Although many Jamaicans have bun and cheese throughout the year, it is an Easter tradition that many enjoy. The Jamaican spice bun boasts a round shape and does not typically include raisins or other fruit spices. However, an Easter bun typically has raisins, a loaf-like shape, molasses, stout, and other dried fruits. If you love baking and want to make your version of the Jamaican Easter bun, we have two easy-to-make recipes you can try.

Easter Bun Recipes.

Traditional Easter Bun Recipe.

This recipe is from Dani from Sweet & Sorrel.

Prep time: 20 minutes.

Cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Serving: 8 servings.

Ingredients

3 cups flour, sifted

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp mixed spice (optional)

14.5 oz bottle of Guinness (or other brand of stout or malt)

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tbsp molasses

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp browning (more for darker bun)

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp melted butter

1 large egg

1 cup dried raisins

1/3 cup bottled cherries

2 tbsp coconut water (optional if you want an extra moist bun)

Glaze

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Pour Guinness into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. The mixture may curdle slightly because of the egg and melted butter. Add the raisins and let them sit in the liquid to plump up for a minute or two.
4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, working in batches. Use your spatula to “cut” the flour into the batter, but be careful not to overdo it. The batter should be runny, and when you lift your spoon, the batter should fall like a ribbon. Regarding consistency, the batter should be thinner than a pancake batter and thicker than a cake batter.
5. If the batter is too wet, add 1 tbsp flour; if it is too dry, add more water or stout.
6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. The batter should fill 2/3rd of the pan. If you have excess batter, make muffins!
7. Bake for one hour and thirty minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle of the bun comes out clean.
8. Heat water and honey on the stove until the honey dissolves to make the glaze. Using a pastry brush, brush the honey and water mixture over the bread while it is hot.
9. Let the bun rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing with a bread knife. For a firmer bun, place the loaf in the fridge to chill.

Easter Spice Bun Recipe.

This recipe is from Enid Donaldson’s book Taste of Jamaica (Pg. 122).

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Serving: 1 loaf.

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups hot water

3 tablespoons margarine

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1-pound raisins

1 tablespoon baking soda

3 cups flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring brown sugar, hot water, margarine, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins to a boil in a saucepan. Leave it to simmer for 15 minutes and cool.
3. Sift flour and baking soda together. Add the cold mixture from the saucepan to the flour.
4. Bake in a greased loaf pan or tin until done.

Popular Jamaican Easter bun companies.

Some of the most loved Jamaican Easter bun brands include Maxfield Bakery & Pastries (Maxfield) and National Baking Company Ltd. (National). National Baking Company also owns the Hanna Town Bakery, which produces HTB Easter buns. Most people prefer Tastee Cheese (Diary Industries) with their bun. However, other local cheese companies include Outland Hurdlers and Ruby Goat Dairy.

Baking is an excellent way to enjoy an Easter favourite. However, if you plan to purchase your bun, you can type the “bun”, “bakery”, or “cheese” into our Find Yello search bar for businesses that offer these products.

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Sources: Jamaicans, Buzzz Magazine, Ja Blogz, Things Jamaican, and Now You're Cooking.