Coles has topped the list in an expert taste test of 21 different hot cross buns - covering traditional, chocolate, apple and cinnamon, and gluten free varieties. CHOICE tested buns from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, plus Bakers Delight and Costco.
"Coles was clearly the winner in our testing this year, with their hot cross buns coming first in both the chocolate and traditional fruit categories," says CHOICE food journalist, Rachel Clemons.
"Our experts blind taste tested all 21 hot cross buns, and scored them on flavour, appearance, aroma and texture. We set up our experts in the CHOICE kitchen lab and provided them with the hot cross bun samples in a randomised order, which is different for each expert. Our experts have over 80 years experience in the food industry between them, so they're the perfect people to test out these Easter treats," says Clemons.
Best traditional hot cross buns
1. Coles Traditional Fruit
CHOICE Expert Rating: 80%
Price: $0.58 per bun
"Our experts really liked the Coles Traditional Fruit bun, praising it for its shiny colour and bouncy texture. If you like quite a lot of fruit in your hot cross bun, this one's for you," says Clemons.
2. Aldi Specially Selected Traditional Fruit
CHOICE Expert Rating: 79%
Price: $0.75 per bun
"The Aldi Specially Selected Traditional Fruit gives well when squeezed and bounces back, has a lovely balance of flavour, and an intense ginger aroma," says Clemons.
3. Bakers Delight Traditional Fruit
CHOICE Expert Rating: 78%
Price: $1.33 per bun
"Our experts noted that the Bakers Delight Traditional Fruit bun is a good shape and size, and has a nice texture inside and out," says Clemons.
Infographic available for embedding here: https://infogram.com/top-three-traditional-fruit-hot-cross-buns-1hnp27mke1wjn2g?live
Best chocolate hot cross buns
1. Coles Chocolate
CHOICE Expert Rating: 84%
Price: $0.58 per bun
"The Coles Chocolate hot cross bun is great for the chocolate fiends out there. You get a good chocolate hit from this one, with lots of chocolate chips evident," says Clemons.
2. Bakers Delight Choc Chip
CHOICE Expert Rating: 75%
Price: $1.33 per bun
"Our experts said that the Bakers Delight Choc Chip bun had a good flavour, a pleasant aroma, and lots of choc chips!" says Clemons.
3. Woolworths Cadbury Chocolate
CHOICE Expert Rating: 74%
Price: $0.58 per bun
"The Woolworths Cadbury Chocolate bun has a beautiful chocolate aroma and a moist texture," says Clemons.
The full results of our testing can be found here: https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/bread-cereal-and-grains/bread/articles/hot-cross-buns
CHOICE's Rachel Clemons is now Tasmanian based and available for radio interviews from Tasmania.
Images and video available here: https://sites.google.com/choice.com.au/hotcrossbuns/home
