Woolies receives highest score for hot cross buns

Woolworths has come out on top for having the best product in one hotly contested category – beating both Aldi and Coles.

With a month to go until Easter it’s safe to say that hot cross buns are hard to miss at the supermarkets.

You’ve got your more traditional fruit and choc chip varieties, as well as the more unusual Vegemite and even jalapeño flavours that have popped up this year.

But with so much choice, how do you know which one is the best? Well, luckily Choice has done the hard work for you.

In what’s possibly the most delicious-sounding job ever, the consumer advocacy group had the hard task of tasting 23 different hot cross buns from Aldi, Woolworths, Coles, Costco, IGA and Bakers Delight.

“Our experts blind taste test all the hot cross bun samples in the Choice kitchen. Each of the buns are given a Choice Expert Rating, which is calculated by assessing flavour, appearance, aroma and texture,” Choice editor Marg Rafferty said.

Hot cross buns that score 70 per cent and above made it onto Choice’s recommended list, with six different varieties making the cut this year.

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These Woolies hot cross buns were ranked the highest overall.

Best fruit hot cross buns

If you’re a fan of the traditional hot cross bun then you should head to Woolworths, with its Luxurious Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns coming out on top for both the fruit category and best overall score.

These Woolies hot cross buns received a rating of 84 per cent and were “praised by our experts for its flavour and plump fruit”, Rafferty said.

Coming in second was Aldi’s Bakers Life Indulgent Traditional Fruit with a rating of 73 per cent, followed by Woolworths’ Indulgent Brioche Fruit Hot Cross Buns at 72 per cent.

Coming in last in this category was the Coles I’m Free From Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Fruit Hot Cross Buns with a score of 39 per cent.

Aldi was ranked first for best choc chip hot cross buns and second for best fruit hot cross buns.

Best choc chip hot cross buns

Coming in first was Aldi’s Bakers Life Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with a rating of 73 per cent, with judges praising the buns’ cheap price and “chocolatey dough”.

Coles’ choc chip hot cross buns also made Choice’s recommended list, coming in second with a 71 per cent rating.

The Coles Chocolate Hot Cross Buns contain 25 per cent real chocolate chip chips plus three per cent cocoa powder, so it’s safe to say they are very chocolatey.

Coles general manager for bakery, deli and seafood Andy Mossop said it was a proud achievement for the supermarket.

“We’re proud that our irresistible Coles chocolate hot cross buns continue to have the highest percentage of chocolate in the market, with a quarter of the bun packed with delicious – and sustainable – real chocolate,” he said.

Coming in last in this category was Woolworths’ Free From Gluten Choc Hot Cross Buns with a score of 45 per cent.

Coming in second, Coles’ choc chip hot cross buns contain 25 per cent choc chips. Picture: Supplied

Best apple and cinnamon hot cross buns

Sadly only one hot cross bun came recommended by Choice in this category – the Woolworths Indulgent Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns with a score of 72 per cent.

This hot cross bun was praised for its “nice colour, good shape”, however comments were made about “apples hardly present” and “lacks spice aroma”.

Coming in last was Coles Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns with a score of 58 per cent.