Quick and Easy Hot Cross Buns have all the flavors of traditional rolls but made much easier with store bought Kings Hawaiian rolls. This classic Easter recipe is ideal if you are short on time or intimidated by bread baking. Ready in 40 minutes, including baking time!
Looking for quick and easy Easter brunch ideas? Try my croissant bread pudding or Hawaiian Roll French Toast Casserole next!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Hot Cross Buns Recipe
🕒 Ready In: ~40 minutes
👪 Serves: 12 buns
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls, raisins, butter, powdered sugar and orange
📖 Dietary Info: Eggless
📌 Difficulty: Quick, easy and shortcut recipe
Why you’ll love these hot cross buns?
Hot cross buns are a beloved Easter tradition, especially on Good Friday! While making them from scratch is wonderful, this shortcut version is a lifesaver when time is tight or if you are new to bread-making.
Using soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls, this recipe skips the yeast and rising, saving 2–3 hours while still capturing all the classic flavors — warm cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a hint of orange.
Perfect for beginners or anyone hosting Easter brunch or an egg hunt, these quick and easy buns are sweet, fragrant, and irresistible.
- maria doss
Jump to:
The icing on hot cross buns represents the cross, symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus. Dating back to the 12th century, these buns are traditionally enjoyed on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent. Read more on the history here!
If you are hosting a Easter brunch after church or Easter egg hunt, then quick and easy hot cross buns are a great addition to your spread, since it is extremely easy to make. Check out more Easter recipes or lent dinner ideas.
Ingredients you'll need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Rolls - Look for sweet, egg enriched rolls in your grocery store like King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Brioche rolls, sweet dinner rolls, Hawaiian dinner rolls or Hawaiian sweet buns.
- Orange - Both the zest and freshly squeezed juice is added for optimal orange goodness.
- Butter - Just 2 tablespoons of butter for richness.
- Raisins - I used golden raisins. Although currants are used in traditional hot cross buns recipe, it is sometimes hard to find them in regular grocery stores.
- Sugars - White granulated sugar is used for the orange butter glaze and confectioners sugar for the icing.
- Spices - A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice for the classic flavors.
Tips for Success
- Use only sweet rolls and not salty, spicy or savory ones.
- Grate orange zest using a microplane into a fine zest.
- Adjust spices or skip them based on your liking.
- Raisins or currants? Although currants are used in traditional hot cross buns recipes, it is sometimes hard to find them in regular grocery stores. Golden raisins are a great substitute.
- Cut the rolls about one inch deep and not all the way through.
- Make sure the butter is warm for a pouring consistency. Drizzle into the cut openings, so the mixture soaks into the bread.
More Easter Brunch Ideas
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 1 package 12 sweet rolls like Kings Hawaiian or Brioche type rolls
- 1 to 2 tablespoons golden raisins or currants
Orange-Butter
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter warm
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- zest of one orange finely grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice optional
- 1 to 2 pinch freshly grated nutmeg optional
- 1 pinch salt
Glaze
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons water or milk
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Choose a baking pan that can fit one package of rolls. Spray it with cooking spray.
- Prep Rolls. Using a sharp knife, cut a 1-inch-deep slit across the top of each roll. Turn the roll 90 degrees and make a second 1-inch-deep cut to form a cross. Gently transfer the rolls to the baking pan. Press raisins or currants into the cuts on top.
- Make orange butter. Stir all the orange butter ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Make sure the butter is warm when mixing — this helps create a smooth, pourable consistency for drizzling.
- Drizzle. Using a spoon, drizzle the orange butter evenly into the cuts, allowing it to soak into the bread. Make sure to use all the butter for maximum flavor.
- Bake. Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls cool until lukewarm.
- Make glaze. In a bowl, stir all glaze ingredients until smooth and thick enough for piping a cross. The glaze should form a soft peak when lifted with a spoon and hold its shape without flowing back.👉 If the glaze is too thick, add a little water; if too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar.
- Finish. Transfer the glaze to a zip-top bag and seal. Snip a small corner off, then pipe a line down the center of each row of buns. Repeat in the other direction to form a cross pattern. Let the icing set for about an hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Watch How To Make It
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Step 1: Make Orange-cinnamon glaze - Stir together warm melted butter, orange juice, finely grated orange zest, ground cinnamon and all spice.
Step 2: Cut each roll one direction (not cutting all the way through), turn 90° and cut in the opposite direction.
Step 3: Stuff the cut opening with raisins and then drizzle orange butter.
Step 4: Bake and finish with icing - Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and cool until warm.
Step 5: Stir confectioners sugar, vanilla and water or milk to make a very thick glaze. Spoon into a small zip lock bag, snip off a corner and squeeze cross pattern on the baked rolls.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, then simply store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a day or two. Do not refrigerate.
To freeze - Freeze the baked and cooled rolls (without the confectioners sugar icing) for up to a month. Thaw overnight at room temperature, glaze and serve after glaze sets.
Frequenty Asked Questions
The correct name is “hot cross buns” but some people may think they’ve heard it as “hot crossed” and so that’s what they repeat.
The cross on top of hot cross buns symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, the day of His crucifixion, the cross is often made by piping a flour-and-water paste onto the buns before baking.
The icing should be thick enough to hold a distinct cross pattern. To test, lift it with a spoon — it should form a soft peak without flowing back into the rest of the icing. It shouldn’t be so thick that it’s hard to stir, nor so thin that it flattens on the buns after a few seconds. If the cross melts into the roll, your icing is too thin.
The warm, fragrant flavor of hot cross buns comes from a blend of spices. Cinnamon provides a sweet, comforting base; nutmeg adds a subtle earthy warmth; allspice contributes a hint of clove-like depth; and cloves can be added for an extra aromatic touch if desired. Together, these spices give hot cross buns their signature cozy, spiced flavor.
👉 Looking for more quick and delicious recipes with King’s Hawaiian rolls? Try my Hawaiian roll cinnamon rolls, Cranberry Orange Rolls or the Hawaiian roll French toast casserole with raspberries and cardamom next!
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
