As Easter approaches, Australian supermarkets have been rolling out a variety of hot cross buns, ranging from the classic flavors we know and love to some new, and sometimes questionable creations that have left us intrigued… and a little scared (uh, Doritos hot cross buns, anyone?).
Our mission was clear: taste as many hot cross buns as humanly possible and find the very best ones.
Hot cross buns have been on supermarket shelves since Boxing Day, sparking plenty of debate as new, fun, and unusual flavors continue to drop. This year alone, we’ve seen everything from carrot cake flavor, Arnott’s Mint Slice, matcha raspberry and mocha, to the viral Woolworths mud cake-filled hot cross bun and, of course, the Cadbury Caramello hot cross bun.
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To help you find your perfect bun – whether you’re a chocolate lover, a traditional fruit purist or keen to try something a little different, we pitted Woolworths, Coles, IGA and ALDI against each other in an official taste test spanning months.
Keep reading to find out the best hot cross buns, and the absolute worst.
The Better Homes and Gardens team, including senior food editor, Sarah Murphy, blind taste-tested 23 hot cross buns from Woolworths, ALDI, IGA and Coles to find the very best this Easter season.
We based our assessments on the following criteria: taste, texture and spice level.
The most divisive hot cross bun this year was Coles’ Doritos flavor, which received the lowest score in our test.
We also tried hot cross buns from Bakers Delight to see how they compare to supermarkets. The results were surprising.
The overall winner with a 7.8/10 was the traditional hot cross buns from IGA. The tasters described it as having a “classic” flavor with a “moist” texture and a “good amount of fruit inside”. There was also a good “belt of spice inside” with a perfectly cooked and glossy top. Across the board, it got high scores, including three 10/10’s.
So, its official. The best hot cross bun from an Aussie supermarket is the traditional hot cross bun from IGA. Who would’ve thought?
Following it closely behind with only 0.4 less are two choc-chip flavoured buns. The Woolworths Cadbury Milk Chocolate Hot Cross Buns and IGA Choc Easter Buns both earned a score of 7.4/10. They were the perfect texture – soft, fluffy and moist with a generous amount of chocolate to satiate the crowd of taste testers.
Here’s an overview of how we ranked all 23 of the hot cross buns we tasted:
Of all the gluten-free hot cross buns we tried, ALDI was rated the best, earning a 7.5/10 for fruit. Coming close behind was ALDI’s choc chip hot cross bun.
01
IGA Traditional hot cross buns
7.8/10
IGA’s Traditional Easter buns were an absolute crowd-pleaser, taking the top spot with their “classic, moist, yummy and wonderful” flavour profile. Testers praised the generous amount of fruit and the soft, fluffy texture of the bun. Available in a mini nine-pack or a six-pack, they’re the perfect pick if you’re after a classic, no-fuss hot cross bun.
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02
Woolworths Cadbury Milk Chocolate hot cross buns
7.4/10
This Cadbury Milk Chocolate hot cross bun is, as one taster exclaimed, “the best bun of the lot!”. It had the perfect bread texture, with many marvelling at the fluffiness compared to other choices. Best of was the delicious chunks of chocolate that ‘melt in your mouth’.
While some pieces had chocolate chips sunken on the bottom of the bun, it still maintained an overall chocolately, balanced flavour profile.
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02
IGA Choc hot cross buns
7.4/10
Tied for second place was IGA’s Chocolate Chip hot cross bun. One taster said, “The bun is fluffy, the chocolate is delicious and I’d be happy to eat these any time!” Testers also praised the generous amount of chocolate, with one calling it their “favourite by far.”
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03
Woolworths Caramelised Biscuit-filled hot cross buns
7.3/10
The ooey-gooey filling of caramelised biscuit is what carried this hot cross bun to second place. While many commented on the denseness of the bread itself, the Biscoff-like filling was a game-changer.
Our favourite comment for this one? A simple : )
It really did put a smile on our faces!
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04
Woolworths Traditional Fruit hot cross buns
7.2/10
For the traditionalists out there, Woolies has claimed the best fruit bun. It had the most fluffy and moist bread, and the fruit was even distributed and generous. One taster even labelled the fruit as ‘juicy’.
Overall, it was a solid bun, with great fruit and the ideal amount of spice needed for a truly traditional hot cross bun.
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05
Coles Easter Arnott’s Mint Slice Inspired hot cross buns
6.95
/10
Coles’ Mint Slice hot cross buns proved to be one of the most divisive in the taste test. Some testers loved the bold flavour, while others questioned why the buns were created in the first place.
