Heat the soy milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (either in the microwave or on the stove) to 110°F and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over top and cover with a towel. Set aside until foamy and active, about 5 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t foam, throw everything out and start again.
Once yeast is foamy, add the remaining maple syrup, sunflower oil, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). With a spatula, bring the dough together until it’s shaggy and mostly combined.
Then, bring the bowl to the stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Mix on medium until the dough is unified, soft, and elastic, about 4 minutes. You could also knead by hand for 8-10 minutes.
Place the dough on the counter and flatten it out a bit, creating as much surface area as you can without ripping/tearing the dough. Evenly scatter the dried cherries and chocolate chips over the surface. Roll the dough up into a log and then knead/shape into a ball. Keep kneading until the cherries and chocolate appear to be evenly distributed throughout. This part is a little tricky and messy! Just do your best.
First Rise:
Grease a large bowl with sunflower oil and place the dough ball in, rotating it all around to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.
Shape & Second Rise:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dust your work surface with flour and punch down the dough. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and roll into a 16-inch log of even thickness. Cut the log into 12 equal portions and then roll those portions into balls. Place the dough balls onto the baking sheet.
Cover the dough balls and let them rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Pipe Crosses, Bake & Glaze:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Make the crosses mixture. In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup flour and ½ cup water. Whisk until you have a smooth paste with no lumps. You want it to be thick but still fluid enough to pipe. If you need more water, add it by the tablespoon until you get the right consistency.
Transfer the crosses mixture to a squeeze bottle or zipper seal bag. If using the zipper seal bag, squeeze the mixture to one corner and snip off that corner with scissors. Then, pipe crosses across all buns.
Bake the hot cross buns until deep golden brown and puffed up, about 20-22 minutes or so. An internal thermometer poked into the center of one of the buns should register at 190°F.
Place the apricot jam and water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 15 seconds. Brush this mixture on the hot cross buns straight out of the oven.
Let the hot cross buns cool completely on a wire rack before enjoying.
Recipe Notes
These buns are absolutely loaded down with dried fruit and chocolate. Little bits will fall out as you knead them into the dough and later when you’re portioning. Just press them back in and trust the process.
Pillowy soft and perfectly sweet, these vegan hot cross buns are a decadent variation on a classic spring treat.