Old Fashioned Hot Cross Buns
These old fashioned hot cross buns are soft, pillowy, and warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg - a classic Easter bread filled with candied fruit and raisins. They come together easily from scratch and can be made ahead or frozen, making them the perfect Good Friday or Easter morning tradition.
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Hot cross buns have been an Easter tradition in my house for years, and this old fashioned recipe is the one I come back to every single spring. The dough is soft and enriched with butter and eggs, lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and studded with raisins and candied fruit the way a truly traditional hot cross bun should be
They do take a little time because of the dough rise, but the steps are simple and very forgiving - even if you are newer to yeast baking. I almost always make a double batch and freeze half so I have them ready to pull out on Good Friday and again on Easter morning without any extra effort
What Are Hot Cross Buns?
Hot cross buns are a traditional sweet, spiced yeast bread that has been part of Easter celebrations for centuries. They are soft, enriched rolls filled with dried or candied fruit, marked with a cross piped on top before baking, and finished with a simple glaze straight from the oven. The cross is a Christian symbol representing the crucifixion, and the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday - though in our house they tend to disappear long before Easter Sunday.
Ingredients You'll Need
This recipe has three components: the buns themselves, the paste for the crosses, and the icing. Here is what you will need:
For the buns:
- Warm milk - helps activate the yeast and keeps the dough tender.
- Sugar - just enough to lightly sweeten the dough.
- Unsalted butter - melted, for richness.
- Quick rise yeast - makes the process more forgiving and shortens the rise time.
- Eggs - add structure and a soft, pillowy texture.
- All-purpose flour - measured carefully for the best dough consistency.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg - the warm spices that give hot cross buns their signature flavor.
- Salt
For the crosses (piped across the buns before baking):
- All-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar
- Water
For the icing (brushed over the buns while they are still hot from the oven):
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
How to Make Old Fashioned Hot Cross Buns
Plan ahead - there are three parts to this recipe and the dough needs about 90 minutes to rise. It is not difficult, but give yourself a full afternoon the first time you make them.
Step 1: Make the dough
Whisk together one cup of flour with the sugar, yeast, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together the warm milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add the flour and yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and beat well for about three minutes. Stir in the candied fruit and raisins, then gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Knead and rest
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about seven minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form it into a ball, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Shape and rise
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, roll each one into a smooth ball, and place them in the prepared dish. Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand in a warm, draft-free area until the buns have doubled in size - about 90 minutes.
Step 4: Add the crosses
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix together the flour, powdered sugar, and water for the crosses until smooth. Transfer to a zip-top bag, snip a small corner off, and pipe a line down the length and width of the pan to form crosses over the buns.
Step 5: Bake and ice
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden. While the buns are still hot, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk for the icing and brush it over the tops. Let cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack and serve warm.
Tips for the Best Hot Cross Buns
- Check your yeast. If your dough is not rising, the most common culprit is yeast that is past its prime. Make sure yours is fresh and that your milk is warm but not hot - too hot will kill the yeast.
- The icing is meant to be thick. One teaspoon of milk to a quarter cup of powdered sugar makes a thick glaze, not a thin drizzle. If it seems stiff, give it a good whisk - that is the correct consistency for brushing over hot buns.
- Use a kitchen aid or bread maker for kneading. A dough hook on a stand mixer works beautifully here and cuts down on the manual effort. Knead on medium speed for about five to six minutes.
- Do not skip the icing step. Brushing the icing on while the buns are hot lets it sink in slightly and gives them that classic shiny, sweet finish.
Make Ahead and Storeage
Make ahead: Hot cross buns can be made one to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also prepare the dough the night before, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, and bake them fresh Easter morning.
Storing: Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for three to five days.
Freezing: Hot cross buns freeze beautifully for up to three months. Allow them to cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes before serving.
More Easter Recipes You will Love:
Do I have to use candied fruit and raisins?
No - both can be omitted or substituted. Currants, dried cranberries, or a mix of your favorite dried fruits all work well. You can also use raisins only if candied fruit is hard to find. The traditional old fashioned version uses both, but the recipe is flexible.
Can I make hot cross buns ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake them one to two days ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, prepare the dough the night before, cover tightly, and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before shaping, then let rise again before baking.
Can you freeze hot cross buns?
Absolutely. Cool completely, wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
What does the cross on hot cross buns represent?
The cross piped on top is a Christian symbol representing the crucifixion of Christ. Hot cross buns have traditionally been eaten on Good Friday as part of Easter observances for hundreds of years across many cultures, particularly in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.
Why is my hot cross bun dough not rising?
The most common reason is yeast that is no longer active, or milk that was too hot and killed the yeast before it could work. Make sure your milk is warm to the touch - around 110°F - and that your yeast is within its expiration date. Place the covered dough in a genuinely warm spot, like an oven with just the light on, for the best rise.
Can I make these without a stand mixer?
Yes. The dough can be mixed by hand and kneaded manually on a floured surface for about seven minutes. It is a good workout, but very doable. A stand mixer with a dough hook or a bread machine on the dough setting will both save you time and effort if you have one available.
Old Fashioned Hot Cross Buns with Candied Fruit
Ingredients
For Buns:
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup mixed candied fruit
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon quick rise yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crosses:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ cup water plus 1 tablespoon
Icing:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
For the buns:
- In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup of flour with the sugar, yeast, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl beat together the milk, butter and eggs.
- Add the flour/yeast mixture to the milk mixture and beat well, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the candied fruit and raisins.
- Gradually stir in the remaining flour to make soft dough.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 7 minutes, until dough is smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and place it in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand in a warm, draft free area until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
For the crosses:
- In a small bowl mix together the water, flour and powdered sugar.
- Put this mixture in a Ziploc bag, cut a corner off the bag and pipe a line down the length and width of the pan of buns to form crosses.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Ice the buns while they are hot.
For the icing:
- Mix together the powdered sugar and milk for the icing and brush it over the buns while they are hot from the oven.
Nutrition
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