These delicately spiced Christmas hot cross buns are similar to the Easter ones, expect these are loaded with glacé mixed fruit and cherries in them. A wonderful treat for Christmas!
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🎄Hot Cross Buns for Christmas
These Christmas hot cross buns are a variation of my regular hot cross bun recipe. I left the spices the same, took out the raisins, and added glacé mixed fruit and cherries. I love the specks of red and green in them!
These hot cross buns come together really easily. You make the dough, let it rest until doubled, then form into 12 buns. I use a scale to weigh them out so they are the same size. but there's no need to do this. Let the buns rest until they have doubled in size, add the crosses, and bake!
I add a sweet glaze of milk and sugar to the tops of the buns when they come out of the oven. It adds a shine, and makes them a little sweeter.
For more Christmas recipes, try Dubai chocolate yule log or Christmas fudge.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Milk - I recommend using whole milk. If you want a lighter fat milk, you can use 2%. I don't recommend any lighter milk.
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter can be substituted. Add only ½ teaspoon of salt, not the full 1 teaspoon amount.
- Glacé mixed fruit - I used mixed fruit and red and green cherries. If you don't like glacé fruit, you can substitute with dried cherries and pistachios.
- Yeast - I used dry active yeast. Use whichever type of yeast you are comfortable with.
🔪 Instructions
Buns
In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, sugar and milk. Mix together and then add in butter and eggs.
Add 3 cups of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and spice. Knead together until the dough comes together and just cleans the bowl, adding the remaining flour a bit at a time if needed. Add in glacé mixed fruit and cherries until well mixed in.
Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm environment until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 buns. Place buns on the parchment lined baking trays. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes.
Cross
In a small bowl, mix flour and water together to make a loose paste. Fill the paste into a piping bag and cut a small hole off the bottom. Pipe crosses onto the risen buns before they go into the oven.
Bake buns at 400°F (200°C) for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Glaze
In a small bowl, mix the milk and sugar together. Brush the glaze over the tops of each bun right after they come out of the oven.
✔️Expert Tips
- Salted butter can be substituted for unsalted. Add only ½ teaspoon of salt, not the full 1 teaspoon amount.
- I used glacé mixed fruit and red and green cherries. If you don't like glacé fruit, you can substitute with dried cherries and pistachios. Or add raisins like the classic hot cross buns have in them.
- If you prefer to make the crosses with royal icing, do not pipe the crosses on before baking the buns. Bake them and then once cooled, pipe the crosses on. Let the royal icing dry before brushing the glaze on top.
💭Recipe FAQs
Hot cross buns are mainly served around Easter, but they can be enjoyed at any time in the year. They are perfect to serve at Christmas because they have a cross on top. Fill them with glacé mixed fruit, or keep them classic with raisins.
You can make the dough and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, take it out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, and let it rise until doubled. Carry on with the rest of the recipe.
Hot cross buns can be frozen and re-warmed another day. Have them come to room temperature and reheat.
You could also freeze them after you have shaped them into individual rolls. To thaw, allow them to come to room temperature and double in size. Pipe the crosses on them and then bake.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Christmas Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Buns
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk warm
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3-4½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspooon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup glacé mixed fruit
- ¼ cup red and green glacé cherries quartered
Cross
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons water
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Buns
- In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, sugar and milk. Mix together and then add in butter and eggs.
- Add 3 cups of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and spice. Knead together until the dough comes together and just cleans the bowl, adding the remaining flour a bit at a time if needed.
- Add in glacé mixed fruit and cherries until well mixed in.
- Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm environment until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cover 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 buns. Place buns on the prepared baking trays. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes.
Cross
- In a small bowl, mix flour and water together to make a loose paste. Fill the paste into a piping bag and cut a small hole off the bottom. Pipe crosses onto the risen buns before they go into the oven.
- Bake buns for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix the milk and sugar together.
- Brush the glaze over the tops of each bun right after they come out of the oven.
- Hot cross buns are best the day they are made, but will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- Salted butter can be substituted for unsalted. Add only ½ teaspoon of salt, not the full 1 teaspoon amount.
- I used glacé mixed fruit and red and green cherries. If you don't like glacé fruit, you can substitute with dried cherries and pistachios. Or add raisins like the classic hot cross buns have in them.
- If you prefer to make the crosses with royal icing, do not pipe the crosses on before baking the buns. Bake them and then once cooled, pipe the crosses on. Let the royal icing dry before brushing the glaze on top.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️