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This Is The Definitive Ranking Of Sydney’s Best Hot Cross Buns

This Is The Definitive Ranking Of Sydney’s Best Hot Cross Buns

hot cross buns

Nothing screams “Easter is coming in four months” better than Hot Cross Buns hitting the shelves in December. We’ve pretty much been riding a constant sugar high since as we’ve travelled far and wide to taste as many of the deliciously spiced sweet buns as possible. So we’re uniquely positioned to provide you with the definitive ranking of Sydney’s best hot cross buns.

We can all agree that hot cross buns are the best and should be served all year round. But since we’re limited to just a few short, sweet months of them, it’s important that you don’t mess around with poor-quality baked goods.

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We’ve got you, boo. These are the best hot cross buns in Sydney, ranked by flavour, value and mouthfeel.

I ate so many hot cross buns that I, too, will be disappearing without a trace after Easter.

#5 Brickfields

Where: 206 Cleveland St, Chippendale

Price: $3.50

 

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This Hot Cross Bun looked the part – a rustic, hearty, thicc bun boy. Unfortunately, the dough was dense and the fruit was gritty. It wasn’t fluffy, as everyone can agree that HCBs should be, so the mouthfeel tanked.

Thankfully, the flavour came to the rescue. The spices were delightful and the notes of orange throughout were perfectly balanced with the cinnamon.


#4 Black Star Pastry

Where: 277 Australia Street, Newtown (and more locations in Sydney)

Price: $4.50

 

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Black Star went for a fruity vibe and loaded their HCB with sultanas, raisins and chunks of orange, and while I appreciate anything that makes such an effort to be fruity, the mix was a bit overpowering.

But let’s talk about the fluffiness. Mine was fresh baked, so maybe that had something to do with it, but this HCB was fluffier than a baby duck looks.

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It was the most expensive HCB I tried, and probably not an extra dollar more delicious than any of the others.

Hot Cross Buns


#3 Sonoma Bakery

Where: 215a Glebe Point Road, Glebe

Price: $3.50

 

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Sonoma’s “Not Cross Buns” are famed for being a) a funny play on words and b) delicious. I’m pleased to report that they’re both.

The fruit and spices are what really seal the deal here. These buns are spiced to perfection and they’ve got the unusual but winning combo of sultanas and cranberries on the inside.

Hot Cross Buns


#2 Infinity Bakery

Where: 274–279 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst (and more locations in Sydney)

Price: $3

 

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I could have easily eaten a six pack of these and I’ll low-key regret not buying more for the rest of the year. This HCB is an absolute unit – massive and packed full of good fruit with a hearty cross iced on the top. It looks like what I imagine when I think of a hot cross buns.

The mouthfeel here is wild. The top is crunchy and the inside is basically a pillow for all that fruit. If I could live in a food, SpongeBob-style, I’d choose the Infinity Bakery Hot Cross Bun.

It doesn’t have quite as much cinnamon as you’d expect, so anyone who prefers theirs with less spice is in luck.

Hot Cross Buns


#1 Bourke Street Bakery

Where: 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills (and more locations in Sydney)

Price: $4

 

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Bourke Street Bakery Hot Cross Buns are so good that honestly, I’d steal one from a baby if I had the chance.

There must be some kind of witchcraft going on here because the spices are intense but not overpowering, a balance that none of the other HCBs managed to achieve quite as well. It was also mysteriously dense yet soft. Like a $200 memory foam pillow that I slept on one time when I stayed with my friend’s rich family. I don’t want to know whose soul the bakers had to sell to create these buns, but I’ll be forever grateful that they did. It is, and I cannot stress this enough, the best hot cross bun in all of Sydney.

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Plus, I looked like some kind of idiot in line at the bakery because I went “Ooo” out loud the moment I saw this delicious bun, and that should be the new criteria for rating all food from now on.

Double plus, I got to pat the world’s best golden retriever right outside the bakery, and somehow that wins the bun more points. It’s rude to question my science.

Hot Cross Buns


Final verdict?

Eat as many hot cross buns from Bourke St Bakery, Sonoma and Infinity Bakery as you can in the next week, Sydney. Or from anywhere, really! They’ll be gone soon and you’ll have missed your chance.

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(Lead image: Jasmine Waheed)

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