It's almost Easter! (Hang on, it's only February. Since when was Easter a four-month-long celebration?)

But whatever. The important thing is that it's hot cross bun season – which means it's also not cross bun season.

Never seen one? That's not surprising: these limited-edition buns are hard to find in the wild, and shoppers tend to go into COVID toilet paper mode when they see them and grab as many as they can carry.

CHOICE staff bravely taste these questionable creations so you don't have to.

How did these elusive Easter treats come to exist?

While traditional hot cross buns (HXBs) never fall out of favour, supermarkets and bakeries identified an untapped market: HXB haters and novelty-seeking HXB lovers.

Enter the Not Cross Bun (NXB): a flavoured bun bearing increasingly less resemblance to the traditional HXB, delivered in increasingly more outlandish flavours.

It all started with fruit-free and apple and cinnamon buns, through to the strange-but-not-completely-absurd Vegemite and cheese, but these last few years have been wild.

Previous crimes against tastebuds have included buns inspired by Coles' Special Burger Sauce, Arnott's Pizza Shapes and red velvet cake.

These Frankenbuns seem to get weirder each year, and they've almost become a PR stunt to boost the supermarkets' cred: better to be infamous for your questionable creations than ignored for playing it safe, right?

Bun fight: Which bun is best?

Fortunately 2025's NXB offerings are a little more restrained. Here's what was in this year's bun bonanza (or bun-anza, if you will):

• Bakers Life Indulgent Banoffee Inspired Hot Cross Buns (Aldi)
• Arnott's Wagon Wheels Original Inspired Hot Cross Buns (Coles)
• Woolworths Indulgent Fairy Bread Hot Cross Buns
• Brumby's Salted Caramel & White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

We dared intrepid CHOICE bun enthusiasts to taste them, to help you decide what to add to your shopping trolley and which ones to leave on the shelf.

Plus, we look back at two 2024 NXBs that have resurfaced for Easter 2025.

On this page:

• Aldi Bakers Life Indulgent Banoffee Inspired Hot Cross Buns
• Coles Arnott's Wagon Wheels Original Inspired Hot Cross Buns
• Woolworths Indulgent Fairy Bread Hot Cross Buns
• Brumby's Salted Caramel & White Choc Hot X Bun
• Coles Arnott's Iced Vovo Hot Cross Buns
• Woolworths Indulgent Hot Cross Buns Filled with Biscoff

Aldi Bakers Life Indulgent Banoffee Inspired Hot Cross Buns

• Price: $4.49 per 4-pack
• Price per bun: $1.12

This is Aldi's first foray into the not cross bun game, and the German retailer has really understood the NXB brief and gone out on a limb: banana is a polarising flavour.

Opinions were very split, with some taste testers loving the bun-ana and others feeling they should be hit with the ban(ana) hammer.

But fortune favours the brave and this dessert/bun mashup will certainly get people talking, especially since Aldi lovers are such a passionate bunch.

So should you keep your eyes peeled for them in the middle aisle? Or did Aldi slip and fall with this flavour choice?

"With white chocolate chips, caramel flavoured choc chips and real banana."

• These were the worst. If you like the flavour of banana lollies, then you might like them. Not a fan.
• I love bananas and I don't like that. And I'm a banana a day kind of girl.
• I loved it because it just tasted like it had pieces of banana in it.
• It's not offensive. All I'm getting is fake banana.
• A bit tough and leathery. It didn't work for me texturally.
• Banoffee? I think not.

Perhaps Aldi should have chosen a more a-peeling flavour

Our verdict:

Aldi has gone in strong with these banana buns but perhaps should have chosen a more a-peeling flavour – though perhaps the choice was intentional as it certainly gets people talking. 

Coles Arnott's Wagon Wheels Original Inspired Hot Cross Buns

• Price: $5.50 per 4-pack 
• Price per bun: $1.38

This is the third Coles x Arnott's collab. It follows last year's Pizza Shapes crossover (described by one taste tester as "the worst tasting thing ever; 0/10") and Iced VoVo concoction ("tastes like playdough and jam").

