We cross-examined Sydney’s Easter buns to hunt down the very best hot cross buns for all you eager bunnies out there. From the traditional fruit hot cross bun to something decidedly different, each and every one of these hot cross buns is a must-try for bun-lovers across Sydney this Easter.

Humble Bakery, Surry Hills

Credit: Hugh O'Brien

This cult-fave bakery by the Porteño crew is always leaning into ‘more is more’. Last year, they released the ‘Reu-Bun’ – a HCB packed with pastrami, pickles, sauerkraut and Dijon mustard. This year, they’re doubling down on the sweetness, with a hot cross bun ice cream sandwich – Humble’s traditional spice fruit bun filled with house-made salted butter ice cream, using CopperTree Farms cultured butter. It’s available exclusively at Humble Surry Hills.
Shop 2, 50 Holt Street, Surry Hills; humblesydney.com

Black Star Pastry, various locations

While Black Star’s traditional offering is definitely top of the buns, it’s their chocolately collab with Koko Black that’s really caught our attention. The handcrafted 60% dark chocolate is incorporated into the dough, and choc chips are dotted throughout.
blackstarpastry.com

Fabbrica Bread Shop, various locations

Credit: Supplied

If chai is your drink of choice, you should get your mitts on this toasty number. Glazed with a chai syrup, the hot cross buns from the bakery that’s popping up all over Sydney are inspired by the tea that has its origins in India. Freshly baked daily, the best thing to serve them with is, you guessed it, a chai.
ciaofabbrica.com

A.P Bakery, various locations

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The secret to these bliss buns is the host of spices toasted in-house – think clove, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg – and kneaded into a dough made using a panettone fermentation process. Slather on the cardamom brown sugar glaze and you’ve basically got autumn in bun form.
apbakery.com.au

Tokyo Lamington, Newtown

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The Hot Cross Lamington is the Easter treat you didn’t know you needed – until now. The spiced sponge is coated in white chocolate and spice cookie crumbs, and filled with cinnamon vanilla cream. And don’t forget the fruit! If you want to (kinda) temper your adventurousness with something that resembles a hot cross bun, there’s a yuzu-flavoured hot cross bun on offer, too. While it looks like a traditional HCB, the sultanas have been macerated in yuzu for an extra zesty twist. Make it a mixed dozen, throw in some chocolate HCBs, and keep everyone happy!
277 Australia St, Newtown; tokyolamington.com

Shadow Baking, various locations

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The bakery offshoot of Gelato Messina, Shadow Baking, is rolling up a fresh batch of Hot X Scrolls. The laminated dough is filled with vanilla custard and dried fruit. Chocolate lovers are satiated, too, with an indulgent choccy version.
nomnie.com/shadowbaking

Bourke Street Bakery, various locations

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With Bourke Street Bakery popping up all over Sydney, it’s getting easier to grab one of their traditional HCBs, or the chunky chocolate and cranberry twist. Take it a step further and slather on their Spiced Rum Butter – a collab with Brix Distillery in Surry Hills that’s absolutely next level.
bourkestreetbakery.com.au

Sonoma Bakery, various locations

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Bucking the traditional cross, Sonoma’s Not Cross Buns are back, sporting a piped-on ‘S’ instead of the traditional cross. Juicy spiced raisins, currants cranberries, apricots and candied orange are all in there, with a spiced glaze on top.
Various locations; sonomabakery.com

Bar Mammoni, Sydney CBD

Credit: Steven Woodburn

Enter the hot cross cruffin: bun slash croissant slash muffin. It may be the Frankenstein of this Easter favourite, but we just can’t look away. Think buttery croissant dough dotted with goji berries and filled with spiced chocolate cream. Too much bun action going on for you? The traditional and chocolate hot cross buns here are also more than well worth a nibble.
Shop 2 Loftus Lane, Sydney; barmammoni.sydney

Loulou, Milsons Point and Martin Place

Credit: Supplied

Everybody loves Loulou, and it seems Loulou loves everybody back. This Easter, Loulou boulangerie is slinging its own version of HCBs – heart-crossed buns. These Easter buns come with an overnight-fermented buttery brioche base, and are filled with spices, raisins, citrus zest and candied peel inside. And they’re marked with a heart on top. Awww!
loulou.sydney

Baker Bleu, various locations

Credit: Sarah Pannell

Choose from traditional or the new sour cherry and dark chocolate. Either way, you’ll find yourself indulging in pure bun perfection. The only way to make these buns even better? Serve them with the very best cultured butter you can find. Baker Bleu’s slogan may be “bread for sharing”, but you’ll have a hard time sharing these.
bakerbleu.com.au

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