If you ask the RUSSH team, Easter just isn’t complete without the sweet aroma of freshly baked hot cross buns filling the air. We practically count down to the day when Christmas accoutrements are replaced on shelves with the spiced buns, adorned with their signature cross. Luckily, for the hot cross bun enthusiasts among us, Sydney's bakeries are practically overflowing with some of the finest versions around. From traditional recipes to innovative takes, the city is brimming with options that promise to satisfy every craving. Whether you prefer them soft and fluffy or with a bit of a twist, we’ve rounded up the best places to find the perfect hot cross bun in Sydney this Easter. You're welcome!
Baker Bleu
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Location: Double Bay
Neil Perry's Double Bay establishment is serving up some of our favourite hot cross buns again this year. Their traditional variation is made from a rich, buttery dough, spiced with cinnamon and orange, and packed with plump raisins. If you prefer something a little more indulgent, there's also a Sour Cherry Dark Chocolate version, which is as rich and delicious as it sounds. What sets Baker Bleu apart is their careful attention to detail and quality ingredients, ensuring each bun is perfectly golden and infused with just the right amount of sweetness, and best served with a slice of cold butter.
Norma's Deli
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Location: Manly
What's better than one hot cross bun? A whole wheel of them, obviously. Manly favourite Norma's is bringing back it's iconic Hot Cross Bun Wheel, featuring 30 freshly0-baked mini buns, in either classic or chocolate flavours. Perfect for your next Easter brunch (or just to have on the kitchen counter honestly).
Sonoma
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Location: multiple
Sonoma's hot cross buns might look a little unusual, but they have all the sweet, spicy flavours we know and love. This year, the beloved bakery is bringing back its 'Not Cross Buns': a reimagining of the classic hot cross bun that skips the traditional cross, but is packed with nostalgic, comforting flavours. Infused with a vibrant mix of spiced raisins, currants, cranberries, apricots, and candied orange, each bun is an explosion of flavour. Finished with a delicate spiced glaze and topped with a signature ‘S’, the Not Cross Bun is soft, fruity, and utterly irresistible.
Martha's
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Location: Wareemba
Mediterranean-inspired favourite Martha's is experimenting with some of our favourite flavours this year. In addition to a twist on the classic (it's topped with whipped butter and a sprinkle of pink salt), they're also serving up Dulce de Leche chocolate hot cross buns, and a peanut butter and jelly creation — which is filled with strawberry compote and whipped peanut butter cream.
Fabbrica Bread Shop
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Location: Rozelle and Coogee
Fabbrica's head baker, Aniruddha Bhosekar, has put his own twist on traditional with a chai-spiced hot cross bun. Featuring a pillowy bun, currants, raisins, and a deliciously sticky chai syrup, these buns are a crossover made in heaven. Each six-pack even comes with a roll of Fabbrica's chai-spiced butter, best served heavy-handedly. You can pre-order the buns in six-packs up for collection between April 2 and 5, here.
Shadow Baking
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Location: Darlinghurst
Leave it to the team at Shadow Baking to meld two of our favourite pastries in the ultimate delicious combination. This Easter, they've devised Hot X Scrolls: a pain-aux-raisin-style pastry filled with vanilla custard and dried fruit, and finished with a signature cross. There's also a chocolate iteration, if your tastebuds lean that way.
Humble Bakery
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Location: Surry Hills
Hot Cross Bun traditionalists, look no further. These buns are made fresh daily with a mix of raisins, sultanas and cranberries, plus orange peel, and an in-house spice mix. Best eaten warm with lashings of butter, obviously.
AP Bakery
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Locations: Multiple
Over at AP Bakery, you'll find what we can only describe as a deliciously bougie version of the classic hot cross bun. Featuring aromatic flavours like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and nutmeg, this perfectly soft bun is then finished off with a cardamom and brown sugar glaze. Yes please.
Blackstar Pastry
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Location: multiple
Blackstar's hot cross buns have reached legendary status in Sydney over the years. This year, however, the bakery is putting a twist on the Easter classic, courtesy of Whittaker's chocolate. Their 2026 edition features a cocoa and spice-infused dough, folded with generous shards of Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana Chocolate. Then in the centre, you'll find a melt-in-your-mouth burst of Whittaker’s 33% Creamy Milk Chocolate. In a word: delicious.
Sweet Belem Cake Boutique
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Location: Petersham
Love Portuguese tarts? You'll love Sweet Belem. Their moreish creations fuse traditional hot cross bun flavours with a sweet vanilla, and a fluffy base. There's also a chocolate variety, for the chocolate lovers amongst us.
Bourke Street Bakery
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Location: Surry Hills
Chunky chocolate and classic spiced hot cross buns are back on the menu at this insittution for 2026. They're also serving up 15-packs (online only) for when a a six-pack of hot cross buns isn't enough to feed the family (or yourself, we're not judging).
Loulou
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Location: Milsons Point
For a bun that's as cute as it is delicious, look to Loulou's adorable Hot 'Heart' Buns. Made on a buttery brioche base, these buns are available in three flavours this year: traditional, chocolate, and chocolate hazelnut, each one finished with the sweetest hear on top.
