The nostalgia of Arnott's classic coconut, jam and pink icing meets the warming spice of a hot cross bun. Our Iced VoVo hot cross buns aren't just for Easter – they're great for any time of year.

What you need to know before you start

You’ll need to set aside at least a couple of hours to prepare this recipe at home. This includes the time needed to allow the dough to rise (45 minutes-1 hour) and the rolled buns to rest for another 30 minutes. 

The dough comes together quite quickly, thanks to the use of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. This makes light work of mixing, kneading and combining until the dough is smooth and elastic. But if you feel like a workout, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. Other baking essentials like a whisk and a fine mesh sieve will also be used, and you’ll need a 20cm x 30cm slice pan.

Why are these the best ‘Iced VoVo’ hot cross buns?

These aren’t your ordinary hot cross buns. Inspired by the Aussie biscuit, this mash-up combines the classic hot cross bun with the jam and coconut flavours of an Iced VoVo. The yeasted dough creates a fluffy, light bun, which is very addictive, and the stand mixer makes quick work of prep, which means little hands-on cooking time is involved. 

Why are they called hot cross buns?

Synonymous with Easter celebrations, for Christians, the cross on the buns represents the crucification of Jesus. The story goes that in the 14th century, an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross, then distributed them to the poor on Good Friday. Despite their original religious connotations, hot cross buns are now widely enjoyed by people of all backgrounds across Australia. 

What ingredients you’ll need 

Unsalted butter: Butter contributes to the tender crumb of hot cross buns while keeping the buns moist. 

Milk: Milk adds a mild sweetness to the dough while helping to activate the yeast.

Egg: The proteins in eggs help to strengthen the dough and create a stable structure. As the dough rises and bakes, the proteins set, helping to hold the shape of the buns and giving them a soft yet firm texture.

Plain flour: The gluten in flour provides structure and elasticity to the dough, allowing the hot cross buns to rise and maintain their shape during baking.

Rapadura sugar: With its rich, caramel-like taste, rapadura sugar imparts a complex sweetness and contributes to the brown hue of the buns. 

Dried yeast: Dried yeast is a type of leavening agent that helps the dough to rise. 

Desiccated coconut: Desiccated coconut adds a subtle sweet coconut flavour to the hot cross buns with a slightly chewy texture. 

Freeze-dried raspberries: These dried raspberries impart a concentrated tangy sweetness that contributes to the overall Iced VoVo flavour profile. 

Sultanas: Sultanas are a typical ingredient in hot cross buns, adding a burst of sweetness. 

Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon imparts a warm, spicy flavour to give the buns that distinct hot cross bun flavour. 

Pure icing sugar: When combined with raspberry jam, icing sugar is used to create the icing of the buns.

Raspberry jam: Jam adds a vibrant fruit flavour to the icing and contributes to the look of a classic Iced VoVo biscuit. 

How to prepare hot cross buns

Hot cross buns are simple to prepare. Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a stand mixer with the wet ingredients and knead with the dough hook attachment until a dough is formed. Once the dough has rested and doubled in size, divide into smaller pieces and use your hands to shape into buns. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.

There are two crucial steps when working with a yeasted dough. The first is to knead the dough – this is where your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment comes in handy. But you can also do this step by hand. This step is important as it develops the gluten in the dough and will result in light fluffy buns.

The second is to prove the dough. What happens here is the yeast produces carbon dioxide, and the gluten in the dough allows the dough to stretch and capture the gas, creating air bubbles and a light dough. The only tricky part here is choosing the right spot in your kitchen to leave the dough to do its thing. You want a warm spot for the yeast to be active, but not too hot, or in direct sunlight right. If your kitchen is warm, the dough can be left to prove anywhere, as long as it's not in a draught. If your kitchen is cold, a cupboard above the oven is usually a good spot, if your oven is running. Another option is to place it in the oven (with oven off and door closed) with a large baking dish on a rack underneath filled with boiling water.

Once the buns have risen by half, they’re ready to be baked. Allow them to cool before adding the icing so the icing doesn’t melt and drip off the buns. 

How to store ‘Iced VoVo’ hot cross buns

Hot cross buns can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place like your pantry for up to 3 days. To enjoy, simply tear off a bun, or warm it in the oven or toaster before serving with a generous slab of butter. 

If you love our ‘Iced VoVo’ hot cross buns recipe, try this 

Feeding a crowd this Easter? Don’t show up empty-handed – try these impressive starters, mains and desserts that are sure to impress:

• Fish pie
• Barbecued prawns with charred kale and avocado
• 3-ingredient Easter egg brownie