• About
  • Contact
  • Work with me
  • As Seen In

84th&3rd

Unprocessed allergy-friendly recipes

84thand3rd
  • Food
    • *THAT* Chocolate Cake
    • Recipes
    • Dining Out
  • Travel
  • Life
« Buttered Peas & Avocado on Toast
In My Kitchen: April 2015 »

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

April 5, 2015 By JJ 6 Comments

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

I’d been thinking about Hot Cross Buns for weeks. It happens every Easter, so it wasn’t a surprise really, however this year it was Chocolate Hot Cross Buns that were hopping through my mind like a hyperactive bunny.

But everyone and their mother has made Chocolate Hot Cross Buns and the bunny got bored with my lack of creativity, then hand on hip it tapped its foot and whistled and refused to make eye contact.

And so it was, as it hopped off on another lap of my brain, that the wheels started to turn. First chocolate led to ice cream (as it does), but the bunny kept hopping and ice cream led to a sundae. Then before I knew it a sundae led to a banana split.

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

And all of a sudden the bunny stopped hopping and was twerking its pompom tail for all it was worth and I was making Banana Split Hot Cross Buns (two days in a row none the less, to make sure they were ok of course).

Now I probably should have styled one as a banana split — you know, just to send Pinterest and Instagram into meltdown — or at least topped one with a lurid maraschino cherry to make a point.

But first the shops were closed for Good Friday and so cherries of any kind, aside from the dried ones in the dough, were out of the equation. And then the next morning these were photographed in a flurry of rainy light, as RJ paced the living room because we were late for a family Easter lunch, and a dollop of coconut cream was about as far as I could push things.

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

I figured that as we were showing up with hot cross buns a few minutes would all even out… RJ was not convinced by my bunny-led logic, although was perfectly willing to share a bun on the drive down.

As it turns out we weren’t even the last ones to arrive so everything worked out in the end (well except my theoretical Pinterest-breaking photo, but there’s always next year — ha!)

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

In any case, the bunny has now stopped hopping and wants you to know that he wishes you a very Happy Easter or Passover or Eastover or Hot Cross Bun Day or Banana Split Day or Sundae or even just a happy Sunday.

He also told me that you should go make some Hot Cross Buns. Smart bunny.

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

Banana Split Hot Cross Buns

Banana Split Hot Cross BunsBanana, chocolate, walnuts and sour cherries all wrapped up in a chocolate and vanilla swirled hot cross bun. I do not apologise.

I’ve realised the method on this reads like a novel — if you are an experienced bread baker you’ll wizz through most of it, if you are less experienced there is some detail to help you out! There are a few ideas in the COOK’S NOTES section if you want to simplify things.

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 c warm water, plus 2 Tbsp extra
  • 1 packet dried yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
  • 2 c organic unbleached white flour, plus extra as necessary
  • 2 c organic stone ground whole wheat flour
  • ¼ c olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla paste
  • ¼ c coconut sugar, divided
  • ¼ c cocoa or cacao powder
  • ½ c dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (100g)
  • ½ dried banana chips (50g), broken into small pieces
  • 1/3 c walnuts (45g), chopped
  • 1/3 c dried sour cherries (60g) or strawberries, chopped

Crosses & glaze

  • ¼ c unbleached white flour
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp water
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp apricot or strawberry jam

METHOD

In a large bowl dissolve yeast and 1 Tbsp of the coconut sugar in 1 c warm water. Set aside until foamy. Add 1 c white flour and 1 c whole wheat flour to yeast mixture, beat 50 strokes using a wooden spoon.

Add oil, eggs, salt, vanilla and cinnamon to bowl and beat well to combine. Add remaining 1 c white flour and stir well. Add whole wheat flour a bit at a time, mixing until you really can’t stir with a spoon any longer.

Scrape dough out onto a well floured bench and knead 2 minutes, adding remaining whole wheat flour, until dough is manageable (although still a bit sticky). Invert bowl over dough and allow to rest 2 mins.

Remove bowl and knead dough for 5 mins — you can add extra white flour a teaspoon or so at a time if necessary — until smooth but still a bit tacky. Invert bowl over dough and rest another 2 mins. Meanwhile dissolve cocoa powder in the extra 2 Tbsp water then mix in remaining coconut sugar.

Remove bowl and divide dough in half. Knead one half for 2 mins until smooth, then set aside. Flatten second half with the palm of your hand, spread over chocolate mixture, sprinkle with a Tbsp or so of white flour and roll up.

Knead until chocolate is first marbled then completely mixed through dough, adding flour if necessary but keeping the dough tacky. This will start as a complete mess but just as you’re convinced that it won’t work it all starts to come together — really. Set aside chocolate dough and wash any remaining chocolate off your hands.

