The Gold Coast’s Best Hot Cross Buns To Devour This Easter (2026 Edition)
Isabel Croker
Editorial Manager (AU + NZ) | Urban List
Harmony Lee
Contributor | Urban List, Gold Coast, QLD
It’s that magical time of year where you can indulge in sweet, sweet chocolate for 24 hours and no one will judge you. It also means that hot cross bun season is upon us (our favourite season) and while supermarkets might have had hot cross buns on shelves since January, good things come to those who wait and, boy, we are ready for hot cross bun goodness.
Soft, pillowy buns. Full of lightly spiced fruit and decadently oozing chocolate. The perfect balance between pillowy and moist. Yes, we are describing our dream hot cross bun and yes, we are drooling. From the doughy to the buttery, the spicy to the sweet, we’ve done the hard work and hunted down the best hot cross buns on the Gold Coast to devour this Easter.
Editor's Note: We are still updating this list for 2026 as more hot cross buns become available. If we're missing one of your favourite spots, let us know and email us at editorgc@theurbanlist.com.
Best Gold Coast Hot Cross Buns At A Glance
Best Traditional-Style Hot Cross Buns
Paddock Bakery
20 Hibiscus Haven, Burleigh Heads 4220
Image Credit: Paddock Bakery | Instagram
We have a longstanding love affair with Paddock Bakery, and when they whip out their straight-from-the-oven hot cross buns, they melt our hearts a little more. They’re keeping it simple with their wood-fired sourdough OG fruit buns or decadent Lindt milk chocolate buns and oh my, they’re simply perfect.
Shiny, sweet, satisfying and perfect served with a generous helping of Pepe Saya cultured butter, it’s guaranteed you’re going to fall in love (and keep coming back for more). And if you're after something more decadent, they've got you covered with their iconic Easter Dippy Eggs—two Cadbury chocolate eggs filled with vanilla whipped cream and a salted caramel ‘yolk’, served with Paddock’s Cinnamon Doughnut Dippy Fries, fresh strawberry, mini marshmallows, malted chocolate and pretzel cookie crumb. Say less.
Paris Brest French Bakery
1073 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221
When everything a bakery produces is pure, doughy perfection, you can pretty safely bet their hot cross buns will be up to scratch—and you’d best believe that’s the case at Paris Brest French Bakery. The glorious buns popping out of this Palm Beach establishment are classic, dried-fruit heavy, and gosh-darn delicious.
Pre-ordering or grabbing them early is probably the safest bet, unless you feel like rising with the sun and heading in on the day—this place pretty much never closes. Be sure to slather them in plenty of butter, and maybe stay on theme and grab the French stuff. Bon appétit.
Cubby Bakehouse
162 Chinderah Bay Dr, Chinderah NSW 2487
Good news for our southern friends—Cubby Bakehouse is dropping more baked goodness in the form of their delicious hot cross buns. Full of fruit or loaded with Sicao chocolate chunks, Cubby has mastered the perfect balance between pillowy and moist.
Best of all, you can score major brownie points and pre-order your Cubby hot cross buns to pick up fresh so you can enjoy them at home, slathered with butter, of course.
Tarte Bakery & Tarte Beach House
1748 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads 4220 &
4 Thrower Dr, Currumbin 4223
Image Credit: Tarte | Instagram
We couldn’t write about the Gold Coast’s best hot cross buns without including Tarte Bakery located on the main thoroughfare of Burls and new sister venue, Tarte Beach House on the shores of Currumbin Creek.
Churning out buns fresh daily until sold out, Tarte specialises in a traditional fruit flavour with spice, raisins, apricots in a super soft, fluffy, pull apart dough. Pre-order online now for Easter weekend and earn major brownie points with the family.
Franquette Bakery
159 Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain 4272
Meaning 'without any fuss', Franquette lives up to its name with it's simplistic yet sublime hot cross buns. They're spiced, they're fluffy, they're filled with fruit and they're damn delicious. Hot cross buns will be available from the week before Easter and will be freshly baked daily so they'll be available from around 8am.
If you're looking to go all out with the Easter treats this year, you're certainly covered with their decadent Croissant Loaves which come in the flavours of Biscoff, strawberry passionfruit lemon curd, chocolate and more.
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Rise Bakery
1 Masthead Way, Hope Island QLD 4212
The team of French bakers at Rise Bakery have embraced one of Australia’s most beloved Easter traditions—and put their own spin on it, of course. Their hot cross buns start with soft, buttery brioche and are baked fresh daily, blending classic Easter flavours with the bakery’s signature French technique.
The traditional option leans into warm spice and dried fruit, delivering that familiar hot cross bun comfort, while the chocolate version swaps tradition for indulgence with rich cocoa dough and generous pockets of premium chocolate throughout. If you’re planning an Easter spread, these fluffy buns are well worth adding to the mix—especially lightly toasted and finished with a generous smear of butter.
