Hot Cross Bun Muffins

Name: Hot Cross Bun Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 170 g cashew nut butter ((3/4 cup)); 1 orange (zested); 1/2 orange (juiced); 3 eggs; 50 g almond flour ((1/2 cup) (ground almonds)); 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground all spice; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 100 g raisins, currants or sultanas ((1/2 cup)); 2 tbsps honey; 1 tbsp coconut oil; 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda; butter for greasing the muffin tray; 1 egg; 2 tbsps yoghurt; 1 tbsp coconut flour ((maybe more depending on the thickness of the yoghurt and the size of the eggs))

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Easter is nearly here and nothing screams Easter more than Hot Cross Buns. That sweet, cinnamon and fruit flavour reminds me of Easter afternoons in front of the fire and I love a toasted Hot Cross Bun with lashings of melted butter. I knew I needed to make my own version so I got thinking about how I could re-create something similar with no grains, gluten or refined sugar. The idea for these Hot Cross Bun Muffins came from my Cinnamon & Raisin Bread. The ingredients are very similar with a few added tweaks and of course a few extra steps to make the cross on top!

(If it’s just the taste you’re after you can skip the cross on top. It’s purely for aesthetic reasons and to make the recipe a bit more authentic but it doesn’t affect the taste at all).

So how do you make these delicious Hot Cross Bun Muffins? Start by preheating your oven to 180C (350F) and grease your Muffin Tin with butter (you could also use oil if you prefer).

Zest the orange and squeeze the juice from half of it. Normally in a Hot Cross Bun, you would use mixed peel, but that comes loaded with sugar. The fresh orange gives a similar flavour without all the excess sugar! In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the bicarbonate of soda and stir well. I like to use this Cashew Butter as I think the flavour is exceptional and I love how smooth it is.

Set this bun mixture aside while you make the second mixture. (You need to make a different mixture to create the cross on top of the Hot Cross Bun Muffins).

To do this, you mix the Coconut Flour, egg and yoghurt in a bowl. You’re looking for quite a firm, paste-like consistency. If it’s too liquid add more coconut flour until it firms up. Your eggs may be larger than mine or the yoghurt may be runnier so it’s not an exact science. Just keep adding coconut flour until it’s a pipe-able consistency that will hold its shape when piped out. Spoon the mixture into a Piping Bag with a thin nozzle – about 1/4 – 1/2 cm diameter. If you don’t have a piping bag you could spoon it into a zip-loc bag and cut the corner off to create your own piping bag like I did.

Finally, add the bicarbonate of soda to the Muffin mix and stir everything really well to ensure the raisins are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin tin about two-thirds of the way full in each hole. This recipe makes enough for 6 Hot Cross Bun Muffins. Carefully pipe a cross onto the top of each muffin.

Hot Cross Bun Muffins by Emma Eats & Explores - Grainfree, Glutenfree, Refined Sugar-Free, Paleo, SCD, Vegetarian

Bake the muffins for 12-15 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. They should be golden brown.

Eat warm, straight from the oven, cut in half and topped with lashings of melted butter. They’re even yummier if you toast or grill them – just do it carefully as nut butter burns quite easily. They can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or easily frozen. Once thawed, you can cut them in half and toast or reheat them again!

The cinnamon flavour is not too strong and the muffin is not all that sweet so it’s perfect for adding a bit of honey too if you like sweeter things. Delicious for breakfast, dessert or just as a snack with a cup of tea! And if you prefer sweeter things you should check out my Banana & Chocolate Chunk Muffins – great for those with a sweet tooth! I also have a blog post with plenty of refined sugarfree Easter treats so check that out too!