Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My irresistible Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Recipe will make Easter (or any day!) extra special. This rich and deeply chocolatey variation on the classic hot cross bun is a unique baked treat. With lightly sweetened chocolate dough, melty bittersweet chunks, and fluffy cocoa icing, these are just as dreamy as any goody in the Easter basket!

• Quick prep! This dough comes together in a flash.
• A yummy Easter surprise: This triple-chocolate treat is holiday-special.
• No machine necessary: No mixer, no problem. You can easily mix and knead the dough by hand.
• Deliciously memorable: Odds are your family and friends have never had anything like these chocolate hot cross buns (you’d be hard-pressed to find them in a bakery or grocery store!).

Easter always brings back sweet memories for me. Sure, we had plenty of chocolate eggs, but what I really looked forward to were hot cross buns—only available around this time of year. Seeing them pop up in bakeries and supermarkets was a sign that the holiday was near. While I love the traditional raisin-filled buns, the idea of a rich, chocolatey version was too tempting to resist! This recipe keeps things simple, even during the holiday rush. The yeast dough is straightforward and mostly hands-off. Just keep in mind that the cocoa and chocolate chunks make the dough heavier than a typical bread or roll, so it takes longer to proof. Be patient—let it rise fully before baking for the best results. The wait is well worth it when you bite into these soft, chocolate-studded buns with their irresistible cocoa icing!

These tender, perfectly flavored Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are delectable, and I promise they’ll become a holiday tradition along with my traditional Hot Cross Buns Recipe, my Best Carrot Cake Recipe, and Cupcakes for Spring!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 4/10/2025, to include a NEW STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video.

Table of Contents

• What are Chocolate Hot Cross Buns?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Easter Recipes

What are Chocolate Hot Cross Buns?

• My Chocolate Hot Cross Recipe yields pull-apart rolls made with sweetened yeast dough. My recipe reimagines the traditional spiced (often with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves), raisin-filled, vanilla-iced hot cross bun by using cocoa dough, bittersweet chocolate chunks, and chocolate icing.
• The deep but not overly sweet chocolate flavor in the dough comes from cocoa powder, and espresso powder intensifies and enhances the cocoa.
• Buns embellished with a cross on top and made specially for the Easter season have been traced to medieval England. A monk baked buns with a cross on top to represent the crucifixion and handed them out to the people in need on Good Friday. Over the centuries, hot cross buns became associated with Easter, and my creative variation retains the original spirit while adding new flavors.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Sieve
• Stand mixer (optional)
• Wooden spoon
• Cling wrap
• Tea towel
• 9×13-inch (22x33cm) baking pan
• Pastry brush
• Wire rack
• Whisk
• Piping bag with a small tip

Key Ingredients and Why

Bread flour

• Bread flour, with a protein content of 11-14%, gives this enriched dough enough gluten to form a strong structure and chew while still yielding soft and tender buns.
• Substitution: If you only have all-purpose flour, you can use it, but make the following adjustments in the recipe:
  • If you use all-purpose flour, you may need a tablespoon or two less liquid. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind while alternating the recipe: Note to hold back some liquid by using up to three-quarters of the amount at first and then adjust it accordingly to get the same consistency as described in the recipe.
  • All-purpose flour has less protein than bread flour, so kneading the dough for an extra two or three minutes is necessary to develop the gluten.
  • Note that the chocolate buns made with AP flour won’t have the same texture as buns made with the original recipe.

Unsweetened cocoa powder

• In the dough: 
  • Cocoa powder is pure chocolate with most of the cocoa butter removed. It adds robust chocolate flavor to the hot cross buns.
  • Be sure to use high-quality unsweetened cocoa for the most intense, rich taste.
• In the icing: 
  • Cocoa powder gives the icing a chocolatey flavor while keeping the texture fluffy and light.

Instant espresso powder

• Instant espresso powder enhances the cocoa flavor but doesn’t make the buns taste like coffee.
• Substitution: You can use instant dark-roast coffee powder instead.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors of the hot cross buns.
• Importantly, salt also strengthens the gluten, contributing to the chewy texture.

