VEGAN Hot Cross Buns – a delicious plant-based version of the Good Friday staple – a spiced sweet bread with currants and raisins.
Last year, I told you about my weird food-obsessed family ritual on Good Fridays. I know, we are probably the only ones who have food comas on this hallowed day, but hey, we’ve established that I come from a very weird family. We think ourselves unique, others calls us weird and who’s to tell who’s right?
Normally, around Easter, I’d think of new and improved ways to make an Easter egg – like this coconut and jelly egg that I made last year, or this sweet ricotta and vermicelli egg the year before.
But this year, I decided to try my hand at another Easter favorite – well, a Good Friday one to be precise. The delectable Hot Cross Bun.
We always got our Hot Cross Buns every Good Friday from the same bakery. They make the best ones and it just wasn’t Good Friday without them. We’d pick up a bag on our way to Church, in the Indian summer heat and begin munching on it in the car. This year, I wanted to make some myself, but plant-based instead. Vegan Hot Cross Buns – ah! new beginnings are always so thrilling.
I did make one small change to the traditional recipe though – I never enjoyed the flour paste cross on the buns – they were too hard, and I always picked them off before eating. So I swapped the flour paste cross with a delicious icing instead. Makes the bread softer and doesn’t mess with the softness.
It’s been a while since I baked any bread, come to think of it, this is the first bread that I’m baking in our new home! Aww, that makes these buns extra special!!!!
There is something to be said of bread making. It really is extremely therapeutic. As your hands work the flour, all your worries seem to melt away in the silence that surrounds you.
There are few chores that calms you the way bread does.
The past few weeks have been mayhem and my mind has been in perpetual turmoil. I was in dire need of this emotional respite and for the few hours that I spent kneading, proofing, shaping and baking this bread, all was right with the world.
While the bread proofed, I made myself a cup of tea, rummaged a few cookies from the snack cupboard and found me a quiet corner (my favorite nook in the house) and with a book in hand, stole a few moments of blissful ignorance of all the things that worried me.
My problems didn’t resolve itself by the time the VEGAN Hot Cross Buns came out of the oven, warm and fragrant as they can be, but I found in me a renewed calm and vigor to face my challenges head on.
It’s funny, how sometimes, simply walking away from a problem for a short time helps you see the solution a little bit clearly.
Wishing you all a blessed Good Friday and a very Happy Easter!!
When you make these VEGAN Hot Cross Buns (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!
Ron Unger says
I’m going to try the hot cross buns and/or cinnamon roll recipe tomorrow. The food pictures are so beautiful.
Are all your recipes vegan?
Tina Dawson says
Not all, I’m afraid. I transitioned to a vegan diet last year, so my recipes became increasingly vegan since. All recipes after 2018 are and will be strictly vegan. Thanks!
Antara Roy says
Hey Tina, really nice article but what I really like the most is the food photography. It added a cerry on the top. Thank you.
Tina Dawson says
Thank you so much Antara! <3
Joyce says
I’ve actually been super stressed lately, and although I am not very good at baking, I definitely will take your advice to bake some buns to relieve some of that stress 🙂 bonus is I’ll have these fantastic looking buns to nom on after – which will make me a happy girl 😀
Tina Dawson says
Sending you loads of hugs and love, Joyce! Steal some time for yourself, love!
Sandi says
I love the photography…it makes me want to reach out and grab a bun.
Tina Dawson says
Awww thanks Sandi!
Sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
These look just gorgeous. I love all the spices in the glaze, I can only imagine how amazing they must smell!
Tina Dawson says
My entire house smells DIVINE! Seriously! LOVE it!
Roxana says
These look fantastic. Love your photography too. I make rolls and buns with olive oil and the coconut oil use sounds awesome. Must taste great.
Tina Dawson says
Definitely does – moist and fluffy! Thanks Roxana!