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Six golden apple cinnamon tea buns on a white plate, one split open to show soft crumb and apple pieces inside.

Apple Cinnamon Tea Buns

Quick drop-style buns with fresh apple and cinnamon, baked golden in under 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 10 buns
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g all-purpose flour plus a little extra for shaping
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg optional but good
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 50 g light brown sugar
  • 60 g unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
  • 1 large (approx. 200 g peeled and diced) apple Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, cut into 1 cm pieces
  • 180 ml buttermilk or whole milk with 1 tsp white vinegar, rested 5 min
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp whole milk for brushing the tops

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar together in a large bowl until combined.
  3. Add the cold butter cubes. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, uneven breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces still visible.
  4. Toss the diced apple through the flour mixture so the pieces are coated and separated.
  5. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together in a small jug.
  6. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until just combined and no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky - this is correct.
  7. Lightly flour your hands and scoop the dough into 10 equal mounds, each roughly 70 to 75 g. Place on the prepared baking sheet spaced about 4 cm apart.
  8. Brush the top of each bun with the 2 tbsp of milk.
  9. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden and the buns spring back when pressed lightly in the center.
  10. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. Serve warm with butter.

Notes

Cold butter is non-negotiable for the right texture - don't let it soften before rubbing in. Leftover buns freeze well individually wrapped for up to 2 months.