Treat yourself to these easy Sticky Belgian Buns! They are perfectly soft on the inside and sweet and sticky on the outside. Top these buns with a fresh homemade glaze, cherries and serve them for breakfast, dessert, as a snack and during Easter.
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Add these delicious, sweet and easy sticky Belgian buns to your next dessert menu! They are surprisingly simple to make and only require a few easy-to-find ingredients. The smell of these buns baking in the oven is enough to have everyone lining up, you'll soon forget all about the buns from your local bakery! I like to serve these buns on Sundays and during Easter with my special Easter Cake.
Belgian buns are round or square-shaped sweet buns that contain raisins and are topped with icing and cherries. They can be served with cream too.
Despite the name, the origin of the Belgian buns is unknown. However, Belgium does produce a similar specialty with less icing known as a rozijnenkoek or couque suisse.
You can also serve this Jamaican Easter Bun Recipe, Easter Mini Egg Brownies and Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns.
Why This Recipe Works
- These easy, sticky Belgian buns are pure indulgence thanks to the soft dough and sticky topping.
- These buns are bakery quality.
- Double or triple the recipe to feed more people.
- Serve these easy sticky Belgian buns during Easter or when craving something sweet.
Sticky Belgian Buns Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Milk: This recipe calls for warm milk. It is combined with yeast and sugar to help the dough rise.
- Fast yeast: Or instant yeast is the yeast of choice for this recipe. It can be found in supermarkets and online.
- Unsalted butter: Melt unsalted butter and combine it with other ingredients to make the dough.
- Egg: Used as a rasing agent.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the bun.
- Orange extract: Adds a delicious citrusy flavor to the bun.
- Lemon curd or fruit curd: Is used to fill the sticky Belgian buns.
- Raisins or sultanas: Add a burst of sweetness to this delicious dessert. The fresher better.
- Lemon zest: Adds citrusy flavors again.
- Ground cinnamon: Don't forget the cinnamon; it will add a sweet woody flavor to the recipe.
- Sweet water for greasing buns: This mixture of sugar and water is used to grease the buns before baking.
Belgian Bun Glaze Ingredients
- Icing sugar: Use this fine sugar to make the glaze for the easy sticky Belgian buns.
- Lemon juice: Combine lemon juice with icing sugar to make the glaze.
- Glazed cherries for decoration: Don't forget to top these buns with cherries on top!
Tips and Substitutions
- Yeast: Instant yeast, also known as fast-acting yeast or quick-rise yeast, is dry. It helps baked goods to rise quickly. When using instant yeast, check the expiration date and make sure it has not expired. If it has, then the dough will not rise. In addition, combine the yeast with warm water to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, the yeast will die; if it is too cold, it will not be activated, and the dough will not rise. You may also enjoy these Homemade Crème Brûlée Donuts.
- Dough: Once you have kneaded the dough, it should have a slightly smooth and elastic texture. Check that it is not too wet and sticky or dense and dry. Also, let the dough rise in a warm place for the best results.
- Glaze: Add the glaze to the buns when fresh out of the oven.
- Raisins or sultanas: add less or more, depending on your preference.
How to Make Sticky Belgian Buns
- Grab a large bowl and combine yeast, warm milk (up to 37 degrees), flour and sugar. Stir and let the bowl sit in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes. This will allow the yeast to react with the sugar
2. There should be foam on the surface of the milk once the yeast is activated.
Tip: Ensure the milk is warm and not too hot or cold, as this will affect the yeast.
3. Pour melted butter, egg, orange extract, sugar, and sifted plain flour into the bowl with the yeast mixture.
4. Mix the ingredients and knead the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place for an hour.
Tip: If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Be careful not to add too much flour to prevent the dough from becoming too dense.
Belgian Buns Filling
5. Add raisins, cinnamon powder, lemon curd, and lemon zest to a bowl as the dough rises and mix everything well.
6. Next, preheat the oven to 180C/360F for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has doubled, place it on a floured table and roll it flat. Spread the curd mixture on the layer and leave the edges free.
7. Roll the dough firmly horizontally and press down the edges to prevent unrolling.
8. Cut the roll dough into equal-sized pieces. Each piece should be about 2-3 cm thick.
9. Bake buns for 20 minutes.
10. Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice as the buns bake. Once they are done, glaze the hot buns and place half of the glazed cherries on top.
11. Then, once they are done, glaze the hot buns and place half of the glazed cherries on top. Serve these mouth-watering, bakery-style sticky Belgian buns on Easter and other special occasions. You may also enjoy this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns during fall.
