In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a separate dish, mix together the flax and the water. Let sit for a few minutes.
Add the flour, zest, juice, applesauce/oil, and spices to the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or can stir by hand). Add the milk and yeast mixture and the flax slurry. Mix at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until the batter is nice and airy. Drain your dried fruit and gently mix it into the batter.
Coat the inside of a bowl with baking spray or oil. Scrap the dough out into the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, scoop out mounds of dough (about 28 in total), so that they are separate rolls, but just touching. With wet hands, smooth out the tops a little, and brush with a little non-dairy milk alternative.
Take a 9x13-inch pan and fill it halfway with water, and place it on your bottom rack in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Once the oven is pre-heated, slide the roll pan into the oven on the rack above the water, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool completely before icing.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a blender, puree the cashews with the yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, and whisk in powdered sugar until you get the right consistency and taste for a slightly thick, but still pourable glaze (about 2 cups).
With a piping bag of a plastic baggie with a bottom corner snipped (very small cut), pipe the glaze in one line across the length of the whole pan, then one across the width. Repeat until you have a cross pattern on each of them.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/gluten-free-hot-cross-buns