Back in May 2010 I made wholewheat hot cross buns and I got a pretty good reception on them.
It’s not exactly the right time of year for Hot Cross Buns but I gave them another go, but then breads and sultanas never really go out of season!
So how can I claim these are healthier than my wholewheat 2010 buns? Well this time I substituted coconut oil for butter, low fat coconut milk for milk and Light At Heart sugar for, uhm, sugar.
I guess I should be up front about it – I was given Light At Heart sugar for free by Tate and Lyle, however I had been hearing about stevia based products for years and been dying to try them. Unfortunately until December 2011 they weren’t allowed to be sold in Europe! The good thing about Stevia based sugar is that it’s half the calories of normal sugar but it’s all natural. (i.e. Not weird Splenda type stuff that was invented in a lab).
If you don’t have or want to use the substitutions you can instead follow my wholewheat hot cross buns recipe instead.
See all photos for Even Healthier Hot Cross Buns.
Wholewheat Hot Cross Buns
~ makes 12 small buns. Adapted from this BBC hot cross bun recipe.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
- 450 grams of Strong Wholewheat flour
- 7 grams of fast acting yeast
- 50 grams of white Light at Heart Stevia based sugar (to use normal caster sugar add 100g)
- 100 grams of currants, I used sultanas
- 2 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of all spice
- 32 grams of Coconut Oil
(for butter use 50 grams)
- 250 ml of warm milk, I used 200ml coconut milk and made it up to 250 ml with water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 75 grams plain flour
- 2 tbsp of white Light at Heart Stevia based sugar, 4 tbsp of caster sugar
- 4 tbsp of water
- 1 tbsp smooth marmalade, I used rhubarb and ginger jam
- 1/2 tbsp of brown Light at Heart sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, along with the spices and the sultanas into a bowl and mix throughly.
In a small pot add the coconut oil (or butter) under a medium heat till melted. I find coconut oil slightly difficult to measure, so sit the tub on the scales and watch by how much it drops.
Then add the coconut milk, till it begins to heat up.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg.
Pour the eggy mixture into your flour mixture and mix. Once it starts to form a ball, remove it from the bowl. My mixture was rather too wet and I ended up adding another 50 grams of flour to make it suitable for kneading.
Knead for 10 minutes. (I used the dough hook, which is probably the best thing I have ever been given…)
After you have finished kneading, split the dough into twelve rolls and leave to rest on a well oiled baking tray with a damp cloth on top.
While you are waiting for them to rise you should make the mix for the cross. Add the flour (this time definitely use white flour rather than wholemeal flour this time), sugar and water, and mix it should form a thick paste. Add the paste to a piping bag.
Preheat the oven to 200oC.
After about an hour they should have doubled in size. Using a sharp knife slice a cross into each bun, then use the piping bag to pipe the cross.
Place the buns in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
While the buns are cooking make the glaze. Add the ingredients to a small pan and cook until glossy.
Once the buns are cooked, glaze them as soon as they come out of the oven.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes, but eat warm.
For leftovers lightly toast.
I love these hot cross buns, I have had them for breakfast two days in a row and as a cheeky Sunday afternoon snack. While they are perfect warm from the oven, I almost like them more toasted with morello cherry jam. Yum.
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Oh they look divine and toasted with morello cherry jam, well yum. I haven’t heard of stevia so I will have a wee read.
Lesley … vanilla panna cotta with Piopio blueberries … and a year older
You definitely can’t go wrong with Morello Cherry Jam, will need to ask my Mum where she got it! (Was part of a Christmas Hamper she made up for me).
Lovely photos. What does covering the dough during proofing with a dampened cloth do over an undampened cloth?
I am from the States, I can assure you that stevia is legally available here. The Wikipedia page is confusing, but it’s been available since 1995 as a “dietary supplement” and since December 2008 as a food additive. The 2008 rule change brought a bunch of pure stevia and stevia-based sweeteners to grocery store shelves, including Truvia, Sweetleaf, PureVia, and Stevita. A major brand of orange juice even had a version sweetened with stevia extract a couple years ago; I think that was to take advantage of a brief stevia fad, as I haven’t seen that variety since.
Jeremy W. Sherman … Enjoy a simpler ifMUD experience with this tintin++ script
Hi Jeremy, sorry you’re right, I think the Stevia thing is rather a little complicated in the States, but I am glad that you guys can get it!
haha love the cloth you used! =) These look GORGEOUS! and I love the healthy ingredients =)
Oh my word, these look amazing!! Love any kind of sweet bun. And love the healthier ingredients! What’s light at heart stevia? Sounds interesting!!
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes … Natural & Rustic Pear Tart
Annie – Light at Heart, is a stevia based sugar now available in the UK (and possibly the rest of Europe). Stevia is a plant based extract, so more natural than some of the other low calorie sweeteners out there. I have used it quite a bit, and to be honest you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference – but you only use half the quantity!
Soni – these are pretty simple to make, so you don’t need to wait for a trip to the UK! If you do try them let me know how you get on :)
Jeremy – Sorry I missed the first part of your question last time around. To be honest I am not quite sure what the dampened cloth does, although when I looked it up, it seems to be to stop the crust drying out…
Jenn – I love the cloth too, so perfect if you are stressed about bread baking!
They look so lovely! I especially like that you used coconut oil and coconut milk! :)
Marie … Grocery shopping and pizza Misfortunata
I just love Hot cross buns and can’t get enough of them whenever I’m in the UK!Really miss them here in America!Thanks for your recipe, will be giving it a try.Also like the fact that these are healthier as well :)Thanks!
Soni … Tandoori Paneer Tikka
We’ve been stevia fans for a while. And now we’re fans of those incredible-looking buns, especially that lead shot. Loving that dish towel, too. Brilliant!
Haha, I love that you’re randomly making hot cross buns this time of year! Easter is not that far away anyway, they already have the choccie eggs out in the supermarkets don’t they ;-)
I just used wholewheat flour for the first time in baking the other day, and like your recipe – I’ve always wanted to try coconut oil but haven’t come across it (though I haven’t really made a conscious effort to hunt it down yet!). I’ve always been quite sceptical about sugar subs but like the sound of Stevia as it’s all natural so might have to give that a go too.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hungry Jenny x
Hungry Jenny … Hungry Jenny Bites Back
I have never seen Coconut Oil in the shops, but I did find it on Amazon, it’s not cheap, but I only use a bit at a time and it’s very versatile.
Coconoil – Organic Virgin Coconut Oil – 460g
I would definitely check out the Stevia products, again they are a little bit more expensive but you only use half quantities!
Lauren x