The lowest score was a three, with one taster describing the bun as “dry and odd.” Most scores landed between five and eight, with several testers feeling the mint flavour was a little overpowering. As one person put it: “It tastes minty, but not chocolatey. It seems strange in hot cross bun form.”
That said, mint lovers had no complaints at all. “Tastes just like a Mint Slice! Can’t fault anything,” one happy tester said.
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06
Woolworths Cinnabon hot cross buns
6.9/10
The Cinnabon hot cross buns from Woolworths were controversial. With a spread of scores ranging from 10/10 to 2/10, we definitely had a love/hate relationship with this bun.
On the one hand, the bread was extremely doughy, and on the other hand, it had a cheesecake icing filling. In the end, the cheesecake filling won out, with tasters willing to eat the “tasteless, doughy, stale” bread with it.
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06
ALDI Apple and Cinnamon hot cross buns
6.9/10
The highest scoring bun from ALDI was the apple and cinnamon flavour. According to the taste testers, it had a “nice balance of flavours” and is lovely when butter is added into the equation.
The lower scores for this mentioned “boring” and “a bit tasteless.”
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07
ALDI Chocolate hot cross buns
6.8/10
According to tasters, ALDI’s chocolate hot cross buns weren’t anything to write home about. With mid-range scores, this bun was “a little underwhelming” and “nothing special”. It was still chocolate, so people were happy to take a bite.
Sitting next to the Cadbury Milk Chocolate option, which was “the Chocolate Queen”, it didn’t steal anyone’s hearts, but, it’s still a solid option if you’re in need of a chocolately hot cross bun.
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08
ALDI Brioche-style hot cross buns
6.6/10
The best comment of the taste-testing was about this brioche-style bun: “But why is it yellow?”. Our blind-testing meant that we didn’t know the names or flavours of each hot cross bun, and this one certainly elicited some weird stares.
All in all, it was just okay. It had a nice balance of flavour, but leaned on the doughier side. One taster mentioned that the white cross was quite thick and chewy to get through.
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08
Woolworths Cadbury Caramello hot cross buns
6.6/10
The Caramello-inspired bun, unfortunately, ended up mid-range for our tasters. While the caramello saucy filling was delicious, the bun itself seemed to be a let-down. This one was judged a few weeks after the official afternoon of taste-testing, as it just came out in store.
Most described it as underwhelming, and wanting “more Caramello and less bun.” Overall, it was just okay and not the dream bun everyone was hoping for.
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09
IGA Apple & Cinnamon hot cross buns
6.5/10
IGA’s Apple Cinnamon hot cross buns were a mixed bag when it came to execution. While some tasters found them “delicious,” praising the “nice cinnamon touch” and “just the perfect amount of everything – fruity and light, with a flavour that isn’t too intense,” others felt the bread let the bun down. For those testers, lightness wasn’t enough; they wanted more punch. One commented, “Really dense and doughy bread…,” while another added, “Lacks flavour and spice.”
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10
ALDI Fruit hot cross buns
6.2/10
ALDI’s version of a traditional hot cross bun scored on the lower side, mainly due to dryness. “A bit dry” was the general consensus from the tasting crowd, with many saying they’d gladly eat this option if it were toasted with butter.
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10
Coles Sticky Date hot cross buns
6.2
Coles’ Sticky Date–inspired hot cross buns were more of a miss than a hit with our taste testers. Some enjoyed the sweetness, describing it as “caramel goodness” and saying, “If you like caramel, she’s the one.” However, others felt the flavour was too strong and artificial, with the caramel tasting “fake.” The bun itself also drew criticism, being “a little dry,” and one reviewer noted, “it doesn’t taste like Easter or sticky date pudding.”
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11
ALDI Fruitless hot cross buns
5.8/10
The first thing that came to mind for most was ‘why bother?’ when it came to ALDI’s fruitless hot cross buns. However, the bread itself was delicious, with a nice amount of spices.
If you dislike dried fruit, but steer clear of anything chocolate flavoured, then a fruitless hot cross bun may be the perfect choice for you!
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11
Woolworths Mudcake-filled hot cross buns
5.8/10
Unfortunately, the Mudcake-filled hot cross bun was a very low scorer. Don’t get us wrong, we loved the saucy filling- it tasted just like the Woolies mudcake icing. However, the bread was dry, dry, dry.
