Bakeries & Delis

Brisbane’s Best Hot Cross Buns To Devour This Easter

By Ranyhyn Laine
18th Mar 2024

With Easter around the corner, the sweet smell of hot cross buns is starting to waft out of bakeries across Brisbane/Meanjin. With so many on offer, it’s hard to know who makes the best hot cross buns in Brisbane. Is it the traditional take? Is it a chocolate-filled number? Or is it the undignified 'fruitless'? Luckily, you have Urban List doing the hard yards for you.

From the doughy to the sticky, the spicy and the sweet, venues around Brisbane are fronting up with the chewy stuff for your long weekend. Here are Urban List's picks for the best hot cross buns in Brisbane this Easter.

Darvella Patisserie

37 Oxford Street, Bulimba

Prepare to pre-order: Darvella's hot cross buns are baked fresh daily, and come plump, fluffy, and loaded with whole nutmeg, citrus zest, cranberries, sultanas, currants, figs and dates that have been soaked in brandy for two months. They're a perfectly spiced treat for pairing with your coffee on Easter Sunday and, even better, they're nut-free for those with allergies in the house.

Sprout Artisan Baker 

76 James Street, Fortitude Valley 

Sprout’s signature hot cross bun recipe is a well kept secret, and we give anything to know what makes them so addictive. Hand rolled and baked fresh each morning, they pair perfectly with a coffee for an Easter season breakfast on the go. You'll probably want to get at least two—there's no stopping at just one.

Veganyumm

487 South Pine Road, Everton Park 

Vegans and dairy-free peeps, no need to miss out on the hot cross bun goodness because Veganyumm have you covered. Their fully vegan hot cross buns are so fluffy and delicious you’ll barely even notice that they are free of dairy and eggs, and they come in four decadent flavours—Nutella (their own vegan version), Biscoff, classic fruit and double choc chip. Baked fresh daily, you can score them from Monday to Saturday, or pre-order online if you want to guarantee yourself a six-pack. 

Jocelyn’s Provisions

Various Locations


Image credit: Jocelyn's Provisions | Website 

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing anything from Jocelyn’s Provisions, then you won’t be surprised to find their hot cross buns are exceptional. Lightly spiced and pleasantly fruity, one bite of these buns will have you coming back for more, and they do a mean chunky dark and white choc chip version too. Bonus, you can get them loaded with spiced cream filled or whipped chocolate ganache—because who says butter is the only thing you can spread hot cross buns with?

Agnes Bakery 

85 James Street, Fortitude Valley 

Also on the sourdough hot cross bun train is Agnes Bakery, who have added a classic HCB to their daily line up in March. For the full experience, get yourself a pat of their house cultured and churned smoked butter to slather all over it at home. 

Doughcraft 

181 Mary Street, Brisbane CBD | 31 Collingwood Street, Albion 

Doughcraft know exactly what makes a good hot cross bun—it’s that perfect blend of fruit and spices, that soft and fluffy texture and of course, a gold crust marked only by a white cross. Even fluffier than most, Doughcraft’s version may just be your new favourite.

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Lune Croissanterie 

13-17 Manning Street, South Brisbane | Burnett Lane, Brisbane CBD


Image credit: Lune | Supplied 

True to form, Lune Croissanterie is delivering a seasonal special that's guaranteed to make Easter morning delicious. The hot cross cruffin will be filled with a spicy and fruity creme patisserie and brushed with a clear, sweet glaze, and will be available in all stores until Easter weekend.

Flour & Chocolate 

621 Wynnum Road, Morningside | 78 Old Toombul Road, Northgate | 77 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe

Now on the north side and the east side, so you don’t have to cross the river to get your fix, Flour & Chocolate’s hot cross buns are perfectly soft and fluffy with just enough fruit—though you can also get them fruitless (sacrilage) and in triple chocolate variations here. Pop them in the toaster and slather with some butter for an Easter treat.

Belle Epoque 

267 Grey Street, South Brisbane 

The classic hot cross bun has been reimagined at Emporium Hotel’s signature patisserie, Belle Epoque, and is available in two styles: classic fruit-filled with tea-soaked sultanas, cranberries and orange soaked in spice syrup, or decadent choc cross buns. 

Nodo Donuts 

Various Locations

Nodo Donuts hot cross donuts Easter Brisbane
Image credit: Nodo | Instagram 

A classic among Brisbane's Easter treats, Nodo's hot cross donuts are a must-try, especially if you're gluten free. The spiced date donuts topped with couverture milk chocolate and a white chocolate cross make for a perfect sweet treat with a little less guilt than usual thanks to the donut being baked instead of fried, and Nodo's low-GI custom flour. Of course, they also do gluten-free hot cross buns, if you're just after the classic snack. 

Brewbakers

337 Sandgate Road, Albion 

Brewbakers have long had a reputation for a visit being worthy of car trip across town. Their bread, bagels, handmade sausage rolls and amazing chocolate brownies have kept local appetites satisfied. So how do their sourdough hot cross buns fare? Simply delicious! You’ll walk away with at least a dozen (maybe two), trust us.

Oh My Bread 

8 Days Road, Grange

Missing Crust & Co’s annual spice and fruit-filled creations? Well, here to fill that void is Oh My Bread, a new bakery in Grange from the same team behind the popular Wilston spot that was taken out by the 2022 floods—and of course they’ve brought their iconic hot cross bun recipe with them. Just make sure you get in early before they’re all gone. 

King Street Bakery 

20 King Street, Bowen Hills


Image credit: King Street Bakery | Supplied 

With the team behind French icon Montrachet in the kitchen, you know King Street Bakery’s hot cross buns are going to be the picture of perfection. Coming in either traditional raisin or chocolate chip, you can also pick up a six-pack at Mica in Newstead, depending on how far you're willing to travel for a good HCB.

Chouquette 

19 Barker Street, New Farm

Chouquette has gone and made our mouths water with their hot cross bun offering this year. Ditching the classic bun to instead bake up an on trend version, they're doing a hot cross bun flavoured New York roll. If you're new to this treat, it's basically a roll of croissant pastry filled and doused in delicious icing—pre-order yours here.

Banneton

25 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba | 25 Samuel Street, Camp Hill | 584 Waterworks Road, Ashgrove 

Famed for their incredible sourdough breads and perfect macarons, Banneton knows a thing or two about baking, and yes, they are certainly up there as producing one of Brisbane’s best hot cross buns. Full of fruit and the perfect balance between pillowy and moist, these beauts are perfect for toasting and slathering with butter.

Looking for more sweet treats? Head here: 

Image credit: Darvella Patisserie | Facebook 

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