These vegan chocolate chip hot cross buns are soft, buttery, and filled with melty pockets of chocolate. Theyโ€™re a warm, comforting twist on traditional hot cross buns and perfect for Easter or a weekend bake!

Double chocolate chip hot cross buns on baking tray. One hot cross bun is cut open and one side has vegan butter spread melting on it.

Ingredients you’ll need

Flatlay of ingredients for the vegan chocolate chip hot cross buns.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Notes about the ingredients

All-purpose flour or bread flour. Both work beautifully, but bread flour results in slightly taller and chewier hot cross buns.

Dairy-free chocolate chips such as dark, milk or white chocolate or a combination of all! Alternatively, you can use a chopped chocolate bar or even leftover Easter eggs.

Instant yeast is the easiest and quickest type of yeast to bake with. Alternatively, you can use active dry yeast but make sure you activate it in some warm milk beforehand.

Spices including ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and allspice. These complement the chocolate beautifully!

Sugar activates the yeast which helps the buns rise. For a refined sugar-free version, coconut sugar or maple syrup will also work.

Prepare the dough

First of all, please ensure your butter has cooled down otherwise it may melt the chocolate chips!

If you’re using a stand mixer, assemble the dough hook attachment and add the dough ingredients (except the chocolate) to the bowl. Knead the mixture for 5-10 minutes until you have a soft and stretchy dough.

If you’re making the dough by hand, add the dough ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough is stretchy.

The final dough should be soft and slightly tacky. It shouldn’t be so sticky that it sticks to your hands or work surfaces. But it shouldn’t be dry with cracks.

Finally, add the chocolate chips and knead until combined. Don’t worry if the choc chips don’t stick to the dough. We can always place them inside or on top of the buns when we shape them!

Four image collage showing how to make the vegan hot cross bun dough.

First rise of the dough

Place your kneaded dough in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and place it in a WARM spot in your home. In a warm environment, the dough should double in size over 1-2 hours.

The time it’ll take for the dough to rise will depend on the consistency of your dough, your yeast and the temperature of your home.

Before and after first rise of dough.

Shaping the vegan hot cross buns

Divide your dough into 12 equal portions. An easy way to do this is by shaping the dough into a log and then cutting it into 12 pieces. Alternatively, you can use a kitchen scale and weigh each portion individually (each of my buns weighed around 70g).

To shape the buns, I flattened each piece of dough into a rough circle and folded the edges into the middle. This makes sure the top and sides of the buns are smooth and taut. This Youtube video shows how you can shape bread buns.

Hands shaping the hot cross buns.

Second rise of the buns

We need to rest the buns one last time to let the gluten in the dough relax. Leave the baking dish in a WARM spot and loosely cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

Before and after photos of the second rise of the hot cross buns.

Making the cross for the buns (optional)

To make the cross mixture, simply mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until you get a thick and pipeable mixture. I used a piping bag with a small round nozzle to pipe the crosses. Alternatively, you can place the cross mixture in a plastic bag and cut off the corner.

Two image collage of chocolate paste and piping the paste on the unbaked hot cross buns.

Baking and glazing the buns

These vegan hot cross buns take about 20 minutes to bake. They are ready when the surface is a deep golden brown. If you’re in doubt, you can also use a toothpick or knife to pick some of the dough in between the center buns – the dough should be fully cooked, and not raw.

When your buns are hot from the oven, brush them with a simple glaze or jam mixture. This gives the buns a beautiful shiny finish and traps in some of their moisture!

Fluffy chocolate chip hot cross buns on baking tray.

Extra Tips

Can I make these buns ahead of time?

Yes, the best way is to prepare the dough and store it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Make sure the container is around twice the size as the dough will expand in the fridge. The next day, when the dough is warm enough to touch, you can shape it into buns, let it rest then bake.

I don’t recommend storing the unbaked shaped buns in the fridge overnight. It is difficult to predict how much the buns will rise, and the buns may rise too quickly and deflate.