Flatten vanilla dough with the palm of your hand, sprinkle over half the chocolate chips, half the banana chips and all the sour cherries. Roll up and knead for 2 minutes until well combined. Drizzle the original bowl with a bit of extra olive oil, turn dough to coat and cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Flatten chocolate dough with the palm of your hand, sprinkle over remaining chocolate chips, remaining banana chips and all the walnuts. Roll up and knead for 2 minutes until well combined. Drizzle a new bowl with a bit of extra olive oil, turn dough to coat and cover bowl with plastic wrap.

——

Let dough(s) rise approx 1 hour until doubled in size. Grease a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) roasting pan with a bit of coconut oil and line base with baking paper.

Punch down both bowls of dough, turn out one at a time and form each into a long snake. Twist snakes around each other and squeeze gently to combine. Cut snake into 12 even pieces, roll into rounds and place evenly into pan — there should be a tiny bit of room between each.

——

Cover pan with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise 45 mins to 1 hour until just doubled in size. During the last 15 mins of rising preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Mix flour and water for crosses to a thick pancake batter consistency and spoon into a small plastic bag.

When rolls are ready to bake snip a corner off the baggie and pipe on crosses. Bake for 18-20 mins until just hollow when tapped. While rolls bake warm jam in a pan then push through a strainer to remove any fruit pieces.

Cool buns in pan 10 mins before turning out onto a rack and brushing with jam. Serve warm or at room temperature.

COOK’S NOTES

  • Flours, especially whole wheat flours, vary considerably in how much moisture they absorb. I use a stone-ground organic style, if yours is a bit more processed and closer to white flour with the bran added back in you may not need much extra during the kneading stage. Weather also impacts dough — I made this twice, two days apart, and needed more flour the second time than the first.
  • If you want to simplify this recipe you can leave out the cocoa and sugar (except the sugar added to the yeast) and knead all the mix-ins into the whole batch of vanilla dough.
    • Or mix the cocoa and sugar in with the eggs and make it all chocolate.
    • Or divide the dough at the batter stage after mixing in the eggs etc, then stirring the cocoa and sugar into half, and continuing the recipe with two bowls of dough — adding half the flour to each and allowing one to rest while you knead the other as above.

dairy-free // soy-free // refined sugar-free // vegetarian

 

Related Posts

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Orange & Coconut Buns

Orange & Coconut Buns

5 Tips for Creating the Ultimate Entertaining Platter

5 Tips for Creating the Ultimate Entertaining Platter

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Filed Under: All Posts, Food, RecipeBox Tagged With: Banana, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Cherries, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Easter, Fruit, Hot Cross Buns, Nuts, Refined Sugar Free, Treats, Vegetarian, Walnuts

Comments

  1. Brenda Hayes says

    April 5, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    gorgous…and a fun story

    Reply
  2. Grace says

    April 7, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    I came across your lovely blog via blogchicks.com.au. Oh my, these hot cross buns look amazing!!! Absolutely beautiful photography too.

    I’m currently hosting a giveaway and would love for you to enter. Two hot chocolate mixes in a jar are up for grabs! Details are on my blog – hope to see you there! x

    http://www.butterandjamblog.com/2015/04/giveaway.html

    Reply
  3. Nicole- Champagne and Chips says

    April 10, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    What a crazy-good idea. I love the two-tone buns. Now that I’ve missed easter, I’m going to give these a go and just draw something else on the top 🙂

    Reply
  4. FoodGeekGraze says

    May 30, 2015 at 2:49 am

    w-a-a-a-y beyond clever. thank you so very much!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Good Eggs! 21 Healthy Easter Recipes for Vegans - Eluxe Magazine says:
    March 22, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    […] Get the recipe here. […]

    Reply
  2. Honey Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Caramel Bourbon Banana Topping - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures says:
    December 13, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    […] took me FOREVER to pick a recipe to make.  There are so many good ones!  I mean, she’s got Banana Split Hot Cross Buns!  Are you kidding me?  Then there’s the Maple Orange Spiced Macadamia Nuts.  And Romesco? […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Nicole- Champagne and Chips Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get social

84th-instagram 84th-heart 84th-facebook 84th-youtube
84th-twitter 84th-pinterest 84th-gplus 84th-star

Subscribe

New posts, straight to your inbox, simple as that.

Browse by…

Almost Recipe America-land Autumn BlogHop Boozer Bread Breakfast Brunch Cake! Chocolate Christmas Christmas Recipes Coconut Cookbook Cookies Dairy Free Deliciousness Dessert Dinner Family Fruit Gluten Free Had-to-share Holidays Ingredient Focus Inspiration Lunch Mad Science Nuts On-blogging Photo-A-Day Pie! Probably Paleo Refined Sugar Free Sauces Sides Snacks Stuff-n-Things Summer Sydney Thanksgiving / Christmas Treats Vegan Vegetarian Winter

