Paleo Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten at the end of Lent, are made with currants or raisins, and known for their distinctive cross-hatch design. They’re also usually loaded with sugar, white flour, and other not-so-Paleo-friendly ingredients. So we put together a recipe that relies on a trio of gluten-free flours, coconut sugar, and warm spices to make a Paleo version that’s just as satisfying as the original.

Paleo Hot Cross Buns

Yield: 12 buns
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the glaze:
¼ cup Thrive Market Organic Honey
¼ cup hot water
1 cup Thrive Market Organic Thompson Seedless Raisins

For the buns:
2 cups Thrive Market Almond Flour
½ cup Thrive Market Organic Tapioca Flour

2 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Coconut Sugar, plus more for coating pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Thrive Market Organic Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Ground Allspice
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
⅓ cup Thrive Market Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
¼ cup Thrive Market Organic Honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest and juice of 1 orange

For the topping:
2 tablespoons coconut butter
3 to 5 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Almond Beverage
2 teaspoons Thrive Market Organic Honey

Instructions

Make the glaze:
Heat honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the honey has dissolved, add raisins and simmer 1 minute. Off heat, let raisins plump until ready to use.

Make the buns:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Sprinkle a pinch of coconut sugar into each muffin tin and shake the pan back and forth to coat; tap out excess. (This will help keep the buns from sticking!)

In a large bowl, whisk almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk eggs, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and orange zest and juice. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold using a rubber spatula. Drain honey liquid (save it for later) from raisins and fold them into batter. Portion batter into the muffin tin using an ice cream scoop, leaving them about ¾-full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, then transfer buns from tin to a plate to cool and brush the tops with the honey water.

Make the topping:
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, whisk coconut butter, 3 tablespoons of almond milk, and honey. If the mixture is too thick, add another 1 tablespoon almond milk and whisk until the consistency is like icing. Spread in a criss-cross pattern on top of the buns, or pipe with a bag. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe credit: Angela Gaines