Jamaican Spice Bun
The Jamaican spice bun, a delectable treat savored across Jamaica, is a tastebud delight and a cultural emblem, particularly during Easter. Known for its warm spices and succulent dried fruits, this sweet bread is cherished annually. Reinvented for a modern palate, a new vegan and gluten-free rendition of this Jamaican classic retains rich flavors while catering to diverse dietary preferences.
With similar enthusiasm, Jamaica’s culinary heritage features a variety of beloved holiday desserts, such as Sweet Potato Pudding, Jamaican Fruit Cake, and Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding. Locals and visitors alike cherish these traditional sweets, as they offer a homemade taste of the island’s festive spirit that anyone can now easily recreate in kitchens worldwide.
Jamaican Spice Bun
I can remember enjoying bun and cheese for the Easter holiday as a child. We ate popular brands like HTB Jamaican Spice Bun and Jamaica National. Honestly, we never thought of making it at home.
Traditional Jamaican Easter Treat
- lavor: Richly spiced
- Texture: Dense and soft
- Common Accompaniment: Cheese
- Popular Brands: HTB, Jamaica National
- Occasion: Easter holiday
Jamaican Easter Tradition: Spiced Bun with Cheese
Jamaica celebrates Easter with a distinctive culinary twist that has been passed down through generations. The round hot cross bun, which was originally a creation of British settlers, has evolved into a rectangular, spiced bun that is distinguishable by its darker appearance as a result of the use of molasses instead of honey, a readily available ingredient from the island’s sugar plantations.
- Composition: The bun is richly infused with dried fruits, adding a burst of flavor to every bite.
- Pairing: Traditionally, this bun is paired with slices of cheese, creating a sweet and savory contrast that is now synonymous with the holiday.
It is worth noting that some variants of the bun even incorporate Guinness stout, which adds another layer of depth to its flavor profile. This treat is undoubtedly a cornerstone of Jamaican Easter celebrations, showcasing the island’s ability to blend external influences with local staples to create something uniquely their own.
Jamaican Easter Bun: Vegan Friendly?
- Ingredients: Typically contains eggs; variations may include butter.
- Vegan Alternative: Exists—specifically dairy-free and gluten-free recipe options.
- Popularity: Dairy-free, vegan version gaining traction.
Jamaican Bun Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Flour
- Sugar
- Ground Flaxseeds
- Baking Powder
- Spices
- Salt
- Almond Milk
- Sunflower or Avocado Oil
- Molasses
- Vanilla
- Dried Fruits
How Do You Make Jamaican Easter Bun?
Some of the Jamaican spice bun recipes are made with yeast, but mine is made with baking powder.Â
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray, set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix, gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar, ground flaxseeds, baking powder, spices, and salt. For the gluten-free flour, I used Krusteaz All-Purpose Gluten-Free flour.Â
- Combine almond milk, sunflower oil, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.Â
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to form a batter. Fold the dried fruits into the batter. Scoop the batter into the baking pan.Â
- Bake in the center of the oven for 60–75 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.Â
- Transfer the baking pan to a cooling rack, meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Spread the glaze on the warm, spiced bun. Remove the bun from the pan and allow it to cool completely. Delicious, served with my Vegan Cheddar Cheese.Â
How To Glaze Jamaican Easter Bun?Â
- The trick to a moist Easter bun is to glaze it as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- This will seal the outer layer and keep the bun moist. Make a simple syrup recipe by combining equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat while stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and brush on your Easter Bun.Â
Other Jamaican Recipes To Try:
- Vegan Jamaican Rice And Peas
- Jamaican Sorrel
- Jamaican Callaloo
- Steamed Cabbage
- Vegan Ackee
- Â Jerk Sauce
- Jamaican Lentil Patties
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Jamaican Spice Bun
Ingredients
Spice Bun
- 2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups dried fruits raisins, cherries, cranberries, etc.
Simple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
Instructions
For The Bun
- Preheat oven 350℉. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray, set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix, gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar, ground flaxseeds, baking powder, spices, salt. For the gluten-free flour, I used Krusteaz All-Purpose Gluten-Free flour.
- Combine almond milk, sunflower oil, vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to form a batter. Fold the dried fruits into the batter. Scoop batter into baking pan.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 60-75 minutes or until a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer baking pan onto a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Spread the glaze on the warm spiced bun. Remove the bun from the pan and allow to cool completely.
- Delicious served with my Vegan Cheddar Cheese!
