This is our nutritionist's take on the typical 'Hot Cross Bun'. The hot cross buns you buy from the supermarket are loaded up with dried fruit, which more often than not contains preservatives, additional sugar and vegetable oils. That is why they have chosen to use the 100% organic dried dates from Changing Habits as a replacement, along with the orange zest and juice for additional flavour pops and the cacao melts for delicious, healthy choc chips.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a muffin tray.
Add all the muffin ingredients into a bowl and combine everything evenly.
Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness, spices or orange if needed.
Scoop the muffin mixture into the lined muffin tin evenly.
Place them in the oven and bake for 22 minutes (In a fan-forced oven). Please note that it may need a little longer if you have chosen to make larger muffins.
Meanwhile, mix the cross ingredients together in a small bowl to create a thick paste.
After 22 minutes (or once your muffins are golden brown), take the muffins out of the oven and use a knife or a spoon to create a cross on the tops of each muffin with the thick white paste.
Place them back in the oven. The cross only takes a short amount of time to bake so keep an eye on it. We cooked ours for 3 minutes.
When they're ready, remove from the oven and enjoy warm. 
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a muffin tray.
Add all the muffin ingredients into a bowl and combine everything evenly.
Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness, spices or orange if needed.
Scoop the muffin mixture into the lined muffin tin evenly.
Place them in the oven and bake for 22 minutes (In a fan-forced oven). Please note that it may need a little longer if you have chosen to make larger muffins.
Meanwhile, mix the cross ingredients together in a small bowl to create a thick paste.
After 22 minutes (or once your muffins are golden brown), take the muffins out of the oven and use a knife or a spoon to create a cross on the tops of each muffin with the thick white paste.
Place them back in the oven. The cross only takes a short amount of time to bake so keep an eye on it. We cooked ours for 3 minutes.
When they're ready, remove from the oven and enjoy warm.
Hi, could I substitute butter or half butter, half coconut oil? I am mildly allergic to coconut (numbness around the mouth) & the oil gives me stomach cramps. I’m ok with just a little (unless I eat too many at a time ha ha)
Hi Cindy,
yes the recipe should still work out if you use half butter and half coconut 🙂
I am in P4 is the star aniseed in the 5 spice blend ok..thanks
Hi Linda.
Yes, star anise should be fine. You should just ensure you’ve introduced all of the other ingredients correctly too. Hope this helps and enjoy – they are delicious!
I apologise, I let me frustration get the better of me. After I started cleaning everything up, rhey reabsorbed the pool of coconut oil they were sitting in and firmed up.
Unfortunately there’s smoke everywhere from the coconut oil on the bottom of my oven, if I make these again I’ll take extra precautions.
Hi Katelyn, so sorry to hear that this happened to you. We actually re-tested this muffins recipe again to see if it happened to us, however they turned out perfectly for us. The only thing I can think of to why they didn’t turn out well for you is perhaps your oven? Maybe it heats up too quickly causing the coconut oil to separate? I’m not 100% sure, just a guess. I hope they turn out better next time.
Kindest regards, Jordan.
Hi, is there an alternative to the almond meal? I have an intolerance to almonds.
Hi Heather, you can try hazelnut meal 🙂
Is there an alternative to using the almond meal? I have an intolerance to nuts.
Not that we have tried yet Heather. However, you could try and experiment with adding in more Buckwheat flour and perhaps a bit of tapioca or arrowroot too until you get the right consistency.