Hot Cross Buns Recipe

This soft dough is easily shaped, and makes tender, aromatic buns.

To me, hot cross buns are as synonymous with Easter as scrambling around town to buy Easter Egg dye kits and basket fillers. There's so much legend and lore behind hot cross buns, which date back to the old country.

English folklore said that hot cross buns baked on Good Friday would never spoil throughout the following year. Some bakers believed that holding on to one hot cross bun and hanging it in the kitchen meant that all yeast products in the coming year would rise successfully. Some sailors took hot cross buns on their voyages to ensure their ships wouldn't sink. And friends who gift one another with hot cross buns every year are said to remain friends for life.

I'm not sure if that's due to inherent powers in the buns… or just all the yummy carbohydrate goodness. (The line is kind of blurry.) Either way, hot cross buns are a meaningful Easter tradition. My mom used to make them and now I do, too.

What are hot cross buns made of?

They're puffy, perfect little yeasted buns filled with tangy raisins and heavenly spices, and decorated with a cross of sugary icing. They're one of my favorite traditions!

Are hot cross buns sweet or savory?

On the sweetness scale, think of a bun that's somewhere between a dinner roll and a frosted cinnamon roll. They're sweet, but not too sweet! Sugar, cinnamon (plus cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice), and a handful of raisins are folded into the dough, then the icing piped on top adds another touch of sweetness. They're the perfect Easter weekend treat!

Can you make the dough ahead of time?

You sure can! Get a head start by making the dough (through Step 3) the night before. Just cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you're ready to finish the buns for Easter brunch the next day. Hot cross buns are so easy to make, they just take a little time so making the dough beforehand it a great time-saver.