A New Taste of Easter from The Creole Bakery

Easter in Belize is more than a holiday; it’s a whole vibe. It’s the time when families slow down, kitchens come alive, and the air is filled with the familiar smells of fish, hot cross buns, and sweet homemade treats. And while that classic cross‑topped Easter bun is a must on many tables, one Belize City baker is giving the tradition a bold new twist. Tonight, we take you inside The Creole Bakery, where owner Jeida Briceño is putting her own flavor on Easter, blending creativity, technique, and heart into a bun that keeps customers coming back year after year.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

For most Belizeans, Easter tastes familiar. It’s fried fish on Good Friday, family kitchens buzzing, and that unmistakable Easter bun waiting on the table. Year after year, bakers across the country honor the tradition, especially the symbolic cross baked right on top. But in Belize City, one baker is quietly challenging that expectation. At The Creole Bakery, owner Jeida Briceño is rewriting the Easter bun story. Her buns come out just as hot, just as rich in flavor, but without the traditional cross. It’s a bold break from convention, and one that has customers talking, tasting, and coming back for more this Easter season.

 

Paul Lopez

“Today you are going to be making for us what you call Easter buns. What is the story behind that?”

 

Jeida Briceno, Owner, The Creole Bakery

“Well, he had a lot of trial and error with making the cross on the bun. It was not forming well on top of the bun. So, we just quit doing the cross on the bun and just added the spices in the bun.”

 

With that departure from the cross on the bun, The Creole Bakery’s Easter bun keeps customers coming back year after year.

 

Jeida Briceño

“So I have five cups of flour in the container along with half cup of sugar. Then I have a tablespoon of all the spices, which is cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and anise. Then I have another cup of sugar, brown sugar. I have a stick of room temp butter, and I will add for my resin, one and a half tablespoon of instant yeast.”

 

Briceño gently worked the butter into the dry ingredients by hand.

 

Jeida Briceño

“Some people ask for different kinds of bun, some of them heavy, some of them ask for different texture. But ours is more soft and rich in flavor from the spices.”

 

With blending complete, two cups of warm coconut milk activates the instant yeast and a tablespoon of vanilla adds extra flavor.

 

Jeida Briceno

“People ask, miss it has coconut milk. I say yes. People are use to the coconut flavor in the product. You don’t want to add too much milk. You want to look for the firmness in the bun. So that is it, this is the consistency of the bun.”

 

Now, it must sit for thirty minutes to allow the bun to rise. Jeida’s journey started right at her mother’s side. Seven years later, she’s now running the show, handling both the baking and the sales. Every day, you’ll find her selling her treats straight from the back of her SUV along Coney Drive. And while she admits she was once shy about stepping into the spotlight as a baker and business owner, Briceño says confidence came with time; and today, she’s proudly driving her own entrepreneurial success.

 

Jeida Briceno

“At first some people will be embarrassed to sell, but it is not about how I feel or how other people think. It is at the end of the day about what you make and how you approach people. I have people come to me plenty of times and share what they have experienced through the day. I say, I don’t look like someone to share your story with. But I don’t think of it as a job, but as a ministry. We as a small business we give blessings to people. So, we take out a little extra and whenever you make a purchase you get a little extra, like a little powder bun or johnny cake or bread or bun. And sometimes it is not for them but maybe someone that needs something extra, like a homeless person on the road.”

 

After a short rest, she shapes the buns, sets them on a floured pan, and lets them rise again. Thirty minutes in the oven later, the result is a soft, richly spiced Easter bun.

 

Jeida Briceño

“Blessings, blessings over Easter and safe travels to anyone travelling.”

 

From a recipe shaped by trial, error, and tradition, to a business built on courage, community, and giving back, Jeida Briceno’s Easter buns are more than a holiday treat, they’re a symbol of her journey and her heart for the people she serves daily. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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