Gluten-Free Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Hot cross buns are a classic Easter treat. This gluten-free recipe makes sweet and tender buns with spices, raisins, and finished with a icing cross. Yeast-based recipe.

If you love hot cross buns, I’ve got some great news: the gluten-free version is wonderful. It makes buns that are soft and tender buns and filled with raisins and spices. While this is a traditional Easter recipe, you might find yourself baking them all year long.

Ingredients.

Here’s a look at the ingredients and what role they play in the recipe. As with any recipe, I suggest measuring all of your ingredients before you start mixing. This is especially important when making gluten-free yeast dough. You don’t want to get halfway into mixing and realize you’re out of an ingredient!

• Yeast. Instant dry yeast works perfectly for these rolls. Be sure to use yeast that’s gluten-free.
• Milk. Helps bring the dough together, adds flavor, and keeps the dough soft. If you’re dairy-free, use a dairy-free milk. Use a milk that’s about 100 degrees F. 
• Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour. The recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour might change the results. 
• Granulated Sugar. Adds a light sweetness. 
• Baking Powder. Works with the yeast to help the dough rise.
• Xanthan Gum. Important ingredient. Xanthan gum gives the dough structure. Without the additional xanthan gum, the rolls won’t rise as high and kneading the dough will be messy.
• Salt. Enhances all the other flavors and helps control yeast growth. Use table salt for this recipe.
• Cinnamon and Cloves. Adds a subtle spice. 
• Eggs. Adds richness and flavor. You’ll use two large eggs in the dough and will need one egg white for the egg-wash that’s brushed onto the rolls right before baking.
• Butter. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before using. You don’t want to pour hot, melted butter into the dough. If you’re dairy-free, use a dairy-free butter spread.
• Raisins. You can use use purple or golden raisins, dried currants, or any dried fruit you enjoy.
• Powdered Sugar. After baking, a powdered sugar cross is piped onto the top of the cooled rolls. 

How to Make Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns. 

The full recipe and directions are included below. But I suggest you read through this–especially if you’ve never worked with a gluten-free yeast dough before.

Step One: Make the Dough.

1. Combine the warm milk and yeast. Let it sit for five minutes. This gives the yeast a chance to dissolve and start working. You’ll notice a few bubbles on top of the milk.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
   
   Baker’s Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer, I suggest you mix this dough with a wooden spoon. It’s too thick for most handheld mixers.
   
   Add the yeast-milk mixture, the melted butter, and eggs.
   
   Mix until the dough comes together. It will be very thick but won’t form a ball in the mixing bowl. Add the raisins. Mix until they’re mixed throughout the dough. If you’re making this dough by hand, you can knead the raisins into the dough on the counter.
3. Dust your counter with gluten-free flour.  Turn the dough out onto your counter. Knead it a few times until it’s smooth. 
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until it looks light and puffy. This takes about an hour in a 70℉ room.

Step Two: Shape the Rolls.

After the dough is puffy, it’s time to shape the rolls. They’ll need another rise after shaping. But we’re getting close to baking!

5. Turn the dough back onto the counter. Knead it once or twice to deflate it. Pat it into a large round.
6. Cut the dough into 12 pieces even pieces. Use a sharp knife for this step.
7. Roll the dough into balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the pan with a piece of greased plastic wrap. Let rise until the rolls are puffy. This takes about 45 minutes. 
8. When the rolls have risen, combine the egg white with milk. Brush this mixture onto the rolls right before baking. It adds a nice shine to the top of the rolls. 
   Baker’s Note: You can cut a cross in each roll with a sharp knife before baking. This gives the rolls a pretty appearance and can help the rolls from splitting as they bake. I didn’t cut a cross into the rolls pictured. So you can see what they look like without being cut.

Step Three: Bake and Ice.

9. Bake the rolls until they’re golden brown. If you don’t cut a cross into the buns, they might crack as they bake. This is normal. It gives them a rustic appearance that I really like. And those cracks are perfect for holding butter or jam.
10. Let the buns cool before adding the icing cross.

11. When the rolls are cool, make the icing. It’s important that the rolls are fully cooled before icing. If they’re warm—even just a little warm—the icing will melt and run off. 

Tips for Making the Best Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns.

1. Adjust the consistency of the dough. If it seems too sticky, add a little more gluten-free flour. If it seems dry–where you see flour at the bottom of the bowl or the dough doesn’t come together–add milk, one tablespoon at a time. 
2. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl. It’s important to transfer the dough from your mixing bowl to a greased bowl. (If you don’t have another bowl, no problem. Just wash out your mixing bowl and grease it.) The dough will stick to a non-greased bowl and won’t rise as high.
3. This dough requires two rises. The first rise enhances the flavor of the finished buns. So you don’t want to skip it. If you’d like, you can mix the dough the night before you plan on baking and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and shape as directed. The second rise might take a little longer since the dough will be cool from the refrigerator. 
4. Don’t rush the rise. If your kitchen is cool, the dough might take a little longer than an hour to rise. Look for the dough to feel light and puffy. 
5. Knead gently. When you knead this dough, use gentle pressure. If you press too hard, it can stick to the counter, instead of forming a ball.
6. Preheat the oven early. Once the buns have almost doubled in size, preheat the oven. Don’t wait for the buns to fully double in size to preheat the oven or the rolls can rise too much and then collapse after baking.

Storing and Freezing.

These last about two days on the counter. Like all gluten-free bread, this largely depends on your location. If you live in a cold, dry area, the hot cross buns will stale faster than if you live somewhere warm and humid.

Store the cooled hot cross buns wrapped on the counter. If you aren’t going to finish them before they’ll stale, freeze them for up to two months.

To freeze, let the buns cool. Place them into a freezer container. If you need to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers. 

Note: This recipe was originally shared in 2019. In 2024, it was updated. The blog posts now includes step-by-step directions and photos. The recipe has been updated to use a gluten-free flour blend and now makes a kneadable dough.