Making hot cross buns is incredibly easy with this Chocolate Hot Cross Buns recipe. Filled with chocolate chips plus cocoa in the dough, your family will be coming back for more.
Oh boy, I love Hot Cross Buns. Every year I hold out until just before Easter before I buy a pack and eat them for breakfast every day. Slathered in salty butter. Yum! It’s only in the last few years that I’ve branched out from the classic fruit flavour to Chocolate Hot Cross Buns.
Aaaaaand I have the best Hot Cross Buns recipe to share with you. The dough is easy to make and truly fool-proof which I need if I’m making bread. Last year I made these White Chocolate Cranberry Hot Cross Buns using the same recipe and you can check out just how fool-proof it is there. As long as the yeast is fresh and you don’t overheat it, you simply cannot mess this up.
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Chocolate with a hint of spice
This year, I decided to turn it into a Chocolate Hot Cross Buns recipe and I love these even more than the originals. The chocolate flavour comes from two ingredients – the cocoa in the bread dough itself and the chocolate chips. Yes, chocolate chips that, when you take these hot cross buns out of the oven are all oozy and gooey and perfect. Perfect for slathering butter all over and watching it melt in.
These Chocolate Hot Cross Buns have a hint of cinnamon and allspice too. The sweet spices land them fair and square in the Hot Cross Buns world and you’ll know the second you take a bite that it’s Easter time.
And this brings me to another reason I love Easter. Aside from the fact that I have an excuse to eat more chocolate, I now have an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast. Yessssss! My life is complete.
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Tips and tricks for making hot cross buns;
Working with yeast does require a little care. Yeast needs a tepid – warm mixture to bloom properly. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast. Too cold and it will take far too long to rise, although not impossible.
- Don’t overheat the milk at the start. You add it to melted butter over low heat until it just starts to steam. Now you cool it just slightly by adding the remaining milk, then add the yeast.
- Adding the sugar at this stage too will assist the yeast in doing it’s thang. Sugar is food for yeast.
- There are a few different types of yeast out there. I use instant dried yeast in this recipe but you can substitute for active dry yeast in the same quantity. It can be purchased in tubs so you can scoop out what you need or you’ll often find it prepacked in 7g (2 ¼ teaspoon) lots. Also, instant yeast will make bread rise more quickly than active dry yeast.
- Make sure the yeast is fresh. Don’t use yeast that’s been banging around your pantry for years. If you buy yeast and won’t use it all quickly, you can freeze it for up to a year.
Have you tried this recipe? Rate it below or comment with any questions or thoughts.
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Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients
- 57 g (1/4 cup / 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 300 ml (10 floz) milk
- 520 g (4 cups / 18.5oz) plain (all purp) flour
- 1/3 cup (35g / 1.5oz) cocoa
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 sachets / 7g) instant yeast
- 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (200g / 7oz) chocolate chips
To top
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 tablespoon plain (all purp) flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (50ml) water (notes)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and half the milk together. Add the remaining cold milk to cool it down a bit and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, add the flour, cocoa, yeast, sugar, cinnamon and all spice and give it a mix together.
- Pour in the warm milk mixture (make sure it's just warm and not hot) and vanilla. Give a slight mix then add the egg. Beat on low for around 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. You can also knead the mixture by hand until smooth and elastic if preferred.
- Brush a large bowl lightly with vegetable oil, then add the dough. Flip the dough once so it is oiled all over. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Gently knead in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Don’t knead for too long.
- Shape into a ball of dough. Cut the ball in 6 even pieces, then cut each of those pieces in half.
- Line the base of a casserole dish or large baking tin with baking paper and lightly oil the sides.
- Shape each piece of dough into a small ball and sit them side by side in the prepared dish (they should be just touching). Allow to rise for another hour or until doubled in size again.
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / 180C fan forced
- Brush the tops of the buns with the beaten egg
- Mix together the cocoa, flour and water and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe crosses over the top of the buns (you can do this by piping 1 long line across the tops of a line of buns, then repeat until they all have a cross).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until shiny and crisp on top.
- Serve warm, with butter
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspooons worldwide)
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
…and I’m the recipe developer, cook, photographer, and author behind Sugar Salt Magic. I’m also mum to 3 amazing fur babies and wife to the most amazing man in the world. Life is good. I love food and creating easy (mainly sweet) recipes that I can share with you. I’d love you to join along in my journey so sit back, relax and have a look around for some yum that you can feed your friends and family with. 
