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Homemade Chelsea Buns with Orange, Cinnamon & Fruit
Bake soft and sticky homemade Chelsea Buns filled with fruit, cinnamon, and orange zest, finished with a sweet apricot glaze
Chelsea buns are a classic British bake, and they’re a joy to make at home. Soft dough swirled with cinnamon sugar, orange zest, and plenty of dried fruit makes every bite sticky, sweet, and satisfying.
Why you’ll love and enjoy homemade Chelsea Buns:
- They’re soft, fluffy, and perfectly spiced.
- Packed with juicy fruit and citrus flavor.
- The apricot glaze makes them glossy and irresistible.
- Great for sharing (but you might want to keep them all!).
- They taste even better the next day.
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh Chelsea Buns baking in the oven. These soft, sticky swirls are packed with dried fruit, orange zest, and a hint of cinnamon, then glazed with apricot jam for that irresistible shine.
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Chelsea Buns
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Proofing time: 90 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings depending on size 1x
- Category: Cake, Cupcakes, Cookies and Tarts
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: England
Description
Fruity Chelsea Buns with Apricot Jam Glaze. A shiny, sticky finish you’ll love to tear into.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 packet instant yeast (7g)
- 300ml milk
- 40g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 egg
- A little vegetable oil for greasing
Filling:
- 25g unsalted butter, melted
- Zest of 1 orange
- 75g soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 100g dried cranberries
- 100g sultanas
- 100g dried apricots, chopped
Finish:
- 1 heaped tbsp apricot jam
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Tip the flour and salt into a big bowl, then stir. Sprinkle in the yeast.
- Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts and the liquid is lukewarm.
- Pour it into the flour, add the egg, and mix until you achieve a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it feels smooth and springy.
- Pop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and leave it somewhere warm until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 30 x 20cm / 12 x 8in).
- Brush over the melted butter, scatter the orange zest, sugar, and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the dried fruits.
- Tack down one long edge by pressing it to the counter, then roll up the dough tightly from the other long side to make a log.
- Slice into rounds about 4cm thick.
- Arrange the buns cut-side up in a buttered roasting tin, leaving space between each one.
- Cover and let them rise again until doubled (about 30 minutes).
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Bake the buns for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Warm the jam with a splash of water and brush it over the warm buns.
- Once cooled, mix the icing sugar, orange zest, and 2 tbsp water, then drizzle on top.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Joy
Soft and sticky Chelsea Buns filled with dried fruit, orange zest, and cinnamon, then glazed for the perfect shine. A homemade treat that’s warm, cozy, and impossible to resist.
Chelsea Buns with orange, cinnamon, and fruity glaze are soft, sticky, and full of flavor. The citrus zest and sweet glaze make them a classic bake that feels special and homemade, perfect for sharing or savouring warm from the oven.
The Chelsea bun is a type of currant bun that was first baked in the 18th century at the Bun House in Chelsea, an establishment favoured by Hanoverian royalty accustomed to similar pastries in their native cuisine. The shop was demolished in 1839.
The bun is made of a rich yeast dough flavoured with lemon peel, cinnamon, or mixed spice. The dough is rolled out, spread with a mixture of currants, brown sugar, and butter, then formed into a square-sided log. The process of making this bun is very similar to that involved in producing the cinnamon roll. After being baked, traditionally the Chelsea bun is glazed with syrup (or cold water and sugar). It is glazed while still hot so that the water evaporates and leaves a sticky sugar coating. Commercially made buns are sometimes topped with glacé icing.
The oldest known reference to Chelsea buns was in 1711 by Jonathan Swift, but it is unclear whether the bun resembled the modern form of Chelsea bun or if it was a hot cross bun.
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Your Chelsea Buns look delicious! I featured your post on Full Plate Thursday, 763 and thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Hope you will come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much for this honor Miz Helen. I saw this awesomeness and linked back to your post indicating the feature. See you again tomorrow.