Easy Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding for Easter Sunday

This luxurious vegan hot cross bun pudding is a quick last-minute dessert for Easter Sunday. Serve it hot with dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

Easy Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding for Easter Sunday

I really wanted to share my easy and quick vegan hot cross bun pudding in time for Easter, so you could enjoy it too.

It's a modern take on a bread and butter pudding, but I use custard instead of butter.

The best thing about it, is it's so quick and easy to make, but it's a very satisfying and comforting pudding.

The spices and raisins in hot cross buns become the sponge which is soaked and cooked with custard and pimped with chocolate, cinnamon and brown sugar.

I love serving this pud with vanilla ice cream.

You're going to love it too!

Why you'll love this hot cross bun pudding recipe

Here are a few reasons I think you'll love this delicious spring-time twist on a classic bread and butter pudding recipe for your Easter celebrations.

• It's made with shop-bought hot cross buns - but you can bake your own at home if you have a good recipe (try this easy recipe for vegan hot cross buns from my friend Emily)
• It's quick to make - and it doesn't take long to cook either
• The warming spices and dried fruit work well with the vanilla flavour of the custard, the cinnamon and the chocolate
• It looks a lot fancier than it is
• The hot pudding is so good served with cold vanilla ice cream
• It's seasonal - perfect for Easter
• Tastes luscious

What you need to make this twist on a classic dessert

Here are the simple ingredients you need.

• Hot cross buns
• Custard - creme anglaise
• Dark chocolate chips
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar  - optional
• Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) - to serve
• Vanilla ice cream -  to serve

The full recipe list with method, notes and calories are at the bottom of the page. 

There is a jump to recipe button at the top of this page if you want to skip the notes, variations and tips, along with step-by-step photos.

I know not everyone appreciates them, but that's ok.

Why are hot cross buns connected with Easter?

If you're not from the UK, you may wonder what hot cross buns are all about.

The first reference to them was found in Poor Robbins Almanac in 1733, 'Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross bunns. 

Reference: You can read more about it in English Heritage's article Holy or Heretical? A History of Hot Cross Buns.

Tea and hot cross buns were served with tea before people attended church at Easter.

The bread represented the communion wafer, Christ was supposedly wrapped in spices in his tomb, so spices were included, and the cross on top of the hot cross buns was a nod to the crucifixion.

They are still very popular today for celebrating Easter, but are eaten throughout April and sometimes even earlier.

We do like to stretch out our holidays and celebrations these days, well shops and supermarkets certainly do anyway.

Are hot cross buns suitable for vegans?

Surprisingly, many hot cross buns are accidentally suitable for vegans, so it's always worth turning the pack over and checking the ingredients.

Of course, there are some especially made for those on a plant-based diet or those who are dairy-free, but you won't be shocked to hear, these are generally a bit more expensive.

So do a bit of detective work and save some money!

Can you make this style of pudding with anything other than hot cross buns?

I have some fabulous variations to share with you!

So if you can't get hold of hot cross buns or aren't keen on them, I've gotcha!

Here are a few ideas.

You can layer these the same way with the same ingredients, just swap out the hot cross buns and use one of these instead.

• Fruit cake - shop-bought or homemade (this is my favourite fruit cake recipe)
• Chocolate muffins -  just slice them lengthwise (try these easy chocolate muffins)
• Blueberry muffins - same again
• Choc chip muffins - yes, you got it
• Doughnuts - dough rings or jam doughnuts (skip the cinnamon with the jam doughnuts)
• Brioche buns - or finger rolls (soft, sweet bread), vegan of course
• Vegan croissaints - oh yeah baby!
• Fruit loaf - it's a bit like a hot cross bun bread

I bet you come up with some fun ideas too!

So this Easter, why not try them with hot cross buns on Good Friday or Easter Sunday?

Such a treat and a nice wee change from all the chocolate and chocolate Easter eggs, but still very traditionally Easter themed.

How to serve hot cross pudding

You can serve this hot cross bread pudding while it is still hot with:

• More vegan custard - if it's your favourite thing 
• Dairy-free pouring cream - do what you do!
• Vanilla ice cream - my recommendation is Swedish Glace

It's like a hug in a bowl!

The whole family will love it!

Can you make pudding ahead?

This is very much a quick pudding to throw together last minute, but you can make it the day or night before.

Just layer up your dessert in an ovenproof dish (baking dish) and cover with foil or cling film (saran wrap) and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Then, remove the cover and pop it in the oven while you're enjoying your main course.

It doesn't take long to bake.

Making it ahead will give the custard more time to soak in for an even softer pudding.

It's unlikely there will be leftovers

However, if you do have leftovers, spoon them into an airtight container to cool down, then pop on the lid and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Reheat before serving.

When you reheat the pudding, cover the dish with foil so it heats but doesn't brown further.

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How to make vegan hot cross bun pudding

A step-by-step photo guide followed by a full printable recipe. 

Step 1

• Preheat your oven and prep the hot cross buns.
• Cut the buns open like a roll, then cut each one in half, down through both halves (I do it just along the middle line of the cross).
• Spread a layer of custard in the base of your ovenproof dish, then add a few chocolate chips.
• Top with the bottom layer of the hot cross buns, then spread another layer of custard and top with the top layers of the buns.
• Pour some custard over the top, I like to leave some of the buns showing.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and chocolate chips.

Step 2

• Bake the pudding in your preheated oven.
• Once it's baked, take it out of the oven and add a dusting of icing sugar to make it look bonnie.
• Serve the pudding while it is still hot with vegan vanilla ice cream.
• Enjoy!

Easter dessert, Easter pudding, easter, hot cross buns, hot cross bun pudding, hot cross bun dessert, easter pudding, easter dessert

Dessert, Pudding

British

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Easy Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding for Easter Sunday

This luxurious vegan hot cross bun pudding is a quick last-minute dessert for Easter Sunday. Serve it hot with dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

• 4 hot cross buns
• 525g (9 oz) dairy-free custard
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
• 1 heaped tablespoon dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon icing sugar to dust the final pudding

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180c / 150c fan / 350f / gas mark 4 and prep the hot cross buns.
2. Cut the buns open like a roll, then cut each one in half, down through both halves (I do it just along the middle line of the cross).
3. Spread a layer of custard (about a third) in the base of your ovenproof dish, then add a few chocolate chips.
4. Top with the bottom layer of the hot cross buns, then spread another layer of custard (another third) and top with the top layers of the buns.
5. Pour the rest of the custard over the top, I like to leave some of the buns showing.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and chocolate chips.
7. Bake the pudding in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, this will heat the pudding and give the custard a chance to sink in.
8. Once baked, take it out of the oven and add a dusting of icing sugar to make it look bonnie before you serve ot.
9. Serve the pudding while it is still hot with vegan vanilla ice cream.
10. Enjoy!

Notes

• You can make this the night before and store it in the fridge, it will be a softer pudding if you do this, the custard will really sink in.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated (covered) before serving.
• You can easily make a bigger pudding in a larger dish (mine is 21 cm x 21 cm x 8cm (8 1/4 inch x 8 1/4 inch x 3 inches), just add more hot cross buns and custard etc, it's easy to scale up and a very forgiving recipe. You don't need to be exact.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

368

Fat (grams)

9 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

62 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

60 g

Sugar (grams)

15 g

Protein (grams)

11 g

Sodium (milligrams)

408 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

67 mg

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