A healthy take on hot cross buns 🐰

Nothing beats that warm fruity spiced taste and smell around Easter.

I love the the idea of eating hot cross buns and chocolate around Easter but personally just can’t digest the ”normal” type of bun.

I‘ve come up with a recipe based off one I used previous Easter’s and it makes the most delicious little healthy hot cross buns. This batch didn’t see another day they were demolished within a few hours of coming out of the oven!

These hot cross buns are best served warm and on the day - if you have one the following day I highly recommend you heat them up first before eating So they soften.

HOT CROSS BUNS:

Ingredients:

BUNS:

- 2 cups of buckwheat flour or wholemeal spelt flour

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp mixed spice

- 1 tsp of vanilla powder (if you don’t have this just use pure vanilla essence)

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup of dried fruit

- 1/2 cup of almond milk

- 1 tbsp of coconut sugar

- 1/2 tsp of bakers dried yeast

- 1 tbsp of chia seeds + 1/4 cup of warm water

- 4 medjooled dates (pitted)

-3 tbsp of olive oil

CROSSES:

-1/4 cup of wholemeal spelt flour

-water

GLAZE:

- 1/2 tbsp of coconut sugar

- 1/2tbsp of water

How to:

1.Warm the almond milk to luke warm (ensure it’s not boiling), add the yeast, and coconut sugar, stir, cover and place in a warm place for 15 minutes (or until it is bubbly) 

2. In a large mixing bowl sieve the spices, salt and flour. Place to the side.

3. Blend the dates (pitted), water, chia seeds and olive oil together using a NutriBullet or small food processor.

4. Pour the date/chia mix into the bubbly milk-yeast mixture, stir then pour into the mixing bowl with the flours. 

5. Add the dried fruit to the bowl (I used cranberries, currents and sultanas) and combine to form a dough.

6. Cover and place in a warm spot for approximately 45 minutes or until the dough has roughly doubled in size. 

7. Place the dough onto a lightly floured bench and punch out the air, kneed dough and then cut into 8 equal sized pieces. 

8. Kneed/roll into balls and place in on a lined baking tray, cover and place in a warm spot for a further 15 minutes or until they have risen slightly. 

9.Mix the flour and water together in a bowl and pour into a piping bag (or if you don’t have one of those just use a spoon to make a “ + “ on the top of the buns), make crosses along the buns and put in the oven at 180 degrees.

10. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, they should be golden. Meanwhile, mix the coconut sugar and water in a bowl (This is for a glaze if you wish to glaze the buns after they have been cooked)

11. Remove buns from the oven and paste the glaze over the buns instantly. Serve warm cut open with a smear of nut-butter, or just as they are.

Happy Easter !

Renee xx