No Knead Hot Cross Buns

These NO KNEAD Hot Cross Buns are super soft, fluffy, loaded with apples and perfectly spiced. With my no fail recipe for these delicious Apple Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns, you’ll be making the easiest and best buns ever with no kneading required!

No Knead Hot Cross Buns

This really is the best hot cross buns recipe! I’ve made them twice already this past week and let me tell you that I’m still not tired of eating them. They’re just so perfect for breakfast with coffee or for a quick snack. I absolutely love them.

You know what’s great about hot cross buns? They really are versatile. My version here is for apple cinnamon hot cross buns, but check out my original recipe here with raisins soaked in rum, which are just as great. But my favorite thing about these hot cross buns is that no kneading is required and no special equipment such as a mixer is necessary.

So what does this mean? Everyone can make them! You have no excuse for not making these because they couldn’t get any easier.

What Are Hot Cross Buns?

These little buns are traditionally served on Easter. The cross is, of course, representative of a cross, and the bun represents the end of lent. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, these buns are so fantastic and can be enjoyed by everyone!

Ingredients in Hot Cross Buns

I know the list of ingredients looks kind of long, but don’t worry. You will have most of these ingredients already in your kitchen! They’re all very basic. Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

For the buns:

• Apples – I used gala apples for this recipe. Granny Smith apples would also work. I shredded these apples with a cheese grater, it’s much easier than chopping them.
• Salt – I used the salt in two places here. Some of it is used to draw out moisture from the apples, and some is used for the dough. You can use less or more if you prefer.
• Milk – I used 2% milk, but you can use skim, 1% or homogenized.
• Granulated sugar – You can add a little more or less sugar if you’d like.
• Instant yeast – If you use active dry yeast, you will have to wait a bit longer for the yeast to dissolve and get foamy.
• All-purpose flour – If you use whole wheat instead, use only 4 1/2 cups. If you use gluten-free flour, use xanthan gum to replace the gluten or your buns will turn out dry.
• Nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon – You can adjust or leave out any of these spices as you wish.
• Eggs – I used large eggs for this recipe.
• Butter – I always cook with unsalted butter. This will give you full control over the amount of sodium.

For the glaze:

• Water – You can use more or less water depending on the consistency you’re looking for. Since it’s a glaze, I’d suggest keeping it thin.
• Granulated sugar – You can substitute an equal amount of honey or agave.
• Cinnamon – You can adjust the amount or leave the cinnamon out if you prefer.

For the cross:

• Icing sugar – This is also known as confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar depending where you’re from.
• Cream cheese – You can use low fat, full fat, or vegan cream cheese.
• Butter  – Make sure your butter is unsalted and room temperature so it’s easy to mix in.
• Cinnamon – You can adjust the amount or leave the cinnamon out if you prefer.
• Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
• Water – I used a bit of water to thin it out so it was easier to pipe onto the buns. You can also use milk or leave it out if you like a thicker icing.

I love my hot cross buns on the sweeter side so I always like to make the crosses with icing rather than the more traditional way of using a flour and water paste. Totally up to you how you do it, be sure to check out the recipe notes for using flour/water paste.

How to Make No Knead Hot Cross Buns

1. Sweat the apples: Place the shredded apple on paper towels, a clean kitchen towel, or cheesecloth, then in a strainer. Sprinkle salt over them and let everything sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can.
2. Make the dough: In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit until everything foams up. In a separate larger bowl mix the dry ingredients. Stir in the apples and make sure they’re all evenly coated with flour and are not clumping. Add the eggs and butter to your yeast mixture and stir well. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well using either a wooden spoon or your hands. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it double in size.
3. Form your buns: Use a 16.5 x 11 inch baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough, over your work surface, and on your hands. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 24 pieces. Flatten each piece, pinch the sides all together, then flip the ball and roll it to smooth out the top. Place each bun on the baking sheet and cover it with kitchen towels and let the buns rise until they are about 50-70% bigger. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Glaze the rolls: While the bread is baking, make your glaze. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the glaze from the heat and let it cool. Brush the rolls with the glaze right after they come out of the oven.
5. Ice the rolls: Let the rolls cool fully. Whisk all the icing ingredients together until smooth. Using a piping bag or ziploc bag, pipe the crosses onto your rolls.

Can I Leave Out the Apples?

Yes you can! If you want these to just be plain, you can leave the apples and spices out. If you want to try something a little different, though, this version is seriously incredible. The light tough of spice with those sweet apples? You’ll be in heaven.

You could add so many different things to them, like currants or craisins, orange peel, how about some chocolate chips or go for a savory version and add some cheese!

Tips for Making the Best Hot Cross Buns

• Proofing the yeast before you get into the rest of the dough is key. If your yeast doesn’t foam up, no matter what the expiry date on your yeast say, the buns won’t turn out. Store your yeast in the freezer and it will last longer. However, I’m using instant yeast in this recipe and the difference between instant yeast and active dry yeast is that you don’t need to activate instant yeast. I still prefer to do this because it tells me if my yeast is good.
• This dough is meant to be sticky! Check out the video in the recipe card to get an idea for how the dough should look. If yours seems stickier, you can add a little bit more flour.
• Dough rises best in a draft-free, warm environment. You can preheat your oven to the lowest setting, then turn it off. That will create a wonderful environment for your dough.
• I prefer to use parchment paper over cooking spray to avoid unnecessary grease on the bottom of my buns.
• Yeast needs sugar to thrive and grow. You can reduce the amount of sugar in the dough, but don’t leave it out entirely.

How to Store Hot Cross Buns

If you have leftovers, store these in an airtight container or a large ziploc back. Because of the cream cheese icing I would keep these in the fridge. They will last about a week refrigerated. You can also keep some of them un-iced and keep them on the counter in an airtight container or bag so they don’t dry out as much. They will last 2-3 days at room temperature.

How to Freeze Hot Cross Buns

To freeze unbaked rolls:

Form them into rolls immediately after making the dough- don’t let it rise. Let them freeze on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then topped with plastic wrap. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. They will last about 2 weeks.

To bake them, place however many rolls you need on a baking sheet. Cover the rolls and let them thaw and rise. You can place them in a warm oven to speed this process up. Once they have doubled in size, bake them as instructed.

To freeze baked rolls:

Once they have fully cooled, wrap them well with foil and store in an airtight container. They will last about 1 month before freezer burn starts to become an issue. Let them thaw fully at room temperature.

Want to Make More Bread? Try These Recipes:

• Classic Dinner Rolls
• Sticky Buns
• Fast and Easy No Knead Bread
• No Knead Skillet Bread
• Homemade Croissants