Description
These Bear Coffee Buns are a charming twist on the classic Mexican coffee bun, featuring a soft and fluffy bread base filled with melty butter and topped with a crisp, aromatic coffee crust. Shaped into cute bear faces, they’re as delightful to look at as they are to eat—perfect for kids’ snacks, brunch tables, or cozy coffee breaks. This recipe is beginner-friendly and customizable, making it a fun baking project for any home cook looking to create bakery-style treats with personality and flavor.
Ingredients
🥖 For the Bread Dough (Makes 8 buns)
300g bread flour (2½ cups)
40g granulated sugar (3 tbsp)
5g salt (1 tsp)
5g instant yeast (1½ tsp)
180ml warm milk (¾ cup, ~100°F/38°C)
1 large egg (room temperature)
30g unsalted butter (2 tbsp), softened
🧈 For the Butter Filling
60g unsalted butter (¼ cup), cold and cut into 8 cubes
1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional, for sweet core)
☕ For the Coffee Topping
100g unsalted butter (7 tbsp), softened
80g powdered sugar (⅔ cup)
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
100g all-purpose flour (¾ cup)
🐻 For Decoration (Bear Faces)
50g dark chocolate or chocolate chips (melted, for drawing)
16 chocolate chips or black sesame seeds (for eyes)
Instructions
In a small bowl, dissolve instant yeast in warm milk. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, and salt.
Add the egg and yeast-milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until a rough dough forms.
Knead by hand for 10 minutes or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5–7 minutes.
Add softened butter and knead again until fully incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and elastic (another 8–10 minutes).
Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 to 1½ hours).
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Bread, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion, Malaysian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun (of 8)
- Calories: 325 kcal
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 70mg