee, or a vegan hot chocolate.
These vegan hot cross buns are fluffy, they're bursting with raisins and currants, and they're just so, so good.
They also have that classic hit of citrus flavour from the orange and lemon zest and the cinnamon and nutmeg complete them and make all the flavours balance perfectly.
They're also not too sweet but the icing crosses on top gives them a nice little burst of sweetness. It's totally not needed though, so if you want to leave the crosses off, go ahead!
I have made them with and without the icing crosses and they're perfect either way.
If you leave the crosses off, you can just call them Easter sweet rolls! And when you make them any other time of the year, let's call them sweet rolls!
And hey, if you aren't vegan and you've made it this far down, don't dismiss this recipe!
Just because it doesn't contain eggs, milk, and butter like a traditional hot cross buns recipe would, doesn't mean a thing.
You won't miss those ingredients at all and I'm pretty sure those you share these with won't know the difference!
If you like this vegan hot cross buns recipe, you'll also like these recipes no one would ever guess are vegan, too!
- Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Apple Raisin Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Coconut Raisin Vegan Scones
- Vegan Pumpkin Scones
- Whole Grain Vegan Spelt Rolls
And if you make them, please share a pic with me over on Instagram. I'd love to see your remake! I'm @delightfuladventures over there and my hashtag is #delightfuladventures!
How to Make Vegan Hot Cross Buns
Vegan Hot Cross Buns
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup (120ml) lukewarm water
- ¾ cup (180ml) room temperature/lukewarm unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup (80ml) oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 ½ - 4 cups (438g - 500g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (65g) raisins
- ¼ cup (35g) dried currants (see note below)
Vegan "Egg" Wash
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Icing
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ teaspoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
Instructions:
- In your stand mixer bowl, add the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and lukewarm water. Let stand for a few minutes.
- When the yeast has foamed up, add the room temperature/lukewarm milk, oil, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1 cup of flour. Mix with a spoon to combine.
- Put stand mixer bowl in place, add 2 more cups of flour and using the dough hook, set the mixer to knead.
- If the dough is sticky, add flour ½ cup at a time.
- Let mixer knead dough for about 4 minutes and until it is no longer sticky. In the last minute of mixing, add the raisins and currants to incorporate them.
- Lightly oil the inside of a medium-sized bowl.
- Remove dough from mixer bowl and place into the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment paper. Allow an overhang on each side so they can be easily removed from the pan when done.
- After the hour has passed, punch the dough down and knead for a few seconds to get rid of any air pockets.
- Separate the dough into 12 equal sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and place each one into the parchment lined pan. It's OK if they are close together.
- Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C.)
Make the vegan "egg" wash...
- Mix the unsweetened non-dairy milk and the maple syrup together.
- After the rolls have rested, using a pastry brush, brush the vegan egg wash over each bun.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes in pan.
- Remove buns using parchment paper overhang as handles and place onto a cooling rack. The buns will have joined together while rising/baking. Do not separate them yet.
While cooling, make the icing...
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and unsweetened non-dairy milk to a small bowl. Mix well until it has all combined to form a thick icing. Place into a piping bag with a very small tip or a small ziplock bag. If using a ziplock bag, snip off one of the bottom corners.
- Once the buns have cooled, pipe the icing onto the buns to make the crosses. (3 horizontal lines and 4 vertical lines)
Recipe Notes:
- I use my stand mixer to knead the dough, if you don't have a stand mixer, you can still make this, just knead by hand.
- If you don't have currants, replace them with more raisins or if you don't want to add more raisins, omit the currants.
- Wait until the buns have fully cooled to add the icing crosses on top or the icing will melt.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for a few days. If you know you will not be able to use up all of them within a few days, only put the icing crosses on the ones you know will be eaten quickly. If you add the icing too far in advance and then store, the icing will melt and soak into the buns.
- Buns will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
- TO MAKE FLOUR CROSSES - The crosses on hot cross buns are traditionally made with a flour and water mixture and the buns are also brushed with an apricot glaze after they have baked. If you would rather do this instead of using icing, skip the vegan egg wash and the icing steps. Whisk together ½ cup of flour and 5 tablespoons of water until a paste forms. Add the paste to a piping bag and pipe the crosses onto the buns just before baking. After they have baked and are still warm, mix 1 tablespoon of apricot jam with 2 teaspoons of water and warm for 30 seconds in the microwave. Brush onto each bun and allow to cool before serving.
- TO MAKE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND BAKE IN THE MORNING: Follow all the steps up to #11. When you get there, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. After the 1 hour has passed, continue at step #1 in the “Make the vegan “egg” wash…” section. And to clarify, you’re not going to let them rise for the 30 minutes before you put them in the fridge, you’ll just form them into the rolls, cover, and put them in the fridge.
- If you need your buns to be gluten-free, check out my vegan gluten-free hot cross buns recipe.
- Nutrition info includes icing and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Nutrition Info:
Krista says
Absolutely perfect! I hate peel so love the subtle flavours of the zest. And my son is allergic to dairy so I’ve been looking for a way to figure out how to make hot cross buns. I followed it to a tee - I would not change a thing - my daughter now wants these at Christmas too!!
