Easter Recipe: Jessica Sepel's Healthy Hot Cross Buns

Easter is a season filled with good food. In fact, the holiday is practically dedicated to baskets filled with chocolatey, sugary indulgences. If you are health-conscious, there’s no need to deprive yourself over the long weekend. Enjoy these divine, healthy hot cross buns from nutritionist Jessica Sepel instead; think gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free with a hint of spice and zesty citrus. Plus, a touch of decadent dark chocolate to finish. Now, that's what we call an Easter treat!

Makes 8 buns

• 2 1/2 cups almond meal
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp mixed spice
• Zest of 1 small orange (optional)
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 eggs (2 for the mixture, 1 for glazing)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Combine the almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, orange zest and coconut sugar in a medium bowl, stirring well to remove any lumps.
3. Whisk together the coconut oil, honey, 2 eggs and vanilla in a jug.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. Add the raisins and stir to combine.
5. Roll 1/4 cup worth of mixture into a bun shape and add to the baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
6. Whisk remaining egg and using a pastry brush, brush each bun with a little egg to glaze.
7. Add to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through.
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.
9. While they are cooling, melt the dark chocolate in a snaplock bag ready for piping.
10. Once the buns are cooled cut off a tiny corner of the snaplock bag using scissors, and then pipe the chocolate straight onto the bun in a cross shape.

Jessica Sepel (BHlth, Adv Dip Nutritional Medicine) is a clinical nutritionist, best-selling author, international health blogger and the beloved voice behind JSHealth and @jshealth. Her philosophy is focused around balance, rest and building a healthy relationship with food. Jess is a longstanding advocate of Califia Farms and uses their product range in many of her recipes.