This is a traditional hot cross buns recipe that's simple to make using yeast creating soft, warm, spiced buns topped with a cross of icing.
Hot cross buns are traditionally baked in celebration of Easter but can be enjoyed year-round and make a great breakfast or brunch.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Imagine a freshly baked fluffy dinner roll, spiced with cloves, cinnamon, and orange. Currants are dotted throughout adding tangy, sweet and chewy bits.
This recipe incorporates spices in both the roll itself as well as the glaze, creating a dessert-like roll.

The traditional cross on top of the buns is created with a simple sweetened flour paste and not icing. This gives the rolls a bakery quality look.
A sweet glaze is brushed on to add sweetness and sheen to finish these off.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at everything you'll need to make these hot cross buns.
Main Ingredients
- Whole milk. You can substitute with 1 or 2% milk for lighter rolls. The result is that they will be slightly less rich in flavor.
- Active dry yeast. Be sure to check the expiration date to ensure it's not expired so that your yeast activates as it should.
- All-purpose flour. You can use whole wheat flour if you prefer.
- Sugar. Just your standard table sugar.
- Salt. Standard table salt or you can use sea salt.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Ground, for spice. You can substitute these three with allspice if you prefer.
- Unsalted butter. You'll be adding salt so be sure to use unsalted.
- Egg. You'll want to let it get to room temperature before using. A cold egg can cool down the yeast process preventing it from activating.
- Currants. Or you can use dates or raisins.
For the Cross
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Water
For the Glaze
- Water
- Sugar
- Whole cloves
- Cinnamon stick
- Orange peel
The glaze is spiced, however, you can use a simple glaze of just sugar and water if you want to simplify this recipe.
★ How to Make to this Recipe ★
This recipes follows a step-by-step process that's easy to follow. You'll need to allow time for the dough to rise twice but the overall process of making these rolls is quite simple and only takes 15 minutes or prep and 20 minutes of baking.
Here's a look at each of the steps:
- Activate yeast.
- Make the dough.
- Knead the dough.
- First rise.
- Shape buns.
- Second rise.
- Make flour paste for crosses.
- Preheat.
- Pipe crosses.
- Prepare glaze.
- Bake.
- Apply glaze.
- Serve!
Just follow the steps and it should be smooth sailing.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
What is the history of hot cross buns?
Hot cross buns have been around for a long time and are well known for a couple reasons. First, hot cross buns are a traditional treat served for Easter. Some articles will tell you that's because dairy was once forbidden during Lent and so on Easter these sweet rolls were served to mark the end of Lent. There are a number of different theories about why there's a cross on top but most obviously would be the religious symbolism.
Have a child who plays the recorder?
Bless you! I'm sure the song Hot Cross Buns has a familiar ring, quite literally! You likely learned to play the song on your plastic recorder in music class but never really thought much about actual hot cross buns unless you grew up eating them.
When my daughter learned to play the Hot Cross Buns song on her very own recorder, we made these hot cross buns to celebrate. This is a fun project for homeschoolers or something you can do at home to tie into what your kids are learning about in school.
Recipe inspired from the past.
This recipe is inspired by a version I found in a Betty Crocker cookbook from the 70s. I added my own tweaks to simplify the process for modern-day cooking.
Are hot cross buns hard to make?
The buns take awhile to make due to the time you have to allow the dough to rise; however, the steps were pretty simple and even though these do require the use of yeast, it isn't complicated to activate. I was able to successfully make these on the first try, so I'm sure you can, too.
What if you can't find currants?
If you can't easily find currants you can use dates or raisins. You can always order currants from Amazon though should you prefer to keep as close to the original recipe as possible. I do find that taste and texture of currants to be much nicer than raisins or dates.
There are many, many recipes for hot cross buns.
This hot cross buns recipe may have started as an oldie, but it's a goodie. Not all hot cross recipes are the same though. Many recipes use icing to create the cross. This works but I really love how the flour paste looks as it bakes onto the roll creating a really eye-catching look to the cross which is what sets apart these signature rolls.
Tips for moist hot cross buns.
These buns are by nature, somewhat dry. If you prefer a more moist bun, then you should soak the currants (or dates) in warm water for at least 20 minutes in order to re-hydrate them before adding them to the batter.
You can also cut the buns in half and spread with butter to add moisture.
Storing Hot Cross Buns
Buns can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Let cool completely before transferring to a sealed container.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
Creating an Easter menu?
Browse all my easy Easter recipes.
Serve these hot cross buns for brunch.
These are especially popular around Easter but these make a great addition to any brunch. Want even more brunch ideas? Browse all my brunch recipes.
This hot cross buns recipe was featured on South Your Mouth!
Soft Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 4 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 cup currants
For the Cross
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoon water
Glaze
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 2" pieces orange peel
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Instructions
- Activate yeast. Heat milk until warm (around 110ºF), about 1 minute in the microwave. Sprinkle in yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar, stir to combine, allow to sit until foamy and yeast is activated, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in melted butter and egg, set aside.
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.Using an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the milk mixture to flour mixture; mix on medium-low until dough begins to form, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed and continue to knead dough until a smooth, slightly tacky dough is formed, 8-10 minutes.
- Knead the dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the currants, by adding ¼ cup of currants at a time, folding the dough in on itself to incorporate, 2-3 minutes.
- First rise. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Shape buns. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface from bowl. Cut dough in half, then cut each half into 6 equal sized pieces, making 12 equal-sized pieces of dough.*Turn piece of dough in on itself toward the center, making a ball shape of dough. Place ball seam side down, cup hand and using a circular motion, roll dough against the surface until a taut ball of dough is formed.
- Second rise. Evenly space buns in prepared pan, cover, and allow to rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Make flour paste for crosses. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and water, mixing until just combined and no lumps remain, 30-40 seconds.Pour mixture into a piping bag or Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.
- Preheat. 5-10 minutes before buns are ready to bake, preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Pipe crosses. Right before baking, pipe flour mixture evenly across the center of the 4 rows of buns, turn pan 90 degrees, then pipe mixture over the 3 long rows, forming a cross shape on each bun.
- Prepare glaze. In a small saucepan, add water, sugar, orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.
- Bake. Bake buns for 20 minutes, if buns are becoming too dark, tent with foil the final 5 minutes of baking.
- Apply glaze. Remove from oven and immediately brush a light coating of the orange glaze over the buns. Remove rolls from pan, and move to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve. warm or cool completely then store in an airtight container.
Notes
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