Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

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. 

• 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: Stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast.

STEP 2: Then, beat in the eggs.

Step 3: Combine the flour, spices, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

Step 5: Mix with the dough hook until fully combined.

Step 6: 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: Cover the dough and allow to rise overnight in the fridge or for just one hour in a warm place. 

Step 8: Punch the dough down and spread out onto a lightly floured surface. Add the chocolate chips to the center.

Step 9: Knead the dough gently until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough. 

Step 10: 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. 

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