Easter and Hot Cross Buns: How do you eat yours?

Who doesn’t love Hot Cross Bun season? There’s nothing like cutting one open and breathing in that warm, fresh-baked goodness – just waiting to be topped with a slather of butter of your favourite spread!

But what if you don’t eat yours that way?

If you’re looking to shake things up with your next pack of Bakers Delight Hot Cross Buns, try these Easter bun ideas that will have your mouth watering. With so many options, you can have a new delicious treat to try every day!

What day do you eat Hot Cross Buns?

While it’s tradition to eat Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday, most people can’t wait and will sneak a few in over the weeks leading up to Easter. There’s even an old English folklore that says Hot Cross Buns made on Good Friday would not ‘go off’ for the rest of the year, although we wouldn’t recommend that one (unless you’re freezing them). Frozen Hot Cross Buns will last up to four months when stored like this, which is a great way to enjoy them even longer!

How are Hot Cross Buns traditionally eaten?

Back in the 14th century, when Hot Cross Buns were thought to have first come about, they were eaten as is, allowing the soft dough stuffed with currants and sweet, sticky glaze to shine. Today, Hot Cross Buns are most commonly cut in half and toasted, slathered with yummy butter that mouthwateringly melts into the crunchy buns.

A few ways to enjoy your Easter buns

Now, do you eat Hot Cross Buns warm or cold? And do you add toppings or enjoy them on their own? However you slice it, there are so many ways to enjoy these fluffy handfuls of goodness, including:

Fresh out of the bag

With how good Bakers Delight Hot Cross Buns smell from the oven, we can’t blame you for not waiting to get home. Eating Hot Cross Buns straight out of the bag is a quick and easy snack on the go, especially if you’re running errands or taking a road trip. You can share a bag with the whole family or even just keep them for yourself.

Fresh with butter

Cutting a Hot Cross Bun open and layering on fresh butter is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy this yummy Easter treat. The saltiness of the butter helps balance out the sweetness of the fruit and glaze, making it the perfect snack to enjoy any time of day.

Toasted with butter

Even more indulgent? A golden toasted Hot Cross Bun, dripping with melted butter. It’s the perfect way to warm up on a chilly morning or evening. You can even dip the pieces into a steaming coffee or hot chocolate for an extra special treat.

How the Bakers Delight team eats their Hot Cross Buns

Whether it’s keeping it traditional with a ‘regular’ Hot Cross Bun or switching it up with our delicious Bakers Delight Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns, our team knows how to make the most of their Easter treats.

How to heat Hot Cross Buns

The best way to heat Hot Cross Buns really comes down to preference and what appliances you have handy, including:

• Placing them in the microwave on a microwave safe plate, covered with a damp paper towel, and zapped for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm. The wet paper towel allows the buns to heat gently and stops them from drying out.
• Slicing them in half and placing in a pre-heated oven on 180°C for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Popping them in an air fryer with plenty of space around the sides for 3 to 4 minutes at 160°C.
• Placing sliced buns under a grill for a minute or two, or until golden.

Can you put Hot Cross Buns in the toaster?

Where possible, it’s best to avoid putting Hot Cross Buns in the toaster. The fruit and any extra ingredients can fall to the bottom, potentially creating a hazard. They also tend to be quite wide, even when sliced in half, making it difficult to safely get them out of most toasters.

Hot Cross Bun Dessert Recipes

So, what can you make out of Hot Cross Buns if you want to be even more creative? There are so many ways to make an already delicious Hot Cross Bun even better, including some of our favourite recipes from the Bakers Delight crew.

Hot Cross Bun-Misu

What do you get when you cross a perfectly baked Bakers Delight Choc Chip Hot Cross Bun with espresso, cream, mascarpone and a few other tasty ingredients? Hot Cross Bun Misu, of course! This is an adult-only treat, but if you plan on sharing it with the kids, simply leave the Kahlua out or substitute it with a little extra coffee.

Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns S’Mores

Easter tends to fall at the start of the chillier months, so why not enjoy the season with the campfire classic, Choc Chip Hot Cross Bun S’mores. If you have a blowtorch, you can simply stuff your sliced Bakers Delight Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns with a marshmallow and a square or two of dark chocolate, smooth it all together and give it a quick toast with the blowtorch. They’re ooey-gooey, and so, so delicious.

Raspberry White Chocolate Parfait

Don’t worry white chocolate lovers; we’ve got you. This Raspberry White Chocolate Parfait recipe uses toasted Bakers Delight Traditional Hot Cross Buns, whipped cream, mascarpone, Marsala wine, raspberry jam and more to create a mouthwatering dessert every member of the family will love.

Now you have some delicious Easter bun ideas to get you through the season you have even more reason to get to your local Bakers Delight store to stock up. They’re all made with real ingredients you can taste and baked fresh every day.

Want to learn more? Check out our Bakers Delight Hot Cross Bun Easter trivia blog, or find out what you can put in an Easter basket. Happy Easter!