Alternatively, you can make and bake the buns, and freeze them for when you need them. Make sure you serve the buns warm!

Why isn’t my dough rising, or taking a long time?

This can be due to a few reasons:
1. Your yeast is inactive. If you haven’t used your yeast in a few months, check to see if it’s active by blooming it. You can do this with instant yeast as well.

2. Your dough is too dry. Add more milk to your dough and make sure it’s soft and tacky.

3. Your dough isn’t in warm place. The optimal temperature for resting dough is 23ยฐC to 25ยฐC (75ยฐF to 78ยฐF), according to King Arthur Baking.

Can I add anything else to the hot cross buns?

Some delicious mix-ins include:
– Raisins, sultanas or dried fruit, if you want something closer to classic hot cross buns
– Orange zest
– Freeze-dried raspberries

Close up of buttered vegan chocolate chip hot cross bun.

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Double chocolate chip hot cross buns on baking tray. Two hot cross bun are cut open and has butter spread on one side. The other side is exposed showing soft bread and melting chocolate chips.
4.86 from 7 reviews

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns (vegan)

These vegan chocolate chip hot cross buns are soft, buttery, and filled with melty pockets of chocolate. Theyโ€™re a warm, comforting twist on traditional hot cross buns and perfect for Easter or a weekend bake!

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns (note 1)

Cross

Glaze (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar, coconut sugar, any light-coloured liquid sweetener or apricot/orange coloured jam
  • Dash of water

Instructions 

Make the dough:

  • Using a stand mixer: Add all the bun ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Knead the mixture for at least 5 minutes, or until it comes away from the side of the bowl
    Kneading by hand: Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 minutes, until you have a smooth dough.
  • The dough should form a smooth ball, be slightly tacky but not sticky. If your dough is a little dry, add a dash of milk and knead again. If your dough is still sticky after, add a little flour and knead again.
  • Add the chocolate chips to the dough and knead them in. If you're using a stand mixer, don't worry if the chocolate chips do not 'stick' to the dough. You can stick them back when shaping the buns.
  • Leave the dough in a large bowl and cover with a tea towel. Position the dough in a warm spot in your home, and let it rest for at least 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. the bowl or stand mixer and cover with a tea towel. If the dough doesn't double in size, reposition it to a warmer spot in your home.

Shaping the hot cross buns:

  • Generously grease a baking tray with butter, or line with parchment paper.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal parts (about 75g each). Roll and shape each piece of dough into a ball making sure the top is smooth. Arrange the buns in your baking tray.
  • Cover the tray with a tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least 1 hour. The buns are ready when they've expanded in size by at least 50% or are puffy again.
  • When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180ยฐC (350ยฐF).

Make the cross and baking:

  • Mix all the cross ingredients in a small bowl. The mixture should form a thick but smooth paste. If needed, add a little more flour or water to get the right consistency. Spoon the paste into a piping bag with a small round nozzle and pipe crosses on the buns.
  • Bake the hot cross buns for 22-25 minutes. The buns are ready when their surface is golden brown. buns are ready when they're slightly golden brown. If you remove one of the bun and tap it lightly on the bottom, the bun should sound hollow.

Make the glaze (while the hot cross buns are baking):

  • Add the sugar, sweetener or jam and water to a small saucepan and gently cook until the mixture is well combined (no sugar granules).
  • When the buns are still hot from the oven, brush them with the glaze.
  • The buns are best eaten the day they are baked. Alternatively, store leftover hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days and serve them warm.

Video

Notes

  1. For chocolate hot cross buns, replace 2 tablespoons (15g) of flour with 2 tablespoons (13g) of cocoa powder. You may need to add an extra dash of milk as cocoa powder is more absorbent than flour.
  2. Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated beforehand. If using a different type of yeast, combine it with a dash of warm milk (from the recipe) and a pinch of sugar beforehand. Wait until the yeast mixture bubbles then use it in the recipe.
Serving: 1 serve, Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 69mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 249IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

This post was originally published in April 2019 and updated in March 2021.

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