Our testers required cast-iron stomachs and nerves of steel to sample these and the much-anticipated/feared Coles Burger Sauce NXBs of 2023, but they were excited to try the Wagon Wheel buns.

Wagon Wheels have experienced a surge in popularity since they were literally 're-launched' in a rocket in 2010, but perhaps the true indicator of their iconic status is that Aldi has released a copycat version: Cartwheels.

It seems that people never *tyre* of Wagon Wheels, so it's not surprising that Coles decided they'd be a contender in the NXB race.

So is this bandwagon worth jumping on, or should the Wagon be banned in bun form?

What the supermarket says: 

"A true Aussie icon, inspired by the flavours of Wagon Wheel, these hot cross buns are packed with marshmallow flavour, raspberry fudge, raspberry jellies and choc chunks."

What our taste testers said:

• I thought it was ironically not like a hot cross bun and also nothing like a Wagon Wheel.
• It was more like a Wagon Wheel-flavoured cake with a bit of a bun texture.
• I didn't get a taste of all the promised elements but still yum.
• Tastes pretty close to a Wagon Wheel. Smart choice by Coles – people obsess over Wagon Wheels.
• It's a choc raspberry delight, if somewhat doughy.
• When you smell it you're like, 'oh, this will be nice', but then it isn't. It made promises it didn't deliver.

Our verdict:

Messing with an iconic childhood treat is risky business – especially when it's combined with something as traditional as a hot cross bun.

Did rolling the Wagon Wheel dice pay off for Coles? Yes and no. 

Did rolling the Wagon Wheel dice pay off for Coles? Yes and no

While some taste testers loved the concept but not the execution, others were emphatically on board the Wagon Wheel wagon.

Regardless of how they actually taste, their appeal to nostalgic childhood memories means they will fly (or rather roll) off the shelves.

Woolworths Indulgent Fairy Bread Hot Cross Buns

• Price: $5.50* per 4 pack
• Price per bun: $1.38

*On special at time of writing for $4.50 ($1.13 per bun)

The first thing to note about these "funfetti" [Ed's note: funfetti? What on earth??] buns is that, for best results, they require some labour before you can get them in your gob.

You can eat them as is, but to get the full fairy bread experience, "you have to apply your own fairy" (as one taste tester put it): they need to be cut in half, smeared with butter and covered with the supplied sprinkles.

Which begs the question: why not just make fairy bread? The effort to reward ratio doesn't quite add up – unless, of course, you're driven by novelty and don't mind working for your buns.

We're still not exactly sure what "funfetti" is, but it could be the coloured white chocolate distributed through the dough. 

It's a fun idea, but clearly Woolies didn't think it through: green colouring + dough = green spots. And green spots look like mould. 

Mouldy buns? That's the kind of party we don't want to be invited to.

So are these buns a party in your mouth, or a multi-coloured mistake on Woolies' part?

Our testers were disconcerted by the green 'funfetti' in the Woolworths Fairy Bread NXB.

What the supermarket says:

"A modern twist on an old classic. White chocolate funfetti* hot cross bun with sprinkles. All set to top and serve."

*(Sorry Woolies – it doesn't get any less weird the more you say it.)

What our taste testers said:

• Are they supposed to have green in them? Looks like mould. It's disconcerting.
• The cross was very crunchy (and that's not a good thing). There's an almost gritty feel to it – yuck!
• Only tasted vaguely like fairy bread. I would probably feel sick if I ate a whole one. Zero out of 10.
• Very similar to regular fairy bread. Just like if you made it yourself with the cheapest white bread and butter you can find. Very nostalgic.
• Not different enough to be interesting; not tasty enough to beat a real hot cross bun.

