Sweet and sticky Chelsea Buns filled with a mix of spices, raisins, and cranberries. Delicious eaten warm fresh out of the oven.
Hand shaped rolls and buns are fun to make and even better to eat. They are perfect for afternoon tea or coffee and are delicious served warm with some butter. Sweet buns are irresistible and it is hard to go back for seconds.
Chelsea Buns vs Cinnamon Rolls
Chelsea Buns are sweet rolled buns filled with a mix of spices, raisins, and sometimes lemon peel. The spices may or may not include cinnamon. They usually have a sugary glaze which makes them sweet and sticky. Cinnamon Rolls on the other hand, must have cinnamon. Dried fruits are optional.
Both Chelsea Buns and Cinnamon Rolls are baked together in a pan and pulled apart after baking into individual buns. Chelsea Buns are popular in the United Kingdom while Cinnamon Rolls are very popular in the United States. The cinnamon rolls found here in the US usually come without dried fruits.
More Dried Fruits
I added some sweetened cranberries to the fruit mixture to give it a little more color. You may add 2 to 3 tablespoons of candied peel if you like. The recipe below was adapted from The Cooks Encyclopedia of Bread Machine Baking.
Similar Tools Used in Making These Chelsea Buns
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
Sunbeam 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
Kitchenatics 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling and Roasting Rack
Norpro Silicone Basting Brush, Blue
For more tools and products used in my kitchen, please check out Roti n Rice’s Amazon Page.
Chelsea Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (240ml)
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups unbleached white bread flour (600g)
- ½ stick butter (56g)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar (55g)
- 1½ tsp rapid-rise active yeast
Filling
- 2 tbsp butter (melted) (28g)
- ½ cup golden raisins (80g)
- ½ cup raisins (80g)
- ¼ cup dried sweetened cranberries (35g)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp apple pie spice (or ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg)
Glaze
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup water (60ml)
- ½ tsp pure orange extract
Instructions
- Pour milk into bread machine pan. Add egg. Sprinkle flour over milk and egg. Add butter, salt, and sugar in separate corners of bread pan. Make a shallow indentation in the middle of flour. Add yeast. Snap bread pan into bread machine and close lid. Set bread machine to dough setting. Press the start button.
- Mix all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Grease a 9 inch square cake pan.
- When dough cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Place it on a lightly floured surface. Punch down gently. Roll into a 12 inch square. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with filling. Roll up dough like a jelly roll.
- Cut into 12 pieces and place cut side up in prepared pan. They should be placed close together but not touching so as to leave room for it to rise. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until double in size.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Bake buns for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Allow buns to cool slightly in pan before turning onto a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, mix sugar and water in a small pan. Bring to a boil. Continue to stir until mixture is thick and syrupy. Turn off heat. Add pure orange extract. Remove and brush onto warm buns.
- Serve warm with butter, if desired.
Nutrition
It is always fun to try something different from what you can easily find at the grocery stores. These sweet and sticky Chelsea Buns are great for a mid-morning snack or tea time. Do give them a try.
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine says
Wow…these buns have come out just perfect…would like to have one now…
Angie's Recipes says
Whoa….these buns are just hard to resist!
Mother Rimmy says
I love that you used a bread machine. I have one I use all the time. Used to do the kneading myself, but that's too much work now. 🙂 These look delectable!
tigerfish says
Look like? I would have thought they were cinnamon rolls!
Biren says
A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine – Thanks! They are wonderful with tea.
Angie's Recipes – I was planning to only eat one but ended up having a couple!
Mother Rimmy – I love my bread machine. Use it every two days or so.
Tigerfish – They do look like cinnamon rolls but the dried fruits are a nice addition.
Casey Angelova says
Those look amazing! I have always wanted to dabble in the sticky bun/cinna-bun realm! I think I will have to book mark these!
Sarah Naveen says
so cute and yummy..loved it..
is that your kitchen in the background biren?? what a beautiful kitchen..
Biren says
Casey Angelova – Thanks! As I mentioned to you, I did make some adjustments to the recipe by reducing the flour and increasing the yeast. I am really pleased with the results.
Sarah Naveen – Thanks Sarah! Yes, that's my messy kitchen de-cluttered.
Biren says
Casey Angelova – The measurements in the above recipe include the adjustments. Give it a try.