The Best Hot Cross Buns in Sydney

Updated 1 month ago

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It’s hard to believe hot cross buns are on the shelves as early as January. And while the supermarket HCB is a fine choice, we love it when the city’s top bakeries start putting their own spin on the genre. From ube- and pistachio-filled buns to a bun-cruffin lovechild, these are the hottest takes around. Cross a few off the list before they’re gone.

  • The AP team toast and mill cardamom, cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg in-house, before marrying them with classic vine fruits in a bun brushed with a cardamom-brown-sugar glaze. Order in-store or online to grab six for $29.

  • Head baker Aniruddha Bhosekar’s chai-spiced buns are packed with currants and raisins, then glazed in a chai syrup. Plus, they come with a roll of chai butter. Order half a dozen for $30 online or head in-store.

  • Shadow’s scroll-bun hybrid sees classic HCB dough filled with vanilla custard and candied fruit. Or go for a decadent chocolate option – both sold in packs of six for $35.

  • Rollers’ pink cross buns, jam-packed with spices, are on again. Head to the leafy, Palm Springs-inspired courtyard to settle on one or go for a pack.

  • Pick between a traditional cinnamon-spiced sourdough HCB with raisins or go for a sour cherry and dark chocolate number finished with a cocoa-spiked cross. Order a six-pack priced at $25.20 online or in-store.

  • The tiny Newtown bakery’s zesty hot cross bun is studded with sultanas macerated in yuzu (Japanese citrus) juice for three months. But if sweet is more your style, the chocolate-y lamington HCB is where it’s at. Or get them both in a mixed pack of Easter treats. Order in-store and online.

  • Tuga is going big this Easter – literally. Its B.I.G. Bun has whipped honey butter through the centre and is topped with a white-choc nest filled with Easter eggs. It’s $40 and will easily feed six (or eight if you’re slicing thin). You can also get classic fruit or chocolate buns in packs of six, 12 or 24 to order in-store and online.

  • Humble is serving spiced and fruity hot cross buns filled with house-made salted butter ice cream, available only at its Surry Hills store. Or go for a classic HCB packed with traditional spices and fruits, available in packs of six ($28) and nine ($40) both in-store and online.

  • Messy Spoon’s coeliac- and vegan-friendly buns are sultana-stuffed and dripping with a maple glaze. They’re also completely nut-free. Get six for $25 in-store and online.

  • Sonoma’s Not Cross Buns have returned for another year. The bakery’s signature “S” is piped on top before they’re brushed with a sugar glaze steeped in coffee and spices. Try one for $4 each or six for $20. Order in-store and online.

  • Black Star is back with three HCB renditions: a traditional bun glazed with frankincense syrup, a dark chocolate number and a blueberry take topped with biscuit crumble. Grab six for $27 or a dozen for $50. Order in-store and online.

  • Sweet Belem is famous for its pastel de nata – but it also makes one hell of a HCB. Picture fluffy brioche buns filled with port-soaked raisins, and topped with a vanilla or a chocolate custard cross you won’t see anywhere else. Try a single bun for $5.50. Order in-store and online.

  • To celebrate Easter family style, Norma is bringing back its HCB bread wheel made of 30 spiced mini buns infused with dried fruits and zesty orange peel ($68). Pick between traditional or chocolate, pre-order online, tear and share.

  • They’re free from gluten, dairy and nuts. But somehow Wholegreen’s buns are certifiably delicious. Options this year include traditional fruit with cinnamon, and chocolate . Both are accredited by Coeliac Australia. Settle on one for $3.70. Order in-store, online and at Harris Farm.

  • Hot cross bun or cruffin? Get both at this Italian all-rounder. The cruffin comes piped with milk chocolate and spiced hazelnut praline ($12). Classic buns are loaded with overnight-soaked raisins, sultanas and candied orange peel, while chocolate versions features 58 per cent dark chocolate.

  • Berkelo’s sourdough bun is packed with fruit, myrtle tea and a house spice blend. Order in-store and online..

  • The powerhouse bakery’s buns come in traditional fruit and chunky chocolate-cranberry varieties. Or get a family-size hot cross loaf for $13.50. Order in-store and online.

  • The team at Flour and Stone is adding its own twist to the Tuscan pan di ramerino this Easter. Get a rosemary and cardamom-spiced brioche hot cross bun available in-store and online ($36 for half a dozen).

  • Master pastry chef Yves Scherrer is amping it up with a crosskie, a hybrid of a crookie and an HCB ($10.50). We also need to talk about the crème brûlée bun ($8), topped with crunchy caramel toffee. Classic fruit (single for $5 or six for $28) or chocolate buns (single for $5.50 or six for $30) are also available. Order in-store and online.

  • Brickfields is baking classic HCBs packed with all the usual good stuff: cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, sultanas, currants, cranberries, dried apricot and orange peels. Get a box of six for $20 in-store or pre-order online .

  • The loved Filipino cafe and bakery is adding an ube twist to HCBs this year, filled with ube cream. Dunk the fluffy buns into your coffee and enjoy street-side.

  • Come for inventive HCB flavours each week from matcha and strawberry renditions to lemon numbers. Or choose between four staples: classic fruit, Belgian chocolate chip with salted caramel, pistachio and an HCB cake inspired by Dubai's viral chocolate bars. Find them in-store or order online.

  • Lode has teamed up with Coppertree Farms to create a pull-apart HCB loaf, made with three fluffy buns. Order in store.

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