For The Glaze
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat while stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and brush on your Easter Bun.
Thanks very much for the measurements of the cardamom and coriander. I made it last night and it is so delicious. Love how it looks when I cut into it with the cherries, raisins and cranberries in each slice! Will be keeping this recipe as well. Happy Holidays to you as well!
That’s awesome, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.
Would love to try this recipe for this holiday season but I would need to substitute the cinnamon and nutmeg with cardamom and coriander again please!
Also, Michelle, is there a ratio you can help me out with when substituting for cinnamon and nutmeg in baking with the cardamom and coriander, example, 1 teaspoon cinnamon = 1/2 teaspoon cardamom etc? ….just so am not always inquiring for a measurement of the spices for recipes if you don’t mind.
Wendalyn Happy Holidays, I like 1/4 teaspoon cardamom to 1/2 teaspoon coriander, you can increase to 1/2 teaspoon cardamom to 1 teaspoon coriander. I hope you enjoy!
I love seeing the similarities in the foods of the Caribbean… this is basically the same as our sweetbread in T&T, with the only difference I notice is that we put grated coconut in it. It looks like you are correct in describing it as “addictive” from reading the other comments so I might try it your way soon.
Dunori, my friend from Trinidad used to make for me gluten-free vegan Sweet Bread and its quite similar, except the fact that we blend some of our fruits results in our color being darker and yes the addition of coconut changes the texture slightly but they both are adapted versions of the British fruit cake.
I just want you to know that I have made this recipe about 3 times now, and I’m planning to make it again on labor day. It turns out delicious every time, much better than the packaged bun I buy at the store when I’m in Jamaica. My partner and I both love it!
Woohoo, thank you for such a good report, I’m so happy you love it.
OMG!!! This is sooooooo good!! I decided to make mini loaves and used all-purpose flour and all raisins because that’s the only dried fruit I happen to have on hand, but this is amazing! I have to admit to tasting the batter before it went in the oven and that too was yummy, lol! This is a keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing such a special recipe. XO
Aimee I’m so happy you loved the recipe and it turned out great with your adjustment. I love the idea of making them as mini loaves. perfect for gifts. Thank you very much for your feedback.
Might even be persuaded to add some spiced rum too….This however, with or without the rum looks absolutely yummo!
Thanks for sharing your recipe and enticing pics….hard not to not want to try it outđŸ˜‹
The flavours in this spice bun reminds me of a Christmas cake I make. Love those warming spices, and the texture of this cake looks amazing!
Aww thank you, I hope you try it.
So fun learning about the tradition behind this recipe! And, I love that it’s gluten free and vegan-looks so delicious! I would eat this any time of year :-)
Thank you for visiting and reading about it.
Hi Michelle, this recipe sounds delish, My question is, I dont use oil so will this cake work if I leave out the oil?
Thank you
Diane thank you, I’m not sure since I only tried it with oil. This is what I would do is take 1/2 cup of the fruits and blend with 1/2 cup of the liquid into a puree or substitute 1/4 of tahini or smooth nut butter (except peanut butter) to replace the oil. Hope this helps.
It looks delicious! As I am also oil free, I would replace the oil with apple sauce or mashed banana. đŸ˜‹
Hi Michelle,
I am allergic to dried fruit. I really want to try this recipe. Will can fruit or fresh fruit work as well?
That’s so interesting Lolly, I wonder if you are allergic to the sulfite or the fact that mold might develop during the processing! I never tried it with fresh fruit, it won’t be authentic but it should still taste awesome. You might just need to bake longer.
Wow! I was looking at this recipe and I had forgot I have already asked that question. I was about to do it again. But, anyway , yes it is the sulfite that I am allergic to in dried fruit and veggies. I will try this recipes with fresh fruit or maybe can fruit. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks so much for replying.
Lolly, you can also find dried fruits without sulfite at health food stores and stores like Trader Joes, you can even dehydrate them yourself.
Considering I put a 1/4 cup of milk too much, this tuned out so much better than I expected. Better than the store bought one I sampled last week. I used regular flour, half coconut sugar and half regular brown sugar, raisins, dried sour cherries and chopped dried figs. I might add more spices next time. Thanks a BUNch!
Neil, that’s wonderful. I love how you made adjustments and it turned out great. It’s good to know that it works with even regular flour.
Can I use regular flour to make the spice bun? Looks delish
Robin a reader said they had success in using regular flour.