Lotus Biscoff Hot Cross Buns

Name: Lotus Biscoff Hot Cross Buns
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 28 min
Ingredients: 380 gm Warm milk; 14 gm Yeast; 60 gm Castor sugar; 600 gm Flour; 80 gm Butter (cold); 120 gm Dried fruit (hydrated in water or rum); 1 Egg; 1 tsp Cinnamon powder; 1 tsp All spice powder; 1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder; 1 tsp Salt; 50 gm Flour; 50 gm Water; 1 Egg (egg wash); 1/2 jar Lotus Biscoff spread; 3 tbsp Honey

Fluffy and soft hot cross buns stuffed with crunchy and creamy Lotus Biscoff spread. This is my go to hot cross bun repine that is simple to make and very delicious perfect in time for Easter.

I am a hot cross bun lover. IYKYK. In saying this, I have not been a huge Lotus Biscoff fan. In fact this is my first recipe on the blog using Lotus Biscoff. It is such a popular flavor in desserts and sweet treat recipes. When I saw the lotus hot cross buns all over TikTok I was blown away at the number of people who were merely making hot cross buns for the FIRST time only to make it with Lotus Biscoff. Your girl had to give it a go, what with being a hot cross bun connoisseur and everything.

Having said this, I must admit I AM A LOVER of Lotus Biscoff now but I love the crunchy spread the most. From everything that is my favorite go to product. So all I did was use my Worlds Best Hot Cross Bun recipe but adjusted the spices to highlight this creamy and delicious spread, then filled each bun with the Lotus Biscoff and served them warm. Many might say it is a hack to upgrade hot cross buns and I would agree with those people. These are definitely some of the best I have eaten and they seemed very fancy not to mention are extremely simple to make. Before we get into it, let us first understand what the heck is Lotus Biscoff and what is the hype around it?

What are hot cross buns?

Hot cross buns mark the end of the Christian season of lent. The bun itself has many meanings depending on the country you come from. Some say the cross depicts the crucifixion of Jesus, while the spices inside signify the spices used to embalm him during the burial. There are many stories on why it signifies however we will not get into every story/belief.

What is Lotus Biscoff spread?

Lotus Biscoff is a cookie with a surprisingly crunchy bite, particularly special shape and distinctive flavor (according to its website). It is a Belgian product and are considered to be a shortbread like biscuit with a buttery and crumbly texture. They do have a hint of spice in them as well making them very distinct in flavor.

What is Lotus Biscoff flavor?

The cookie has a unique caramelized taste is definitely a winner which is what created the Lotus Biscoff spread in the first place. The spices add a delicious taste to the cookie/biscuit and it makes for a simple tea snack.

What are the uses of Lotus Biscoff spread?

Today people make Lotus Biscoff spread desserts, snack, breakfasts etc. it is a very popular sweet treat flavor. You can have the biscuits with milk or coffee but the spread can be had with toast, in yogurt, over ice cream, as a cake filling or in your frostings for cupcakes etc. The uses are endless.

Why is it called Lotus Biscoff?

In 1932, a Belgian baked named Jan Boone Sr. created a caramelized cookie with natural ingredients and named it lotus to symbolize its purity, according to their official website.

What are Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns?

Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns as basically hot cross buns flavored with similar spices to the biscuit lotus and stuffed with a crunchy Lotus Biscoff spread. As the spread is piped into the buns while still warm the inside is molten while the buns are buttery and fluffy.

What ingredients do you need to make these Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns?

To make these hot cross buns we need all purpose flour, sugar, instant yeast, salt, butter, milk and egg. Additionally we add a mixture of spices such as cinnamon powder, all spice powder, nutmeg powder and we add a mixture of dried fruit such as golden raisins, black raisins, fruit peel, chopped dates and apricots. I like to give the buns an egg wash before baking. A good brush of honey after baking gives it that glossy and sticky bun look. You will need oil to help roll the dough into buns, this helps it from sticking. Once baked we stuff it with Lotus Biscoff spread, I used crunchy as I love it.

