• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Metemgee
  • Meet Althea Brown
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Meet Althea Brown
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Meet Althea Brown
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    "Home" » Baking

    Guyanese Hot Cross Buns {Egg Free, Vegan Recipe}

    Published: Apr 4, 2020 · Modified: Apr 8, 2022 by Althea Brown · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday is one of my favorite parts of a Guyanese Easter. My other favorite Easter Tradition is flying kites on Easter Monday. Guyanese cross buns are spiced buns typically made with currants or raisins. I make mine with blended mixed fruits and it is always a winner.

    Cross buns on a baking sheet with syrup dripping

    A few years ago someone commented on my old Cross Buns recipe saying that it really shouldn't have eggs because Cross Buns are typically eaten on Good Friday, a day when most people eat vegan meals. I thought about it for a while and realized that I could still make my cross buns recipe delicious without eggs. I tried it and was successful and from that point on I started excluding eggs from my cross buns. Then recently I thought, why not just go ahead and make it vegan, and so I did. I promise you that it still has the most amazing texture and taste without any animal product.

    Jump to:
    • Printable Recipe Card

    Differences between this Vegan Hot Cross recipe and my original Cross Buns Recipe:

    • The old recipe includes, eggs, butter or shortening and milk. To make this recipe vegan, I simply left the eggs out, substituted the butter for coconut oil and swapped the milk for water.
    • These cross buns have the same texture and same delicious flavor with fewer ingredients.
    • In my old recipe I also used mixed fruits I had soaking in wine. For this recipe I used raisins and prunes soaked in some pineapple juice and then blended to a smooth paste.
    • Finally, in this Vegan Hot Cross Buns recipe I am using my hands to knead the dough instead of  my stand mixer which makes this recipe accessible to everyone.

    Substitutions for the Vegan Cross Buns:

    • You can swap the coconut oil for other kinds of fat or oil. You can keep it vegan or use dairy butter if you choose
    • Use coconut milk instead of water for a rich coconut flavor
    • Swap the mixed fruits for currants or just raisins. Be sure to soak them first.
    • Instead of simple syrup, brush the top with maple syrup, or fruit jam. Apricot jam or marmalade works really well here.

    The Video Tutorial:

    Printable Recipe Card

    Cross buns on a baking sheet with syrup dripping
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Guyanese Hot Cross Buns {Egg Free, Vegan Recipe}

    A sweet Easter bun top with a sticky simple syrup that is typically enjoyed on Good Friday
    Prep Time1 hr 45 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Caribbean
    Servings: 9 Buns
    Author: Althea Brown

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups of flour plus ½ cup for dusting
    • 1 tablespoon instant or rapid rising yeast
    • ¼ cup coconut oil
    • 1 ¼ cup warm water
    • ¼ cup of brown sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ cup of pineapple or apple juice
    • 8 prunes
    • ¼ cup of raisins washed

    Simple Syrup topping

    • ½ cup of water
    • ¼ cup of granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

    Instructions

    • Combine flour, yeast, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a large mixing bowl and mix together well
    • Next add coconut oil and rub into the dry ingredients with your finger tips
    • Then form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and set aside
    • Next, mix together the brown sugar and 1 ¼ cup of warm water until the sugar dissolves and set aside
    • Then add the raisins, prunes and pineapple juice to a blender and blend until a smooth paste forms
    • Next add the sugar and water mixture, followed by the blended dried fruit paste to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients
    • Mix together well combining the wet and dry ingredients to form a soft dough
    • You may add a bit more flour to the dough if it is sticky
    • Then knead for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes a smooth ball
    • Place the smooth dough ball into a clean and greased mixing bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and set aside in a warm place to allow the dough to rise
    • Let the dough rise for 45 minutes or until it doubles in size then turn onto a floured surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes
    • Then separate a small piece of dough, about the size of a tennis ball and set aside
    • Next divide the remaining dough into 9 equal pieces
    • Knead each of the 9 dough pieces into a tight, round and smooth dough ball or bun
    • For the cross element on top of the bun, using your rolling pin roll the tennis ball size piece of dough you set aside earlier into a flat disk
    • Then cut the disk into 18 strips, 2 strips per bun
    • Next, place the two strips over each bun to make a cross, tucking the ends of the cross under the buns
    • Repeat until all 9 buns have crosses
    • Then place all of the buns on a greased baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel
    • Let rise for 30 minutes before baking
    • While dough is rising, preheat your oven to 350 °F
    • When you are ready to bake (after the dough rested for 30 minutes) place the cross buns uncovered into the oven and bake for 25 minutes

    Making the syrup

    • While the cross buns are baking, make the simple syrup topping by combining ½ cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence in a small saucepan on medium heat
    • Stir until the sugar crystals dissolve, then bring the solution to a boil
    • Continue to boil until the solution reduces to ½ the amount. This should take no more that 5 minutes
    • Remove from the heat and set aside.

    Finishing Touches

    • Remove the cross buns from the oven after 25 minutes and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes
    • Then brush the top of the cross buns with the simple syrup
    • Enjoy your cross buns warm or hot if you like
    « I Finished the Whole30
    Fish Pie {Whole30} »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sunita Umraow says

      April 02, 2021 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this wonderful receipe! They came out perfect! I added 2 extra table spoon raisins (i love raisins 🙂).

      Reply
    2. Sarika says

      April 15, 2022 at 9:42 am

      These were absolutely perfect! I am thrilled that it's eggless. They are so soft and tasty. Yumz!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Hot Cross Buns! - Metemgee says:
      June 8, 2020 at 2:12 am

      […] time 1 hour   A traditional Easter sweet bun typically enjoyed on Good Friday. Try my updated cross buns recipe! Author: Althea Brown Recipe type: Bread Cuisine: Guyanese Serves: 12 […]

      Reply
    2. Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns - Metemgee says:
      April 19, 2021 at 10:58 pm

      […] Free Hot Cross Buns are a dream come true for me. Now I can have my hot cross buns and cheese on Good Friday and not feel sick immediately after eating. If you are Guyanese and […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Althea! I have a real passion for cooking, especially traditional Caribbean recipes with deep roots! I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana and now live in Denver, Colorado with my husband and 3 kids. I am a Whole30 Certified Coach and love sharing wholesome remixes to traditional Guyanese and Caribbean dishes.

    More about me →

    New Recipes

    • Non-alcoholic Guyanese Black Cake
    • Pumpkin Flan
    • Guyanese Cheese Straws
    • Creamy Farine (Cassava) Grits

    Wholesome Faves

    • Boneless Brown Stew Chicken
    • Instant Pot Dhal {Whole30}
    • Gluten Free / Grain Free Roti
    • Guyanese Parsad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Althea
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipes

    Newsletter

    • Sign up to stay connected!

    Contact

    • Get In Touch

    Copyright © 2022 Metemgee, LLC