These chocolate chip hot cross buns are made with warm spices and chocolate chips for a unique twist on the classic Easter brunch treat!
These chocolate chip hot cross buns are wayyy better than the original version. No one likes raisins (okay well at least far more people like chocolate), so these spiced brioche buns are studded with gooey pools of chocolate instead! They're a great make-ahead recipe, so you can make the dough the night before and bake them in the morning just in time to serve for Easter brunch!
For more Easter recipes, try Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Mini Carrot Cake with Brow Butter Cream Cheese Frosting,Small Batch Lemon Bars, and Robin's Egg Macarons.
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Ingredient Notes
- Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast: If using active dry yeast, combine with milk and sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, there is no need to let the yeast sit in the mixture.
- Whole Milk: Use whole milk for optimum flavor, and warm the milk to about 110 degrees F to activate the yeast.
- Granulated Sugar: The sugar will need to be mixed in with the milk and yeast to help activate the yeast.
- Eggs: You’ll need to 2 eggs at room temperature.
- All-Purpose Flour: The best way to measure your flour, as well as the rest of the ingredients, is by weight. I use this kitchen scale!
- Spices: Add a combination of various warm spices to the brioche dough.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need about 6 tablespoon of unsalted butter at room temperature, which will need to be added one piece at a time to properly incorporate into the dough.
- Chocolate Chips: I recommend Ghirardelli chocolate chips, as they melt the best and leave pools of chocolate throughout each bun!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make these chocolate chip hot cross buns! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Mix wet ingredients. Stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast.
STEP 2: Add eggs. Then, beat in the eggs.
STEP 3: Mix dry ingredients. Combine the flour, spices, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
STEP 4: Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
STEP 5: Mix dough. Mix with the dough hook until fully combined.
STEP 6: Add butter and test dough. Add the room temperature butter a few pieces at a time while mixing on medium speed. Once the butter has fully incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for another 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes the windowpane test. *see notes on the windowpane test in the FAQ section below.
STEP 7: Proof. Cover the dough and allow to rise overnight in the fridge or for just one hour in a warm place.
STEP 8: Add chocolate chips. Punch the dough down and spread out onto a lightly floured surface. Add the chocolate chips to the center.
STEP 9: Knead dough. Knead the dough gently until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
STEP 10: Divide and bake. Divide the dough into 12 equally sized balls and place in a 9x13 pan to rise for 30 minutes. Pipe the crosses and bake for about 20 minutes. Brush the sugar syrup all over the buns when they immediately come out of the oven.
Expert Baking Tips
- I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the cinnamon rolls immediately.
- These buns are best enjoyed the day they are baked. Store leftover buns in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
1. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the wet and dry ingredients on low-medium speed for a few minutes until it forms a ball around the hook.
2. Slowly begin incorporating the room temperature butter as it mixes on medium speed. It is very important to use room temperature butter in order for it to incorporate properly.
3. Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the speed up to high and mix for about 8 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test.
The windowpane test is used to tell when the brioche has developed enough gluten. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
1. First proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and allow it to proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning, shape into 12 buns, proof one more time in a warm environment, and bake.
2. Second proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and proof for about 1 hour in a warm environment. Shape the dough into 12 buns, then proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning (ideally before 9am), take the buns out to come to room temperature (about 1 hour) and bake as directed.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other Easter recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
For the brioche dough:
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
- 115 g (½ cup) whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 20 g (1 ½ tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 170 g (1 cup) chocolate chips
For the crosses:
- 60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 60 g (½ cup) water
For the sugar syrup:
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) water
- 25 g (2 tablespoon) granulated sugar
Instructions
For the brioche dough:
- Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and stir in yeast and sugar. If using active dry yeast, allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, simply move on to the next step.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the milk yeast mixture.
- Combine flour, spices, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in one piece of butter at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 6-8 minutes. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For assembly:
- After the first rise, punch the dough down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
- Spread the dough out slightly and add the chocolate chips to the center.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the chocolate chips and knead gently until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Divide the dough into 12 equally sized balls. Mine measured out to be 67g each.
- To shape each ball, flatten it out then bring the edges into the center and seal it. Turn the ball over and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place each ball in a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Cover and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and make the cross piping.
For the crosses:
- Combine the flour and water in a small bowl, and mix until smooth.
- Transfer to a piping bag.
- Once the buns have proofed, snip the end of the piping bag and pipe one line across all of the buns in one motion each way.
- Bake the buns for about 20-25 minutes until golden and reaches 190 degrees F on an internal thermometer.
For the sugar syrup:
- While the buns are baking, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan.
- Boil for 2 minutes and set aside until the buns are done.
- Once the buns come out of the oven, immediately brush the sugar syrup on top.
Notes
- I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the cinnamon rolls immediately.
- These buns are best enjoyed the day they are baked. Store leftover buns in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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