08/04/2025
With Easter just around the corner here is a great healthier alternative to Hot Cross Buns you may like to try!
HEALTHY HOT CROSS BUFFINS (Recipe by Well Nourished)
Ingredients
200 g wholemeal spelt flour (1½ cups) or if you'd prefer, white spelt will give a more commercial result
125 ml milk (½ cup)
85 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (¼ cup)
60 g butter, ghee or macadamia oil (¼ cup) melted
1 free-range or organic egg/s
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice -or allspice
½ tsp vanilla -powder, extract or essence
80 g currants (½ cup) or sultanas or raisins (or a mixture) preferably preservative and vegetable oil free
For the glaze (optional)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup
1 tsp water
Apple crosses
1 apple/s -julienne (personally, I’m too lazy for crosses as they don’t improve the flavour at all). My recipe testers mum suggested cutting strips of apple for the crosses which I absolutely love and it tastes better too. Your call!
Method
Preheat your oven to 160℃/320℉ (fan-forced).
Place your flour in a big bowl and make a well in the middle.
In a blender, food processor or by hand, beat your milk, sweetener, butter, egg, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, acid, cinnamon, mixed spice and vanilla for about a minute until well combined and a little frothy (Thermomix melt your butter, 1 minute, temp 80, speed 4, then add the milk, sweetener, egg, rising agents, spices and mix 1 min, speed 5).
Gently mix in your dried fruit (Thermomix reverse blade, 10 seconds, speed 2).
Add this to the flour and fold through gently until just combined. Don’t over mix it.
For the crosses, mix 2 tablespoons of flour with enough water to form a dough. Roll it into little sausages to lay over the buns in a cross. This is a great job for the kids.
Alternatively, julienne apple to make quick, easy, delicious crosses.
Spoon into the muffin cases and place your cross.
For the glaze, mix all ingredients together.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through (firm to touch in the middle). Brush over the glaze whilst hot.
Enjoy hot out of the oven or to reheat, toasted in a sandwich press
(Recipe by Well Nourished)