Hot cross bun purists, look away now. The big, contentious issue used to be, does chocolate belong in a hot cross bun? Now the question is, does burger sauce belong in this hallowed Easter treat? Coles would say yes. 

The supermarket has launched a range of hot cross buns that it dubs a “flavour explosion” and others would call sacrilege; Coles Special Burger Sauce Hot Cross Buns, Red Velvet Hot Cross Buns and Carrot Cake Hot Cross Buns. 

Oh yeah, you read that right. 

The dubious-sounding love child between a burger and a hot cross bun sees the beloved Easter snack infused with special burger sauce, filled with diced pickles and finished off with a layer of tasty cheese. 

The supermarket dubs it “the perfect base for your burger or savoury snack, simply add toppings for a fuss-free, convenient, and affordable meal option.” Their words, not ours. 

Related story: Wake up to these 7 hot cross bun recipes by Matt Moran 

Less offensive, but still unorthodox are the sweeter options. The red velvet buns are filled with a sweet cream cheese frosting and the carrot cake variety includes fine pieces of carrot and a hidden centre of cream cheese. 

This isn’t the first time Coles has gone off-piste with this classic Easter treat. Last year’s two savoury options, Vegemite parmesan and jalapeno cheese buns, were so popular they’ve decided to up the ante.

But does this take the (red velvet) cake? Coles general manager for bakery, Kate Roff doesn’t think so.

“Each year we try to tap into new flavour trends to give customers a fun, modern twist on a hot cross bun. Based on the phenomenal success of our limited-edition Vegemite hot cross buns, savoury hot cross buns are the new craze,” she says.

“We will always have our traditional fruit and chocolate varieties, but it’s important to differentiate and offer customers who prefer savoury options a new and exciting hot cross bun too, which is why we think the Vegemite buns were such a hit.

“Our amazing bakery team have spent months fine-tuning and taste-testing these new hot cross buns to ensure the flavour is just right, and we’re confident our customers will love them just as much as they enjoy our traditional range of delicious buns.”

If a burger/bun hybrid is too much, but savoury snacks are your jam, Roff says the Vegemite buns are back. 

Those that prefer to stick to tradition will steer towards familiar options including classic, fruity brioche, chocolate, apple and cinnamon and fruit-free. 

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