Wait until you taste these delicious Guilt-Free Hot Cross Buns!

FINALLY! Before you do anything this weekend, you need to taste these delicious guilt-free hot cross buns! Growing up in Australia, Easter hasn't really happened unless Hot Cross Buns are involved.

Since moving to Canada, they are definitely around but the supply of a GOOD quality Hot Cross Bun that I am so used to is hard to come by. The memories of sitting down at the table with my family to a cane basket filled with aluminum wrapped perfectly toasted buns is one of my MOST missed. 

My beautiful Sister-in-law Jade from Dunne with Gluten about 1 year ago was unfortunately diagnosed with Coeliac disease. Since this terrible news, my Mum with Dinnersdunne (we obviously love to have some pun with our last names) has been on a mission to create the same traditional dishes without the gluten so that Jade can still indulge in all the delicious treats! This year, instead of heading to "The Best Bakery" in Calgary on my hunt to find the winning Hot Cross Buns I decided to whip up a batch of healthy-ish hot cross buns! These are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free unlike most of the other treats probably consumed this Easter weekend. Don't worry, I got you. To take care of those treats, check out one of the workouts I will be doing this weekend melt the fat using the treadmill.

The beautiful @dunnewithgluten and @dinnersdunne and their supporting husbands (My Brother and Dad)

GUILT-FREE HOT CROSS BUNS 

Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Refined sugar-free.

The below will make about 8 buns.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups almond meal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 small orange
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mixed spice
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
3 eggs (2 for the mixture, 1 for glazing)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 farenheit (180 Celcius). 

- In a medium sized bowl combine almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, mixed spice, orange zest and coconut sugar. Stir the mixture and remove any lumps.

- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredient mixture and combine well. Sprinkle raisins in as you are mixing.

- Using a 1/4 cup, spoon out the mixture and roll into a bun shape. Place on a prepared baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

- Whisk the remaining egg and brush each bun (glaze them). 

- Place the tray in the oven, baking the buns for about 25 minutes or until lightly golden. The buns should be cooked all the way through.

- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 10 miutes. 

- Pipe an X on each bun with the melted dark chocolate (I fill a ziplock bag and cut the corner off) to easily pipe. No crazy tools required.

- ENJOY! While hot! If you freeze/refrigerate them, ensure you reheat before consuming.

I plan to sit down with a similar cane basket to what I see in my childhood memories, filled with aluminum wrapped toasted buns and take a few moments to myself to just soak in all the memories that will come flooding back to me with each bite. I encourage you to either continue your Hot Cross Bun tradition, or start a new one! It is never too late.

Wanting another delicious breakfast recipe to try this weekend? Check out my Coconut Bliss Chocolate Protein Pancakes which are even a hit with the kids!

Stay Strong. Eat buns. Be the fire.

@dunnebells_

TIP: If you really do like chocolate, I encourage inserting a square or two into each bun when you remove them from the oven. It melts inside and is DELICIOUS! See my recent article here about the best chocolate to use for this.