Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding for Easter (w/ Vegan custard)



Hi and welcome back to Ria Lives Well!

Tomorrow is Easter, so many of you are searching for Spring recipes to serve on the big day. Well, look no further. I have the perfect, quintessential Easter dessert with a little twist: homemade hot cross buns–that’s the classic part–drenched in a vegan custard to create a pudding–that’s the “Oh my god, no she didn’t!” twist.

While laboring over this dessert, my sister came into the kitchen {never a good thing for morale as I’m cooking or baking}. “You’re making hot cross buns? Psh. That’s like fruit cake on Christmas. Unoriginal.”

See what I have to put up with? My reply: “M’kay. They’re not hot cross buns. They’re vegan-”

“So?”

“-hot cruss buns, and they’re drenched in a vegan custard.”

“So? If you drench fruit cake in a rum sauce, and serve it during Christmas time, that’s still fruit cake during Christmas time. Unoriginal.”

Screw her, I made the buns.

So both the texture and flavor in this vegan dessert were on point. Not only perfect for Easter, but a perfect Sunday dessert when you get the whole family together to enjoy…Sunday. Or is that just my family?

But remember, this pudding is high in calories, so even though you may not want to, eat with discretion. Take after me; rather than eating the entire dish, I’m using my discretion and eating just half of it. Ha. Just kidding. Sort of. But seriously? Discretion, guys. Your body will thank you later.

Thumbs up if you love the smell of fresh citrus perfuming your kitchen

That being said, enjoy every bite of this vegan hot cross bun pudding, because it’s so time intensive that you’ll probably reserve it for special occasions. If anyone knows a store brand for vegan hot cross buns, don’t hold out! Buying the buns pre-made will definitely speed up the process. The only problem? The end result won’t taste as good.

Soooooo. Let’s get to it, shall we? Break this vegan recipe down in sections like I do. Makes the whole process about…1,000x easier. Yeah. 1,000x easier.

Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding:

Inspired by: Wikihow

12 ounces ap flour

1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

1 tablespoon cane sugar + 1/4 cup

6 ounces soy milk (or almond), warmed

1.5 ounces soaked apricots, 1.5 ounces dates (or 3 ounces raisins–which I didn’t have)

3 ounces vegan butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ounce orange zest

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon spice mix (cloves, ginger, all spice, cardamom–whatevs on hand)

3 bananas

Directions:

Add yeast and sugar into a small bowl. Mix. Add milk in measurements, stirring at each measurement.

In a large bowl, add your sifted yeast. Create a well and pour your frothy yeast mix into the well. Add spices, butter, orange zest, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of sugar and dried fruits into a small bowl and mix until combined. Add to your dough and mix until all ingredients are combined.

On a floured surface, knead your dough. It shouldn’t stick. If it does, add more flour. Knead for 10 minutes.

In a clean, oiled bowl, add your dough. Cover and place in a warm area (like a kitchen cabinet) and let it rise for 2 hours. It should double in size.

When dough is ready, give it a good punch. Place it on a floured surface and kneed for another 5 minutes.

Break off about 8 pieces. Mold into rolls. Place rolls in a greased baking dish. Cover with a towel and let it rise for an additional 30 minutes.

Once risen, brush each bun with your glaze {recipe below} and create your crosses {recipe for crosses below}. Set in the oven at 350 deg. F. and bake for 20 minutes. Keep checking to see if the tops/crosses don’t burn.

Vegan hot cross buns w/out the custard and banana filling….

Oh my word. Oh my sweet word. Your kitchen. Will smell. Amaaaaazing while these buns are baking.

Cross Mix:

For the cross on your buns, you will need:

3.5 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon vegan butter (don’t melt it)

water (small amount)

Your dough should look like this prior to adding water. Nice and crumbly…..

Directions:

In a bowl, add your flour, then butter. Work the butter into your flour until crumbly. Add enough water to bind ingredients, forming a dough.

Roll out your dough. Cut thin, even strips {when doing so, think about the crosses on a typical hot cross bun}.

Sugar Glaze:

To brush your buns with a sugar glaze, add:

1 tablespoon cane sugar

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Add water into a pot on low heat. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

Now for the vegan custard. Good god, there’s more? Yup.

Vegan Custard:

Inspired by: Sorted Food

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup coconut milk (from a can)

1 banana, mashedk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Simmer your soy and coconut milk on medium heat.

Mash 1 banana in a large bowl and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix.

Once simmered, pour your hot milk over your banana mix and whisk until smooth.

Is that it?

Almost there, guys.

Vegan Hot Cross Bun Pudding Prep:

Split your baked buns in half horizontally. Generously butter the bottoms. Layer half of them (top down) into a casserole dish.

Chop your remaining two bananas and layer them over your buns.

Add the other half (top side up) over the bananas. Pour your custard all over your buns, making sure to soak the tops.

Bake at 320 deg. F. for 30 minutes.

Layering the buns with bananas……

Oh happy days, we’re done!!!! Do you see what I mean by “time intensive”? But totally worth it. They were sooo good! The butter was a perfect touch, and the vegan custard moistened them up nicely.

P.S. Keep away from pets. As I took my hot cross bun pudding to the backyard, I was assaulted.

~Live Well!