Vegan Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are a beloved Easter treat, traditionally enjoyed toasted and slathered with butter. But if you’re looking for a plant-based twist on this classic, you’re in the right place!
These vegan hot cross buns are just as soft, spiced, and full of fruity goodness—without any dairy or eggs. Whether you’re baking for a festive gathering or simply craving a cosy homemade treat, this recipe will show you how to create the perfect batch with simple, wholesome ingredients.
Keep reading to discover how to make these delicious buns, complete with that signature cross and a beautifully golden, sticky glaze.
What you need to make vegan hot cross buns
- vegan butter
- plant milk (room temperature)
- caster sugar
- sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
- strong bread flour
- salt
- mixed spice
- sultanas
- mixed peel
- orange
- plain flour
- maple syrup
How to make
Melt the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and add the room temperature milk*, sugar and yeast and stir together to mix. Leave the yeast to do its thing for 10 minutes or until you see bubbles forming.
In a bowl mix the flour, salt and mixed spice.
If using a mixer, add the milk mixture to the mixing bowl with 1 cup of the flour mixture together at a time, mixing on high. Knead for 4 minutes in the mixer, until the dough is beaten and no longer sticky but elastic and smooth.
If not using a mixer, in a large mixing bowl add in the flour. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the milk mixture. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon and then bring it together into a sticky dough with your hands.
Lightly flour a surface and knead the bread on the surface with your hands for 5 minutes. To do this stretch the dough with one hand while you knead with the heel of your other hand, then folding it back on itself. Do this until it forms an elastic dough.
Add the dough into a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm spot for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, add in the sultanas, mixed peel and zest of an orange and knock back by mixing in your mixer for 1 minute. If not using a mixer, do this with your hands by kneading everything together in the bowl until distributed evenly.
Divide the dough into 12, and roll into buns. Pull the dough to the base of each bun so that the seal is on the bottom nice and neatly.
Place in a lined baking tray around 1 inch apart. Cover again and leave to rise for another hour.
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F.
Mix together your cross decoration flour mixture. Be careful not to add too much water as it should be a thick rather than dripping consistency. Add this to a piping bag with a small nozzle* and pipe along each row of buns in both directions to create the cross decoration.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. You may need to turn in between to make sure they’re evenly baked.
Remove from the oven when perfectly golden brown, cool for 5 minutes and then glaze with maple syrup for that glossy shine. Serve toasted with some vegan butter, and maybe some jam!
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can make your own from a triangular piece of parchment paper (Watch this video to see how).
If the milk isn’t room temperature yet, just heat this up with the butter to get it to the right temperature. It needs to be this temperature so that the yeast can activate.
More delicious vegan Easter recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Easter Nests
- Easy Vegan Nut Roast
- Ultimate Roast Potatoes
- Vegan Mushroom Wellington
- Maple Roasted Carrots
Did you make this vegan hot cross buns recipe? Take a photo and hashtag it #MadeleineOlivia. I love seeing your creations on Instagram and Facebook.
And don’t forget to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you enjoyed them!
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Vegan Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 50 g vegan butter
- 300 ml plant milk (room temperature)
- 75 g caster sugar
- 7 g 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
- 500 g strong bread flour (or gluten free equivalent)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 75 g sultanas
- 50 g mixed peel
- Zest of an orange
For the cross
- 50 g plain flour (or gluten free equivalent, plus extra for dusting)
- 4 tbsp water
For the glaze
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and add the room temperature milk*, sugar and yeast and stir together to mix. Leave the yeast to do its thing for 10 minutes or until you see bubbles forming.
- In a bowl mix the flour, salt and mixed spice.
- If using a mixer, add the milk mixture to the mixing bowl with 1 cup of the flour mixture together at a time, mixing on high. Knead for 4 minutes in the mixer, until the dough is beaten and no longer sticky but elastic and smooth.
- If not using a mixer, in a large mixing bowl add in the flour. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the milk mixture. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon and then bring it together into a sticky dough with your hands. Lightly flour a surface and knead the bread on the surface with your hands for 5 minutes. To do this stretch the dough with one hand while you knead with the heel of your other hand, then folding it back on itself. Do this until it forms an elastic dough.
- Add the dough into a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm spot for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.
- When the dough has risen, add in the sultanas, mixed peel and zest of an orange and knock back by mixing in your mixer for 1 minute. If not using a mixer, do this with your hands by kneading everything together in the bowl until distributed evenly.
- Divide the dough into 12, and roll into buns. Pull the dough to the base of each bun so that the seal is on the bottom nice and neatly.
- Place in a lined baking tray around 1 inch apart. Cover again and leave to rise for another hour.
- Preheat your oven to 200C/400F.
- Mix together your cross decoration flour mixture. Be careful not to add too much water as it should be a thick rather than dripping consistency. Add this to a piping bag with a small nozzle* and pipe along each row of buns in both directions to create the cross decoration.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. You may need to turn in between to make sure they’re evenly baked.
- Remove from the oven when perfectly golden brown, cool for 5 minutes and then glaze with maple syrup for that glossy shine. Serve toasted with some vegan butter, and maybe some jam!
Video
Notes
- *If you don’t have a piping bag, you can make your own from a triangular piece of parchment paper (Watch this video to see how).
- *If the milk isn’t room temperature yet, just heat this up with the butter to get it to the right temperature. It needs to be this temperature so that the yeast can activate.
Nutrition
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t forget to rate this recipe!
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5 comments
Lotti
Can I substitute the flour with an other? Like spelled flour? Or is that not going to work?
Verena
Hi,
Do they freeze well?
Ani Ka
Today I baked the Cross Buns by following this recipe and they came out perfectly! They are so delicious!
Tasha
Baked these today and they came out perfect. Thanks for the receipe.
Charley
One of those recipes that I keep coming back to every year because they are just that good. I follow it exactly, except for omitting the mixed peel because I can never find it in the shops. Delicious every time.