Recipe FAQs
Combine dough, sultanas, icing, and cherries to make a Belgian bun. Prepare a Chelsea bun for a traditional British dessert using yeast dough, currants, brown sugar, and butter.
Sticky Belgian buns are made with plain flour, yeast, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, lemon curd, sultanas and a glaze.
The "yellow stuff" in Belgian buns is lemon curd. Lemon curd is a sweet lemon-flavored topping or spread that is used in baking. There are lots of different curd flavors. For example, passion fruit, blueberry and mango curd.
Yes, you can freeze Belgian buns. Make sure you freeze the buns without the glaze and add the glaze when serving.
More Delicious Easter Recipes
Sticky Belgian Buns
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray/Silicon/Teflon mat
- 1 Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 100 ml Milk
- 275 g Plain flour
- 7 g Fast/quick yeast
- 60 g Unsalted butter
- 1 Egg
- 50 g Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Orange extract
- 50 g Lemon curd
- 2-3 tablespoon Raisins/Sultanas
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
For glaze
- 3 tablespoon Sweet water for greasing buns
- 5 tablespoon Icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- Glazed cherries for decoration
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk (up to 37 degrees), three tablespoons of flour and a spoonful of sugar. Stir well and leave the bowl in a warm place and allow the yeast to react with the sugar. After 15-20 minutes, foam will appear on the surface of the milk, which means the yeast is being activated.
- Add melted butter, egg, orange extract, sugar, and sifted plain flour into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Then knead the dough. If the dough is too sticky, then add a little more flour. But make sure the dough is not too dense. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
- Meanwhile, add soft seedless raisins, cinnamon powder and lemon zest to a bowl of fruit curd and mix everything well.
- Preheat oven at 180C/360F for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has increased in size by 2-3 times, transfer it to a table and roll it into a flat layer. Spread the curd mixture on the layer and leave the edges free. Roll the dough firmly to prevent it from unrolling. Then cut the roll into equal sized pieces. Each piece should be about 2-3 cm thick.
- Place the dough swirl side up and lay each roll 2-3 cm apart on a silicone or Teflon mat or baking paper. If you are using baking paper then grease it with a little butter or olive oil. Then grease the buns with the water and sugar mixture. To make the mixture, mix 50 ml of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Bake buns in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. While the buns are baking, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice then glaze the hot rolls and place half of the glazed cherries on top.
Notes
- Yeast: When using instant yeast, check the expiration date and ensure it has not expired. If it has, then the dough will not rise. In addition, combine the yeast with warm water to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, then the yeast will die and if the water is too cold, it will not be activated and the dough will not rise.
- Dough: Once you have kneaded the dough it should have a slightly, smooth and elastic texture. Check that it is not too wet and sticky or dense and dry. Also, ensure that you leave the dough to rise in a warm place.
- Glaze: Add the glaze on to the buns when they are fresh out of the oven.
- Raisins or sultanas: add less or more depending on your preference.
Shani says
Oh these look devine! I had some buns similar to these during my trip to Brussels a few years ago.
Stephanie says
Ooh these Belgian Buns were so delicious! They were so warm and fluffy and the sweet aroma filled the house.
Kate says
I made these Belgian buns for brunch and got compliments at how fluffy and delicious they were! I can't wait to make them again!
Marta says
I've never made or eaten Belgian buns, so I made these as a trial run for Easter brunch. They were a huge hit with my family, especially with the lemon glaze.
Robin says
Substituting dried cranberries for raisins and cherries, I prepared these for Sunday brunch. They were certainly a lovely addition to our weekend.
Carita says
As a beginner baker, I’m proud to say this recipe was a breeze. Tested this out to serve for a brunch I'm having next month and these were absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of sweet. Can’t wait to make these again to share with my guests!
Kaluhi says
Made and carried these buns to my cousin's baby shower and they were cleared in seconds!! My favourite note was the citrus flavours in the curd
Marcus Avery says
These are going to get me in trouble. They are far too easy to make and taste amazing. These Belgian buns and the treadmill will be my new best friends!
Jessica says
These barely made to the table before we gobbled them all out. The texture is absolutely perfect. Will be making these again for brunch soon!
Jazz says
Everyone loved this bun recipe so much that I am making them again for Easter. Thank you!
Derek says
First time with this recipe - and it worked a treat. Made 8 buns yesterday, and only 1 left (which hasn't yet been eaten... due to guilt!). I presumed that the sugar and flour in process 1 are taken from the quantities stated at the top?