With Easter creeping up fast and new exciting hot cross bun flavours hitting major supermarkets, the yearly question raises its head…which is the best hot cross bun on the market?
This year, Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group Choice asked their experts to taste test 23 hot cross bun samples- from different categories including traditional fruit, chocolate and gluten-free- “blind” and in a randomised order to see which bun reigns supreme.
The buns samples were purchased from Australia’s major supermarkets and bakery chains, Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, Bakers Delight and Costo, many of whom start stacking their shelves with the popular Easter treat not long after December.
This year’s winner, with a rave rating of 84 per cent is Woolworth’s Luxuriously Rickly Fruited Hot Cross Buns.
With almost 30 per cent of the Woolworths bun made of fruit, including sultanas, currants, sunmuscat raisins, cranberries and candied orange peel, they had the highest fruit concentrate of any of the buns that were tested.
“Very nice shine and white cross. Spring back is good. Soft, lush texture. Fruit and spice aromatics evident. Good flavour. Lots of plump fruit. Overall the fruit mix and texture is awesome,” the experts said.
Woolworths also took the top honour for best apple and cinnamon hot cross buns.
In second place was Aldi Bakers Life Indulgent Traditional Fruit with a 73 per cent approval rating.
And finally, in third place, was the Woolworths Indulgent Brioche Fruit Hot Cross Buns at $4.50 a packet for a six-pack.
However, Aldi also knocked out the chocolate hot cross bun category with Coles following close behind, both winning the judges over with the“evident” chocolate chunks in the mix.
For those looking for cheaper buns that won’t skimp out on the fruit, Costco’s traditional fruit buns were found to be the cheapest in the competition, with 46 cents per fruit bun, while Aldi came second at 50 cents per chocolate and fruit bun.
Bakers delight fans will be spending a bit more to get their hot cross bun fix, with the baker chain selling their fruit and chocolate puns at $1.33 and $1.75 each, respectively.