Newfoundland Raisin Buns
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Send this recipe to my email.
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.
Looking for more brunch inspiration?
Be sure to check out this amazing collection of our 25 Best Scone Recipes.
Like this Newfoundland Raisin Buns recipe?
You're sure to love many other recipes, including some Newfoundland favourites that we have in our Tea Buns, Scones and Muffins Category.
You'll find lots of other traditional and locally inspired food ideas in our Newfoundland Inspired Recipes Category.
It's easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram. Plus you'll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when new recipes are added. You'll get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
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.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
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.
Thought I found a good bun recipe but technically, these aren't really buns. They are tea biscuits or scones, because real buns are made just like bread that rises, only in this case, sweeter and with raisins. Oh well, I'll keep searching.
What's in a name? That name is part of the Newfoundland vernacular.
Do you place the buns close to each other i.e. touching or with a little space between them?
My room mate came home with a box of raisins. I asked what the raisins were for. He then told me that I had to make raisin tea buns like his grandmother used to make. I grew up on the mainland, and never had tea buns before, and so a Google search led me here.
I don't enjoy cleaning my food processor, so I grated some cold butter on my cheese grater. The texture of these buns is just perfect. I would make these again, and again, just to fill my house with this incredible smell. And the flavour is beyond anything I ever expected. Thank you!
So glad to have another convert!!
I came across this recipe recently and I had to try it right away. These tea buns were perfect in every way! This recipe is now in my favorites to use again and again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks so much Karen. So glad you enjoyed them.
Hi Barry, used to make these years ago when I lived home. Can't say why I stopped. Too bad tho. Anyhow I remember making them with fresh milk. I know the milk consistency is different and the taste lol, but what's your take on using fresh milk?
Fresh milk will still make good buns. The flavour is richer with evaporated though.
I've been looking for a good raisin bun recipe for quite a while. Just took these out of the oven about 10 minutes ago and they're perfect. So much like my own Nan's. Every year when we come back to NL my husband is always buying them so this year I decided to make them. Everyone loves them, especially my husband! Thanks so much for sharing all of your recipes, they're delicious!
I bet these are not as good as Richard's tea buns... Yummy, yummy
Who is this Richard!!? I challenge him to a tea bun throw-down! 🙂
I want to try these. But my husband and daughter just gave me a resounding no when I said I wanted to try a different recipe. Mine have eggs, and they don't have vanilla or lemon juice, and my family LOVES them. They love them so much that they never let me make any other tea buns. But I only like them. They don't taste like my Nan's at all, and I have a suspicion yours would. Now to convince the fam jam...
Hi Barry what did i do wrong,i used 3 cups of flour and my dough was tooo sticky,i had to add almost 1 more cup of flour
I'm not sure what happened there. Sounds like a mismeasurement maybe.
Hi Barry , just made the raisin tea buns and they're absolutey delicious . Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the. Hope you make them many times more.
Hello. After watching Downton Abbey over and over and watching the cooking I see the cutting of biscuits that looked like there were raisins in them and I love scones and biscuits and wondered does history ever record putting cinnamon in this recipe? Thank you. I googled English raisin biscuits and hit your site.
You could always try a little cinnamon if you like. Sounds good.
Delicious as all of you're recipes are!
i loved them dearly thankyou
Wow these are so simple to make. They turned out delicious. Beating out me tea bun recipe that I have used for years now.
I am from Newfoundland, and miss all Newfoundland traditional recipes. This one is a keeper!
Can't wait to try this.. I hate to sound dumb but i never bake what do you mean by "Pour the liquid mixture into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball." So don't completely mix it? I'm confused... lol can you explain this process in more detail
You make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients by pushing them to the sides. The other instruction is basically not to overtax. When its all incorporated, you're done.