Best supermarket hot cross buns 2023

Best classic hot cross bun

Winner: M&S Luxury Hot Cross Buns

• Available from Ocad0 (£2)

You can’t go wrong with these luxury traditional hot cross buns. The bread has a lovely texture, good amount of fruit (generous on currants) and smart glazed top for a well-balanced result.

Available from:
Ocad0 (£2)

Runner up: Morrisons The Best Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns

• Available from Morrisons (£1.59)

A touch of citrus in the glaze topping was appreciated by judges. The fruit is quite tart, stopping these from being overly sweet, but the bread was a little drier than others tested.

Best alternative hot cross bun

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Lemon and Blueberry Hot Cross Buns

• Available from Co-op (£1)

One for fans of blueberry muffins. These had plenty of berry flavour and generous amounts of juicy blueberries, plus still a hint of classic hot cross bun spice.

Available from:
Co-op (£1)

Runner up: Tesco Finest 4 Cheese & Caramelised Onion Hot Cross Buns

• Available from Tesco (in-store)

For a savoury twist on a hot cross bun, these had a popular cheesy flavour and the buns had good texture. A lunch time hot cross bun.

Best vegan hot cross bun

Winner: M&S Plant Kitchen Hot Cross Buns

• Available from Ocado (£2)

These tasted just like a classic hot cross bun. There is strong levels of spicing, soft bread and a good amount of fruit, plus an attractive glossy exterior.

Available from:
Ocado (£2)

How we chose the winners

The olive team chose 12 categories, having researched which products you, our readers, would be most likely to buy this Easter. We invited all the big supermarkets to select the products they wanted to nominate (just one entry per category, so they had to choose carefully). Our expert panel of judges blind-tasted them, rating each on taste, texture and appearance. We then awarded 'winner' and 'highly commended' accolades to our favourites.