Richly fruited, chocolate, cheese and even rhubarb! We’ve tasted the supermarket hot cross buns for 2026 to find out which are the best – and which to avoid.
You know the countdown to Easter has really begun when packets of hot cross buns start to fill the supermarket shelves.
Once there was a simple choice between an economy or a more expensive bun. But now there is a bewildering choice of different flavours and sizes.
So which is the best to buy? Our tasting team split the class of 2026 into two groups: classic hot cross buns, stuffed with fruit and spice; and flavoured hot cross buns, which can include everything from cheese to caramel and even rhubarb.
So before you load your trolley for Easter, check out our findings to see which are the best and worst hot cross buns to buy in 2026.
Our panel of testers first tasted each bun straight from the packet without any butter. Each one was then toasted, spread with some lightly salted butter and then tasted again.
Some of our team already had favourite brands and – in terms of eating – one preferred hers straight from the packet and the rest preferred theirs toasted.
Last year it was the Waitrose Richly Fruited bun that claimed the top spot, but this year it failed to even make the podium.
Instead a few of testers had to put aside supermarket snobbery and swallow their prejudices to agree that this year’s clear winner was Iceland’s Luxury Hot Cross Buns – they had a great blend of fruit and spice.
The majority of the other fruited buns on test received very similar scores and there wasn’t a lot to chose between them. But in the end second place went to Asda Exceptional and bronze was lifted by Tesco’s Finest.
Our favourite budget brand was Tesco which was a good bun for the price and better than some of the more expensive choices.
Then it was on to the flavoured varieties which always include some surprising flavours.
Our winner for the second year running was the M&S Extremely Cheesy Hot Cross Buns. Grilled or air fried and filled with bacon, egg or your breakfast choice, this could be the perfect start to an Easter weekend.
Second was Tesco’s Chocolate and Salted Caramel – a good choice for children or those looking for an alternative chocolate fix to Easter eggs.
If we're being honest here, the flavoured ones had the lowest rankings, but right at the bottom of the pile, barely scraping half a mark, were the Iceland Luxury Extremely Chocolatey Hot Cross Buns. The buns tasted like stale chocolate cake and weren’t improved by toasting and covering with butter (something that normally works on most foods).
Best in test
RRP: £1.80
Excellent. Well-fruited and with the taste of cinnamon and clove coming through, these were a great traditional bun.
Like most on test, they were a bit doughy eaten raw. They were delicious toasted although they lost a little of the spice.
Tasted straight from the pack, these lived up to their promise of being richly fruited, with an even distribution, and a good balance of spice.
One-and-a-half points clear of their closest rivals, they were exactly what a hot cross bun should be.
Second place
RRP: £1.77
These had a good amount of fruit and some spice coming through, but they were a little more doughy when eaten raw.
Like all the buns, they lost a little of the spice flavour when toasted, but were still well balanced with fruit. A good runner up but more spice would have been nice.
Third in test
RRP: £2
These didn’t have as much fruit as the Iceland or Asda buns, nor as much spice.
Doughy when raw, they were a lot better when toasted.
RRP: £2
Our team had high hopes for these after they won last year’s crown, but as soon as the packet was opened, the difference was obvious.
“They don’t smell of anything,” one of the testers noted. The team agreed that these buns had none of the spiced fruit smell that you would expect.
On tasting, the buns did contain a good amount of fruit but the comments were that overall they were dry and bland.
Toasting helped, but they remained disappointing after last year’s success.
RRP: £1.39
These were heavier and denser than most of the other buns. Tasters noted the fruit wasn’t as evenly distributed as others on test and they were very dense to eat. “These really aren’t pleasant,” one taster said.
Toasting took longer than other buns because of the density and although it improved them, they were bland. Disappointing from a brand that scores so well for its spiced Christmas food.
RRP: £2.50
The M&S buns were the most expensive fruited ones on test, but they didn’t impress the team.
“They are claggy,” one of the testers commented. They were lacking in spice and there was very little fruit in the top half of the bun – it had sunk to the bottom.
They were better toasted, but even then tasters complained they still stuck to their teeth.
RRP: £2
These buns were very pale. There wasn’t a lot of spice, but testers could taste the sultanas. The packaging said that they were made with a sourdough starter, but they did not have the characteristic taste. In fact these buns were sweeter than most of the other fruited ones on test.
Toasting didn’t add much to the party here. There wasn’t anything offensive about them, they were just a bit sweet and bland.
RRP: £1.19
Another dense bun, lacking in spice. Toasting improved them but not by much. It’s a shame as the brand is so good at spicing its Christmas cakes and mince pies.
If you are looking for a budget hot cross bun this year, our team put five different varieties to the test.
Winner were the Tesco Hot Cross Buns, with a RRP of £1.40 for a pack of six.
These had a good amount of fruit, some spice and were nice toasted. A good budget bun – and better than some of the luxury varieties on offer.
Second were the Morrisons Hop to It Hot Cross Buns (RRP: £1.35 for six), followed by Waitrose Essential Hot Cross Buns (RRP: £1.50 for six).
M&S Made Without Wheat Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns (RRP: £2.50 for four)
These tasted more cakey than the other buns, but they had a good amount of fruit and spice. They were also very nice toasted. A great option for those who are gluten intolerant.
RRP: £2.50
Raw these left our testers unimpressed, but the cooking instructions recommended either grilling or cooking these in the air fryer and then filling with bacon, sausage or egg. That fired the imagination of all our tasters.
Even just grilling and covering them with butter transformed these buns into something really quite tasty.
They aren’t hot cross buns, not really. But if you fancy something different for your Easter breakfast then these are definitely worth a taste.
RRP: £2
These were chocolatey and quite dense when eaten raw. Toasting them definitely improved them and they weren’t cloyingly sweet.
Our tasters agreed that although they weren’t for everyone, they would suit children or adults who aren't keen on “real” hot cross buns.
So if you feel you can’t get enough chocolate this Easter from eggs alone, then these may be for you.
RRP: £2
These buns had a good lemon taste to them but were very sweet when eaten raw due to the white chocolate.
However they were a lot better toasted. If you love sweet lemony cakes, then these are worth trying.
RRP: £2
Our tasters were hopeful about these buns, but they were disappointing.
“It’s less of the zest and more of the pith,” said one of the team. And it was true. They weren’t sweet buns and although they had a definite citrus taste, testers weren’t convinced about them.
Toasting improved them.
RRP: £2
These really did taste of apple when eaten raw but the promised sultanas and candied apple pieces were very sparse. Testers struggled to taste any cinnamon.
On toasting they lost some of the apple taste which was a shame.
RRP: £1.19
Rhubarb and custard is a classic combination… but in a hot cross bun? For our team these didn’t really work.
They were sweet, with not a lot of taste and the rhubarb was very sparse.
Toasted they were more pleasant but more of a sweet toast than a bun.
RRP: £2
These didn’t work either.
“They are like strawberry cake, but dry,” said a taster.
Strawberry fans may enjoy them as they do have a strawberry flavour when eaten raw. But the combination of toasting them with butter felt and tasted wrong on many levels.
RRP: £1.80
Oh dear, these weren’t good. They barely scraped a rating.
“These taste like a cheap, dry chocolate cake,” one of testers announced and the others agreed.
Toasting actually made these worse.
“Now it tastes like burnt chocolate cake,” came the quip. And unfortunately everyone agreed it was true.
A big thanks to Goytre Hall for hosting our tasting session.
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