Gwen Leron says
Very happy that you and your family enjoyed them, Krista! I think making them at Christmas is a great idea! Enjoy!
Deborah Higgs says
Hi
Can I bake the dough as a loaf of bread?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Deborah, I have never baked the dough as a loaf of bread, but it will work. However, since I have not tried it, I cannot give you proper timing. If you decide to give it a try, please come back and let me know how things went!
Elizabeth C says
I made these today with my 4 year old and they were fantastic!! She especially enjoyed adding the icing. Thank you for this wonderful dairy-free recipe.
Gwen Leron says
I'm glad you gave them a try and enjoyed them, Elizabeth! Icing the buns is a great job for a 4-year-old 🙂 Thanks for your note 🙂
Laura says
These were wonderful! The taste was exactly how I remember them and reminded me of easter in my hometown. I accidentally made the icing a little too thin so it ran when I tried to make the crosses. Next time I might use marzipan for the crosses
(it's a family tradition) and increase the number of currants a little.
Thanks for the recipe!
Gwen Leron says
I'm very glad to know you enjoyed them so much, Laura! Marzipan sounds great for the crosses (and I love to add extra raisins and currants myself when I make them, I love them so much 🙂 ) Thanks for taking the time to leave your note and rating, much appreciated.
Terri says
I made these for Easter dinner and they turned out great! This recipe is surprisingly forgiving too. I ran out of all purpose flour and had to sub with some bread flour. I also forgot to add the sugar and kneaded it in with the raisins. I was sure I ruined them, but they came out soft and fluffy. This recipe is a keeper!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Terri! Sounds like you had quite the adventure making these, but I'm glad everything turned out so well in the end! So happy that you like the recipe, thanks so much for your note and rating.
Tanith says
what kind of oil did you use?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Tanith, any neutral flavoured oil will work!
Brit says
Thank you for this recipe! I have never made or even eaten a hot cross buns before but I wanted to have a traditional all dairy free Easter dinner this year.
Instead of by hand or with mixer I used this recipe in my bread machine.
Dissolved yeast, 1tsp sugar, water and oatmilk for 5-10mins in bread pan. Added oil, rest of sugar, 3 1/2 cups flour and salt on the dough cycle. After about 10mins I added the raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, zest and chopped apricots (our ham was Apricot glazed and thought those would pair well). After 1 1/2 hours on dough cycle I did the gentle kneed, 12 3oz rolls and let rise for 30mins. Came out perfect and delicious.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Brit! I'm so glad to know the recipe worked well in the bread machine, this is helpful info. And I'm happy that you liked the recipe, thanks for coming back to leave your note, I appreciate it!
Monisa says
I just attempted this recipe, comparing all the way along to my old Canadian Living recipe, and they are delightful! I was mid migraine and being super careful but I still forgot to add the sugar to the dough. I was wondering why there weren't super sweet and I might even prefer them this way. Will post photos on ig shortly as @hippiespinster.
Gwen Leron says
I'm so glad you liked them, Monisa. Even though you missed adding the sugar, I'm glad that you're still happy with them. And thank you for sending your pictures over on IG, I loved seeing them 🙂
Antonia Sattler says
Would it be fine if I leave out the sugar?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Antonia, you can leave the sugar out, BUT, you really need that 1 teaspoon of sugar to proof the yeast with. Yeast needs sugar in order to grow and won't work properly if you leave it out. Your buns won't rise and be fluffy. If you don't want to use granulated sugar with the yeast, you can use a teaspoon of maple syrup instead. I hope this helps!
Vegan Dude says
Hello, just finished them and they taste awesome! Didn't have a small enough pan so they didn't keep their shape as well as yours but they still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe, will be making these again!
Gwen Leron says
I'm happy to know they still turned out great, despite the pan not being small enough. And you're very welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed them! Thanks very much for circling back to leave your rating and note, I appreciate it!
HungryHuyen says
Loved this recipe! Buns were soft and fluffy and my whole family enjoyed them. Glaze wasn’t as dark as I’d hope so next time I’d try using aquafaba & plant milk instead of the maple syrup. Definitely will make this again!
Gwen Leron says
I'm very happy to hear everyone enjoyed them! Aquafaba should work just fine to get those darker tops. Thanks for taking the time to leave your note and rating, I appreciate it! Happy Easter!
Vegan Dude says
Hey, I'm a bit of a baking noob. Is it very necessary to have a 13x11 pan? Will they cook badly if they aren't pressed up against the side of a pan? Cheers 🙂
Gwen Leron says
Hi! After making these buns countless times, I've found that the ideal pan size is 9 x 13, I've updated the directions to reflect that. You want the buns to have enough space to expand during the rest times but you also want them to sit close enough so they stick together as they bake so the sides of the buns come out soft. A pan that is 9 x 13 is the perfect size for this (11 x 13 will also work, though). That being said, if you don't have a pan in either of those sizes, try to find one that is as close to those dimensions as possible for the best results. I hope this helps, let me know how things go 🙂