How irresistible is the smell of fresh hot cross buns!? It’s one of my favourite things to eat at Easter time – I definitely get more excited about them than any egg shaped chocolate 😛
So this year I have been on a mission to re-create one of my favourite Easter treats into a gluten-free / paleo version and I think I’ve cracked it! Yes, these are more like muffins than buns but my goodness, they are SO much tastier than traditional hot cross buns and they’re packed to the brim with spices and fruit.
If dried fruit isn’t your thing, you can just leave it out or you could replace it with chocolate chips!
These smelt absolutely delicious as they were baking. I’m definitely going to be making a few more batches of these… maybe even after Easter (;
Start by preheating your oven to 180 celsius (356 degrees fahrenheit).
Peel and grate the apples. The apples are what gives the buns their sweetness, so no need for any added refined sugar. Combine the apple, mixed dried fruit, orange rind, eggs, salt, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and oil into a bowl.
Make sure to use a mix of dried fruit that includes orange and lemon rind. I also like to add in the grated rind of a fresh orange for that extra special kick of zesty flavour. This ingredient is optional… but I highly recommend including it!
If you have decided to use chocolate instead, add in 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit. You can keep the fresh orange rind (who doesn’t like orange and chocolate as a combination!?) and add a teaspoon of raw cacao powder for double chocolatey goodness.
Once everything is evenly mixed together, sift in the coconut flour and baking powder and mix well.
Lightly grease a jumbo / café / Texas non-stick muffin tray with coconut oil. This recipe makes x6 large hot cross buns but if you like, you can use normal muffin trays to make x12 smaller buns.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin trays and smooth the tops.
For the crosses, sift the gluten-free flour into a small bowl and add the vanilla. Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until a smooth, sticky paste forms. Add more flour or water as needed to get the right consistency. Spoon into a small snap-lock plastic bag and squeeze so that the mixture goes into one corner to form a piping bag. Snip off 1 small corner of the bag. Pipe the flour paste over the top of the buns to form crosses.
Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Check by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the buns. If the skewer comes out clean, they are done.
Remove from the oven and put them somewhere to rest while you make the glaze.
To make the glaze, put the water and coconut sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a rolling simmer for ~2 minutes. Brush the warm glaze over the top of the hot cross buns.
Distract yourself from the delicious smell of the buns and leave them to rest for 30 minutes before removing them from the tins.
Enjoy with butter, ghee, nut butters or fresh fruit. Re-heat the buns by placing them in the oven at 150 degrees for 15 minutes or slice them in half and toast them.
Happy Easter!
Easter Hot Cross Buns - Paleo, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free
Ingredients
Buns
- 350 g grated apple red variety
- 6 free-range eggs
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup 60 g cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 orange optional
- 1 cup dried mixed fruit
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup coconut flour
Crosses
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla essence
- 4 to 5 tablespoons water
Glaze
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or honey
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 celsius (356 degrees fahrenheit).
- Peel and grate the apples. Combine the apple, mixed dried fruit, orange rind, eggs, salt, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and oil into a bowl.
- Sift in the coconut flour and baking powder and mix well.
- Lightly grease a jumbo / café / Texas non-stick muffin tray with coconut oil.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin trays and smooth the tops.
- For the crosses, sift the gluten-free flour into a small bowl and add the vanilla. Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until a smooth, sticky paste forms. Add more flour or water as needed to get the right consistency. Spoon into a small snap-lock plastic bag and squeeze so that the mixture goes into one corner to form a piping bag. Snip off 1 small corner of the bag. Pipe the flour paste over the top of the buns to form crosses.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Check by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the buns. If the skewer comes out clean, they are done.
- Remove from the oven and put them somewhere to rest while you make the glaze.
- To make the glaze, put the water and coconut sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a rolling simmer for ~2 minutes. Brush the warm glaze over the top of the hot cross buns.
- Leave them to rest for 30 minutes before removing them from the tins.
- Enjoy with butter, ghee, nut butters or fresh fruit. Re-heat the buns by placing them in the oven at 150 degrees for 15 minutes or slice them in half and toast them.
Notes
- This recipe makes x6 large hot cross buns but if you like, you can use two normal muffin trays to make x12 smaller buns
- For chocolate buns, replace the dried fruit with 1 cup of chocolate chips
- Keep the fresh orange rind and add a teaspoon of raw cacao powder (with the chocolate chip version) for an orange-choc flavour
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