Butter

• Butter contributes to the buns’ moisture, helping keep them soft and tender.
• Make sure your butter is softened correctly. Specifically, you’ll know it’s soft enough when you push the butter and your finger makes an indent, but it doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Substitutions:
  • In place of the butter, you can use solid coconut oil.
    • Use three-quarters of the amount of solid coconut oil instead of the butter (2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon).
  • You can also use Greek yogurt in place of the butter (2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon).
    • Use three-quarters of the amount of Greek yogurt in place of the butter (2 tbsp plus 3/4 teaspoon).
  • Note that the buns made with a butter substitute may differ in taste and texture from buns made from the original recipe.

Granulated sugar

• Sugar feeds yeast in the dough. This creates carbon dioxide gas, which makes the dough rise.
• Sugar attracts and holds moisture, which helps keep the buns moist.
• Substitution: You can use the same amount of brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar. Note that buns made with brown sugar might be softer and darker in color compared to buns made with granulated sugar.

Instant dried yeast

• Instant yeast is my preference here because it doesn’t require sponging and gives a quicker, more efficient rise than active dry yeast.
• Be sure to mix instant yeast with flour first to avoid direct contact with salt, which could deactivate the yeast.
• Substitution: You can use active dry yeast instead.
  • For every teaspoon of instant yeast in the recipe, use 1 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast.
  • Bring the liquid in your recipe to blood temperature (when you put your finger in the water, it should feel neither hot nor cold), and mix in the active dry yeast.
  • Let it sit at room temperature for roughly 5 minutes until foam forms on top.
  • Mix with the remaining ingredients and continue per the instructions.

Milk

• In the dough: 
  • Milk adds rich flavor and subtle sweetness.
  • Milk contributes to a soft crumb.
  • Use lukewarm milk here.
• In the icing:
  • Milk binds with the powdered sugar and cocoa, creating a creamy, fluffy icing.

Egg

• In the dough:
  • The egg enriches the dough, making the buns plush and more flavorful.
  • For best results, use room-temperature eggs. Here are my easy tips to warm up eggs right from the fridge.
• In the egg wash:
  • One egg mixed with a tablespoon of milk gives the crust an attractive golden shine.

Chopped bittersweet chocolate

• Chopped bittersweet chocolate adds wonderful intensity and lovely melty texture.
• Bittersweet chocolate has 63-72% chocolate solids, giving it profound flavor.
• Our Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate breaks down the different varieties of chocolate and teaches you what works best in different recipes.
• Substitutions: Use dark chocolate or milk choc chips or bittersweet chocolate chips.

Honey

• Honey is brushed on the freshly baked buns to give them a sweet, glossy coating.
• Substitution: If you prefer, brush on an equal amount of golden syrup or warmed (in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop) strained orange marmalade or apricot jam.

Powdered sugar

• Powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ or icing sugar) sweetens the icing and gives it a thick, smooth texture that’s easy to pipe.
• Learn how easy it is to make your own powdered sugar!

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract brings out the other flavors in the icing and adds a warm floral note.
• Substitution: Use the same amount of Vanilla Bean Paste if you prefer.

How to Make Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Make the dough

1. Sift together dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Then rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture is the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and yeast.
2. Mix wet ingredients: In a medium jug, beat the warm milk and egg together, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir together to form a soft, pliable dough.

3. Add chocolate and knead: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle on the chocolate, and then knead the dough lightly for about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic with chocolate chunks throughout. (You can also knead with a dough hook in the bowl of a stand mixer.)

4. Bulk fermentation: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling wrap and a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for about 1 ½ to 2 hours to proof, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Shape the dough

5. Divide and shape: Turn the proofed dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal portions, roughly 3 ½ oz (100 g) each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.

