Best hot cross buns in Melbourne and regional Victoria

Bread Club

North Melbourne and Albert Park

Bread Club doesn’t do things by halves. Their Hot XXX Buns come in different flavours, but if you’re going for the traditional option, it’s a melody of fresh citrus and ginger, cardamom and nutmeg, and sultanas, currants, and cranberries.

Candied Baker

81a Hudson’s Rd, Spotswood

Soft but substantial, these delicious hot cross buns have a kick of clove that complements the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Add juicy, plump sultanas and currants (and leave out the lemon peel), and you have a great tasting sourdough-based bun.

Fleischer Continental Cakes

96 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern

These hot cross buns are all taste and texture. Slightly denser than many on the list (thanks to lashings of fruit and peel) they are spicy and sweet with a sticky glaze, and a nutty undertone (although they are nut-free).

Flour House

3 Graham St, Highett

Lovingly handmade, Flour House uses a blend of cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and allspice. They also marinate the Australian fruit in fresh ginger and homemade confit orange puree. The result is moreish hot cross buns that have the richness of plum pudding.

Just Yummy

13 Meadowgate Dr, Chirnside Park

Gluten may be the key to that fluffy texture, but specialist gluten-free bakery Just Yummy manages to rise to the challenge and create hot cross buns that are soft and sweet. Their lightly spiced fruit, fruit-free and choc-chip buns are vegan too.

Le Petit Gateau

458 Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD

The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg fills the Le Petit Gateau kitchen in the lead up to Easter, with the pastry chefs pulling out tray upon tray of traditional buns studded with raisins and candied orange. Chocolate lovers will also appreciate the high-quality Swiss chocolate that’s used in the chocolate-chip hot cross buns.

More: Hot cross buns recipe from Le Petit Gateau

Menzies Bakery

66 Menzies Ave, Dandenong North

Nominated on social media, this humble bakery in the outer suburbs proves you don’t need to be fancy to make a great hot cross bun. Soft and fluffy, these hot cross buns are delicately spiced and full of juicy sultanas. Delicious fresh or toasted with butter.

Penny for a Pound

Richmond, Camberwell, Moorabbin

These sticky, moreish hot cross buns ooze with mixed spice, fruit, and tastiness. Get in quick for their traditional buns, they are usually sold out by noon.

STREAT

66 Cromwell Street and 71 Gipps Street, Collingwood

STREAT's traditional-style bun is laden with spice and a zesty orange kick, generously studded with vine fruits and then hand glazed to finish. You can buy them at the social enterprise’s Collingwood outlets.

Wood Frog Bakery

14 outlets across Melbourne

Soft, sweet, and citrusy, Wood Frog’s hot cross buns are a crowd-pleaser. Widely available, you can stock up for Good Friday.

Regional Victoria's best hot cross buns

Gaffney’s Bakery

63-65 High St, Heathcote

Gaffney’s is a “must stop” for many people travelling along the Northern Highway and in need of an award-winning pie. Their hot cross buns are also highly desirable, with a traditional mix of spice and sultanas and currants.

Hulms Bakery

66 Murray St, Colac

Hulms Bakery has stood the test of time, delivering hot cross buns with a dollop of nostalgia. “They taste like your great grandmother made them. They are spectacular,” according to Rebecca, who responded to our call out for recommendations on social media. 

Hudaks Bakery

Mildura Central, 848A Fifteenth St, Mildura 

Hudaks Bakery in Mildura came third in a field of 143 contenders for Australia’s Best Hot Cross Buns. Mildura may be one of the furthest towns from Melbourne, but it sounds like they’re not missing out on quality buns.

Jane Dough Bakery

Shop 3, Centre Point Arcade, 147 Liebig St, Warrnambool

If you’re going on a road trip to find the perfect hot cross bun, then Jane Dough Bakery could be your destination. Their generously proportioned hot cross buns have bounce and character, with lovely moist fruit and well-balanced spices. Plus, they’re not too sticky on top.

North End Bakehouse

2 Grant Ct, Shepparton 

North End Bakehouse is no stranger to success. The bakery won the title for Australia’s Best Hot Cross at the Baking Association of Australia (BAA) Victorian Baking Show in 2021 and 2022. This year their vegemite hot cross bun dazzled the judges, winning the most innovative category. These are selling for $8.50 for six.

Parkview Bakery

Maryborough and Saint Arnaud

This family-owned bakery caters for locals and tourists alike, with its award-winning pies and speciality cakes. It’s not surprising that their traditional hot cross buns are also delicious.

Ranga’s Bakery

205G Bayview Rd, McCrae

In the backblocks of McCrae, this small family-owned bakery punches above its weight. The queues for the pies and bread do not lie, and the hot cross buns, resplendent with Australian fruit, are equally popular. They are available up until Easter Sunday, so if you’re on the Mornington Peninsula for Easter swing by and try one.

Red Beard Bakery

38a High Street, Trentham

Certified 100% organic, full of luscious fruits and spices and baked to perfection in a historic oven, many a Melburnian takes a day trip to Trentham to get their hands on some of Red Beard's famous Easter buns. Open Friday to Monday, try one of their savoury treats and pick up a loaf of bread while you’re there.

The Good Loaf, Bendigo

404 Hargreaves St, Bendigo

An artisan sourdough bakery, The Good Loaf has had its fair share of awards. Like their savoury pastries and cakes, their classy hot cross buns are made from scratch, and include an even distribution of sultanas, currants, and mixed peel.