The 14 best hot cross buns in Melbourne

Baker Bleu is known for supplying some of Melbourne's finest eateries with their bread, so you know everything they make is outrageously good. Including their hot cross bunnies, of course. Just in time for Easter, these dough masters have baked up some fresh ones made with cinnamon, ginger, raisins and fresh orange, and finished with a white cross. There's also the famous sour cherry and dark chocolate bun, artfully finished with a cocoa-spiked cross. The delicious sweet treats are available for purchase both in-store and online.

Penny for Pound's sell-out-in-seconds-flat hot cross buns are back and we're hungry! Opt for the traditional classic with Earl Grey-soaked fruit, orange zest and cinnamon. Or indulge in this year's special collab with Axil Coffee: a mocha cross bun that's stuffed with silky espresso ganache crafted from couverture milk chocolate and fresh shots of Axil's signature seasonal espresso blend, all baked into a hot cross bun. You can grab the buns in-store daily, or pre-order for pick-up on April 2, 4 and 5. Find out more here. 

Morning Market is back with their housemade hot cross buns, and the team have busily spent months perfecting the ultimate recipe. It involves the use of pastis (a French anise-flavoured spirit), brandy, allspice and cardamom, plus dried prunes, apricots, sultanas and currants. The fruit soaked in a fragrant citrus and spice infusion before being folded into the buttery dough. These goodies are available for purchase online with a six-pack costing $26 and individuals priced at $4.50.

Mörk might be known for its cult hot chocolate, but don't overlook its mighty rendition of the humble hot cross bun. It starts with a wheat and wholegrain spelt sourdough, which is then slow-fermented for more than three days and scented with aromatic spices, green aniseed and Tasmanian leatherwood honey. The dough is studded with a medley of currants, sour cherries and orange peel that's been soaked in Earl Grey tea, and hearty chunks of 68 per cent dark chocolate from Mörk's award-winning chocolate factory. The buns are spiced with an irresistible cacao glaze and made with repurposed husk (cacao shell) from the cacao roastery. You can get these goodies from all stores and in packs of six from the website.

If you haven't heard of it already, Baker in the Rye is a small, locally owned bakery in Balaclava. Run by French-trained pastry chef Miguel and experienced bakehouse runner Johanna since 2025, this artisinal bakery is known for its epic sourdough. This Easter, they're bringing hot cross buns into the remit, crafting slow-fermented sourdough delights that are packed with fragrant spices, generous dried fruit and finished with a housemade glaze. Expect a sourdough bun with a French pastry kind of twist (Miguel spent ten years as head chef at Agathé Pâtisserie). The buns go for $4 a pop, or $22 for a pack of six, and you'll find them in-store daily until they run out. Find out more via Instagram.

The legends over at Cobb Lane Bakery (which now has an outpost in the CBD on Bennett Lane) are doing two types of hot cross buns this year: the classic, which is soft, lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and stuffed with raisins; and sour cherry and choc, which is filled with tart cherries and chunks of chocolate. You can purchase them individually or in packs of six – these come with Pepe Saya butter, so we know what we'll be going for. Find out more via the website.

Level up your hot cross buns with a visit to bakery and viennoiserie Antara. This year, you can grab one of their traditional buns studded with golden raisins, citrus and a perfume bouquet of spices, but the real star is the choc-cherry special, which features a soft bun full of milk and dark Valrhona chocolate, sour cherries and cranberries. Pre-order is available here for pick-up on March 31, April 1 and 2.

To Be Frank is an artisan bakery located in the backstreets of Collingwood. Their bread is made through long, natural fermentation from organic or sustainable products that have been responsibly farmed. And their traditional hot cross buns? They're some of the best going around in Melbourne right now – a delightful mix of organic sultanas, currants, candied-in-house oranges, cinnamon and nutmeg. You can buy 'em in a six-pack every day right up until Easter Sunday. Check out the website to place an order.

Candied Bakery knows its way around a sweet treat, and the hot cross buns here are no exception. Not only is the packaging box just so stinkin' cute and colourful, but these bright, glazed sourdough treasures within are packed to the brim with different Aussie fruits, spices, bursts of citrus from orange, and free-range eggs to give them a slightly cakey edge. Use them when they're stale in a bread and butter pudding of sorts, or pop them in the toaster and marry them with butter for the ultimate holy union this Easter. You can order them online, or pop in store. 

Located in Carlton, Baker D. Chirico’s yummy sourdough buns are baked with mixed spices, orange purée, butter, currants and sultanas. Fair warning though, these buns are on the hefty side, so if you're more used to a traditional treat, these benefit from a light toast. Oh, and this year they are doing chocolate hot cross buns, too. The team are taking orders through to March 31, but there will also be plenty of baked goodies available for walk-in purchases. Give them a buzz on 03 9349 3445 to secure your treats.

These are of the sourdough nature, so expect a dense and complex bun. The Australian fruit is organic, the lemon and orange peel are candied in-house, and a dark malt syrup adds lustre to the glaze. These breakfasty buns reign supreme thanks to their savoury and slightly acidic nature. Grab yours via the website.

This artisan bakery specialises in wholewheat sourdough bread and pastries, and its hot cross buns are light on the spice, loaded with housemade orange purée, currants, raisins and sultanas, and feature a traditional cross. These bad boys are delicious when toasted and slathered in butter, and we dare say you could even add a layer of jam to your bun for added sweetness. And this year, wrap your lips around some special flavours, including crème brûlée, chocolate and sticky date pudding – we're drooling! More info via Instagram.

Woodfrog Bakery specialises in uncompromised, naturally leavened, hand-shaped sourdough breads, but it's the generosity of currants and sultanas, high tones of unintrusive citrus and soft interior that pushes this finely glazed bun to the top of the pile. Another plus is you won't need to order ahead to avoid disappointment, as production is plentiful across all branches. More via Instagram.

Falco’s hot cross buns are made using organic Australian flour, Australian fruit and cultured butter and milk from St David Dairy. The base is a tender, light brioche bun, carefully spiced and sweetened with fruits that are rolled by hand daily. There is candied peel in the mix, so if you're not a citrus lover, beware. This is fantastic untoasted due to the brioche base, but toast it up and lather on some extra butter for luxury. You can pre-order on their website.

You must order ahead for these hot cross buns, as they usually disappear well before midday. These buns are perfectly round, cakey (they contain egg) and on the softer side, studded with juicy raisins, sultanas and currants. The zesty spice mix is warmed up with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and clove for a festive flavour-loaded treat. More via the Instagram.