@84thand3rd on Instagram

Cheers to the long weekend. . . . Had a bit of a Cheers to the long weekend. 
.
.
.
Had a bit of a play a week (or five) ago. Used what was on hand, and chased limited time. Drank it when I was done.
.
Local CA gin, Italian aperitif wine, punchy sparkling water, blood orange. Single bare strobe. That’ll do.
Felt cute, might delete later. Insert quote about Felt cute, might delete later. Insert quote about cracks being how the light gets in ✨. 
.
.
.
.
Hollywood, CA. May, 2023.
TGIF y’all. ••• The quail egg mini brunch TGIF y’all. 
•••
The quail egg mini brunch spread is back. This time in all its stop motion glory. Go forth and brunch thyself (waffle thyself? coffee thyself? dealers choice). 💥🍳🧇🍞🥑☕️🫖
.
.
.
.
.
#stopmotionanimation #stopmotionvideo #tabletopphotography #thenwebrunch #whatsforbreakfast #beautifulcuisines #foodandwine #thekitchn #f52grams
Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒 • That’s it. Tha Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒
•
That’s it. That’s the post.
Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’ Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’s overcast and raining in LA (so a plate of sunshine is absolutely necessary), and if you’ve been here for more than a hot second you know how I feel about toast.
🍞🍓🥒🌱
Toasted sourdough, goat chèvre (or vegan cream cheese), sliced strawberries, cucumber ribbons, fresh mint, olive oil, black pepper, just a pinch of salt. Go forth and feast.
.
.
.
.
.
#f52grams #f52community #whatsforbreakfast #eatrealfood #stuffontoast #nationalstrawberryday #lifeandthyme #eeeeeats #beautifulfood #foodandwine
I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption and everything. And I intended to post it that day as a reflection moving into a new year. But instead, mom and I went out for pizza and wine, and then it was Jan 2, and so on and so on. 
🌀
So instead you’re getting it on Feb 1. A new day and another new month (but what is a new month or a new year, other than a societal convention really). 
☀️
Because, each day, each sunrise, we have the opportunity to start anew - no matter how big or little that start may be. A chance to take another step forward - no matter how many steps back you feel you’re fighting against. 
🌀
Whether this past year brought blinding joy or paralysing grief (and in whatever measure of balance or imbalance), I hope each new day sees the landscape of your life look one step closer to what you imagine it to be. And that when the waves roll in and change that landscape, you can roll with it and see the beauty and possibility on the other side.
🌊
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, have a cookie 🍪 And I’ll leave you with the rolling waves and blue sky of a California beach in January. I truly hope this year sees us all grow stronger and move forward with each new day. Going backwards is simply not an option. 
🪩
What’s your order? 🍳 … When the middle litt What’s your order? 🍳
…
When the middle little insisted on buying quail eggs over Christmas, but due to allll the other food we never cooked them, I simply couldn’t let the little guys go to waste. 
🥚
Could I have made one dish? Of course. Did I instead prepare quail eggs four ways, bake mini loaves of brioche, make mini waffles, dig through the prop closet for the smallest dishes, and set up an entire table? Of course I did. 
💥
Swipe to the end for reference on the size of the eggs and loaf.
🌀
Prep, styling, 📷 & 👋🏻 by me 💁🏼‍♀️.
.
.
.
.
#whatsforbreakfast #beautifulcuisines #eggsforbreakfast #lifeandthyme #foodandwine #foodartproject
Happy Blursday. ☕️ ••• Styled & poured b Happy Blursday. ☕️
•••
Styled & poured by me 💁🏼‍♀️, photographed & lit by @ivansocal 📷, at @plateandpatina 🍽
•••
Pour-over vessel is a @decadentpantry test piece that came with me from Sydney. That’s it, I got nothing else. Send kittens.
.
.
.
#stopmotionanimation #stopmotion #manmakecoffee #pourovercoffee #pourover #coffeecoffeecoffee
My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dou My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dough from a couple weeks ago and voiced by the middle little (who is about as different from her younger sister as you can get!) 💥.
🍕
Sometimes this combo gets prawns too 🍤. Most of the time I don’t bother mixing the ingredients in a bowl and just layer them on top. The cheese is a hard goat cheese (because I can’t do 🐄). The ‘spices’ 🌱 is Sicilian oregano. The measurements are random at best - a handful of this, a splash of that. 
🍕
If you have a fave veggie or seafood pizza combo I’d love to hear it. Because as Ms.S says, voila, yummy yummy pizza!
Load More Follow on Instagram

Visit JJ’s Portfolio

Jennifer Jenner Portfolio

Be nice, don’t steal

All work on 84thand3rd.com is the property of the site owner unless otherwise credited. Recipes and articles are NOT available for syndication or re-publication. A single watermarked photo can be used in recipe wrap-up articles to link back to the original recipe post on this site. Photos are available to purchase for other uses.

© All Rights Reserved

Want to use something? Contact me and ask.

instagram heart facebook twitter YouTube pinterest tumblr star gplus

Copyright © 2025 · 84th & 3rd