24 February 2026
CHOICE has taste-tested 15 hot cross buns – both traditional and chocolate varieties – from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and Bakers Delight to see which ones deserve a place in your trolley this Easter.
“Each year, supermarkets and bakeries release a wide range of hot cross buns, which can make it hard to choose the best one. Luckily, CHOICE experts have taste-tested 15 hot cross buns to uncover the yummiest of them all,” says CHOICE Content Editor, Pru Engel.
“Coles Finest Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns were once again the favourite traditional bun this year, with an impressive score of 85%. Our experts praised it for its generous variety of fruit, which was evenly distributed, with a good amount of peel throughout,” says Engel.
“Woolworths took first place in our chocolate category with an outstanding score of 95% – one of the highest scores we’ve ever awarded to a hot cross bun. Our experts loved its rich chocolate aroma, how well it toasted with the chocolate melting through, and its appealing colour. One expert even said it looked like the ‘real deal’,” says Engel.
CHOICE experts blind taste-tested each hot cross bun untoasted and toasted, and assessed them by flavour, aroma, texture and appearance. The CHOICE Expert Rating consists of the taste test score, with 50% weighted to the toasted sample and 50% weighted to the untoasted sample.
Best traditional hot cross buns
1. Coles Finest Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns
CHOICE Expert Rating: 85%
Price: $1.38 per bun
2. Woolworths Bakery Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns
CHOICE Expert Rating: 73%
Price: $0.73 per bun
Best chocolate hot cross buns
1. Woolworths Bakery Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Made With Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips
CHOICE Expert Rating: 95%
Price: $0.73 cents per bun
2. Coles Bakery Choc Chip Hot Cross Bun
CHOICE Expert Rating: 75%
Price: $0.73 cents per bun
“If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, the Free From Gluten range at Woolworths stood out, with both the traditional and chocolate buns ranking first in their category. Our experts particularly enjoyed these buns toasted, noting their good texture and how well they held together,” says Engel.
Images and video available: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fSBW6afjAyMaNhoWGWrj-_-HysIhI4st?usp=sharing
Editor’s notes:
Expert taste testers
Brigid Treloar has been a freelance food consultant for over 30 years. The author of eight cookbooks, she also contributes to newspapers and magazines, reviews restaurants, judges cookery and recipe competitions, and judges chocolate in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show Competition.
Ian Huntley is an accomplished pastry chef with over 35 years of experience in the industry. Trained in the UK and Switzerland, Ian specialised in confectionery, cake decorating, and bread making before relocating to Australia in the mid-1980s. Upon arrival, he spent five years honing his craft at two of Sydney’s premier hotels, The InterContinental and The Regent. Today, Ian serves as the Chair of Judges for the Royal Agricultural Society’s Professional Bakery competition and is an Assessor for Patisserie and part time teacher at Le Cordon Bleu Sydney.
Eddie Stewart started his culinary career at the young age of 16 and has amassed over 20 years of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, he has worked in various boutique restaurants and world-renowned hotels to develop his own unique style. He has served as the Head Chef of Savoury and Business Development Manager for the internationally acclaimed Black Star Pastry in Sydney, where he has gained extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the culinary business. In 2020, he joined forces with Min Chai to create a brand new concept called Tokyo Lamington, where you can indulge in deliciously created lamingtons and other baked items.
