Our panel of three experts blind taste test (without knowing the brands and in a randomised order) and review 15 supermarket and bakery hot cross buns from Australian supermarket chains and bakeries, including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and Bakers Delight. Traditional fruit buns and chocolate buns, along with their gluten-free varieties, were tested separately. Each bun was tasted fresh (untoasted) and toasted, with scores given for each.

• Discover the best hot cross buns on offer this Easter, as rated by CHOICE experts.
• Sort by price, type, percentage of fruit or chocolate and more.
• Take a look at our article for more hot cross bun information.

Scores

The experts independently judged all hot cross bun products. The CHOICE Expert Rating, our overall score, is made up fully of our sensory rating. For sensory, 50% of the score represented the toasted bun sample and the other 50% represented the fresh (untoasted) sample.

Here’s a breakdown of the sensory weightings:

• flavour (50%)
• appearance (20%)
• aroma (15%)
• texture (15%)

We recommend traditional and chocolate hot cross buns with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 75% or more, and gluten-free hot cross buns (all varieties) with a score of 70% or more.