The Best Hot Cross Buns in Melbourne

With the subtly sweet smell of spice and all things nice wafting through the air, it can only mean one thing: hot cross buns have arrived. Regardless of your religious inclinations, a fresh hot cross bun warmed up, and slathered in butter is considered a spiritual experience in and of itself by many. And while we are all for eating your body weight in the pillowly parcels of goodness, with so many options around town, it's helpful to know where to start.

So we've rounded up the best hot cross buns being baked in Melbourne to guide you on your cinnamon-spiced journey ahead. Whether they are loaded with plump dried fruit, stuffed with bittersweet chocolate, paired with the likes of creamy gelato or left pure and simple in their most traditional form, these hot cross buns will satisfy your doughy cravings this Easter.

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MORNING MARKET

Add Morning Market to your hot cross bun crawl this year for a super-spiced, generously-studded treat. The Morning Market variety is flavoured with Pastis, Brandy, cardamon and allspice, before being stuffed with plump apricots, prunes, sultanas and currants. What makes these buns extra special is that the baking team soaks the dried fruit in a fragrant citrus-and-spice infusion for three days before being folded into the rich dough. The only thing that makes these better is a thick slab of butter on top.

PENNY FOR POUND x AXIL

Now here's a collab that just makes sense. Beloved bakery Penny for Pound has teamed up with legendary coffee roasters Axil to create a mocha cross bun. Available at all Penny for Pound, and some Axil Coffee locations, the creative take on the traditional treat includes a smooth espresso ganache made with couverture milk chocolate and fresh shots of Axil coffee. But that's certainly not all. Penny for Pound is also bringing back their traditional hot cross buns, as well as a Hot-Cross-ant, a flaky croissant with cinnamon and orange-spiced almond frangipane and dried fruit. And on the weekend only, brave the lines for a choco caramello croissant and a carrot cake croissant.

TO BE FRANK

Northside favourite bakery To Be Frank is delivering the goods this Easter. Located in Collingwood and East Brunswick Village, the bakery is renowned for its crusty loaves and fluffy focaccia. This Easter, grab traditional hot cross buns with organic sultanas, currants and candied orange, or try something different with a saffron, currant and lemon variety. Treat yourself to a hot cross-ant, an inventive take on the hot cross bun. To Be Frank utilises a laminated pastry made using a spiced croissant dough, that is filled with a spiced fruit cream. Crisp and flakey on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Don't miss your chance to try one of these.

BAKER BLEU

One of Melbourne's best bakeries, Baker Bleu, has brought back its renowned Easter treats this year. While you can't go wrong with the cinnamon-and-ginger-spiced traditional variety, those in the know line up for one particular product during the Easter period: the sour cherry and dark chocolate buns. The moreish mix of acidic sour cherries, creamy 64% couverture chocolate and warming spices makes this one of Melbourne's best hot cross buns. And this year, to complement their buns, Baker Bleu is adding an iced hot cross bun latte, an iced cherry chocolate drink, and hot cross bun soft serves to their Eatser menu (available at limited locations).

PHILLIPPA'S BAKERY

With a handful of stores across Melbourne, long-running bakery Phillippa's is here to ensure all your hot cross bun cravings are fulfilled this Easter. Its chewy glazed buns are a perennial favourite, crafted with slow-fermented dough, house-made candied peel and loads of organic vine fruit. Phillippa's beloved recipes for toasted hot cross bun ice cream and hot cross bun-and-butter puddings are the perfect way to use up any leftovers.

MORK CHOCOLATE

Artisanal hot chocolate maker Mork has created its own indulgent riff on the hot cross bun, which, unsurprisingly, features the brand's irresistible chocolate. The process begins with a dough crafted from wheat and whole-grain spelt sourdough that is slow-fermented over three days. The dough is infused with aromatic spices, green aniseed and Tasmanian leatherwood honey, before being studded generously with currants, raisins, Earl Grey soaked orange peel and chunks of 68% dark chocolate. While you're at it, try Mork's Dessert Eggs, pocket-sized treats that feature layered textures and flavours spanning matcha to milk tea, and caramelised chocolate to passionfruit.

DENCH BAKERS

Having earned a cult following for its artisan baked goods, Dench has long been a Melbourne staple. And its signature sourdough hot cross buns have fans coming back year after year, each batch stuffed full of Aussie vine fruits, made from organic flour and grains. Dench offers traditional hot cross buns and a chocolate orange variety for a little something special.

BREAD CLUB

One of Melbourne's best bakeries, Bread Club, is slinging some serious tasty hot cross buns this Easter. These premium sweet treats are loaded with Hunted + Gathered chocolate and stuffed with house-made toffee. With locations in North Melbourne and Albert Park, locals will be thrilled to have these on their doorstep, and we bet visitors will travel from far and wide for a taste of these special buns.

PIDAPIPO

While it might be the master of Gelato, Pidapipo is no stranger to other sweet culinary treats and desserts. Making a much-anticipated return this year is Pidapipo's hot cross doughnut. The doughy delight, baked fresh each morning in the Fitzroy Laboratorio, features a hot cross bun-flavoured doughnut with dried figs and custard. Of course, because it is a gelateria after all, the creation is then topped with almond gelato and spiced caramel sauce. Don't stop there, though, because the laboratory is also creating a selection of chocolate treats for Easter. There are bags of mini eggs, medium-sized eggs, and praline-filled chocolate tins featuring ingredients such as white chocolate peppermint ganache and matcha ganache.

Feature image: Pidapipo, Parker Plain. 

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