With Easter being less than couple of weeks away I thought it's the perfect timing to share with you my clean eating hot cross buns recipe. It might seem a bit of hard work, but trust me it's worth the effort!
Few side notes before we get making and baking the clean eating hot cross buns recipe. Usually mixed peel or candied fruits are used in traditional hot cross buns, however to keep it clean I've substituted with 2 tablespoons each of raisins, dried cranberries, golden raisins or sultanas and chopped dried apricots. You can use whatever you have in your cupboard though, just stick to the right amount.
In place of mixed spices use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of allspice and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg. For the glaze you could use honey, maple syrup or even jam or marmalade. Just make sure you opt out for a clean one. 
Also I have made in the past highly indulgent and lush hot cross fudge using tahini, coconut oil and some cacao. Really decadent, you have to try it. Full recipe in here
Here's the clean eating hot cross buns recipe
Recipe
Clean eating hot cross buns recipe
Ingredients
- 400g wholemeal flour
- 2 teaspoon instant or quick rise yeast
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice (make sure no sugar or nasties added)
- 200 ml coconut or almond milk
- 2 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1 flax seed egg (you can use normal egg too or chia egg)
- Zest and juice of one orange
- 150g dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, golden raisins/sultana and apricots)
- To make the Cross pattern
- 2 tablespoon wholemeal flour
- 2 tablespoon water
- To Glaze
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk (or almond milk), coconut oil and the zest of an orange in a saucepan and heat it gently on low heat, till the coconut oil melts. Keep aside to cool.
- Once the milk is cool enough to be touched with bare hands, whisk in an egg and the freshly squeezed juice of one orange.
- Add the wholemeal flour, mixed spice, instant yeast and the dried fruit to a large bowl.
- Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and knead for 5 to 6 minutes. Once kneaded, place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Leave to rise for two hours. I kept it in my oven (without heating it of course).
- After two hours, line a baking tray with baking paper. Take out the dough from the oven and remove the plastic wrap. The dough would have doubled in size.
- Press down the dough and knead it again for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Once kneaded, divide it into 16 “almost” equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball in your palms and then place it onto the baking tray. Then using your palm and fingers try to from the ball into a rounded square shape.
- With the blunt side of a knife, make a cross shape on the top of each of the buns. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- While the buns are at their final proofing stage, mix some wholemeal flour with little water to form a thick paste, without any lumps. Place the paste into a piping bag.
- Once the buns have risen, carefully pipe the wholemeal mixture over the cross marks on the buns.
- Bake the buns for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown all over.
- Once baked and golden, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile warm up some honey or maple syrup or even some clean jam in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
- With a pastry brush, brush the warmed honey or jam over the warm buns. This will give the buns a beautiful glazed look.
Serve the warm buns with tea, jam, butter or peanut butter. I personally love having the warm bun with a generous spread of peanut butter.
Kym Hamer
Oooh can't wait to try this Hot Cross buns recipe Hedi - I am allergic to oranges and so have to avoid the store-bought ones with all of their mixed peel.
I have a question though - I have trouble getting dough to rise (quite a cold flat compared with my last one) - any tips for creating the right proving conditions?
Cathy
These look lovely! Would it be possible to use coconut flour or almond flour instead of whole wheat?
Hedi Hearts
Yes to almond flour, but definitively not coconut flour. Coconut flour needs loads more moisture. Hedi x