Easter is coming! Gluten-free hot cross buns: A comparison is a guide to some of the gluten-free Easter treat options available in Australia.
Price
Supermarket hot cross buns are cheaper than specialty ones. Some specialty bakeries offer different pack sizes, which means different price per unit.
| Product | Pack size | Price | Price per unit |
| Supermarket | |||
| Coles Gluten Free Hot Cross Bun | 3 | $4.00 | $1.33 |
| Coles Gluten Free Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 3 | $4.00 | $1.33 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns | 4 | $5.20 | $1.30 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 4 | $5.20 | $1.30 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | 4 | $5.20 | $1.30 |
| Specialty bakery | |||
| Deeks Health Food Hot Cross Buns (Fruit) | 4 | $10.90 | $2.73 |
| Deeks Health Food Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate) | 4 | $10.90 | $2.73 |
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Classic) | 4 | $17.50 | $4.38 |
| 6 | $25.00 | $4.17 | |
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate) | 4 | $17.50 | $4.38 |
| 6 | $25.00 | $4.17 | |
| Well And Good Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns | 4 | $8.00 | $2.00 |
| Well And Good Gluten Free Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns | 4 | $8.00 | $2.00 |
| Wholegreen Bakery Fruit Hot Cross Buns | 1 | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| 4 | $11.00 | $2.75 | |
| Wholegreen Bakery Dark Chocolate & Sour Cherry | 1 | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| 4 | $11.00 | $2.75 | |
Nutrient content
The tables below show a comparison between gluten-free hot cross buns per serving (1 bun) and per 100 grams. The latter is useful when comparing equal amounts of different foods. However if you are going to eat hot cross buns, chances are that you are going to eat a whole bun (or more), making the comparison per serving more useful.
Not surprisingly, chocolate hot cross buns are more energy dense than fruit/classic ones due to higher fat content.
| Product | Serving size (g) | Per serving | |||||||
| Energy (kJ) | Protein (g) | Total fat (g) | Saturated fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Sugars (g) | Sodium (mg) | Dietary fibre (g) | ||
| Supermarket | |||||||||
| Coles Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns | 60 | 647 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 27.5 | 12.6 | 144 | 5.0 |
| Coles Gluten Free Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 60 | 687 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 24.4 | 7.2 | 144 | 6.6 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns | 90 | 1120 | 4.0 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 39.7 | 17.3 | 177 | 8.7 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 90 | 1280 | 4.2 | 12.0 | 5.0 | 40.9 | 18.4 | 198 | 8.5 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | 90 | 1090 | 3.6 | 8.6 | < 1.0 | 37.9 | 15.6 | 161 | 8.1 |
| Specialty bakery | |||||||||
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Classic) | 110 | 1690 | 7.0 | 15.7 | 1.9 | 53.9 | 21.5 | 483 | N/A |
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate) | 110 | 2790 | 7.4 | 19.0 | 4.2 | 48.8 | 15.5 | 46 | N/A |
| Product | Per 100g | |||||||
| Energy (kJ) | Protein (g) | Total fat (g) | Saturated fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Sugars (g) | Sodium (mg) | Dietary fibre (g) | |
| Supermarket | ||||||||
| Coles Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns | 1080 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 45.8 | 21.0 | 240 | 8.4 |
| Coles Gluten Free Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 1140 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 3.0 | 40.6 | 12.0 | 240 | 144.0 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns | 1250 | 4.4 | 9.3 | 1.0 | 44.1 | 19.2 | 197 | 9.7 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | 1420 | 4.7 | 13.3 | 5.6 | 45.4 | 20.5 | 220 | 9.4 |
| Woolworths Free From Gluten Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | 1210 | 4.0 | 9.6 | < 1.0 | 42.1 | 17.3 | 179 | 9.0 |
| Specialty bakery | ||||||||
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Classic) | 1350 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 1.6 | 43.1 | 17.2 | 386 | N/A |
| Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate) | 2530 | 6.8 | 17.3 | 3.8 | 44.3 | 14.1 | 42 | N/A |
Ingredients
Reading ingredients lists is always a good idea, regardless of whether you have food sensitivities or not. For example, they can give you an idea on how processed the food is, if it contains ingredients you prefer to avoid, if it contains added sugars, etc. Having said that, hopefully you are eating hot cross buns as a once-a-year Easter treat so you should not worry about their healthiness or lack of thereof.
