Homemade, healthier, low carb hot cross buns with Australian Macadamias and dark chocolate crosses!
The smell of these baking in the oven will bring your home alive with the flavours of Easter.
Made with wholefood ingredients, this recipe is gluten free and dairy free. Sweetened naturally with orange juice and pure maple syrup this recipe is refined sugar free.
For a vegan friendly, nut free and allergy friendly version see our recipe for Allergy Friendly Hot Cross Buns.
Watch the Video:
Make the Recipe:
The recipe uses dark chocolate chips but you can also add your own touch with dried fruit or chopped dates for extra sweetness.
Low Carb Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups almond meal
- 5 tbsp psyllium husk
- 3 tsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 200 ml hot water
- 6 egg whites
- 6 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g dark chocolate chopped
- 1/3 cup Australian macadamias chopped
Chocolate Crosses
- 50 g dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp macadamia nut butter
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180’C. Line a baking tray.
- In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
- In a separate mixing bowl whisk egg whites until frothy. Add in orange juice, maple syrup, orange zest and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Pour hot water into dry ingredients and mix through. Stir in wet mixture and combine.
- Fold through chocolate chips and macadamias.
- Shape dough into 6 buns. Mixture will be wet so work quickly and use floured hands (coconut flour) to assist.
- Place buns onto baking tray slightly touching each other.
- Bake in oven for 25- 30 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through.
- Allow to completely cool.
- Once buns are cool, melt dark chocolate with macadamia nut butter. Spoon into a piping bag and make crosses on top of buns.
- Store in fridge to set chocolate and until ready to eat.
Notes
- Add chopped dates or organic dried fruit
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This recipe was custom created by nutritionist and recipe developer Casey-Lee Lyons for Australian Macadamias.
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What flour could I substitute for the almond meal?
You can use sunflower seed meal (sunflower kernels ground in a blender to texture that resembles almond meal). You could also use tirgernut flour (nut free). Hope this helps!
What can I use in replacement of the egg whites to make it vegan?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t used an egg replacement for this exact recipe however I have an alternative vegan friendly hot cross bun recipe on the website here: https://livelovenourish.com.au/recipe/hot-cross-buns-gluten-dairy-nut-free-vegan/
I don’t have psyllium husk in my pantry. What can I use instead?
The psyllium does help to give the buns a stretchier dough but you could use additional almond meal instead. It will just be a litle more dense without psyllium but still will be ok. Hope you love the recipe 🙂
Hi Casey-Lee – could I use banana flour instead of the coconut flour? trying to avoid shop trips!
Hi Emma!Whilst they are both gluten free, banana flour and coconut flour do have different baking qualities. Coconut flour absorbs alot of liquid. You could try using banana flour + 3 tsp extra almond meal to help balance moisture! Let me know how you go 🙂
I dont have orange juice.. what could I sub?
You can use any other liquid, just the orange juice gives more of a citrus flavour and a sweeter result. Instead of orange juice you could use coconut water, apple juice or another liquid with a sweetness. I would add some zest of lemon or orange for citrus flavour.
These are great!!!!
I’ll need to experiment a bit with how long to leave in oven. Potentially needed longer than 30 mins.
More than willing to try the recipe out several + times to find right timing. Flavour and texture is spot on in my opinion
So glad you like the recipe! Thank you so much for making them. Depending on your oven may need 35-40 but make sure you allow them to cool before cutting 🙂
ahhhh, I didn’t allow to cool.. ok, thanks
No prob. 🙂
I didn’t have chocolate so made mine with dried cranberries and sultanas.. yum yum
YUM! Great idea! I have also made these with chopped dates which is also delicious 🙂
Hi Casey-Lee
Is there anything I could use to replace the egg whites in this recipe?
Thanks
I’m so sorry I haven’t tried this recipe without egg whites before as they do help to bind. Is it just egg whites you can’t have? Can you have yolks?
Could you use aquafaba instead of egg whites. Just a thought.
Hi there. I haven’t tried this swap before however I’m hopeful that whipped aquafaba could work and bind the ingredients.