Unless you like spotty, crunchy buns, you'll probably find these to be less fairy and more gremlin

Our verdict:

Unless you like spotty, crunchy buns, you'll probably find these to be less fairy and more gremlin. If you love fairy bread, just buy a cheap white loaf and some sprinkles and save yourself the dough.

Brumby's Salted Caramel & White Choc Hot X Bun

• Price: $2.50 (single), $8.90 per 4 pack; $12.90 per 6 pack
• Price per bun: $2.25 (4 pack); $2.15 (6 pack)

Not quite as much of a departure from the traditional HXB (at least in comparison to others designed to tantalise and/or terrorise our tastebuds), Brumby's NXB has a gooey interior with white chocolate-studded dough.

They cost quite a bit more than the supermarket buns, but for good reason: they're baked fresh each day. 

Unfortunately Brumby's buns are even harder to find than supermarket NXBs: There's only one store in NSW (Wagga Wagga), 15 in Victoria and 25 in south-East Queensland. If you live anywhere west of Broken Hill, you'll need to travel interstate to get your hands on these buns.

Is their exclusivity warranted, or will they leave you salty?

The Brumby's buns are filled with soft caramel.

What the bakery says:

"Promises to satisfy any sweet craving with decadent salted caramel filling and white chocolate pieces blended throughout the fluffiest of doughs. Drool."

What our taste testers said:

• That's the best one so far. It's got a crispy top, it's actual bread consistency – the others are like eating raw dough. This one's like actual bread with a nice filling.
• Really fresh and fluffy. Good amount of caramel – not overly sweet, in a good way.
• You can tell it's more fresh.
• Kind of a waste of time – just like a boring fruitless hot cross bun with caramel smeared on it.
• Sometimes you get a bite and it's just plain bun. Do I want to have to forensically dissect it to divvy up the caramel? That just seems like an effort I'm not prepared to go to.
• When you hit the flavour centre, it's great.

Our verdict:

Everyone wants these buns, hun! They were far and away the most popular of the four, with many taste testers going back for seconds.

Everyone wants these buns, hun! They were far and away the most popular

Some taste testers lamented that the caramel wasn't distributed evenly, so we don't recommend sharing these – you don't want to miss out on your fair share of the caramel.

Are they worth travelling to another state for? Hard to say. But if there's a Brumby's near you and you have a hankering for caramel, pick some up alongside your cheddarmite scroll or meat pie.

Repeat offenders: The 2024 buns making a comeback in 2025

Two NXBs that we taste tested last year have re-appeared on shelves: Coles' Iced VoVo and Woolworths' Biscoff buns.

Here's what we said about them in 2024: 

Another biscuit/bun hybrid: Coles' Iced VoVo hot cross buns. (Image: Coles.)

Coles Arnott's Iced Vovo Hot Cross Buns

(Tested in 2024)

• 2025 price: $5.50
• Price per bun: $1.38

After its offence against good taste with the Pizza Shapes NXBs, Coles changed tack and appealed to our sense of nostalgia with the Iced Vovo NXB – a bready, Easter-y take on the beloved Australian biscuit. 

Another one from the "but why would you make that?" category, these buns aren't cheap at $5.50 for a four-pack – especially compared with Coles' traditional hot cross buns, which cost 67 cents each.

Still, it's a small price to pay to experience culinary history, right? (The jury's still out on that one.)

So, the biscuit-to-bun transition: genius, or grossness?

Up close and personal with the alarmingly pink Iced VoVo NXB.

What the supermarket says:

"For those with a sweet tooth, Coles Arnott's Iced VoVo Inspired Hot Cross Buns are a tasty treat, inspired by the flavours of the iconic Iced VoVo biscuit, with raspberry fudge, jellies and white chocolate, and finished with a sprinkle of desiccated coconut.

"Best eaten fresh, served warm with butter or toasted and filled with ice cream for an epic ice-cream sandwich."

