This vegan hot cross bun bread pudding, filled with tangy orange marmalade and chocolate chips, is an impressive but deceptively easy delicious Easter dessert!

I was going to start by saying this hot cross bun bread pudding is THE perfect way to use up any leftover hot cross buns.  But is that even a thing?  Leftover hot cross buns I mean.  Because for me, that’s almost laughable.  Even before the current global economic situation, I’ve always absolutely tried to use up everything to its last drop, crumb or thread.  But the concept of having hot cross buns and not eating them?  Pffft.  I had to buy them in especially to make this dessert … and not eat them in the meantime!

I toyed with using homemade hot cross buns for a while.  I mean, that’s the ultimate right?  But the only hot cross bun recipe I currently have on the website is for Double Chocolate and Orange ones.  And honestly, they don’t need anything other than a gentle toasting and a spread of some lovely plant butter.

I also wanted to make this an EASY  Easter dessert.  And while making your own bread anything isn’t hard, it IS time consuming.

Do you celebrate Easter?  It’s not something I’ve ever really done.  And these days I have a very strong objection to all the packaging surrounding Easter eggs.  But I’m totally here for the hot cross buns.

How to make vegan custard:

The basis of any good bread and butter pudding, hot cross bun or otherwise, is a good vanilla custard.  Vegan custard isn’t hard.  In fact, did you know Birds Traditional Custard Powder is accidentally vegan?  Yep, that childhood favourite is egg and dairy free!  I say childhood because it was a regular in our house, Dad would make it extra thick to top sliced banana.  Oh yes, we knew how to live.

Vegan custard is thickened with cornflour and practically ensures perfect custard every time as you’re not dealing with eggs which can easily overcook and become sweet scrambled eggs.  Blergh.

For the vanilla bit, use the best quality you can afford.  Vanilla extract is the best.  But if all you can afford is essence, use that.  Can’t have you missing out on this hot cross bun bread pudding for want of a better quality vanilla!

Quick guide to making this vegan hot cross bun bread pudding:

Start with the hot cross buns.  They can be as stale as you like for this as they’re going to soak up all that lovely vanilla custard.  Split in half then spread with softened vegan butter or margarine then the orange marmalade.  Lay in a lightly buttered dish spread side up.  Overlap them slightly.

To make the custard measure your milk then use a bit of it to make a thin paste with the cornflour in a small bowl.  Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar, nutmeg and vanilla until just boiling.  Whisk in the cornflour and continue whisking over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens.  Take off the heat and whisk in the orange zest.

Pour the custard all over the hot cross buns, sprinkle over the vegan chocolate chips, then set aside to allow the buns to soak up the custard. This will make the baked bread and butter pudding all unctuous and squidgy and oh so delicious!

Bake the pudding for around 30 minutes.  You want the top of the custard to have just set.

Dig in!  Personally I don’t think this Easter dessert needs anything extra but you might like a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that whole hot/cold dessert thing 😉

Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave.  Store the chilled dessert in the fridge.

Looking for even more vegan Easter recipes?  Try these:

Double Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Pie

Vegan Chocolate Pie

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Honeycomb Chocolate Mousse

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