CHOICE declare Australia's 'perfect' supermarket hot cross bun and they're $1.40 each

Long gone are the days when hot cross buns were merely offered in the fruit or no fruit variety. These days, they come in every flavour under the sun and are available in supermarkets pretty much all year round (much to the chagrin of some shoppers).

So, how are we to know which of these tasty treats are worth our hard-earned money and which are better off left on the shelf? And how do we know whether to head to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi or someplace else to stock up on our Easter goodies?

While spending a day tasting hot cross buns is a tough job, someone has to do it, and this year, a panel of three CHOICE judges spent hours meticulously blind testing 19 varieties of hot cross buns to bring Aussies their number one.

“We assessed appearance, aroma, flavour and texture and we tasted the hot cross buns toasted and untoasted,” Brigid Treloar, Food Consultant and CHOICE judge told Yahoo Lifestyle. “We also made an overall comment on each sample about whether we liked it or not and why. It’s a very good process. The three judges don’t talk so you don’t know what the others score and then the CHOICE team put the results together to work out the winners.”

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Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, Bakers Delight, Costco buns put to the test

This year, the Hot Cross buns came from Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, Bakers Delight and Costco.

“With the cost of living, I think they went mainstream and focused on hot cross buns that are available everywhere. Those little artisan bakers just aren’t able to compete on price,” Treloar explained.

But, as in previous years, they still tested a range of different styles and rated traditional fruit, chocolate and gluten-free hot cross buns.

Coles hot cross buns crowned the winner

Coles Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns

Taking the win with a 75% score, Coles' Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns impressed the judges across the board. The experts praised the buns - which retail for $5.50 for a pack of 4 - for their great array of fruits, which produced interesting flavours and textures.

“The winner was perfect for toasting and eating uncooked which doesn’t always happen,” Treloar said.

Runner-up hot cross buns

Aldi Bakers Life Fruit Hot Cross Buns

Coming in a close second the delicious Aldi Bakers Life Fruit Hot Cross Buns had a score of 72%.

Third place

Coles Bakery Easter Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns

Coles took another spot on the podium with its Coles Bakery Easter Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns, which the judges handed 66%.

Treloar told us they eat so many hot cross buns during the tasting day that by the end of it all she’s desperate for something salty. She also admits that since the blind tests weeks ago she hasn’t eaten a single bun. Easter ruined, right there!

“You have to taste each bun at least twice – toasted and untoasted and then if the fruit isn’t evenly distributed you might need another bite to make sure you’ve tasted that. I’ll have a bigger bite if I do like it and there is a spit bucket if you don’t. It does sometimes get to that.”

Best chocolate hot cross buns

There was no spitting out the chocolate buns but Treloar said there was quite a variation of aroma and chocolatey flavour in the ones they tasted.

The winner

Coles Bakery Easter Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns

Coming in first again was a Coles product: the Coles Bakery Easter Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns, which retail for just $4.40 for a pack of 6. With an an impressive score of 82%, the experts were pleased with the amount of chocolate chips, noting the chocolatey smell was evident. If you prefer a chocolate hot cross bun, the CHOICE experts recommend trying this one.

Runner-Up

Aldi Bakers Life Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with Milk Chocolate Chips

At 67 cents per bun the Aldi Bakers Life Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with Milk Chocolate Chips was a winner on price as well as taste.

Third place

Woolworths Bakery Hot Cross Buns made with Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips

In its only placement in the top spots Woolies took out third with its Bakery Hot Cross Buns made with Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips.

Best gluten-free hot cross buns

If you're unable to eat gluten for health or personal preference reasons, there is no need to miss out on some Easter fun!

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Treloar noted that the hot cross buns in the gluten-free category were getting better each year but for 2025 the winner was Aldi Bakers Life Gluten Free Fruit Hot Cross Buns which received a score of 68%.

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