I’ve tried many hot cross bun recipes over the years, and finally found my favourite thanks to some vegan guests.

A family took all of my B&B rooms for Easter and they all requested a vegan breakfast, so I got to work devising a special vegan only menu for them.

I found this recipe on the BBC good food site, adapted it a bit for my bread machine and added my own twist, which  means hot cross buns warm from the oven at breakfast.

I’ve also included my tip for freezing them uncooked below.

If you’re not cooking for vegan guests, replace the oat milk with normal milk and the spread with butter.

If you don’t have a bread machine you can follow the original recipe here

And I promise, even if you're not vegan, you'll enjoy these. As tested by my husband.

Vegan Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Ingredients

• 65g dairy-free spread
• 50g caster sugar 
• 250ml oat milk 
• 1.5tsp fast action yeast 
• 400g strong white bread flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground mixed spice
• 150g dried mixed fruit

For the crosses and glaze

• 25g strong white flour
• 1½ tsp maple syrup

Hot Cross Bun Recipe Method

Put the yeast into the bread machine, followed by the flour, then the remaining ingredients, apart from the mixed fruit.

In the Panasonic bread machine use setting 17 which is the dough setting which automatically adds the mixed fruit. Put the fruit in the dispenser.

If you don’t have this setting on your bread machine. Then make the dough without the fruit. When it’s ready lay it on a floured surface, flatten out a bit, sprinkle the fruit over it. Fold the dough over and knead for a couple of minutes till the fruit is evenly spread through the dough.

Split the dough into 12 even pieces and then roll into balls. 

Place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment or a silicon sheet. Cover with a damp towel and leave for about 45 minutes till they’re risen. They need to be plump and soft to the touch.

Make the crosses by mixing 25g flour with enough water to get a fairly thick paste. Put this into a freezer bag, squishing in all down to one corner. Cut off the corner of the bag, then pipe the crosses onto the buns.

Then brush with milk and put them in an oven at 200 degrees c or a fan oven at 180 degrees c and bake for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them you don’t want them overcooked.

When they’re ready take them out of the oven and brush with maple syrup.

To prepare the day before to bake in the morning

Once you’ve formed the buns, put them on a baking tray  lined with baking parchment or silicon paper covered in clingfilm or beeswax wrap. Then pop in the fridge and leave overnight.

First thing in the morning get them out of the fridge and leave them somewhere warm till they have risen and are nice and plump and soft to the touch. 

Add the crosses if you’re using, then bake as below.

To freeze the uncooked buns

Once you’ve  formed the buns, put them on a lined  baking tray and put them in the freezer. Once they’re frozen you can take them off the tray and pop them n a freezer bag.

When you’re ready to eat, take as many as you want out of the bag, put on a lined baking tray again. Put them in a warm place covered with a damp tea towel and allow them to defrost and to rise. This normally takes about 1.5 hours for me - I put them by the AGA. Then add the crosses and bake as above.