Hot Cross Bunnies

Hot Cross Bunnies

cute bread rolls

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 35m
Cook Time: 15m
Total Time: 2h 50m
Temp.: 350 °F
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (8 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For bunny faces:

Nutritional Information

161
calories
3.5g
fat
27.8g
carbohydrates
4.2g
protein
30mg
cholesterol
102mg
sodium
Hot Cross Bunnies

Recipe Description

These Hot Cross Bunnies are a cute addition to Easter dinner and Easter baskets. My kids love these bunny-shaped buns and ask me to make them every year. Light and airy, these buns are delicious and help make the meal.  

The recipe is easy and fun to make and doesn’t require much effort. My favorite tool to make these buns is a stand mixer. So, there’s no kneading by hand since the stand mixer does all the work for you. Start by making the bread dough and leaving it to proof until doubled in size. Once you have punched the air out, divide the dough up and shape. Let proof for 1 hour and brush with egg wash before baking until golden. Once the buns have cooled, pipe on the eyes and mouth. Simple! Make a batch of these cute bunny buns this year and share with your family and friends. Enjoy!

To make the Hot Cross Bunnies, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Hot Cross Bunnies

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Dissolve yeast

    5 min
    Step 1 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    In a small bowl, add 120 grams warm water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon active dry yeast onto the warm water and let proof.

  2. 2

    Mix dry ingredients

    1 min
    Step 2 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 250 grams bread flour, 30 grams sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

  3. 3

    Make dough

    2 min
    Step 3 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Measure out 1 ½ tablespoons of the whisked egg. Save the remaining egg for egg wash. Whisk 1 ½ tablespoons of the egg into the yeast mixture, then add to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

  4. 4

    Knead

    5 min
    Step 4 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough until it pulls away cleanly from the sides, about 4-6 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add butter

    10 min
    Step 5 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Add 25 grams softened butter and continue to knead for about 10 minutes.

  6. 6

    Proof dough

    1h
    Step 6 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

  7. 7

    Divide dough

    3 min
    Step 7 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down lightly and divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Divide the larger dough ball into 8 equal pieces for the faces. Divide the smaller ball into 16 equal pieces for the ears. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

  8. 8

    Shape faces

    3 min
    Step 8 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll out 8 pieces of dough and bring the edges towards the center, and then tuck into balls. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them enough, as they will rise and spread. Cover the faces with plastic wrap.

  9. 9

    Shape ears

    3 min
    Step 9 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Shape the ears from the remaining 16 pieces. Roll each piece into slight oblong shapes and tuck underneath the faces.

  10. 10

    Proof

    1h
    Step 10 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 1 hour.

  11. 11

    Preheat oven

    Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

  12. 12

    Bake

    15 min
    Step 12 - Hot Cross BunniesStep 12 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  13. 13

    Cool

    Step 13 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely.

  14. 14

    Decorate buns

    3 min
    Step 14 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    In a microwave safe bowl, melt some chocolate. Transfer the chocolate to a plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe on the eyes and an X for a mouth.

  15. 15

    Serve

    Step 15 - Hot Cross Bunnies

    Serve and enjoy!

These Hot Cross Bunnies are great bread rolls for your Easter basket. Soft and fluffy, they will make your dinner extra special. Make a batch of these cuties soon, and please come back to leave a comment below.

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (8 reviews)
Nicolás García
April 25, 2025
Verified

Hice los Hot Cross Bunnies para la cena de Pascua, y mis amigos alucinaron. Son super fáciles de hacer y quedaron riquísimos. ¡Definitivamente los haré cada año!

Lily
February 26, 2025
Verified

Adorable! My kids squealed with joy when they saw these bunny buns on Easter.

Beth Johnson
May 14, 2024
Verified

Adorable! My kids were over the moon when I surprised them with these bunny buns for Easter. The process was so easy, and they turned out just perfect! Can't wait to make them again next year!

Katie
April 25, 2024
Verified

I made these Hot Cross Bunnies for Easter last year and my kids were so excited. They are super easy to make and taste amazing. Definitely a must-try for family gatherings.

Cathy
February 15, 2024
Verified

These Hot Cross Bunnies made our Easter so special. My kids had a blast helping shape the dough. Every year we bake them together, and it's become a sweet tradition in our home that we all cherish. Super easy recipe.

Wendy
June 17, 2023
Verified

J'adore ces Hot Cross Bunnies ! Mes enfants demandent toujours de les faire pour Pâques. C'était si facile à préparer avec mon robot de cuisine. Un vrai régal !

Yusuf Carter
June 17, 2022
Verified

Superb

Athina
April 9, 2022
Verified

Amazing! I love it!

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