6. Final proof: Brush a 9×13-inch (22x33cm) baking tray with butter. Arrange the buns in the pan in four rows of three. Cover with cling wrap and a tea towel and return to a warm spot to proof for about another 60 to 90 minutes or until the rolls have doubled and come together.

7. Prepare to bake: Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the buns with egg wash.

Bake the buns

8. Bake and cool: Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with a little warmed honey, then set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost the buns

9. Make the icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon milk, and vanilla extract until smooth but stiff enough to hold its shape. If it is too firm to pipe, add more milk, a few drops at a time, until you have a smooth but stiff consistency.
10. Pipe: Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a small tip and carefully pipe a cross on each bun. Set aside until the icing sets, about 30 minutes.

FULL WRITTEN (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Keep the dough cool: If your kitchen is warm or your hands tend to be hot, work in the chopped chocolate in the last minute of kneading the dough to keep the chocolate from melting.
• Be patient: This is a heavy dough, and it can take a bit longer to rise than other doughs. Be sure to plan for this time – it is worth the wait!
• Brush immediately: Be sure to brush the buns with honey while they are still hot to give them a nice, smooth finish.
• Cool before icing: Don’t ice the buns until they are completely cool, or the icing may melt on them.
• Check out the original: Be sure to check out our recipe for classic hot cross buns, too!

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make ahead tips:
  • Prepare the dough and arrange the balls in the buttered baking pan as directed in the recipe.
  • Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day.
  • Remove from the fridge and let the bus rise for two to three hours before baking.
• How to store leftovers:
  • Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
  • For more extended storage, freeze for up to two months.
  • I suggest wrapping each bun individually in parchment paper. Place in a resealable bag in the freezer.
  • To serve, thaw the bun(s) at room temperature for two hours and reheat by warming in an oven or toaster oven.

Can I add other mix-ins to this easy hot cross buns recipe?

• Yes, you can add other mix-ins to this easy hot cross buns recipe. Try the following in place of some or all of the chopped bittersweet chocolate:
  • Chopped milk or semisweet chocolate
  • Dried cranberries and orange zest
  • Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
  • Chopped caramel bits
• Additionally, you can add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.

FAQs

How do I make sure these chocolate hot cross buns are perfectly light and fluffy?

• Before baking, make sure your yeast is fresh and hasn’t expired.
• Avoid direct contact with salt by mixing it with flour first so it won’t get deactivated.
• Knead the dough for the full eight to ten minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• The dough needs to proof in a warm area. If your oven has a “proof” setting, that’s the perfect spot.
  • If your oven does not have a proof setting, try this:
    • Preheat the oven until warm, and then turn the oven off.
    • Fill a pan with boiling water and place on the bottom rack.
    • Place the covered dough bowl on the rack above the water.
    • Proof until the dough doubles in size.

Can I make these chocolate buns without an egg?

• Yes, you can make these chocolate buns without an egg. In this recipe, egg helps emulsify the dough and contributes to the buns’ soft texture. It’s also used to make egg wash that gives the buns a shiny finish.
  • Good substitutes for the egg in the dough would be a  1/4 cup of yogurt or a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water).
  • Instead of the egg wash, use milk or melted butter.
• For more information, see my post, 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes and How to Use Them.

How can I pipe crosses if I don’t have a pastry bag?

• A pastry bag will give you the most control and the neatest crosses, but there are other alternatives:
  • Use a plastic storage bag. After you fill it, snip off a tiny bit of one corner to make a hole.
  • If you have a squeeze bottle, that will work perfectly.
  • Use a small spoon or butter knife to form the crosses.

How do I serve Chocolate Hot Cross Buns?

• These chocolate buns are flavorful as is, but they’re also delicious spread with butter, Strawberry Compound Butter, Vanilla Bean Compound Butter, or Strawberry Jam.

More Easter Recipes

• Chocolate Easter Eggs
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake Roll
• Traditional Italian Easter Bread
• Simnel Cake (Easter Fruitcake)
• Lemon Meringue Cake

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 4/10/2025, to include a NEW STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video.

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