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If you love hot cross buns and want a twist on this classic, you’re going to LOVE my gluten free salted caramel hot cross buns.
Packed with salted caramel fudge and milk chocolate chunks, these take hot cross buns to a whole new level.
I was inspired to make these by my lovely friend Carrie who always tells me how amazing the M&S salted caramel hot cross buns are.
Unable to try them, I decided to make my own and I can confirm they are incredible!
They are perfect if you don’t like raisins or dried fruit, or if you just want to try something a little bit different.
What ingredients do I need?
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 300ml milk (I used full-fat)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500g gluten free white bread flour
- 14g dried quick yeast
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 80g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 75g salted caramel fudge
- 50g milk chocolate chunks
For the topping and glaze you’ll also need:
- 1 egg (beaten, to glaze)
- 2 tbsp plain gluten free flour
- Water
- 1 tbsp Golden Syrup
For the flour I use the FREEE Gluten Free White Bread Flour, which is a mixture of rice, potato and tapioca flour.
If you cannot get hold of this then a plain gluten free flour blend should work just as well.
The xanthan gum is crucial for the texture of the dough, so I recommend adding this even if it’s in you flour blend.
Instead of orange zest you could use lemon zest if you prefer or have this to hand.
I used this salted caramel fudge from Tesco, but you can use any fudge which is gluten free.
You can also use chocolate chips instead of chunks – both work as well, as does dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
Top tips for making these
If you want to ensure you get a good rise on your hot cross buns, make sure the milk is not too hot when you add it.
I’d recommend getting a food thermometer like this one and making sure the milk is no more than 40’C when you add it.
If the hot cross buns do not rise it is very likely the milk was too hot and has killed the yeast.
This is why it’s super important to let the milk cool down so it is warm – it’ll probably need about 10-15 minutes in a cool spot at the least.
This will also ensure the chocolate chips and fudge don’t melt too much when you mix it all together.
When making these gluten free hot cross buns, it will be very different to making ‘normal’ dough.
There’s no kneading involved here as there is no gluten in the mix to develop.
Instead it forms a sticky dough – but trust me, you want that in order to produce a good end result.
If you try adding extra flour to make the dough knead-able, it’ll be horribly dry upon baking.
A good tip is to wet your hands to stop the dough sticking to them and making it easier to handle.
Keeping them fresh
These gluten free salted caramel hot cross buns are best eaten on the day of baking.
The optimum time is definitely an hour-or-so after they come out of the oven and are still deliciously warm.
That way you can slather them with some butter and watch it melt over those gorgeous chunks of chocolate and caramel.
If you want to eat these the day after baking, I’d recommend cutting them in half and toasting them.
Or you could zap them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to refresh them.
These gluten free salted caramel hot cross buns can also be frozen so you can keep them for even longer!
Just defrost them and refresh in the microwave or toast them before eating.
My gluten free salted caramel hot cross buns
If you’ve already made my classic gluten free hot cross buns or you want to try something else, this the recipe you’ll need!
This recipe makes nine hot cross buns but you can scale it up if needed, or make them bigger or smaller.
If you do, make sure you adjust the cooking times as needed.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Salted Caramel Hot Cross Buns
Gluten free salted caramel hot cross buns are the perfect twist on a classic Easter bake. A soft roll packed with salted caramel fudge and chocolate chips. This recipes makes 9 hot cross buns which are delicious warm or toasted with butter.
Ingredients
- 300ml milk (I used full-fat)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500g gluten free white bread flour
- 14g dried quick yeast
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 80g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 75g salted caramel fudge (cut into pea-sized pieces)
- 50g milk chocolate chunks
For the topping:
- 1 egg (beaten, to glaze)
- 2 tbsp plain gluten free flour
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
Instructions
- Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan and place on a low heat. Heat through until the butter has completely melted. Remove from the heat and set to one side to cool for 10-15 mins - you want it to be WARM (around 40'C - similar to your body temperature) when you add it to the mixture. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast and your buns will not rise.
- Add the egg and vegetable oil to a mug and whisk lightly.
- Add gluten free flour, yeast, xanthan gum, sugar, salt, mixed spice and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Stir a couple of times with a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients together.
- When the milk is warm (but not hot) pour it into the dry ingredients along with the oil and egg. Using the wooden spoon, beat together until it starts to come together. It should form a thick and sticky dough. As it starts to come together, add the fudge pieces and chocolate chunks and continue to mix until fully combined.
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Flour your hands and break off 125g of the dough mixture. Roll into a ball and place on the baking tray. Repeat until you have 9 balls of dough, approx 2cm apart from each other.
- Cover the dough loosely with oiled clingfilm and place in a warm, draft-free spot to prove for around one hour. The dough should puff up and indent when pushed gently.
- When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6. Lightly brush each piece of dough with beaten egg.
- Add the plain gluten free flour to a small bowl and gradually add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well until it forms a thick, smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small hole cut off the tip. Pipe crosses onto the tops of the buns.
- Bake the hot cross buns for 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Just before the buns are ready, add the Golden Syrup and water to a small pan and heat until it starts to boil. Remove the glaze from the heat.
- Remove the hot cross buns from the oven. Brush the glaze on top of the hot cross buns while they are still hot. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes until eating.
Notes
- These hot cross buns are best eaten on the day of baking - I'd recommend toasting them if eating them after that.
- These will keep well in an airtight container for up to three days and also freeze well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 11g
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Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free Easter baking recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free bakes a try and see what you think!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple of easy baking tutorials to get you going:
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And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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