Those who were willing to overlook the dryness gave this bun high scores of 9/10 and even 10/10. The mudcake icing sauce filling was sensational, but the low scores of 3/10 and 2/10 meant overall, it was not worth the hype.
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12
ALDI Rocky Road hot cross buns
5.6/10
“Tastes like plastic” was by far the worst comment of the taste-testing, and it was unfortunately attributed to the Rocky Road hot cross bun from ALDI. Artificial in flavour and texture, this bun reminded one taster of “how a Barbie smells”.
Still, some loved the sugary sweetness, giving it an overall score of 5.6/10.
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12
ALDI Carrot Cake hot cross buns
5.6
“Souless carrot cake” was the overall consensus for this ALDI hot cross bun.
One taster summed it up perfectly with “it needs cream cheese!” – a core part of what makes carrot cake so good. Many agreed it would be better enjoyed as a cake rather than a bun.
“It’d be nice without the hot cross bun flavour, so keep it as a cake. Not great, very average,” said one tester. With a “dry” texture and “plain” in flavour, many felt it needed “more carrot and nuts”.
This is one flavour that probably should have been left alone.
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13
IGA Terry’s Chocolate Orange hot cross buns
5.3
Orange and chocolate is a flavour combo that’s either loved or hated, and this proved true even in hot cross bun form.
One tester raved, “It’s my favourite! It actually tastes like Jaffas,” giving it a perfect 10/10 for its “nice, strong and identifiable Jaffa flavour.”
However, not everyone agreed. Some testers were less forgiving. “They should not ruin hot cross buns,” said one, while others likened it to “uncooked batter” or, more brutally, “dishwashing liquid.” The flavour was also inconsistent – “you get the orange at the start, but then it fades”, though most agreed it delivered a “good chocolate hit.” Scores ranged from 0 to 10, making this one of the most divisive buns of the bunch.
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14
ALDI Banoffee inspired hot cross buns
5.2/10
ALDI’s Banoffee hot cross bun, which was “very banana” and “way too overpowering” was not popular amongst our taste testers. The most interesting comment about this bun was that it tastes like “fake syrup chunks in bread”.
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14
IGA Reese’s hot cross buns
5.2
The Reese’s hot cross bun was another real divider among taste testers, earning scores at opposite ends of the spectrum – one giving it a 10, another a 0.
A few enjoyed the chocolate bun with hints of peanut, but the majority were far from impressed. Some were blunt, noting a single word: “Yuck”, while another declared, “They should not exist.”
The peanut butter was too heavy, overpowering the subtle flavours and texture of the bun. One tester even went so far as to spit it into the bin, which is not ideal.
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15
Coles Matcha Raspberry hot cross buns
5.1
“It’s green, but where’s the matcha?”
While most testers enjoyed the white chocolate–raspberry flavour combination, the matcha itself seemed to be missing in action.
The bun was described as “a bit mushy and dense,” and for some, the raspberry flavour came across as “artificial.” One taster summed it up bluntly, stating, “I love drinking iced strawberry matcha. This is BAD.” Yikes.
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16
IGA Fruitless hot cross buns
4.95
Tasters described IGA’s Fruitless hot cross buns as “doughy, plain and a bit boring,” with a clear need for more flavour and spice. One noted a “yucky aftertaste,” while another bluntly said it “has no soul.” On the bright side, at least the bun wasn’t dry.
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17
Doritos hot cross buns
4.6
When we first heard about Dorito-flavoured hot cross buns, we weren’t sure what to expect. Honestly, they completely missed the mark. Testers described it as “a dry, bready, soggy, soft Dorito,” with a flavour profile of “fake cheese and a hit of heat from the jalapeno.” Another tester pleaded, “Please don’t ruin Doritos for me.”
Despite the hate, some testers absolutely loved it, describing it as “akin to a cheese and bacon bun, but without the bacon and with more heat.” The opinion of a select few, however, wasn’t enough to swing the vote more positively.
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We conducted a blind taste test of all the hot cross buns, removing any packaging and labelling them with numbers. Each person who tasted the hot cross buns had to give them a rating out of ten. Ratings were based on three criteria: taste, appearance and ratio of bread to filling or fruit.
The hot cross buns were served cold. Tasters had the option of adding butter to their bun, but only after trying a piece by itself.
We had what felt like endless packs of hot cross buns, so sharing was definitely required for this taste test! The entire BHG team and wider office were involved in judging.
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