Jamaican Easter Spice Bun — Highly Spiced Jamaican bread, soft, tender studded with raisins and fruits. Absolutely delightful anytime!
This is the time of the year, when Christians abstain from meat and flock towards bread and meat-free goods. I am happy to say I’m one of those Christians. Growing up, during the Lenten Season, especially on Fridays we would only eat bread and water until sunset. Hot cross buns were only reserved for Good Friday and my siblings and I waited for them impatiently. It was the highlight of our Lenten Season. 
Gosh! I miss those days… I always do have a fondness for spicy bread — this Jamaican Spice Bun is no exception. The good thing is it’s eaten year round. However, the Easter Spice Buns are made extra special- sweeter, and studded with dried fruit for the Lenten Season and especially on Good Friday. This is the Jamaican sweeter take on the ever popular hot cross bun.
You can find as many different adaptions to the classic recipe as there are cooks – made with or without yeast. I’m ashamed to say I totally went overboard – trying out different variations and they are all worth making at home. 
My preferred version has a modern twist to it — Guinness — substituting the liquid ingredients of milk for something a little tastier… Guinness Stout. Giving it an incredibly rich brown color. This one below is sans – without Guinness. 
This is made with half Guinness and half milk. 
For those that have never baked with Guinness I think you are in for a treat! Guinness contains a lot of complex flavors and definitely adds depth of flavor to baked goods with mild notes of cocoa and a strong malt flavor- making this bread truly unique and delightful. This amazing bread takes about 15 minutes to prep and is studded with raisins dried fruit. And wonderfully fragrant spices from nutmeg, cinnamon allspice, together with molasses and browning sauce. Yes! Quite a flavorful bread – sure to tantalize your taste buds. 
Traditionally, this is served with hard cheese or you can make a cheese sandwich.
Notes
- Browning is a Caribbean Sauce that is used to darken sauces, stews, or meat and even baked goods. If this is too dark for your liking then you might want to cut back on the browning – or eliminate completely.
Looking for a light airy Hot Cross Bun then check this out!
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Enjoy!!!!
Watch How To Make It
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Jamaican Easter Spiced Bun
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (or 50 grams)
- ¼ cup honey (or 85 grams)
- 1 teaspoon browning.
- ½ Tablespoon Molasses
- 1- teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup Guinness Stout
- 1 egg
- 1- cup dried fruits cherries, raisin
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/2- tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 Teaspoon spice combination Nutmeg- (3/4 teaspoon), Cinnamon ( 1 teaspoon) and ( 3/4 teaspoon) all spice)
- 1 cup cherries optional to top bun
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with baking spray; set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the following ingredients: brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, browning, Molasses, vanilla, melted butter Guinness Stout and egg
- In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon allspice and salt, lightly mix. Then throw in the dried fruits
- Then combine wet and dry ingredients until thoroughly
- Scrape down sides.
- Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan , add cherries on top if desired – bake for about 60-75 minutes or until a tooth inserted comes out clean.
- Let it cool before slicing.
Nutrition Information:
Lily says
Easy to make and taste good
ImmaculateBites says
Great! Thanks so much
Dane says
I am about to make this can I leave out the egg
Amina says
Alright, Share your experience once you try. I am sure it would be great. Thank you
Panayiota says
This cake is so yummy. A great alternative to hot cross buns. My Carribean friends were talking about Easter bun so I thought I would look it up.
Amina says
Yeah, that would be a great fit for easter. Cheers!!!
Yvette says
i love this recipe and is so easy. Thank you for sharing
Amina says
Amazing to hear about your experience!!! Thank you
Joana says
Hello, I really wanna try this for Easter, but I’m in Portugal and I would like to know if it can be done without “Browning” sauce. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it can.
Chelsie says
Best recipe for Jamaican spiced Bun I have found. The finished product taste just like the bun I grew up eating.
Note. I used 1/2 cup of Holiday Fruit(Co.Paradise)1/4 cup raisins. I added Cherries to top like the picture. I also glazed it.( glaze 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup water simmer until glaze consistency) brush on top of bun and return to oven about 3to 5 minutes.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for stopping by, Chelsie, and for sharing your method. I’m glad you like this.
Shiv says
This was my 2nd attempt (your recipe was the 2nd) and better choice. I’m Dominican and my husband was raised in a Jamaican household. He loved it !
Immaculate Bites says
Woohoo! Thank you so much, Shiv! 🙂
Fleur says
I made this and it came out perfect
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! Glad to know, Fleur! Thank you for making this 🙂
Marcia says
This recipe was so easy to make and my bun was amazing. everyone loved it! Thank you so much.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Marcia!
Bernice Thomas says
I tried this recipe and enjoyed the delicious bun.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Bernice!
Simone says
Seriously love, love, love this recipe!!!! Simple & easy to follow with the scrumdeliocious reward and the end. Tried this recipe for the first time on Good Friday, multiplied the ingredients by 4 so that i could share with family. My new favourite Spiced bun recipe. THANK YOU IMMACULATE BITES!!!!!!!
Immaculate Bites says
And thank YOU, Simone!!
AB says
Thank you so much for this recipe! The flavor was perfect and reminded me of my childhood. Since I have trouble finding mixed peel where I am, I took another reviewer’s advice and added 1 Tbsp of orange marmalade. Finally, to get the soft top we all know and love, I glazed the bun with a brown sugar simple syrup as soon as it came out of the oven. Thanks again for making this Easter extra special!
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you for sharing, AB! And I’m happy that it turned out great 🙂
Howard Ashley says
I have a friend that wants me to make Spiced Bun because they know that I make bread. I am born to Jamaicans and had plenty Bun and Cheese as a child. Always store bought. Researching this today, most recipes use yeast. What is the difference here? Taste? Texture?
Immaculate Bites says
Hello Howard! Replacing yeast with baking powder didn’t affect the taste, it just made the bun rise faster but not as distinct. Let me know how your research goes and if you end up making one 🙂
M. McIntosh says
Hi is there a way to cut back on the sodium and carbs
ImmaculateBites says
Yes. Cut back on the salt.
Patricia Thompson says
Hi !
I’m Definitely going to try this recipe… but I have soaked fruits!, where do I add that in the ingredients, can I replace the dried fruits with it?.. and would that be too much liquid ( what do I replace so it not to watery?
Thanks!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hello!
Yes replace with soaked fruits, It would wok out just fine. It should be last thing you stir in. Mix until fully combine. Baked as instructed.
Gloria Cross says
How long can this spice bun lasted for without been refrigerated
ImmaculateBites says
About a day. I have not had it last any longer than a day.