Truly Vile or Delicious? The UK's 25 Best and Worst Novelty Hot Cross Buns Taste Tested
Hot cross buns, the traditional Easter treat eaten on Good Friday, now appear in UK shops as early as January. It's not just spiced buns packed with dried fruit on supermarket shelves; any enriched-dough creation with a flour cross slapped on top can be called a hot cross bun. Step into a Marks & Spencer food hall, and you'll see garish pink red velvet buns, while Tesco offers over 10 varieties, including a tear-and-share brioche. Purists may turn up their noses, but food reviewer Becca Stock says to enjoy a non-traditional bun, view it as a separate product. From a family of hot cross bun lovers, I tried 25 novelty flavours, toasted and buttered, with a control of M&S's luxury fruited bun. Here's the verdict.
Chocolate Buns: A Mixed Bag of Sweetness
All major supermarkets offer chocolate-based hot cross buns, popular enough to score high in Australian taste tests. Charles Banks of thefoodpeople notes these target people who dislike dried fruit, increasing retailer purchases. Waitrose No 1 Belgian chocolate buns at £2 for two have a dark-chocolate flavour, tasting like a toasted chocolate muffin—5/10. Tesco Finest triple chocolate buns at £2 for four are jam-packed with chips, creating a sticky mess and overly sweet—4/10. Waitrose milk chocolate & fudge buns at £2 for four are Stock's favourite, properly chocolatey with milky sweetness—7/10. Iceland Luxury extremely chocolatey buns at £1.80 for four are dry and synthetic—2/10. Lidl Deluxe triple chocolate buns at £1.49 for four are sticky and sweet, similar to Tesco's—5/10.
Red Velvet and Other Dessert-Inspired Buns
M&S red velvet filled buns at £3.50 for four are TikTok bait but taste nice with subtle chocolate and a tiny cream cheese icing blob—5/10. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference double chocolate & cherry buns at £2 for four are overly sweet with cherries and cranberries—3/10. Tesco Finest salted caramel & Belgian chocolate buns at £2 for four are inoffensive but lack flavour—4/10. Worst of all, M&S tiramisu buns at £2.90 for four are dry, bitter, and reminiscent of cheap instant coffee—1/10, truly vile.
Citrus and Cheese Varieties: A Break from Sweetness
Waitrose white chocolate & lemon buns at £2 for four have mild lemon flavour, missing spices—3/10. Asda Exceptional lemon & white chocolate buns at £1.77 for four are creamier with more white chocolate—4/10. Morrisons The Best lemon drizzle buns at £1.80 for four are extra-lemony with raisins—5/10. M&S extremely cheesy cheddar and red leicester buns at £2.90 for four taste like cheese scones, pleasant—6/10. Tesco Finest cheddar & red leicester buns at £2 for four are doughy with faint cheese—4/10. Aldi Mighty cheesy buns at 85p for four have artificial-cheese flavour—3/10.
Berry and Apple Flavours: Traditional Twists
Asda Exceptional cherry bakewell buns at £1.77 for four taste like shop-bought tart—5/10. Tesco Finest strawberries & clotted cream buns at £2 for four are unbearably sweet initially, balanced by creaminess—3/10. Waitrose No 1 berry blush buns at £2 for two taste like berry sweets and are sticky—4/10. Waitrose apple and cinnamon buns at £2 for four are plump with warming spice—6/10. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference apple & cinnamon buns at £2 for four are scrawnier but hold shape well—5/10. Joint best, M&S granny smith apple buns at £2.90 for four are full of spices and tangy apple chunks—9/10. Morrisons The Best apple & cinnamon buns at £1.80 for four have perfume-like apple flavour—2/10.
Other Notable Buns: Rhubarb, Chai, and St Clements
Aldi Specially Selected rhubarb & custard buns at £1.19 for four have delicious rhubarb pieces but unnecessary white chocolate—7/10. Joint best, Tesco Finest brown butter and chai tea buns at £2.25 for two are a proper riff with spices and black tea bitterness—9/10. Waitrose St Clements buns at £2 for four are heavier on citrus, tasting like a traditional bun—8/10. Prices accurate as of 18 March 2026. In conclusion, while novelty buns offer variety, traditional flavours often remain unbeatable for Easter treats.
