There is nothing more indulgent than making this hot cross bun bread and butter pudding with your leftover or stale hot cross buns this Easter. This is a twist on a classic bread and butter pudding and is warm, spiced and the perfect rich and comforting dessert to share.
I am using my homemade choc chip hot cross buns but you can use any you like to create this delicious dessert. Plus of course, my version is completely dairy free!
I got really excited when making this recipe as it’s one of those ones that is a nod to the old fashioned desserts that I remember from my childhood, but don’t seem to hear about too much now. This is my dairy free version of bread and butter pudding which is a classic English dessert made to use up stale bread by soaking it in a delicious vanilla custard and baking it.
This version using hot cross buns is definitely something you need to put on your must make list this Easter! It’s such a great way to use up any leftover hot cross buns as you actually want to use older, slightly stale buns for this recipe as it’s going to produce a better textured pudding that isn’t too soggy.
Bread and butter pudding is similar to a French toast bake in terms of ingredients, which might be more commonly served for brunch in the US, but this type of pudding is generally served after a roast for a sweet end to a comforting Sunday dinner.
Homemade hot cross buns usually go stale much quicker than store bought ones as they don’t contain any preservatives, so if you do want to have a go at making your own this year, make sure to bookmark this recipe so you know what to do with the leftovers!
Key Ingredients
As usual with everything you can find on this site, I am keeping this hot cross bun bread and butter pudding recipe dairy free so you’ll need a few key ingredients for the best results. I have also outlined any substitutions that I recommend to keep this recipe a little flexible based on what you may have on hand.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Hot cross buns – as mentioned, you don’t want fresh hot cross buns as they can go too soggy when soaked in the custard mixture, so 1-2 day old is best. I am using my choc chip hot cross buns, but you can also use chocolate hot cross buns or classic hot cross buns.
- Dairy free butter – this gets spread onto the buns before they are soaked in the custard mixture. I like to make sure I am using a good quality brand that I like the taste of. I love and always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- Eggs – to create the custard and allow it to set when baked. Eggs are essential to this recipe and I don’t recommend any replacement for them.
- White sugar – this isn’t an overly sweet dessert, so just a little bit is added to the custard.
- Dairy free cream – I love the Flora Thickened Plant Cream which you can get at both Coles and Woolworths, but you can also use an oat based cream or substitute with full fat coconut milk from a can.
- Oat milk – I like oat milk for this recipe as I personally find it to have a neutral taste, but almond milk or soy milk will work just fine.
- Vanilla extract – flavours the custard.
- Cinnamon – while the buns themselves are already spiced, I like to add extra to the custard as I don’t believe there can be too much cinnamon! You can adjust the amount as you like.
- Dark chocolate chips – as I am using choc chip hot cross buns, it makes sense to keep the chocolate theme for this dessert so I add a few more into the pudding. If you like fruit with your buns, then you can also throw in a handful of extra sultanas or raisins.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started, you’ll need to first grab your desired baking dish. This is completely flexible based on what you have. I have used my favourite rectangular STAUB baking dish which is 10.5″ x 7.5″ or approx 20cm x 27cm. It’s the perfect size to fit 6 hot cross buns in. Whatever dish you choose, rectangular, square or round, you just want to make sure you can fit your hot cross buns in a single layer – they can overlap a bit, that’s totally fine.
From here, you can lightly grease the dish with a little dairy free butter, then just split the buns in half and butter the insides of them.
Arrange the hot cross buns in the baking dish, sprinkling a few extra choc chips in the middle of the buns, and then it’s time to mix up the custard.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, white sugar, dairy free cream, oat milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Pour this custard mixture over the hot cross buns in the baking dish and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes (or while you preheat the oven) so that the custard can soak into the buns.
Place the dish into the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the custard is JUST set and the tops of the buns are golden and crispy.
Give the top a dusting of icing sugar if you like and then dig in and serve while hot! This pudding is fine as is, but of course better with a little dairy free vanilla ice cream or in true English style, a drizzle of dairy free cream!
Storage Instructions
I think bread and butter pudding is best served immediately after baking, but for any leftovers you can cover the dish with foil and place in the fridge for 2-3 days.
From there, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave or place the whole dish with the foil on top into a low oven (150°C/300°F) until heated through.
You can remove the foil at the end to ensure the top remains crispy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you’re prepping this to serve after dinner, you can assemble the pudding (including soaking in the custard) and store it in the fridge for a few hours before baking. That way once dinner is done, you can just pop it in the oven so it’s served freshly baked.
Yes! Simply use any gluten free hot cross buns – most supermarket versions work well in this recipe.
You can simply substitute the cream with additional plant-based milk, though the custard may be slightly less rich in taste. For extra creaminess, I suggest substituting the cream with canned coconut milk.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More Easter dessert recipes:
Vegan Carrot Cake
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Rocky Road Cookies
Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
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Equipment
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rectangular baking dish
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mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 6 day-old hot cross buns
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- ½ cup dairy free cream
- 1 ½ cups oat milk or any plant based milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or sultanas / raisins, optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish.
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Slice the hot cross buns in half and spread each cut side with dairy free butter. Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips or sultanas/raisins between the layers, if using.
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Layer the buns in the baking dish, side by side, slightly overlapping if needed.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, white sugar, dairy free cream, oat milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
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Pour the custard over the buns. Press the buns gently into the liquid so they soak it up. Let sit for 10 minutes.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden and slightly crisp.
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Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, and with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream or an extra drizzle of dairy free cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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