These soft, chewy, spicy, fruit & nut studded Hot Cross Cookies have all the flavours of a hot cross bun in cookie form!
Whilst I am not a religious person, I do enjoy Easter. Probably because of the copious amounts of chocolate involved! It doesn’t have to be all about chocolate though. There are homemade hot cross buns, and now there are Hot Cross Cookies too!
Ideas for recipes spring up when I am least expecting them. I woke up on Saturday morning with no clue that these little beauties would materialize. Then, while cleaning my bedroom they suddenly popped into my head. I have no idea where the idea came from but the cleaning was abandoned and I ended up in the kitchen creating these Hot Cross Cookies.
My Hot Cross Cookies are incredibly flavourful and spiced to absolute perfection. They are soft, flecked with chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts then topped with delicious vanilla flavoured white crosses. Hot cross buns in cookie form! How cool is that?
They are great for gifting this Easter. Your friends and family will welcome a sweet treat that doesn’t involve chocolate. They are also really easy to make (no mixer needed) so great as an Easter activity for children. If nut allergies are an issue then the nuts can be omitted without affecting the recipe at all. And if they do love chocolate be sure to check out my Homemade Copycat Cadbury Creme Eggs!
I hope you all have a very happy Easter weekend! If you love the flavours in these cookies then be sure to look out for my Hot Cross Bun recipe which is coming very soon. Join my mailing list then it will be sent to your inbox the instant it is published! If you just love cookies in general then you really need to make my Chocolate & Coconut Cream Cookies. They are just as awesome!
I would love to see your versions of these Hot Cross Cookies. Share your pictures with me on Instagram, Twitter (@avirtualvegan) or on my Facebook page.
Hot Cross Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 145g | 1.25 cups spelt flour (wholewheat can be used as an alternative but spelt gives the best result)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 75g | 1/2 cup coconut sugar (any brown sugar can be used if you don't have coconut)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
- 75g | 1/2 cup raisins
- 30g | 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional but adds great texture)
- 5 tablespoons oil (I used mild olive oil but coconut oil (melted) or any other mild tasting oil is fine)
- 120mls | 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
For the crosses
- 1 tablespoon of aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)(see recipe note for alternative)
- 95g | 3/4 cup natural powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put all the dry ingredients, including fruit and nuts, into a mixing bowl .
- Add the oil and milk then stir to combine everything. Make sure you can't see any dry bits of flour and you scrape the bottom of the bowl well.
- Drop mixture onto the cookie sheet. I use an ice-cream scoop. Leave plenty of room round each one.
- Flatten the tops of each cookie with the back of a fork.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. When ready they will be hardening up round the edges but slightly soft on the inside when you press with your finger. They will continue to firm up when you remove them from the oven.
- Leave to cool on the tray.
- When completely cool prepare the frosting.
- Add the aquafaba to a small bowl and whisk until just starting to go thicker and foamy. I used an hand whisk. It's difficult as there is such a small amount but just tip the bowl slightly to the side. With an electric hand whisk it will take 30 seconds tops. By hand slightly longer.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir with a spoon a little bit so it's not so dusty then whisk again for about two minutes until very thick.
- Use a piping bag and a nozzle with a very small opening to pipe cross shapes across the top of each cookie.The crosses will dry hard within a few minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you don't happen to have aquafaba for the frosting then you can use water instead. You won't need to whip it up like the aqufaba. Just add the vanilla to the powdered sugar then add the water a drop at a time, stirring well until you have a thickish paste. If you can use aquafaba then please do as the crosses are much hardier with it.
These looks wonderful! (I prefer cooking over cleaning my room anytime! 🙂 )
Ha ha! Thank you so much. I prefer just about anything over cleaning! If I can find an excuse I will take it. The cookies saved me on Saturday!
I love it!!! So fun to make them into cookies!! Everyone loves cookies, right? 😉
Thank you so much, and yes, I have never met anyone who doesn’t like cookies!
So cute…what a great idea! I have been loving on spelt flour lately too. Need to try these!
Thanks Jenn. Spelt flour is just wonderful for baking. It’s gives such a soft crumb and a lovely slightly nutty flavour.
Those spices! This looks like a delicious, crisp little cookie. So much better than hot cross buns. 😉
The spice combo is really lovely. Thanks Linda!
I love the cross at the top! These look spicy and delish!
Thank you!
Love cookies.Crispy, tasty cookies so much fun with hot cup of tea!
These are amazing with chai tea!
HA! I love it! What a fun idea to turn them into cookies! Now something for everyone.
Thank you so much!
I am ready to dig in…all those spices sound yum! 🙂
Thank you!
These sound divine! I cannot wait to try these.
Thank you so much. Let me know what you think when you try them!
This is so smart! I don’t understand why anyone would want to make hot cross buns again after seeing that these cookies look a gazillion times better!
Thanks so much Vanessa. I hope they do want to make hot cross buns though as I have a recipe for them coming soon too! Lol
Beautiful spices and such delicious cookies! On the list to make for my sweetie!
Thank you so much. I hope you both enjoy them :0)
Those cookies look so yummy and love the seasoning. I have never used spelt flour before and now I have an opportunity to give it a go. Thanks for sharing!
Spelt flour is so delicious. I love using it in baked goods. You’ll see what I mean whe you try it!
I much prefer this hot cross cookie to the buns, and really appreciate the healthier twist. Looks like a winner!
Thanks Kelly!
I wanted these from the moment I saw them, and now that I’ve read your post I want them even more! Love the spices, the raisins, the nuts…everything!
Thank you so much Gin. They are super yummy! :0)
This is such a fun recipe! I’m totally making these in case I feel to lazy to make the actual buns 🙂 I’m excited to see your bun recipe too though, they’re one of my favorite treats
The buns will be following next week! Be a devil and make both! Lol
What a clever idea – I love it! I am a huge fan of hot cross buns, but not the time involved in making them – these are the perfect alternative 🙂
Thanks Donna! Watch out for my new hot cross bun recipe coming soon….it’s so easy!
These look amazing, and what a great idea (guess I need to do a little more cleaning)! I love the walnuts & raisins. This could be a great new addition to the traditional treats at Easter!
Ha ha! I would never recommend more cleaning but I do recommend more cookies! Thank you Patricia :0)
Cookies that taste like a hot cross bun? Ummm, yes please! I’m not religious either but I love Easter for all the food of course and as a kid it was my favourite holiday for the egg hunts 🙂
Thank you! I have great memories of Easter as a kid too. You’ve made me reminisce. Thank you for stopping by :0)
Wow, that a unique and delicious sounding ideas! So innovative. I love it! 🙂
Thank you Justine :O)
Another awesome aquafaba miracle! 🙂 I’m continually impressed by that weird, wonderful ingredient. These cookies look really amazing, and I love the simple but bold hot-cross icing.
Thank you Sean. I don’t know what us vegans did before aquafaba was discovered! It’s like magic!
Oh just yummy thank you.
Can’t do yeast and biscuits a brilliant plan.
Am going to try oat flour as I can’t do spelt. I wondered if lentil flour or combination if lentil/chickpea or Kat somehow would work out….. what do you think?
I think oat flour would probably be best, or a gluten-free blend, although I haven’t tried it myself so can’t guarantee. I find that chickpea flour lends a distinctive taste which probably wouldn’t be great in these, and I’ve never tried lentil flour. Good luck!
Thanks for help there! Quite ok with Kat flour funnily enough. And I do love hot cross buns you know.