Vegan Hot Cross Scones

Hot cross buns have always been a pre-Easter staple in my house. For those who don't know, hot cross buns are sweet, yeasted rolls that are packed with dried fruit and topped or etched with a cross pattern. Hot cross buns are primarily associated with Christianity and carry a lot of symbolism. For more hot cross bun lore, check out this Smithsonian article. 

At the beginning of the week, I wanted to make a traditional hot cross bun recipe. But then I thought, why not make them vegan? and super fast and easy? So, I started searching for quick and easy vegan recipes that would compliment the spices and dried fruit that are typical of hot cross buns. Since my vegan plum scones recipe is so versatile and so popular, I decided to adapt that recipe for these vegan scones.  

For the fruit in these scones, I used a combination of raisins, dried cranberries and currants, but feel free to use any type of dried fruit. For the cross on top, some hot cross bun recipes call for icing, while others use a plain dough to etch the cross into the top. I didn't want to make these scones any sweeter than they need to be, so I decided to go the etching route. If you'd rather, you can use icing or skip the cross altogether. 

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 8 large scones

ingredients

Scones

• 2/3 cup mixed dried fruit (I used raisins, dried cranberries and currants)

• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice from about 1/2 a large orange

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup white spelt flour (or sub more all-purpose)

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping

• 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 1/2 a large orange

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature

• 1/4 cup aquafaba

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond, cashew or other mild nut milk

Cross

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tablespoons water

Glaze

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine dried fruits and orange juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or lid and microwave for about 20 seconds, or until the fruits have absorbed most of the juice. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, sugar, orange zest, salt and spices. Add the coconut oil to the bowl and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture. The texture should resemble damp sand when fully combined.

3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, use a fork to whip up the aquafaba until bubbly. Add almond milk and whisk with the fork to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and use a spatula to fold together until almost combined. Add in the dried fruit mixture and give the batter a few more folds, being careful not to overmix.

4. Pour out the batter onto a well-floured flat surface. Lightly pat down until the batter is just over an inch in height. Use a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter to cut the dough into circles. Carefully transfer each scone to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine the scraps and cut out more scones. 

5. To make the cross, knead together 1/4 cup flour with about 1 1/2 tablespoons water to make a smooth dough. Roll out the dough into a long rope about 1 cm wide. Cut the rope in half, then in half again, repeating until you have enough pieces of rope to cross each scone (if you are making 8 scones, you should have 16 sections of rope). 

6. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons sugar onto the scones. Then, stretch and flatten the rope pieces in a cross pattern over the tops and edges of the scones, keeping in mind that the ropes will shrink slightly when baked. Bake the scones for 22-27 minutes, or until golden brown. 

7. When the scones are almost done, combine 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar in a small bowl. When the scones are done, brush the tops with the glaze and eat up!

Sustainability Tips

• Dried fruit: Look for organic fruits that were locally grown and dried. Buying organically and locally will ensure that your dried fruits don't contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.

• Orange zest and juice: Make sure oranges are in season when you make this dish (late winter to early spring is perfect). This will make it easier to buy organically and as locally as possible. Buying organically and locally will ensure that your produce doesn't contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.

• Flour: I like to buy King Arthur Flour brand because King Arthur Flour is a B Corp. That means that they're held to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could find a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.

• Coconut oil: Fair trade coconut oil is your best bet here because it means your oil was produced ethically and sustainably. Extra, extra read all about it in my sustainable oils post!