The best hot cross buns this Easter

Hot cross bun season is officially upon us, so why wait until Easter to sample the very best hot cross buns on the market? Whether you’re going traditional with something soft, spiced and fruity, indulging in chocolate or fancy a cheesy, savoury bun, our expert product developers have pulled out all the stops with this year’s range. Read our guide to the hot cross buns you need to try this Easter, plus lots of irresistible recipe and topping ideas.

Senior Food Editor

Heather Taylor

What are the best types of hot cross buns?

At M&S, we take our buns seriously. After all, we sell 1.1 million packs of buns every year (that’s one every two seconds) and they're baked 24-7 to keep up with demand. Our product developers tried hundreds of recipes in their quest to create this year’s bun-tiful new line-up. There’s an elevated version of our classic, fruit-filled bun, moreish cheese-loaded hot cross buns, ridiculously indulgent chocolate-studded hot cross buns and more.

First introduced in 1975, our hot cross buns became an instant bestseller, and this year marks 51 years since they were launched. There's something for everyone in this year's range, so keep reading to discover what's new.

Browse hot cross buns

Must-try hot cross buns

The best alternative hot cross buns

Our Mini Millionaire’s Hot Cross Buns have landed in store. Tuck into light, fluffy buns studded with salted caramel fudge pieces and smooth dark and blond chocolate chips.

Love a cinnamon bun? Then you need to try our Cinn-a-yum Buns. These soft, sweet cinnamon buns are enriched with butter and finished with a drizzle of icing and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Simply heat and serve with a scoop of ice cream and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.

Keep your eyes peeled for more new hot cross buns, inspired by your favourite desserts, landing in February.

The best traditional hot cross buns

Our bestselling Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns are the OG, and for good reason. They're rich, aromatic, and packed full of juicy fruits. This includes sultanas and juicy Vostizza currants, which are grown and gently dried in the warm Greek sun before being soaked in M&S Luxury Gold Tea, plus mixed peel and our exclusive spice blend. They’re made using our secret dough recipe, ensuring each bun is perfectly spiced and unbelievably fluffy. Every batch also undergoes a colour test, guaranteeing each bun is baked to the perfect shade of golden. How do you eat yours? We like it toasted – under the grill rather than the toaster, so it remains perfectly plump – and served with lashings of Collection Cornish Gold Butter.

Bring on the buns

The best chocolate hot cross buns

Chocoholics, listen up. Made with a rich, dark chocolate dough and studded with milk and dark chocolate chunks, our Extremely Chocolatey Hot Cross Buns are a brilliant alternative for anyone who isn't a fan of the traditional fruity versions – no raisins here. Try turning them into a super-quick dessert by toasting, then filling them with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit.

I should cocoa

The best savoury hot cross buns

Our much-loved Extremely Cheesy Hot Cross Buns are back by popular demand. These soft, golden buns are loaded with extra mature Barber’s farmhouse cheddar and studded with smooth red Leicester cheese chunks. Try them served with crispy bacon, runny, golden-yolked fried eggs and your go-to hot sauce for an epic Easter brunch.

Nice and cheesy

The best filled hot cross buns

Having gone viral on social media last year, these fluffy buns are made with candied Sicilian lemon peel and hide a gooey surprise at their centre. Each one is filled with a smooth, sharp lemon curd made from Sicilian lemon juice and Sicilian lemon oil.

These soft buns come ready to eat – there’s no need to toast them, so just pop the kettle on and dig in.

See the buns

The best vegan hot cross buns

Our Bramley Apple Hot Cross Buns have been upgraded! Packed with juicy fruit soaked in orange juice, candied Granny Smith apple, and a unique spice blend, these enriched buns are also completely vegan. Think of them as apple crumble in hot cross bun form.

They’re delicious spread with our Maple Butter (or a vegan alternative) and served with sticky stewed apple and a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts. Not vegan or vegetarian? Load them with maple-cured bacon for a seasonal twist on your favourite weekend breakfast.

See the hot cross buns

The best gluten-free hot cross buns

We’ve carefully tested our Made Without Wheat Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns to ensure they have the fluffy texture and rich flavour that make hot cross buns so irresistible—meaning no one has to miss out. They’re packed full of juicy fruit, orange peel, and, of course, our unique, top-secret spice blend. Perfect when toasted and spread with butter and a dollop of jam.

Plus, look out for a new Made Without hot cross bun launching soon.

Explore our gluten-free range

How to use up leftover hot cross buns

Although we can’t argue with enjoying them simply toasted with butter, hot cross buns also lend themselves to all sorts of delicious recipes. Try them in an easy, please-all bun and butter pudding, a pull-out-all-the-stops Easter hot cross bun trifle, lemon hot cross bun and blackberry ice cream sarnies and double cheese and sticky onion toasties. Browse our best hot cross bun recipes now.

Recipe ideas, here

These are not just hot cross buns...

These are very-best-in-the-business M&S hot cross buns. From the traditional to this year's must-try new flavours, we've got an a-bun-dance of flavours for you to try, plus recipe ideas and serving suggestions galore. Why would you go anywhere else for your HXB this Easter? Discover our full Easter range in store, and start planning your perfect Easter feast with our celebratory Easter recipe collection.

Easter recipe ideas, here

Published 17/01/2025