NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Eat Well / Recipes

Coconut cross buns

makes 9 buns
Reader Recipes
By Akanesi Ofahengaue

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

A Pacific take on hot cross buns, these delicious sweet buns are baked with a creamy coconut sauce.

Buns

400 gBread flour, approx. 3 1/4 cups (Main)
1 cupWater, Warmed
1 sachetDried instant yeast, 7g
¼ cupSugar
2 TbspVegetable oil
1Egg, Lightly beaten

Coconut sauce

1 canCoconut cream (Main)
½ cupWater
¼ cupSugar

Cross paste

¼ cupStandard flour
1 TbspSugar
3 TbspWater

Directions

  1. Combine warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and allow to stand for 10 minutes until frothy.
  2. Add egg and oil to mixture.
  3. Add 3 cups of flour to yeast mixture and carefully combine with a metal spoon until a dough forms. If mixture is fairly wet, add additional flour if required. The dough should be fairly dry and you can knead it together in the bowl to help it form into a dough ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until soft and elastic. (Try to avoid adding too much flour at the kneading stage as this can give the buns more of a scone texture rather than a 'bread' one.)
  4. Then place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, roll dough to coat in oil, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
  5. Once doubled, punch dough down and transfer to a board and knead for about 1-2 minutes. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces, form into balls and place in a pan spaced evenly apart. Cover and leave to double in size (about 40minutes).
  6. Meanwhile make coconut sauce by mixing coconut milk, water and sugar well until sugar is dissolved and set aside.
  7. Once buns have doubled, pour 2/3 of the cream mixture evenly over the buns. Use a pastry brush to brush some of the sauce over the tops of the buns.
  8. To make the paste,for the crosses, mix flour, sugar and water well and place into a ziplock bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe crosses over the buns.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven on 200 degrees Celcius for 25 minutes or until buns are golden and a skewer inserted into the middle bun returns clean. Pour over rest of the coconut cream and return to oven for 5 mins.
  10. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit (15 minutes). Best served warm.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest Recipes

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries
Food News

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries

18 Sep 09:39 PM
Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

22 Aug 11:00 PM
Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry
Food News

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry

16 Aug 02:00 AM
Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media
Food News

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media

07 Aug 11:00 PM
Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
Food News

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

16 May 12:00 AM
Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal
Food News

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal

19 Jan 10:44 PM

Latest Food News

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries
Food News

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries

18 Sep 09:39 PM
‘Don’t bother with the canapes’: How to host without going broke (or burning out)
Food News

‘Don’t bother with the canapes’: How to host without going broke (or burning out)

12 Sep 04:00 AM
In a dinner rut? 7 tips to make weekday dinners less boring
Food News

In a dinner rut? 7 tips to make weekday dinners less boring

05 Sep 04:05 AM
Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

22 Aug 11:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Recipes

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries
Food News

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries

Here’s how to waste and spend less in a big kitchen clean-out.

18 Sep 09:39 PM
Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

22 Aug 11:00 PM
Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry
Food News

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry

16 Aug 02:00 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP