Battle of the hot cross buns! Popular Easter treats from supermarkets and bakeries are ranked by hundreds of foodies – so who came out on top?
- Consumer advocacy organisation CHOICE tested six brands of hot cross buns
- Members of the public tasted and voted on across the six hot cross bun products
- Each was scored out of 100, with Coles placing first, followed by Costco
- The Australian advocacy group share their verdict – so who came out on top?
With Easter more than a month away, Australians are already indulging in a toasted hot cross bun – usually slathered in butter.
But with every leading supermarket store selling versions of the spiced sweet rolls, it’s hard to know which ones taste best.
Now consumer organisation CHOICE has revealed the tastiest traditional fruity baked goods after setting up a blind tasting across six of the most popular brands from leading supermarkets and bakeries.
The Australian advocacy group shared their verdict after more than 600 foodies voted – so which hot cross bun should you be toasting this Easter?
With Easter more than a month away, Australians are already indulging in a toasted hot cross bun, slathered in butter (stock image)
To find the best traditional hot cross buns, CHOICE invited members of the public in Sydney to participate in the blind tasting.
And Coles hot cross buns came out on top after proving to be a crowd favourite, with the highest score of 76 per cent out of 100.
The tasty product came in a six pack for just $3.50.
Costco wasn’t far behind, with the freshly baked buns scoring 74 per cent.
The product came in a pack of 24 for $9.99 – costing just 42 cents per bun. Despite being the cheapest spiced, sweet rolls in the test, shoppers need to be a Costco member to buy them.
Third place were the traditional fruit hot cross buns from Bakers Delight – one of Australia’s largest bakery chains.
But with every supermarket store selling multiple versions of the spiced sweet rolls, it’s hard to know which ones taste best. Coles was the crowd favourite after scoring the highest points
Aldi placed fifth in the experiment, with the buns from German retailer chain scoring 67 per cent – costing just 50 cents per roll.
Brumby’s Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns placed last in the test, scoring 58 per cent.
At $8 for a six-pack, the product was the most expensive buns in the taste test.
The blind tasting, held in February, was conducted in a shopping centre in Sydney’s Ultimo. A total of 605 samples were tasted and voted on across the six hot cross bun products.
Putting the ‘traditional’ variety of hot cross buns from six major retail chains to the test, members of the public were asked to reveal if they ‘disliked, liked or loved it’.
What did Coles score?
What did testers think of the Coles traditional fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 76 per cent
Price: $3.50 per six-pack – 58 cents per bun
Comment: Made from at least 95 per cent of Australian ingredients, Coles buns were a crowd favourite.
Foodies have previously described the supermarket product as ‘moist, dense with a ‘lovely chewy texture. A nice balance of sweet and savoury.’
What did Costco score?
What did testers think of the Costco traditional fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 74 per cent
Price: $9.99 per 24-pack – 42 cents per bun
Comment: The buns come in packs of 24 only – costing 42 cents per roll. They are the cheapest we tested, although you need to be a Costco member to buy them.
What did Bakers Delight score?
What did testers think of the Bakers Delight traditional fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 69 per cent
Price: $7.50 per six-pack – $1.25 per bun
Comment: Buns are $1.50 each if you buy them individually, but are discounted to $1.25 each if you buy them as a six-pack.
Foodies have previously said the ‘glossy top looks appealing and adds a little sweetness’.
What did Aldi score?
What did testers think of the Aldi Bakers Life fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 67 per cent
Price: $2.99 per six-pack – 50 cents per bun
Comment: Made in Australia from at least 67 per cent of Australian ingredients, Aldi’s buns came in at fourth place.
What did Woolworths score?
What did testers think of the Woolworths traditional fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 66 per cent
Price: $3.50 per six-pack – 58 cents per bun
Comment: Made from 60 per cent of Australian ingredients, the buns came in at fifth place.
What did Brumby’s Bakery score?
What did testers think of the Brumby’s Bakery traditional fruit hot cross buns?
Score: 58 per cent
Price: $8 per six-pack – $1.33 per bun
Comment: These are the most expensive buns in our test.
Foodies have previously said these buns tasted ‘quite nice’ with ‘excellent fruit.’