Last Updated on December 26, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Jamaican Easter Bun
Spiced Bun is traditionally had on Easter morning for the traditional Bun & Cheese before Easter mass.
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Caribbean people love sweet breads. Every holiday from Christmas to Easter and birthdays – really any kind of celebration and there comes the sweet bread. While this version of Coconut Sweet Bread is ubiquitous throughout the islands, each island also has at least one additional version that is unique to the island. This is why I get so mad when people lump all Caribbean food into the same bucket. We each have our own distinct culture and cuisine, not to mention sometimes different languages as well.
In Jamaica it’s all about Easter Bread.
History of Easter Bun
Jamaica was colonized by the British in the 1600’s and the tradition of eating cross buns on Good Friday came over the pond. However, cross buns were a little too bland for Jamaicans.
They spiced it up and added some Guinness and additional fruit for good measure. Now this was something the Jamaicans could dig into.
Salty cheese is a great contrast to the sweet bread and hence the tradition of Bun & Cheese on Easter morning was born!
Easter Bun Variations
There are different versions of Jamaican Spiced Bun. Some are made with yeast. However this quick version still has the same tang. The Guinness provides the tang without the yeast!
In addition to Guinness, there are a few specialty ingredients needed to make Jamaican Easter Bun – Spiced Bun
Specialty Products
- Guava Jelly – Guava Jelly/Jam is the most common jam in the Caribbean. It is the most popular filling for cakes and is used in many of our pastries. Any Caribbean supermarket will carry it and it can also be ordered from online sources. However, if it seems a little more trouble than its worth, you can easily substitute with Strawberry Jam.
- Browning/ Burnt Sugar – Browning is basically burnt sugar. It is a thick liquid ingredient used in both Caribbean sweet and savory foods for both taste and color. The closest substitute would be molasses, although molasses does have a stronger taste. Look for browning at your local Caribbean supermarket. It is also finding its way into many international aisles in standard supermarkets here in America.
- Guinness or Dragon Stout – Stout beer is very common in the Caribbean and especially in Jamaica. It comes from a history of British colonization. Not only do we drink it, but it finds it’s way into many of our sweet foods. It provides that slight tang of a yeasty flavor.
Before we get to the recipe, check out how easily it comes together by watching the video below!
You can get all of the specialty ingredients via the links below so that you can be all ready to have your Bun & Cheese on Easter Morning!
Here are a few other Caribbean Recipes you might like to check out – both sweet and savory!
More Caribbean Recipes
- Coconut Sweet Bread
- Breadfruit Puffs
- Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding
- Spinach Phulourie
- Haitian Pate
- Caribbean Curry Chicken
Jamaican Easter Bun – Spiced Bun
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 ½ cups Guinness
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 teaspoons browning
- 2 tablespoons guava jelly
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 ½ cups white wheat flour or all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground mace
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ cup tutti frutti candied fruit
- ½ cup raisins
Topping Ingredients
- glace cherries garnish
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, mace, ginger, clove, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, Guinness, wine, browning, guava jelly, vanilla extract and egg. Beat well.
- Add sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved.
- Add flour combination in 2 batches, beating well after each addition.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the tutti frutti and the raisins.
- Transfer to prepared loaf pan.
- Decorate the top with the glace cherries.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and water together.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the top with the sugar water.
- Bake for another 15 minutes, until a tester inserted comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
- Serve with cheese and tea.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I like these cake like breads for breakfast.. Will surely try out this recipe.
yes it’s nice to sometimes start the day on a sweet note
Such a flavourful bread rich in spices and candied fruits and jelly.. so perfectly baked with a great texture.
thank you – it’s a delicious sweet bread – I am sure you would love it!
Such a rich bread full of spices and fruits. Adding both beer and wine, now thats interesting. Love the deep brown colour of the bread.
yes it’s the Guinness and wine that gives the bun the rich color.
This bread would be treat for my husband as it has Guinness as well as wine!! It must taste like Christmas cake.
yes it’s definitely a festive bread fit for holidays
This cake like bread sounds superbly delicious and aromatic. Spices tutti fruity raisins definitely makes it a perfect festive treat. Loved your informative write up.
thank you – the sweet bread and salty cheese pair well together and compliment each other so well.
Looks so delicious and healthy one. Lovely texture and spices must have added extra flavor to the bread.
thanks and yes the spices make it so flavorful
wow mir, exotic ingredients and such a beautiful bread!!! Love the texture, all that festive flavors, would love to check whether i can get that guava jelly, sounds yumm!
or you can just make jam from fresh guava and use that as well
Wine and Beer!!! Definitely will want to try it! Guinness now will want a substitute for that otherwise definitely must try making it.
Guinness is a sour stout beer. In my opinion, not fit for drinking – but don’t tell the Irish and the Jamaicans I said so 🙂 It gives it that slightly sour yeasty tang. What might work is a little sourdough starter but you might have to add a little more liquid to get the consistency right.