From classic British desserts to cheesy and spicy combinations, there’s a raft of new hot cross bun flavours springing up on supermarket shelves this Easter.
Consumers craving sweet comfort in the familiar are catered for with the likes of orange marmalade, sticky toffee, and strawberries & clotted cream variants.
Morrisons and Tesco have followed M&S’s lead last year to pair mature Cheddar and red Leicester in their savoury offering for 2024, while Co-op has truly turned up the heat with cheese and chutney combined with no less than three different types of chilli.
Here, we unpack the latest NPD in the hot cross bun format unveiled by supermarkets:
Aldi
The discounter offers affordable indulgences this Easter through its Everyday Essentials Hot Cross Buns priced at just 65p for a pack of four.
A similar deal – around 16p per bun – can be found with the Village Bakery Fruited Hot Cross Buns (99p, pack of six), with Aldi’s own label range also introducing Village Bakery Nutoka Hot Cross Buns (£1.25, pack of four) which feature hazelnut flavouring and chocolate chips.
On the retailer’s Specially Selected range, meanwhile, there are Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns (£1.25, pack of four) and newcomer Banoffee Hot Cross Buns (£1.25, pack of four).
Asda
No fewer than 10 different varieties make up Asda’s hot cross buns range this year, with the retailer predicting to shift a total of 5.7 million packs over Easter.
New for 2024 is a twist on the seasonal classic, Extra Special Orange Marmalade Hot Cross Buns (£1.40, pack of four). Created after sales insight found customers buying hot cross buns and marmalade together, the new buns are filled with orange-soaked sultanas, raisins, candied orange peel and Seville orange marmalade.
Other newcomers to Asda’s own label Extra Special hot cross buns range are Triple Chocolate (£1.40, pack of four) and Chocolate & Orange Mini Hot Cross Buns (£1.40, pack of nine), while the popular Lemon & White Chocolate (£1.40, pack of four) and Extra Fruity (£1.40, pack of four) versions make their return.
There’s also The Bakery at Asda Hot Cross Buns (£1.50, pack of four), and a free-from selection that includes four-packs of traditional flavour (£1), Apple & Cinnamon (£2.25), Chocolate Orange (£2.25) and Choc Chip (£2.25).
Lastly, Asda’s in-store bakery is combining two British favourites to create Sticky Toffee Pudding Hot Cross Buns (£1, pack of two).
Co-op
If you go down to the Co-op today, you’re sure of a spicy surprise… This comes from the new Irresistible Hot Hot Hot Cross Buns (£1.60, pack of four), comprising an eye-watering set of inclusions such as dried jalapenos, chilli peppers, birds eye chilli powder, and sweet chilli sauce. Pioneer Crunch Cheddar and tangy chutney complete the savoury treat with the heat.
Along with the standard Hot Cross Buns recipe on Co-op’s own label Irresistible are flavours of Lemon & Blueberry and Chocolate & Orange range (all are also priced at £1.60 for a pack of four).
There’s the Co-op Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns too (£2.70, pack of four), while those on a budget can opt for the Co-op Hot Cross Buns (£1, pack of four).
Lidl
Just like fellow discounter Aldi, Lidl has a six-pack of own label hot cross buns priced at 99p (under the Rowan Hill brand).
Stepping up to Lidl’s Deluxe bakery brand, there are four different varieties of hot cross bun four-packs (£1.35), including Luxury, Bramley Apple & Cinnamon, Very Berry, and Brioche – all are returning rather than new for 2024.
M&S
The retailer boldly claims to sell an average of one hot cross bun every two seconds during each Easter period, which sums up to an impressive 11.1 million packs overall.
The ‘new bun on the block’ this year is the Extremely Caramely Hot Cross Buns (£2, pack of four), which comprises rich and smooth caramel buns loaded with salted caramel fudge pieces. Back again are the Extremely Cheesy Cheddar & Red Leicester and Extremely Chocolatey versions, also £2 for a pack of four, as are both the Gluten Free and Plant Kitchen Vegan ones.
Traditionalists can enjoy ‘the OG’ Luxury Hot Cross Buns from M&S for the same four-pack price of £2, said to have a recipe that is a closely guarded secret, albeit with the ratio of spice blend tweaked often since its launch in 2002.
All hot cross bun packs come under the two for £3.50 deal at M&S stores.
Morrisons
Two simple but classic flavours form the pair of new hot cross bun introductions to Morrisons’ premium own label The Best range – Double Chocolate & Orange and Extra Mature Cheddar & Red Leicester.
The retailer has also retained the Extra Fruity, Lemon Drizzle, and Apple & Cinnamon hot cross bun variants, while dropping Double Chocolate this time around.
All The Best hot cross buns cost £1.25 for a pack of four.
Sainsbury’s
A favourite British dessert has been combined with the seasonal sweet treat to produce a new limited-edition addition to the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference line-up this Easter. The Sticky Toffee Hot Cross Buns (£1.50, pack of four) are hand-crossed and packed with chopped dates and caramel fudge pieces.
Also making first appearances on the Taste The Difference hot cross bun range are St Clements & Honey and Apple & Cinnamon varieties, all made from a sourdough starter and priced at £1.50 for a four-pack. Lemon & White Chocolate hot cross buns, meanwhile, are making a return after their inauguration last year.
There’s also the Taste the Difference Free From Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns (£2.50, pack of four), which include dark chocolate chips, citrus peel, and clementine oil, but no gluten or milk.
Tesco
Four new flavours feature in Tesco’s Finest hot cross bun range this year, including the Strawberries & Clotted Cream variant (£1.60, pack of four), which contains clotted cream, white chocolate chips, and strawberry fruit pieces.
The Blueberry & Lemon Hot Cross Loaves (£1.60, pack of four) are rectangular rather than square, while the Mini Hot Cross buns (£1.60, pack of nine) are bite-sized versions of Tesco’s Extra Fruity recipe.
The final Finest newcomer is the Cheddar & Red Leicester Hot Cross Buns (£1.60, pack of four), which is just like the Morrisons’ offering in that it crosses the bitterness of extra mature Cheddar with the smooth creaminess of the red cheese.
Customers can also enjoy reruns of the Salted Caramel & Chocolate, Extra Fruity, St Clements, Apple & Cinnamon, and Triple Chocolate editions, all at £1.60 for a four-pack. Free From Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns (£3, pack of four), meanwhile, do not contain gluten, wheat, or milk.
Dropping down from the Finest range are Tesco Hot Cross Buns (£1.15, pack of six), and Tesco Free From Hot Cross Buns (£2, pack of four).
Waitrose
A premium pair of hot cross buns varieties are making their debuts at Waitrose for 2024.
The No.1 Golden Hot Cross Buns (£2.50, pack of four) are lightly spiced and feature sultanas, dried apricots, golden sultanas, and tangy Seville orange marmalade. The No.1 Belgian Chocolate Hot Cross Buns (£2.50, pack of four) are enriched with cocoa and contain chunks of dark Belgian chocolate.
Both are made with sourdough starter and are baked free flowing, which is said to give them an artisan feel.
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