I think I’ve made hot cross buns only once. I cannot say this is my kind of baking (I prefer either savory or sweet with lots of filling things). But those chocolate buns look fantastic, and I’d definitely grab few with some butter. Love the addition of chocolate chips too.
Thanks Ben 🙂
You mentioned not to let yeast come into direct contact with salt however salt was not included in the ingredients list. Am I mistaken?
My apologies Ririyen, just force of habit adding that note. There is no salt in this recipe, so I’ve removed that note now.
Hi, can I replace grinded coffee granules for cocoa powder? Thank you!
Hello, there is no coffee in this recipe. Have you mixed it up with another recipe?
I made these and they are amazing. I took your advice and weighed all dry ingredients. I only had salted butter, so I started my yeast with some sugar in a cup before I added it to the other wet ingredients. These are better than my favorite food…bagels.
Thanks so much Melissa, I’m so happy you love them 🙂
Hi Marie!
Just wondering if it would work to substitute the AP flour with bread/pizza flour? Would I need to change the quantity?
Thanks!
Hello Lachlan, you could but it will give a chewier end result and may turn out not so light and fluffy. The quantity would be the same though.
This was such a success! So fluffy! First time baking hcb’s and I’m hooked. Hubby says they’re way better than store bought. Would like to try with spelt flour next 👍 thank you
Excellent. I’m so happy you and hubby loved them Justine. I’d love to hear how the spelt flour version turn out too and send me a pic if you can 🙂
I would like to make only 6 buns, do i halve all ingredients, including the egg ie 1/2 egg only? thank you!
I haven’t tested these in a half quantity but I believe it would work fine. The best way to halve the egg would be to weigh it out. Please let me know how they go.
Excellent recipe, thanks so much made them today – your tips were spot on.
Thanks so much, Des. So happy you loved them 🙂
These are the best hot cross buns I have evey made. They rose so well, which is something I always find a challenge. The only thing I would add next time would be a pinch of salt into the recipe. Jsut to help to bring out all the flavours.
Simply the best
Thanks so much Michelle. I’m so happy you loved them.
Thanks for the recipe. Just letting you know it did not specify when to add in the other half of caster sugar. As a non-baker, this meant that mine were a little bitter!
My apologies, Courtney and thank you for letting me know. I have updated the recipe now to include the remaining sugar.
Came out well but was a bit too sweet for our liking
Thanks Kirk, hot cross buns are generally a sweet bread but thank you for trying them and for your feedback 🙂
Hi there. Is like to make this today. I only have salted butter… How do I go about making sure it doesn’t effect the yeast? Thanks
Hi Shelley, for the amount used in this recipe, the salt won’t likely affect the yeast. However, I have adjusted the method in this recipe to match my other hot cross buns recipe as instant and active dry yeast don’t really need to activate in warm milk first anyway. Update your browser and you should see the updated, simplified steps now.
Love the recipe.
Thanks for sharing… it was so yummy, will do this again😊.
I tried with a nice teaspoon of Nutella in each bun… it was a hit. Lol
Thanks so much Sheri, so happy you loved it 🙂
Best buns ever.. super soft and delicious
Thanks so much Bids, I’m so happy you loved them. If you have a moment, I’d love if you could give it a star rating too 🙂
im a bit confused with the recipe do we add the yeast to the warm milk and butter recipe then add the sugar to the milk then add it together with rest of ingredients or do you add all the dry ingredients including the yeast to the te bowl then add the milk mmixture
Hello Maya, no just the butter and milk together as per step 1. The yeast goes directly into the bowl with the flour, per step 2.
Tried this recipe today, and as usual, the instructions were perfect. The house smelled divine while cooking and have been devoured. I won’t be buying store-bought ones ever again. I am bookmarking this recipe as a family favourite. While I didn’t create the cross to finish off the buns, the family were not fussed with their “Chocolate Hot Buns” Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much Melissa, you made my day. I’m so happy your’ family loved your crossless chocolate buns 🙂
The instructions were perfect and very considerate! My little boys love hot cross buns all year around and found this to be a perfect way to keep baking them at home. They turned out perfect. Thank you!
This makes me so happy to hear. Thank you Gai 🙂