A chocolate hot cross bun has taken the top prize in a consumer taste test, a result that may challenge traditional expectations for the Easter treat. Consumer advocacy group Choice awarded its highest-ever score – 95% – to Woolworths Bakery Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Made With Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips, surpassing even traditional fruit varieties in the annual blind taste test.
Choice evaluated 15 hot cross buns from Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, and Bakers Delight, assessing traditional fruit, chocolate, and gluten-free options. The winning Woolworths buns, priced at 73 cents each, were praised by culinary judge Brigid Treloar for delivering a “strong” chocolate flavour and achieving a rare “trifecta” of positive sensory qualities – appearance, aroma, and taste. “It looked like chocolate. It tasted like chocolate. It smelled like chocolate,” said Treloar, who also judges chocolate at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
The judges, including Treloar, Ian Huntley, and Eddie Stewart, blind-tested the buns, scoring them on flavour, aroma, texture, and appearance. Treloar noted the unusual consistency of the chocolate flavour, which remained strong both toasted and untoasted. She explained that a lower “dome” on the bun often indicates a denser, drier interior.
Interestingly, the Woolworths buns achieved the top score despite containing a lower percentage of chocolate (19%) compared to the runner-up, Coles Bakery Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns (25%). Treloar suggested the inclusion of cocoa powder in the Woolworths recipe may have intensified the chocolate flavour. Coles’ chocolate buns received a score of 75%.
For those who prefer the traditional fruit bun, Coles Finest Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns secured the top spot in that category for the second consecutive year, with a score of 85%. Judges highlighted the generous fruit content – beyond just sultanas – and a pronounced spice aroma as key factors in its success. Treloar emphasized the importance of spice, stating that without it, a fruit bun risks being indistinguishable from a plain bread roll.
Woolworths also performed well in the traditional fruit category, with its Bakery Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns achieving a score of 73% at a significantly lower price of 73 cents per bun, less than half the cost of the Coles offering ($1.38 each). Buns with overly moist fruit received lower scores, as liquid leakage created undesirable “wet pockets” within the bun.
In the gluten-free category, Woolworths again dominated, winning both the traditional and chocolate subcategories. The Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns scored 77%, while the Woolworths Free From Gluten Choc Hot Cross Buns achieved 70%, both priced at $1.38 each. Treloar noted that this year’s gluten-free buns more closely resembled traditional hot cross buns in appearance, a departure from the “hockey puck” shape often associated with gluten-free baked goods. She suggested the winning gluten-free buns “would have held their own” against their gluten-containing counterparts.
While a “slightly unnatural and chemically” aroma was detected across all gluten-free buns, toasting the Woolworths products helped to mitigate this scent, replacing it with a more appealing hot cross bun aroma. Treloar added that even untoasted, the Woolworths gluten-free buns were enjoyable to eat.