Burleigh Baker
13/50 James St, Burleigh Heads 4220 &
Shop 7/46 The Esplanade, Paradise Point 4216
Image Credit: Burleigh Baker | Instagram
This much-loved Burleigh and Paradise Point gem is churning out their rightfully famous sourdough brioche hot cross buns fresh every day and it would be rude not to try them. If the mouth-watering smell isn’t enough to convince you, Burleigh Baker’s buns are made using a Hokkaido-style brioche sourdough which requires 36 hours of fermentation, white chocolate, free-range eggs, Australian raisins—all completely free of preservatives.
The first bite (and every bite thereafter) offers up a melting pot of fruity flavours and dense, buttery dough. It’s so moist you don’t even need to schmear it in butter (but we highly recommend it). You can also cheekily pre-order a six-pack of hot cross buns through Burleigh Baker’s online store.
Well Bread & Pastry
1112 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach 4221 &
1934 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami 4220
This Gold Coast hotspot prides itself on creating bakery delights full of nutrients, minerals and microbes so not only do they taste delicious, but they’re also great for your gut. Their aromatic hot cross buns are no exception and it’s not surprising they sell out quickly every year.
Packed full of juicy sultanas and a hint of citrus, you can pre-order these bad boys through Well Bread’s website, because let's be honest—one pack is never enough.
5B2F Bakehouse
55 Brooke Ave, Southport 4215
52BF Bakehouse never does anything unless it’s done perfectly. So, of course, they produce some of the tastiest and best looking hot cross buns around.
Dive into the soft, milky buns, stuffed full of fruit and you’ll be hooked. Lightly spiced and pleasantly fruity, they’re absolutely worth the jaunt to the north end of town and we guarantee one bite of these buns will have you coming back for more. Drool.
The Standard Market Company
107 Ferry Rd, Southport 4215
Image Credit: The Standard Market Company | Instagram
The Standard Market Company in Ferry Road Markets is truly a gourmet foodie hub, so it’s no surprise that they serve up some of the best hot cross buns on the Gold Coast.
Slinging up both chocolate-studded and fruit-filled buns, these bad boys are best devoured freshly toasted and slathered in butter. Once you’ve snapped up these bad boys, order a coffee from the nearby Merlo store for a supreme pairing.
Fuel Bakehouse
44 Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin Waters 4223,
23 James St, Burleigh Heads 4220 &
45 Tweed Coast Rd, Bogangar NSW 2488
The talented bakers at this long-time favourite have brought so much sweet deliciousness into our lives, so when we heard they’re slinging up their drool-worthy hot cross buns, our day got a whole heap better.
If you tend to go for choccy buns over the original version, Fuel Bakehouse’s chocolate-studded hot cross buns might be for you, or stick to the classics with their lighter-than-air semi-sourdough fruit buns, which are also conveniently vegan. You’ll walk away with at least a dozen buns (maybe two), trust us.
Foster’s Bakery
2227 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach 4218
This unassuming and unpretentious bakery in Miami has made a name for itself over its (many) years of dishing up divine baked goods for hungry Gold Coasters.
Foster’s classic hot cross buns are simple as expected, because they know not to change a damn good thing. One bite of these fluffy, perfectly moist fruit-filled buns and you’ll be hooked.
Best Unique Hot Cross Buns
Bam Bam Bakehouse
2519 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach 4218
Image Credit: Bam Bam Bakehouse | Instagram
Every Easter the talented crew at this Mermaid Beach eatery whip up some seriously delicious eats in their pastry kitchen and this year they have not disappointed. As expected, Bam Bam Bakehouse is taking things to the next level with their magic hot cross buns.
Their pastry team created not one, not two, but five incredible hot cross bun flavours. Choose between traditional fruit hot cross buns, chocolate hot cross buns, custard brioche buns, choc-caramel buns or the mega Biscoff Easter Bonnet, brushed with a special cinnamon spice mix & pumped full of Biscoff Mousseline. Or don’t make the choice and just order them all. You can also order online (from Saturday 5 April) and score discounts on six-packs of buns. Winning.
The Bread Social
2 Queensbury Ave, Currumbin Waters 4223 &
12 Bay St, Tweed Heads 2485
Image Credit: The Bread Social | Instagram
Responsible for some of the hands down best breads and pastries around the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales, you know The Bread Social team do not mess around when it comes to hot cross buns.
Dig into brioche triple chocolate hot cross buns with whipped burnt maple butter or their traditional fruit hot cross buns and thank us later. You can also pre-order online or pre-order instore for pick up at their Tweed Heads and Currumbin stores on Friday 18 April and Saturday 19 April.
Custard Canteen
1525 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach 4221
Famed for their incredible Portuguese custard tarts, Custard Canteen knows a thing or two about baking—and yes, they’re certainly up there when it comes to producing some of the Gold Coast’s best hot cross buns. If you can imagine the love child of a cinnamon scroll and a hot cross bun, you’ll have a pretty good idea of the kind of deliciousness this place is churning out.
Though I’m not sure even your wildest dreams could quite capture the hot cross buns that Custard Canteen are producing. Secure your spot as the favourite family member and pre-order fresh hot cross buns to pick up over the Easter weekend—because you’ll want to make sure there’s zero chance you miss out on these puppies.
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Main image credit: Ben Tyres | Supplied
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