Vegan Hot Cross Buns
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.
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!
Prep Time:1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:2 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients: Dough
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3/4 cup room temperature/lukewarm unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/3 cup oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried currants (see note below)
Vegan "Egg" Wash
2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
Instructions:
In your stand mixer bowl, add the yeast, 1 tsp 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 1/2 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 an 11" 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.
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 in an airtight container for a few days. If you know you will not be able 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.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Original article: https://delightfuladventures.com/vegan-hot-cross-buns/