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Best hot cross buns for Easter 2024

Our blind taste test of supermarket hot cross buns revealed a clear winner – plus the buns to steer clear of
Jane Darling

A warm, fruity, spiced hot cross bun makes a delicious traditional Easter treat. Whether you enjoy yours generously buttered or topped with jam, we can reveal which supermarket is the best place to stock up.

Our 73-strong consumer panel blind-tasted hot cross buns from nine supermarkets, including Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

M&S topped our test, but Aldi's cheaper buns weren't far behind. A dry texture and lack of good spiced flavour was where many lower scorers fell down.

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Best hot cross buns

M&S's fruity and flavoursome buns scored the highest overall, but they also cost a steep 53p per bun.

For cheaper choices, pick Aldi, Asda or Sainbury’s versions. All three were well-liked by our testing panel, and cost less than 40p per bun.

Be aware that bun sizes vary between brands: Asda, Tesco and M&S versions were particularly chunky, while Aldi's were the daintiest on test. 

Best Buy: M&S Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns – 76%

£2.10 per pack (53p per bun)

These chunky buns were a favourite with our taste testers.

Our panel particularly loved the enticing aroma, the generous fruit content and the level of sweetness and moistness.

Around two thirds also felt that the texture and spicy twang were both pitched just right.

All in all, while you may pay a premium for them, these excellent buns are worth the cost.

Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.

Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns – 73%

£1.25 per pack (31p per bun)

aldi hot cross buns

Aldi’s hot cross buns are a worthy runner up and are excellent value (although the buns are a little smaller than M&S's version). 

They matched the M&S buns for appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, and were praised for their bountiful fruit content and appealing aroma.

Sweetness, moistness and texture also hit the spot for around seven in 10 tasters, while six in 10 said the spice level was just right.

These cheap and cheerful buns are a good choice if you want to save without compromising on taste.

Available from Aldi.

Asda Extra Special Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns – 72%

£1.40 per pack (35p per bun)

These generously proportioned buns were well-liked by our panel.

The amount of dried fruit, overall sweetness and texture were all rated highly.

Nearly two thirds said they hit the right level of moistness, but a third felt they could have done with a little more spicy warmth.

Available from Asda.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Fruity Hot Cross Buns – 72%

£1.50 per pack (38p per bun)

Another decent batch of buns. Fruit level, sweetness and texture were all deemed about right by most of our taste testers.

On the downside, four in 10 felt the spice levels were lacking, and more than four in 10 found these buns too dry.

Available from Sainsbury’s.

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How hot cross buns from Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco and the rest compare

Our tasters found most of the other supermarket hot cross buns to be decent. 

The lowest scorer was Iceland. Its buns lacked the spicy, sweet fruitiness our testers were looking for.

  • Tesco Finest Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns – 71%. Most liked the fruity sweetness of these big buns, but a third found them a little dry. £1.60 per pack (40p per bun). Available from Tesco.
  • Lidl Deluxe Luxury Hot Cross Buns – 70%. More than seven in 10 enjoyed the texture, sweetness and fruit levels in these buns. But four in 10 wanted more spice, and around a third found them too dry. £1.25 per pack (31p per bun). Available from Lidl.
  • Morrisons The Best Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns – 70%. A good amount of fruit and pleasing texture helped these buns score well. But more than half of our tasters craved extra spiciness and four in 10 said they were too dry. £1.25 per pack (31p per bun). Available from Morrisons.
  • Co-op Irresistible Richly Fruited Luxury Hot Cross Bun – 69%. A pleasing sweetness and texture, but nearly half of our panel said they were under-spiced, while four in 10 wanted more fruit. £1.20 per pack (30p per bun). Available from Co-op.
  • Iceland The Daily Bakery Fruited Hot Cross Buns – 62%. These buns don’t shout luxury: more than half said they were dry and lacked spiciness. Nearly half wanted them sweeter and fruitier. £1.35 per pack (23p per bun). Available from Iceland.

All the buns are sold in packs of four, apart from Iceland's which are a six-pack. Waitrose hot cross buns were not included in our test due to availability issues.

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Are hot cross buns healthy?

The fruit content and glazed top mean that hot cross buns can have quite high sugar levels – some will wipe out two thirds of the adult daily recommended allowance of sugar in one go.

Asda's buns have the highest sugar content, at 20g per bun, with M&S not far behind. Aldi and Co-op had the lowest, at just 14g per bun. This is partly down to differences in bun size, but the good news for those looking for a lower-sugar choice is that Aldi's buns still scored highly for taste.

Hot cross bun sugar levels (per bun):

  • Asda 20g
  • M&S 19.3g
  • Tesco 16.3g
  • Lidl 16g
  • Iceland 15.5g
  • Sainsbury's 14.8g
  • Morrisons 14.3g
  • Co-op 14g
  • Aldi 14g

Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth also points out:

'Although hot cross buns contain quite a lot of sugar (three to five teaspoons per bun), most of this comes from the dried fruit. 

'High-sugar buns from Asda and M&S both contain 33% dried fruit – that's around 26g of sultanas and currants per bun. 

'While this amount doesn't quite make up a portion of your five-a-day, this fruit content still provides fibre, antioxidants and valuable nutrients, including potassium.'

Just bear in mind how much jam you pile on top.

Many supermarkets also do mini versions if you want a smaller bun size.

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Are hot cross buns vegan?

None are labelled as vegan, and some contain milk, so you'll need to check carefully.

Of the hot cross buns we tested, Aldi, Co-op, Iceland and Sainsbury’s don't list animal products in the ingredients. Others contain milk, and Tesco buns also include honey, while M&S buns contain egg.

Some supermarkets offer hot cross buns specifically aimed at people on plant-based diets, such as M&S Plant Kitchen buns.

Alternative hot cross bun flavours

If a standard spiced bun doesn’t float your boat, there are plenty of alternative flavours to choose from, including lemon and chocolate, strawberry and clotted cream, chocolate, and toffee apple. 

Most supermarkets offer a couple of alternative versions. Sainsbury's and Tesco have the widest selection. Here's an overview:

Take extra care with toasting these, as some specifically advise you not to. This is usually due to a higher proportion of sweet, sticky ingredients that can stick to the wires and potentially catch fire. Using the grill is generally a safer option. 

For more on why squeezing a hot cross bun into your toaster may not be a great idea, head to our article on why toasting your hot cross bun could actually be a fire hazard.

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Do hot cross buns contain palm oil?

Most of the buns we tested list palm oil as an ingredient. The exceptions are Asda and Iceland.

All the supermarkets are signed up to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification system so, in theory, the palm oil used in the buns comes from a sustainable source. 

When it comes to the packaging, the cardboard inner can be recycled at home, but the plastic film needs to be taken to a large supermarket which has a soft-plastics recycling scheme.

How we tested hot cross buns

The hot cross buns were tested in February 2024 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume hot cross buns. The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. 

Each brand of hot cross bun was assessed by 73 people. The tasters rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each and told us what they liked and disliked about each one. 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they tasted the buns was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each person had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The overall score was based on:

  • 50% flavour
  • 20% appearance
  • 20% aroma
  • 10% texture

These weightings are based on how consumers rank the importance of different attributes of hot cross buns.

Price and availability correct as of 7 March 2024.

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