Healthy Hot Cross Buns

Originally published 2017

Hot Cross Buns, the sweet, spiced bun traditionally eaten on Good Friday couldn’t get a better wrap if it tried! Whilst they are delicious, they should only be eaten as a treat due to the high amounts of sugars and refined carbs. There’s nothing like the aroma of hot cross buns wafting through the house to get your taste buds into gear on Good Friday though! So if you’re looking for a healthier Easter we have created a version that is gluten free, refined sugar free AND dairy free, yep, no yeast has been added and we use almond meal and buckwheat flour for the “dough” like consistency.

Despite the name, Buckwheat is not related to wheat. Many people think that buckwheat is a grain, however it’s actually a fruit seed with great nutritional benefits, making it a perfect substitute for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain glutenous proteins.

Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It’s super high in soluble fibre, high in protein, contains vitamins B1, C, E and contains higher levels of zinc, copper, and manganese than other cereal grains.

So, without further ado, here is our recipe below, it may look like a lot of ingredients but trust me it’s so simple and you will have these babies in the oven in no time!

Bun Ingredients

2 cups almond meal

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)

1 tsp double acting baking powder (I used Bobs Red Mill – gluten free)

1 tsp Allspice

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

¾ cup sultanas

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of ½ lemon

2 eggs

4 tbs rice malt syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup coconut oil

 

Cross Ingredients 

½ cup raw cashews (preferably soaked for 2-3)

½ lemon juiced

1 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs rice malt

1tsp vanilla

1 tbs pure organic golden syrup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 Degrees Celsius
2. Combine the almond meal, buckwheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices in a bowl and mix through until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, rice malt syrup, vanilla and coconut oil. Make sure your coconut oil is melted not hard or it will create lumps throughout your mixture.
4. Mix your wet ingredients through the dry mixture, adding the sultanas and the zest of both the orange and lemon. It should look like a cookie dough mixture and be quite sticky, if you are finding it’s too dry add another tbs of melted coconut oil.
5. Wet and towel dry hands then roll mixture into 8 medium balls, placing down on a lined baking tray then flattening a tiny bit with your hand.
6. Place in the oven for 7 minutes (this is important keep track of time)
7. Whilst your buns are in the oven place all cross ingredients in a small food processor or high speed blender and blend until a smooth consistency. (As you are dealing with a small quantity here I used my coffee grinder and it worked perfectly)
8. Place mixture in a piping bag and set aside.
9. After 7 minutes turn your oven down to 140 degress and cook for a further 20 – 23 minutes. Around the 15 minute mark is when you take your buns out of the oven, pipe them with a cross then continue cooking.

 

*If your buns are starting to become too brown, simply place some baking paper over the top whilst cooking*

These taste delicious sliced in half, toasted under the grill and served with butter, coconut oil and/or honey. Or top with your left over cashew spread as demonstrated in the pictures.

Enjoy!