Toasted and slathered with butter, maybe a bit of jam if you’re feeling fancy – this is the time-honoured method for consuming hot cross buns. So, what about one toasted and filled with bacon, cheese and chilli jam?
That’s exactly what Costa Coffee, and several other operators, are betting on this Easter. Savoury hot cross buns may have cemented their place in supermarket hot cross bun ranges, but it is actually the fruited ones which are making headway as a sandwich carrier of choice.
It’s a trend that has been steadily growing year on year, although buy in from big names this year has brought it to the forefront.
Costa has introduced a new Bacon, Mature Cheddar & Chilli Jam Hot Cross Bun described as a ‘bold, flavour-packed lunchtime bite’. Blending savoury and sweet, it’s filled with Beechwood smoked streaky bacon, sliced mature cheddar, and smoky chilli relish.
Cooplands – which operates 156 stores from Northumberland down through Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire – has also utilised the seasonal treat as a bacon bap alternative. The business told British Baker its hot cross buns filled with bacon are “going down a treat with customers”. It’s also drumming up a fun debate on the bakery’s social media pages as it asked employees whether they’d indulge in it, with followers also sharing their opinions. Comments from the bakery’s fans range from “Whoever came up with the idea deserves a bonus. I was dubious but it tasted absolutely amazing”, to “Nah, not for me,” and quite simply “absolutely not”.
It was even something Subway dabbled in last year, bringing a hot cross sub to its nationwide estate in a bid to cater to both sweet and savoury fans. It was served as a Footlong Hot Cross Bun Slice and also a Cheesy Bacon Hot Cross Bun Toastie. It doesn’t appear to have returned for the 2026 season, but there’s still time.
Read: Supermarkets unveil new hot cross buns for Easter 2026
Combining soft, pillowy hot cross buns with a hit of salty bacon makes sense. Particularly as consumers are gravitating towards contrasting flavour profiles in one product, the classic being sweet and savoury or sweet and spicy (also known as ‘swicy’). And, with premium sandwiches taking the food-to-go market by storm, they’re also meeting the need for more innovative carriers.
Away from bacon-filled delights, Morrisons has also embraced the hot cross bun for a sandwich, albeit a sweet one. The aptly named limited edition Hot Cross Bun Sandwich is filled with full fat soft cheese and chocolate sauce with black forest fruit sauce.
This builds on the sweet sandwich sensation that caused such controversy last summer when M&S unveiled its Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich which was inspired by sweet sandos at London’s trendiest Japanese patisseries. Since then, there has been a steady trickle of sweet sandwiches and wraps at supermarkets, including a Mince Pie Brioche Style Wrap from Sainsbury’s.
While some of these might be too much for the average consumer, the use of hot cross buns as a sandwich carrier reflects their desire for hybrid or twisted versions of classic bakery items which take them to new occasions. What’s more, it’s the kind of trend that can easily be tapped into at home.
While some aren’t bold enough to bring the innovation to the table themselves, many retailers are serving up recipes on their websites and social media allowing more adventurous consumers to tap into the trend themselves. Thankfully, there is inspiration aplenty across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as well as more traditional recipe websites. Some of the bolder recipes include hot cross bun mackerel sandwiches from Delicious, sweet chilli halloumi, fried egg, and avocado from M&S, and the ultimate Easter feast in the form of a BBQ pulled lamb filled one at Twisted.
So, can we expect hot cross bun sandwiches to become a mainstay for Easter 2027 and beyond? It seems likely. They hit so many trends – seasonal novelty, premiumisation, classic with a twist, to name a few. There’s even room to take it into adjacent categories; hot cross burgers anyone?
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