This Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding is the perfect warming Easter dessert. Really simple to make using the traditional Easter Hot Cross Buns. It’s also a great way to use up leftover buns, milk and cream. This Easter Pie is the tastiest end to your Easter lunch!
This post was sponsored by Belling. They asked me to come up with a selection of recipes, using one of their nifty new ovens. Thanks, as always, for your support.
Easter is one of my favourite times of year (and not just because it’s Creme Egg Cheesecake time). It marks the fact that spring has sprung and suddenly everything feels fresh and bright again – hurrah!
Also, it’s a chance to spend four whole days of free time with no work, with the people we love, sharing delicious food (obvs). I ask you, what could be better than celebrating with chocolate?
Celebrating with Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding of course!
This pudding is so easy to make, you start with (ideally slightly stale hot cross buns), butter them and chop them into chunks. Pop them into a greased baking dish and then pour over a milk, cream and egg mixture. George and Harri love helping and squelching the milk and eggs mixture into the hot cross buns.
How do you make a bread and butter pudding?
A basic bread and butter pudding is yeasted bread products, (so a plain white loaf, or croissant, or one of my favourites, pain au chocolat) soaked in a dairy and egg mixture and baked. It works best if the bread is slightly stale as it holds its shape a little better.
You then leave the liquid to soak in and pop the bread and butter pudding in the oven until it is set and crispy on top. Classic English dessert.
What are the ingredients in a bread and butter pudding?
You can use any yeasted bread product you fancy or have left over. It’s really fun to experiment with brioche bread and butter pudding, panettonne bread and butter pudding at Christmas, or in this case, hot cross buns!
The dairy liquid mixture is sometimes just milk and eggs. In this recipe I’ve substituted some cream to add a richer taste. I also use a little sugar and cinnamon for added flavour.
You could try adding a handful of chocolate chips if you fancy. George and Harri love that.
I made this recipe in my new Belling oven which I’ve mentioned in lots of recipes recently. (Did you try the Sweet Potato Cottage Pie? Oh my goodness. Finding one of those hiding in the freezer this week, I was so grateful to Sarah of a week ago for making TWO of those beauties.)
The Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding puffed up beautifully whilst I watched patiently. I love the big glass door and bright light to let me spy on my creations.
Tips for making the Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding:
- Be sure to let the liquid soak into the bread for a while (about 30 minutes) if really helps give you that fluffy texture when baked.
- Stale hot cross buns are best, but don’t worry if you don’t have any. You could cheat and toast them lightly on each side first before buttering and cutting up but either way, it’s not VITAL.
- Use a fairly shallow dish so that you get plenty of nice crunchy topping.
- What to serve with this bread and butter pudding? I like ice cream best, but you could serve whipped cream or custard too.
I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of the recipe if you make this Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding recipe. Please rate the recipe and leave me a comment below if you do.
Also, if you fancy showing me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations.
How to make the Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding recipe:

Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
Ingredients
- 6 Hot cross buns
- 100 g Unsalted butter Plus extra for greasing your dish
- 200 ml Double cream
- 250 ml Semi skim milk
- 3 Eggs
- 50 g Caster sugar
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 170C.
- Split the hot cross buns in half and butter them. Reserve 3 'tops' and chop the rest into small chunks. Put into a buttered baking dish. Add the reserved whole 'tops' on the top of the chopped pieces.
- Mix the cream, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon together and pour over the hot cross buns. Allow to soak in well for about 30 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the egg mixture is just set and the top is golden and crispy.
Laura says
A great Easter weekend dessert
Mel says
Hi there when do we put the reserved tops on?? Thank you
Stephen Randall says
What do you do with the reserved tops?
Obakeng (South Africa) says
I tried it today, I used hot cross buns I had made on Good Friday (they were stale),
it worked so well, with the pieces of dark chocolate, heaven. Perfect comfort food during
lock down.
Thanks for the recipe
Deb says
I made this with some stale hot cross buns I made a couple of days ago. I used one teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of ground cardamom. Really good, hubby loves it! Thank you x
Marlene says
Made this using leftover fruited tea cakes
Beautiful