Learn how to make gluten-free hot cross buns, made with spiced yeast dough, plump raisins, and a cross of sweet icing. These traditional buns are the perfect complement to Easter dinner. This recipe creates a small batch of 8 rolls, but it can easily be doubled if needed. Dairy-free options included in the recipe.
While it may be hard to find gluten-free hot cross buns for sale, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on this traditional Easter bread, full of history! You can make them right at home with this easy recipe!
If you've never had a hot cross bun, you're in for a real treat! This recipe starts with the same sweet dough used in these Gluten-Free Hawaiian Rolls, then the recipe gets jazzed up from there. These lightly sweet dinner rolls are spiced to perfection with cinnamon and nutmeg and dotted with plump raisins. Then they are topped with a touch of sweet icing. Think of them as a cross between a dinner roll, cinnamon raisin bread, and a cinnamon roll. Sounds perfect, right?
Ingredients
These rolls consist of mostly pantry items, which means you can whip up a batch anytime, not just at Easter!
- Gluten-free Flour: I highly recommend Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-free Flour or Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour for this recipe.
- Caputo Fioreglut is a special Italian gluten-free flour that I use most notably in my gluten-free pizza dough, you can also read a little bit more about the flour in that post. Please note: Fioreglut does contain gluten-free wheat starch.
- Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour came in a close second in this recipe. The results were great, although slightly more dense than the rolls made with Fioreglut. Please note: Cup4Cup does contain dairy.
- Psyllium husk powder: Adding psyllium husk powder to yeasted bread recipes helps them to rise a bit more and gives the bread a better structure.
- Potato Flour: For this recipe, you'll want potato flour, not potato starch.
- In a pinch, you can grind plain mashed potato flakes into a powder if you have a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix.
- Yeast: The yeast for this bread is rapid rise yeast. It may also be labeled as instant yeast or bread machine yeast. The benefit to this type of yeast is that it is a bit easier to work with. You don't have to dissolve it first. It can be mixed right in with the dry ingredients.
- If you only have regular yeast, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk first before adding it to the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: For sweetness.
- Milk & butter: For dairy-free, substitute your favorite dairy-free baking substitutes such as almond milk and canola oil or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
- Raisins: You can also substitute currants.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg, or apple pie spice if you have that on hand.
Equipment
You don't necessarily need any special equipment to make these rolls but they will be much easier to make if you have a stand mixer.
The dough is mixed for 2 minutes to get it very smooth and well combined, which would be a challenge without a stand mixer. Since the dough is also pretty thick, I do not recommend using a hand mixer.
How to Make Gluten-free Hot Cross Buns
These sweet yeast rolls are shockingly easy to make! Plus the dough only requires one rise, which means these rolls will be done in under 2 hours, from start to finish!
The basic steps are:
- Mix the dough in a stand mixer.
- Divide into 8 portions.
- With greased hands, roll each portion into a ball.
- Let rise in the pan for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake and cool.
- Pipe icing crosses.
Make Ahead Instructions
Whether you're prepping for the holidays or you'd just like to save some time in the morning, you can make these rolls ahead of time. To do this:
- Make the dough and form the rolls.
- Let them rise in the pan for 1 hour.
- Then refrigerate the rolls up to overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator while the oven heats up.
- Bake as instructed.
More Gluten-free Breads
If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out related gluten-free recipes below!
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Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Fioreglut or Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend, highly recommended
- 2 tablespoons potato flour
- ½ tablespoon psyllium husk powder
- ½ tablespoon instant yeast, also known as RapidRise or Bread Machine yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, or substitute 1 ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ cup milk, or non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, oil, or vegan butter
- 1 egg, plus another egg for egg wash.
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup raisins
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk, orange juice, or non-dairy milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, potato flour, psyllium husk powder, yeast, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- In a microwave-safe cup, combine the milk, brown sugar, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute to melt the butter and heat the mixture to about 120°F. Stir to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture.
- Then add in the egg, vanilla, and raisins. Blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should be thick and look smooth.
- Use a ¼ cup cookie scoop to scoop out 8 portions of dough. Or remove the dough to a piece of greased parchment or wax paper and cut the dough into 8 portions.
- With greased hands, roll each portion into a ball and place it in a greased loaf pan.
- Cover the pan and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Bake the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, beat one egg. Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until dark golden brown.
- Let the rolls cool until just warm.
- Mix together the icing ingredients. Place the icing in a small zip-top bag or pastry bag. Cut a small corner from the bag and pipe the icing crosses on the buns.
- Serve warm.
Notes
To Make Ahead:
- Make the dough and form the rolls.
- Rise in the pan for 1 hour.
- Refrigerate the rolls up to overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator while the oven heats up.
- Bake as instructed.
Kathy
These look so good. Thanks also for your description of each ingredient. Very helpful.
Molly
Got some of the Fioreglut flour. Game changer!! I gave up on breads because I couldn’t come anywhere close to the right texture. These hot cross buns were perfection! Cant wait to try some more recipes with it. Katie, please work on a cinnamon roll recipe next.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
So great to hear you loved the recipe, Molly! That flour is amazing! Cinnamon rolls are definitely on my list... maybe I should move them to the top?! 😉