Spiced Orange and Sultana Hot Cross Bun Muffins
There is nothing that says Easter like Hot Cross Buns. But how about Hot Cross Bun Muffins? Hot Cross Buns are delicious but they’re a bit laborious to make. And if you love the flavours of these iconic Easter bun, but don’t have the time for dough to rise, then you should definitely try these.
These muffins have the same delicious spiced flavour as the traditional, but with the light and fluffy texture of a muffin.
There are so many Hot Cross Bun variations these days for every taste, preference or dietary need. From fruit free, to extra spiced, gluten free, vegan, chocolate… The list is endless. So why not add Hot Cross Bun Muffins to that too.
Inspired by my favourite clementine Hot Cross Buns, I’ve gone the citrus route with these muffins. They include the zest and juice of an orange and plumped golden sultanas. And since I’ve used my go to yoghurt muffin recipe as the base, they’re light, fluffy and super moist too.
It’s the holidays, so I’ve gone a bit over the top including the glaze and other decorations. But this is completely optional as muffins don’t usually have or need a glaze. The funny thing is that it almost makes them taste like Chelsea buns / cinnamon rolls.
The spice in these muffins makes them very reminiscent of carrot muffins too. So if you like those, you will definitlely love these Hot Cross Bun Muffins.
Please do check out my other Easter recipes. Or if you’re happy to work with dough, try my Hot Cross Bunnies. I have quite a few muffin recipes to choose from too. For similar muffin options, you can try my Banana Yoghurt Muffins, or my Morning Glory Breakfast Muffins.
Hot Cross Bun Muffins
Ingredients
Hot Cross Bun Muffins
- 1 Zest of one large orange Or 3 mandarins
- 1 Juice of 1 Large orange (approx. ½ cup / 125ml) Or 3 mandarins
- 100 grams Golden Sultanas (approx. ¾ cup)
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Oil (Vegetable/Sunflower or Coconut Oil)
- ½ Cup Plain Yoghurt
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ Cup Soft brown sugar
- 1½ Cups All-Purpose/Cake Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Allspice
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
Glaze (Optional)
- ½ cup Icing/Powdered Sugar
- 1½ – 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
Hot Cross Bun Muffins
- Zest the orange and set aside
- Juice the orange, then heat the juice in the microwave till hot but not boiling, around a minute. Then add the sultanas
- Add the zest. Let sit while you prepare the batter (around 10 minutes) for the sultanas absorb the warm juice and plump up plump up a bit
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a standard muffin tin with non stick cooking spray or paper liners. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, add the milk, vanilla, oil, yoghurt, eggs and sugar. Whisk until smooth and combined
- Next, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix
- Finally, add the sultanas, juice and zest mixture to the batter and mix through until combined. Do not over mix
- Evenly divide the batter between the muffin holes
- Bake for around 15 minutes, until golden and a cake tester/skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
- Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool further
- Decorate as you wish once cooled completely or serve warm as is
Glaze (Optional)
- Sift the icing/powdered sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps
- Add the juice (start with the minimum amount) and mix until a smooth and lump free
- The mixture should look thick but pour/drizzle when you lift some up (if it's too runny it won't stick to the muffins). If it's too thick and doesn't run, add a little more juice until it with pour
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