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top down hot cross buns

Faux Hot Cross Buns

A simple, yet delicious recipe for faux hot cross buns. If you're not ready to delve into the world of yeasted buns, these muffins are a great alternative!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

  • 135 g chocolate chips
  • 2 1/2 cups 375g self-raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2/3 cup 165ml sunflower oil
  • 1 cup 250ml buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g caster sugar plus extra 2 tbs
  • 80 g icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray and line with paper cases.
  • Sift the flour, soda and spices into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs and sugar until combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the mixture among muffin cases, then bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Meanwhile, place the extra 2 tbs sugar in a pan with 2 tbs water and simmer over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Brush the glaze over the muffins.
  • Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add lemon juice and just enough hot water to make a thick, pipable icing. Use a piping bag or drizzle from a spoon to draw a cross on each muffin, then serve.

Notes

The original recipes calls for currants and cranberries, but being the chocaholic that I am, I just used chocolate chips to make a chocolate chip faux hot cross bun! Feel free to subsitute the chocolate chips with the 135g cranberries plus 150g currants from the original recipe.
Pro tip: find out the best way to reheat your hot cross buns here.