Name: Jamaican Spice Bun Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (380g); 2 teaspoon baking powder (9g); 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (5g); 1/2 teaspoon salt (1.5g); 1 large egg; 3/4 cup light brown sugar (156g); 1 cup beer (250g ); 1/3 cup milk (85g); 1/4 cup honey (85g); 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (53g); 1 Tablespoon molasses (18g); 1 teaspoon browning (6g); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g); 1/2 cup dried craisins (62g); 1/2 cup raisins (62g); 1/2 cup dried cherries (62g)

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This Jamaican Spice Bun is usually served with cheese and served during the Easter holiday. I eat it year round, don't judge me. It's a delicious bread recipe that is a part of the Jamaican Culture and can easily be made at home.

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This post was updated on 3/3/2021.

The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

Any Jamaican will let you know that it is a must to eat "Bun & Cheese" for Easter. Growing up, it was a must for me to eat Bun & Cheese every time I visited the Jamaican bakery.

This homemade version is easy to make and is quite delicious. I like to slice it up and place slices of sharp cheddar cheese on it.

How to Make Jamaican Spice Bun

Gather all your ingredients.

Soak the dry fruits in the beer to hydrate them. I do this for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a standard 8x4 loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

dry spices in a bowl with wooden spoon sticking out

In another bowl, combine brown sugar, egg, milk, honey, melted butter, molasses, browning, vanilla extract, and the beer that's soaking the fruit. Do not pour the fruit in at this time, just the beer. Mix to combine.

Remove 2 tablespoon of flour from the flour mixture and pour over the fruits and toss until they are covered.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients, stirring until combined.

collage of dry and wet mixture being combined

Then add the fruits to this mixture and stir until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick entered in the middle comes out clean.

collage of batter in loaf pan unbaked and then baked

Allow bread to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a cooling rack. Serve with cheddar cheese.

How to Store Jamaican Bun and Cheese

Store the bread in an airtight container. It will last for 2 days on the countertop or up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes on Jamaican Bun and Cheese

I use Red Stripe beer in this recipe.
You'll want to hydrate the dried fruits before adding them to the batter. It helps keep the bread nice and moist.
Tossing the fruits in a little flour before adding it to the batter allows the fruit to distribute evenly in the bread and they won't sink to the bottom.

sliced spiced bun with cheese in the middle

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5 from 4 votes

Jamaican Spice Bun Recipe

This Jamaican Spice Bun Recipe is delicious and a traditional bread served in Jamaica for Easter.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword jamaican spice bun

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 407kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour 380g
2 teaspoon baking powder 9g
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5g
½ teaspoon salt 1.5g
1 large egg
¾ cup light brown sugar 156g
1 cup beer 250g
⅓ cup milk 85g
¼ cup honey 85g
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 53g
1 Tablespoon molasses 18g
1 teaspoon browning 6g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4g
½ cup dried craisins 62g
½ cup raisins 62g
½ cup dried cherries 62g

Instructions

Soak the craisins, raisins, and cherries in the 1 cup of beer. Set aside and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x4 loaf pan. Set aside.
Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, in a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, combine brown sugar, egg, milk, honey, melted butter, molasses, browning, vanilla extract, and the beer that’s soaking the fruit. Do not pour the fruit in at this time, just the beer. Mix to combine.
Remove 2 tablespoon of flour from the flour mixture and toss the fruit in it. Set aside.
Make a well in the middle of the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in wet mixture, stirring until fully combined. And the fruits to the mixture and stir until incpororated.
Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Serve with slices of cheddar cheese.

Notes

I use Red Stripe beer in this recipe.
You should hydrate the dried fruits before adding them to the batter. This helps keep the bread nice and moist.
Tossing the fruits in a little flour before adding them to the batter allows the fruit to distribute evenly in the bread and not sink to the bottom.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

*Adapted from Tanya's Jamaican Spice Bread. Funny how this Tanya and I share the same name 🙂