What our taste testers said:

• Too pink – it's a Peppa Pig hot cross bun! No actual taste, greasy mouthfeel. 0/10.
• Very artificial, with a strange aftertaste. 
• Very pink. Really nice actually! 
• Overwhelming fake strawberry flavour.
• Colour is off-putting, but it might appeal to kids. Terrible aftertaste. 

It tastes a bit like playdough and jam

• Only a vague impression of jam and marshmallow. Nothing like a real Iced VoVo. 
• It's okay but I would rather an actual Iced VoVo biscuit. 
• I love the fact that it tastes nothing like a hot cross bun.
• I'm reluctant to put it in my mouth. [After tasting:] It tastes a bit like playdough and jam. 
• [Spits it out] It's not worth the real estate in my stomach.

Unless you're a fan of Peppa Pig-coloured buns and disappointment, our money's on the OG biscuits

Our verdict

A packet of Iced VoVo biscuits from Coles will set you back around $4.

Unless you're a fan of Peppa Pig-coloured buns and disappointment, our money's on the OG biscuits.

Biscoff buns are so popular they're almost impossible to find in store.

Woolworths Indulgent Hot Cross Buns Filled with Biscoff

(Tested in 2024)

• 2025 price: $5.50 per 4 pack
• Price per bun: $1.38

In comparison with Coles' bold buns, Woolworths' NXB was quite restrained: a Biscoff-filled hot cross bun. 

Never heard of Biscoff? It began life as a Belgian shortbread-style biscuit, but now it's better known as a spread – kind of like a biscuity, caramelly version of Nutella. 

Everyone's got the Biscoff bug – people are putting it in just about everything – so it was inevitable that it'd end up in a hot cross bun. 

Anything Biscoff is in high demand, and the NXBs are no exception: we had to visit three different Woolworths stores to get our hot (cross) little hands on these elusive buns. Staff told us that they fly off the shelves as soon as they put them out. 

Like Coles, Woolies is charging a premium for its hot cross bun mash-up, with a four-pack costing $5.50 compared to $4.40 for a six-pack of traditional hot cross buns.

The Biscoff wasn't evenly distributed through the bun, so be careful if anyone asks you to share: you might miss out on the delicious filling!

So how much Biscoff can you get for your buck? Is it worth paying extra?

We did the maths for you: If you bought 12 trad buns ($8.80) and a jar of Biscoff ($7.50) you'd still pay less than for 12 Biscoff buns ($16.50) – and you'd have half a jar of Biscoff left over to boot!

What our taste testers said:

• This truly tastes like Biscoff and is therefore delicious. 9/10.
• Inconsistent with filling.
• Sweet, caramelly, doughy. Can't really taste the Biscoff.
• The Biscoff is a delight. The one collab I would actually go back for. I want seconds!

So doughy! I'd rather buy some Biscoff and bread separately

• Very doughy without the Biscoff spread.
• So doughy! I'd rather buy some Biscoff and bread separately.
• I wouldn't buy it because I don't have a big sweet tooth. But for a special treat – yum!
• Good if you're a sugar junkie, which I'm not. It's not worth the calories.

Would you buy them?

• I'm already off to the store!
• Hell yeah!

In last year's battle of the buns, Biscoff was the clear winner. (Left to right: Baker's Delight Sticky Date Pudding, Pizza Shapes, Iced VoVo, Biscoff.)

Our verdict

As you can see, the Biscoff buns were far and away the favourite in 2024, with very few samples left due to our testers sneaking extras.

By comparison, the other NXBs were largely untouched – very few people wanted seconds of these three buns.

Save yourself some money and grab some trad hot cross buns and a jar of Biscoff instead

The Biscoff variants were wildly popular with our testers, but they're also wildly popular with the public, so good luck finding any of these on the shelf at your local Woolies.

Instead, save yourself some money and grab some trad hot cross buns and a jar of Biscoff instead. That way you can control the Biscoff-to-bun ratio and make them as sweet as you like!

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

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