Newfoundland Raisin Buns
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Newfoundland Raisin Buns. Traditional Newfoundland raisin tea buns are a cousin to scones and biscuits. Everyone's Mom or Nan made them. Perfect with a steaming cup of tea.
Originally published Oct 2007.
Newfoundland Raisin Buns. Can there be any doubt that the raisin bun is an icon of Newfoundland baking?
It would be nearly impossible to find a single person raised in this province whose mother or grandmother did not bake this most popular of staples in the Newfoundland kitchen.
UPDATE: This old time Newfoundland raisins buns recipe has been one of the most popular on Rock Recipes over the last 19 years. In making a list of the TOP 25 recipes in that time this one came in at number 18.
I have heard from countless ex-patriot Newfoundlanders as well as new bakers inside the province who have told me that a Google search for Raisin Buns is what led them to initially discover RockRecipes.com in the first place.
That still happens on almost a daily basis and I look forward to welcoming many more in the future.
2017 update: Some people have experienced their buns spreading on a cookie sheet, so I have added a couple of tips in the notes section of the recipe. My grandmothers never made them on a baking sheet anyway, I just like them that way.
They would have made smaller buns and placed and tight together in a 9x13 pan, so that they can hold each other up as they rise. I still do that sometimes, especially if I am making a lot of them to freeze or serve at a big brunch.
Check the recipe card below for additional photos on my method for forming the dough.
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The Best Newfoundland Raisin Tea Buns
Traditional Newfoundland tea buns are a cousin to scones and biscuits. Everyone's Mom or Nan made them. Perfect with a steaming cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
- 1 cup raisins, light or dark, your preference. Use up to 1 ½ cups if you like.
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or just rubbing it into the dry ingredients using your hands like Nan did.
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
- Transfer to a large bowl and toss in the raisins.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mix.
- Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla and milk.Pour into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball.
- Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out buns with biscuit cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 16 tea buns.
After cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, make a well and pour in the milk and vanilla extract.
I use a fork to start combining the wet and dry ingredients.
Pull the ingredients from the edges if the bowl toward the centre. This helps the liquid to distribute evenly.
Continue with the fork, tossing the ingredients together in a sort of folding motion until "pebbles" of dough form.
Flour your hands and press the dough pebbles together into a single ball of dough.
Roll the dough to about an inch or so thick and cut out the tea buns.
Place the tea buns on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly egg wash the tops.
Once the tea buns are all egg washed they are ready for the oven.
Alternatively, the cut out Raisin Tea Buns can be placed close together in a greased 9x13 pan. Some people prefer to bake them this way instead of spaced out in a cookie sheet for softer edges.. It also helps with them rise a little more. Baking time can be a little longer using this method, just make sure the tops have good colour before ypu take them out of the oven.
Notes
Only use real butter in this recipe. Substitutes can cause issues with sticky dough etc.
Make sure your surface is well floured before you drop the dough onto it, you can sprinkle a little flour on top before you from it into a circle to roll out. The goal is to keep the dough as soft and unworked as possible.
I usually sprinkle on flour and fold the dough only about 3 times. So, while you can add more flour while working the dough into shape, don't overdo it or your raisin will be less soft and tender.
Do not roll them too thin; never thinner than 1 to 1 ½ inches. The larger the buns the thicker I tend to cut them.
Make sure you oven is well preheated and use aluminum bakeware when possible. Steel/alloy pans can carry heat too quickly and like they do sometimes with cookies, spread wider on the pan before they get the chance to lift.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 265Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 27mgSodium 282mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 1gSugar 20gProtein 4g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Hi Barry.
I've been having a craving for tea buns lately, and no I'm preggy!! lol
I'm originally from the Rock but live in the U.S.now, and lately I've been craving some good old fashioned delights from back home. I'm going to try your recipe for these buns, so I will let you know how they turned out.
Thanks for posting this recipe. It sounds YUM!! Cheers, Robi
Barry I don't know if your the right person or not..I may have been your parents care giver ..I was just talking about Mr Parsons and craving tea buns peg made looked on line for a recipe ..then I seen Barry Parsons could it be a coincidence
Afraid not, my parents are retired but still happily living in our family home and thankfully very independent and active. Barry.
Just made the raisin tea buns and they were AWESOME!!!! Even better than our family recipe. It was uber-early when I woke up craving them and I couldn't call mom for the recipe at that hour so found your site and tried them out and my husband and toddler just devoured them. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. Can't wait to look over the rest of your site now.
Charleen T.
going to make those buns right now will post my turnout later
Made these today! They were super easy to make (even without the processor). I've never really liked raisins, so my grandmother always makes them with chocolate chips for me. I used chocolate chips in this recipe, and it turned out great! It was a great treat after playing in the snow with the kids 🙂
Thanks for posting this fab recipe its so easy and time perfect! I made some today for my kiddies and they Loved them,Nothing like Hot chocolate and Tea buns on a cold winters day Ummmm thaks again! 🙂
Mmm! Made these today and tossed in a quarter cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips along with raisins. Turned out perfectly! Thank you for this one!
wha???????????? no egg?????????? i looked over your other tea bun recipes and it looks like no egg in either. why no egg??????
Nope. I've never used eggs in scones or tea buns. They will be lighter without the egg.
My mom would usually put a couple egg yolks yolks in and the texture and rise would be beautiful. She would also add some custard powder to her dry mix (she could then omit the vanilla). They were amazing and she was known for her delicious tea buns.
Thanks going to try this recipe now
So excited! Just put them in the oven 🙂
Just made these tea buns. B-E-S-T E-V-E-R!!!!!!! And I used Splenda for my diabetic hubby....they are AWESOME!!!!
Hi Barry, should the baking sheet go on middle rack or ususal bottom rack in the oven?
Thanks
I use middle for convection or second from bottom in a conventional oven.
Made them and they were delicious ! ( omitted the lemon juice)
@Barry C. Parsons, I wouldn't do that. The acid is included to get the right chemistry with baking powder. I like the expression: cooking is an art; baking is a science.
ok, so i just tried this recipe...and I have no culinary skills at all.....lol what didn't I do right so that they didn't rise??
That's never happened to me. How old is your balking powder?
When I make these the consistency is more like cake instead of the typical crumbly tea bun. Any ideas why???
Really? Never got that comment before. Does the mix seem too wet to you?
YUP!! You've NAILED IT!! My Aunt use to make these for us when we were growing up. I just made 3 batches: raisin, cheddar cheese and Chedder cheese with ham(the ham ones were usually made from the leftover ham dinner)
THANK YOU ROCK RECIPIES for bringing me back to my childhood!!!
So happy to be a part of bringing back family traditions. Barry.