What equipment do you need to make these Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns?

We need a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon or your hands to mix the dough together. Cling film to cover the dough. A baking tray and baking paper to line the try. A dough scraper would really help with cutting and handling the dough. If you do not have a scrapper you can use a rubber spatula to help with that. I have used a piping bag to fill the buns once baked with a large round tip nozzle.

What substitutes can you use to make these Lotus Biscofff hot cross buns?

Flour –

I have made these buns with all purpose flour, self raising flour and bread flour. I have tried making them with half whole meal flour and half all purpose flour – the result is a little denser bun but they taste delicious.

Eggless –

To keep these buns eggless you can swap the egg in the dough for 30 ml extra milk. As for the egg wash you can use whipping cream instead but you wont get that deep dark golden color once baked.

Butter –

Any butter works here, a vegan butter spread works well too.

Sugar –

I’ve used granulated white sugar to make this recipe but you can use brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar as well.

Milk –

I have made this recipe with full fat milk but you can use vegan mylks as well. I have tried making this recipe with water and it works but the flavor is not as rich as it is with milk.

Spices –

I love the addition of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg powder here to enhance the Lotus Biscoff flavor. But you can use any spices you like or leave them out entirely. A little vanilla gives it a more dessert vibe.

Yeast –

You need this to make the recipe. I have used instant yeast as it works faster but active dry yeast also works absolutely fine. If you are using fresh yeast, use half the amount suggested in the recipe.

Honey –

If you don’t like the taste of honey brush the hot buns with marmalade or apricot jam as well.

Fruit –

I have used a combination of dry fruits like raisins, sultanas, dates, apricots, cranberries and mixed peel. You can use any mixture of dry fruits you prefer. Sometimes I like adding a few chocolate chips into the dough as well.

How to make these Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns?

If your dried fruits are hard hydrate them in a little warm water for a few minutes before starting. We start by blooming the yeast in a small bowl with warm milk and sugar. Stir and set aside for 10 mins until frothy. In a large mixing bowl add the flour and butter, rub them together until they resemble fine bread crumbs. Add the softened dry fruits into the bowl with the salt, spice and distribute evenly. Add the egg and milk yeast mixture. Mix everything together until combined and no dry pockets. The dough will be sticky and that’s perfect. Clean your hands using the scraper and add olive onto your hands and the dough. Using the scrapper bring it together and briefly shape with your hands, you could use a rubber spatula as well. Place the dough into the oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for over an hour until doubled in volume.

After the dough has risen, remove the covering and oil your hands well before knocking the dough back. Transfer to a clean work surface and bang the dough onto the surface multiple times until it is smooth and not sticky. As and when required add more oil on your hands or the surface to avoid it from sticking. Portion the dough into 14 pieces (or 8 larger buns), roll the dough into balls and transfer to the baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise for 15 – 20 mins until they are bigger.

At this time, preheat the oven to 180℃. Let us make the mixture for the crosses, mix the flour and water together until combined, transfer to a piping bag. Once the buns have risen, brush them with an egg wash and pipe them with the cross mixture. Bake them for 25-28 mins. They will be done when they are golden and risen, they will also have a hollow sound if you tap them. They will have a crust while they are hot. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and spoon the Lotus Biscoff spread into it. Flip the buns upside down, make hole into the bottom of the buns with a knife and pipe the Lotus Biscoff spread into each bun (I used half a jar for 14 buns but you can add as much or as little as you prefer). Brush them with honey while still warm and serve immediately.

Serving and storing these Lotus Biscofff hot cross buns?

There is no wrong way to serve these hot cross buns with scoff spread but I love them with milk or coffee. Sometimes I also like to serve them with a little whipped cream and crushed lotus biscuits as well. Either way they are yummy on their own as well. To store these hot cross buns I would recommend transferring the leftovers into zip lock bags and place them in the fridge for a couple of days. If you are storing them longer, place in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. When ready to serve let them defrost and warm them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until soft and warmed through.

Looking for more hot cross bun recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this Lotus Biscoff hot cross buns, you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.