"The Easiest Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Soft, sweet, and chocolatey, these Easy Chocolate Hot Cross Buns come together quickly with minimal effort. Perfect for Easter or a cozy treat, they’re fluffy, spiced, and irresistibly delicious!
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Ingredients
Dough
- 4 ½ cups plain flour
- 1 ½ cups warm water or milk add 5 tbsp milk powder if using water instead of milk
- 3 tsp dried yeast
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 50 g butter softened and cubed
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Paste for the crosses
- ¼ cup flour
- water enough to form a paste
Sugar syrup
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup boiling water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add water or milk, brown sugar and yeast together and stir to combine.
- Once the yeast has activated, add the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl.
- Mix with a mixer or by hand. If using a mixer, when the dough forms around the dough hook, continue to mix for another minute. If mixing by hand, continue to knead until the dough comes together.
- Cover the dough with a tea towel or glad wrap and allow to double in size. This process should take roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once doubled in size, cut the dough into 10-16 equal pieces. Roll the dough balls into a bun shape and leave to double in size again on a lined baking tray. This process should take roughly 15-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, mix together the flour and water to form a thick paste for the crosses. The consistency should resemble paint.
- Preheat oven to fan-bake 180℃ or bake 200℃.
- Once the buns have doubled in size, pipe the crosses on the buns and bake for 12-15 minutes.
- To make the sugar syrup – combine the sugar and boiling water together. Brush over the buns once they come out of the oven.
Notes
Mixed Spice: is a traditional British combination of Cinnamon, Coriander Seed, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Aniseed. It is in ground form; you could try pumpkin spice if you can't get it.
Servings: 12 buns