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Pimp My Hot Cross Buns | How To Take Your Easter Treat Next Level

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Hot cross buns

It’s that time of year again! Yep, we're talking the time when we have a perfectly good excuse to go all out on the carbs. But not just any carbs...we’re talking hot cross buns. Not all of us have the cooking skills or privilege to bake these ourselves to our own personal taste (though if you're keen, there's a killer recipe here). But little do people know how much you can do to the classic store bought ones from your local supermarket. Here are some of our favourite ways to spice up our hot cross buns.

  1. Peanut Butter and Jelly: this godly combo isn’t just limited to toast.
  2. Nutella and Strawberries: make the most of the last few moments of strawberry season!
  3. Almond Butter, Banana and Cinnamon: to all those people who want to get that full sense of autumn, this is the perfect combo for you.
  4. Honey, Banana and Cinnamon: to all our sweet tooth’s with nut allergies, we got you
  5. Butter, lots and lots of butter: the OG, a classic that would be a crime not to mention.
  6. Easter Egg Surprise: toast your hot cross bun so it’s hot enough to melt your Easter egg that’s sandwiched in between.
  7. Waffle Hot Cross Buns: whip out your waffle presser and chuck your buns in there. Get them crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside and drench them in either maple syrup or icing.
  8. Hot Cross Bun Ice Cream Sandwich: the only trouble we get with this one is deciding whether or not to toast the buns before adding the ice cream.
  9. Hot Cross Bun Butter Pudding: the ultimate way to utilize the six-pack from your local supermarket. Place them all in a baking tray and drench them in a mixture of cream, sugar, eggs, milk and cinnamon. Pop them in the oven and you have the best dessert to serve after your Easter feast.
  10. Maple Syrup and Bacon: A Canadian classic that is surprisingly good and perfect for those who can’t decide whether they’re in the mood for something sweet or savoury.
  11. Sweet and Crunchy: for those who want a lot of texture, make your own mixture of honey, lots of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon and spread it everywheeeere.
  12. Cream Cheese and Jam: if it’s good on a bagel, it’ll be great on a hot cross bun—think about it.
  13. Figs: the people who like the traditional hot cross buns for the dried fruit in there will love this one. Get a couple dried figs and add them in between your buns for that extra sweetness and texture.
  14. French Toast: soak your buns in an eggy mixture and squish them flat on a fry pan. Add toppings of your choice, our faves are the maple syrup, icing syrup and of course—vanilla ice cream.
  15. Whipped Cream: in honour of local New Zealand bakeries, we recreate the classic cream doughnut and use hot cross buns instead of hot dog buns.
  16. Breakfast sandwich: chuck in some scrambled eggs, tomato relish and bacon and enjoy a very Easter brekkie. Great for those who don’t do sweet in the early mornings.
  17. More Chocolate Chips: let’s be real. The package says Hershey’s Chocolate but it’s never enough—just add more.
  18. Cinna-Hot-Cross-Bon: slather some icing in the middle, go hard with the cinnamon, add some brown sugar and pop them in the oven for five minutes. We also recommend adding some chopped pecans for that autumn vibe. 

Got hot cross buns coming out of your ears? Use up those spotty bananas with some delicious banana bread.

Image credit: Jasmine Waheed

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