Are Hot Cross Buns Vegan? Here’s What To Watch Out For
They are fluffy, sweetly spiced treats that are enjoyed around Easter time, but are hot cross buns vegan? Keep reading to find out!
It’s almost Easter time and you know what that means… Easter food! I am a huge lover of Easter desserts in general but there’s nothing I love more than a good hot cross bun! One question I see being asked by many vegans at this time of year is “Are hot cross buns vegan?” so I thought I’d write a post to answer that.
In case you’ve never tried one before, hot cross buns are fluffy, bread-like buns with a cross on top. They’re usually filled with dried fruits such as raisins, sweet spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and orange zest.
They are somewhat sweet but not quite as sweet as a cake. Think of hot cross buns as a cross between a bread roll and a cinnamon roll! The great thing about them is that you can make them taste more sweet by serving them with jam, or more savoury by serving them with butter.
Are hot cross buns vegan?
Many supermarket hot cross buns are accidentally vegan but this is not always the case. Some ready-made hot cross buns contain eggs and/or dairy, and many homemade recipes call for butter, milk and eggs.
As you’ll see from the list below, ingredients in shop-bought hot cross buns can vary from brand to brand, which will determine whether or not they are vegan.
Hot cross bun ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients in some of the hot cross buns available in UK supermarkets.
Tesco Finest extra fruity hot cross buns
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Orange Soaked Fruits (30%) [Sultanas, Raisins, Currants, Flame Raisin, Concentrated Orange Juice], Water, Mixed Peel [Orange Peel, Lemon Peel), Butter (Milk), Honey (1.5%), Wheat Gluten, Demerara Sugar, Yeast, Mixed Spice, Salt, Buttermilk Powder (Milk), Emulsifiers (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Potato Dextrin, Flavouring, Lemon Zest, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid).
Tesco finest extra fruity hot cross buns are not vegan because of the milk and honey added to them.
Asda bakery hot cross buns
Fortified Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)], Moistened Sultanas (24%) [Sultanas, Water], Water, Sugar, Yeast, Mixed Peel (2%) [Orange, Lemon], Moistened Currants (2%) [Currants, Water], Vegetable Oils and Fat [Rapeseed Oil, Palm Fat, Palm Oil], Invert Sugar Syrup, Wheat Protein, Maize Starch, Emulsifiers (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Salt, Mixed Spices, Soya Flour, Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
Asda bakery hot cross buns are vegan-friendly.
Sainsbury’s fruity hot cross buns
Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Moistened Sultanas (17%) (Sultanas, Water), Water, Moistened Raisins (10%) (Raisins, Water), Invert Sugar Syrup, Yeast, Moistened Chilean Flame Raisins (3%) (Chilean Flame Raisins, Water), Palm Fat, Orange Zest, Lemon Zest, Wheat Gluten, Emulsifier: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Salt, Potato Starch, Rye Flour, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Maize Starch, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Clove Bud Oil, Cassia Oil, Orange Oil, Lemon Grass Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Coriander Seed Oil, Bergamot Oil, Cognac Oil, Balsam Oil, Geranium Oil.
Sainsbury’s fruity hot cross buns are vegan.
Morrisons extra fruity hot cross buns
Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sultanas (22%) Water, Raisins (6%) Currants (6%), Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed, Palm Fat), Butter (Milk), Yeast, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Protein, Salt, Emulsifiers (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono- and Diacetyltartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Spices, Orange Zest, Orange Oil, Flavouring, Acid (Acetic Acid), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Soya Flour
Morrisons extra fruity hot cross buns are not vegan due to the milk added to them.
Waitrose essential hot cross buns
Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), soaked sultanas (19%) (sultanas, water), water, currants (5%) (currants, sunflower oil), yeast, sugar, mixed peel (2%) (orange peel, glucose-fructose syrup, lemon peel, sugar, preservative (potassium sorbate), acidity regulator (citric acid)), dextrose, salt, emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate), potato dextrin, rapeseed oil, mixed spices, palm fat (certified sustainable), wheat gluten, flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid)
Waitrose essential hot cross buns are suitable for vegans.
M&S Luxury hot cross buns
Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Moistened Dried Vine Fruits (33%) (Sultanas, Vostizza Currants, Water), Water, Sugar, Pasteurised Egg (2.5%), Mixed Peel (Orange Peel, Lemon Peel) (2%), Unsalted Butter (Milk) (2%), Rapeseed Oil, Dried Wheat Gluten, Invert Sugar Syrup, Malted Wheat (contains Gluten), Yeast, Salt, Emulsifier: E471, E472e, E470a, Dextrin, Ground Sweet Cinnamon (Cassia), Palm Fat, Flavouring, Ground Coriander Seeds, Wheat Starch (contains Gluten)
M&S luxury hot cross buns are not vegan because they contain milk.
Vegan hot cross buns you can buy from supermarkets
As you can see from the brands I just mentioned, some supermarket hot cross buns are vegan and some are not. Here is a list of all of the accidentally vegan (and intentionally vegan) ones I could find in the UK supermarkets:
Tesco
Asda
- Asda Bakery hot cross buns (and the large ones)
- Asda extra special apple and cinnamon
- Asda extra special blueberry
- Asda free-from
- Asda free-from choc chip
- Asda free-from chilli and cheddar
Morrisons
Waitrose
Aldi
- Village Bakery hot cross buns
- Aldi everyday essentials
- Aldi luxury fruited
- Aldi bramley apple hot cross buns
Sainsbury’s
- Sainsbury’s hot cross buns 6 pack
- Sainsbury’s fruity
- Sainsbury’s be good to yourself
- Sainsbury’s triple berry
- Sainsbury’s apple and cinnamon
- Sainsbury’s blueberry
Ocado & M&S
Cross contamination
It’s important to note that although some of the hot cross buns are accidentally vegan, they may not be suitable for those with milk and/or egg allergies due to cross contamination. It’s best to always check the label for any cross contamination warnings. Alternatively, you can make your own vegan hot cross buns from scratch.
Related posts:
- Vegan Easter egg options
- Vegan Easter treats to buy
- Vegan Easter dessert recipes
- Vegan Easter dinner recipes
Summary
So, are hot cross buns vegan? Vegan hot cross buns do exist- some supermarket brands are accidentally vegan but not all of them are. Be sure to check the labels for ingredients such as milk, honey or eggs. If you have allergies to milk or eggs, always check the packaging for cross contamination warnings.