Supermarket
- Coles Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns: Water, vine fruit (20%) (currants, sultanas), modified tapioca starch (1442), rice flour, soy flour, sugar, resistant starch, maize starch, vegetable oil, egg white powder, vinegar, soy protein, mixed spice, dried yeast, vegetable gums (464, 466, 412, 461), iodised salt, psyllium husk powder, tapioca starch, cinnamon, humectant (glycerine), potato starch, preservative (sorbic acid). Source: https://www.coles.com.au/
- Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns: Water, fruit blend (19%) (sultana, currants), modified starches (1442, 1413), canola oil (soy), fava bean flour, rice flour, sugar, humectant (422), corn starch, yeast, spices, cultured rice flour, thickeners (415, 464, 412), rice bran, psyllium husk powder, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, iodised salt, fava bean protein, preservatives (sorbic acid, potassium sorbate), dextrin. Source: https://www.woolworths.com.au/
- Woolworths Free From Gluten Chocolate Hot Cross Buns: Water, dark choc chips (16%) (sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, cocoa solids, emulsifier (lecithin (soy)), natural flavour), modified starches (1442, 1413), sugar, fava bean flour, rice flour, canola oil (soy), humectant (422), corn starch, cocoa powder (1%), yeast, cultured rice flour, thickeners (415, 464, 412), rice bran, psyllium husk powder, apple cider vinegar, natural flavour, iodised salt, fava bean protein, preservative (sorbic acid, potassium sorbate), dextrin. Source: https://www.woolworths.com.au/
- Woolworths Free From Gluten Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns: Water, modified starches (1442, 1413), apple (10%) (apple, preservative (220 (sulphites)), acidity regulator (citric acid)), sugar, canola oil (soy), fava bean flour, rice flour, humectant (422), corn starch, yeast, cultured rice flour, thickeners (415, 464, 412), rice bran, psyllium husk powder, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon (0.5%), iodised salt, fava bean protein, preservatives (sorbic acid, potassium sorbate), spices, dextrin. Source: https://www.woolworths.com.au/
Specialty bakery
- Deeks Health Food Hot Cross Buns (Fruit): Tapioca, quinoa (21%), soy flour, sunflower oil, white vinegar (from cane), yeast, sugar (to activate the yeast), salt, guar gum. Source: https://deeks.com.au/products/hot-cross-buns-fruit
- Deeks Health Food Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate): Tapioca, quinoa (21%), soy flour, sunflower oil, white vinegar (from cane), yeast, sugar (to activate the yeast), salt, guar gum. Source: https://deeks.com.au/products/hot-cross-buns-fruit
- Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Classic): Water, free range eggs, sultanas, rice flour, potato flour, tapioca, buckwheat flour, almond meal, sunflower oil, coconut sugar, candied peel (citrus peels, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, food acid [citric acid E330]), psyllium, apricot jam (apricot, grape & date juice concentrates, fruit pectin, lemon juice), honey, salt, yeast, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger. Source: https://noniesfood.com.au/collections/easter
- Nonie’s Hot Cross Buns (Chocolate): Water, free range eggs, rice flour, potato flour, tapioca, buckwheat flour, almond meal, sunflower oil, callebaut chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, emulsifier, soy lecithin), coconut sugar, candied peel (citrus peels, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, food acid [citric acid E330]), psyllium, apricot jam (apricot, grape & date juice concentrates, fruit pectin, lemon juice), honey, salt, yeast, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger. Source: https://noniesfood.com.au/collections/easter
- Well And Good Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns: Gluten free flour blend (corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch cellulose powder, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, baking powder, buckwheat flour, flax seed flour, spirulina, mono- and di-glycerides), water, fruit (10%) (sultanas, currants), sugar, vegetable oil (canola, palm kernel), yeast, vinegar, rice malt, iodised salt, spices. Source: https://wellandgood.com.au/product/gluten-free-choc-chip-hot-cross-buns/
- Well And Good Gluten Free Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns: Gluten free flour blend (corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch cellulose powder, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, baking powder, buckwheat flour, flax seed flour, spirulina, mono and diglycerides, water, choc chips (10%) (sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa powder, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), sugar, vegetable oil (canola), yeast, vinegar, rice malt, iodised salt, spices. Source: https://wellandgood.com.au/product/gluten-free-choc-chip-hot-cross-buns/
- Wholegreen Bakery Fruit Hot Cross Buns: Water, sultana (18%), tapioca starch, white rice flour, rice syrup, maize starch, sunflower oil, sugar, psyllium powder, thickener (xanthan gum, guar gum), pea protein, dehydrated glucose syrup, faba protein, linseed powder, raising agent (bicarbonate soda), bakers yeast, cassia, iodised salt, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves. Source: https://wholegreenbakery.com.au/bread/gluten-free-hot-cross-buns/
- Wholegreen Bakery Dark Chocolate & Sour Cherry: Water, tapioca starch, dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: soya lecithin, natural vanilla), (14%), white rice flour, rice syrup, maize starch, sunflower oil, sugar, sour cherry (4%), psyllium powder, thickener (xanthan gum, guar gum), pea protein, dehydrated glucose syrup, faba protein, linseed powder, raising agent (bicarbonate soda), bakers yeast, cassia, iodised salt, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves. Source: https://wholegreenbakery.com.au/bread/gluten-free-hot-cross-buns/
Gluten-free hot cross buns: A comparison
The factors that determine which gluten-free hot cross buns to eat this Easter vary person to person. In this article we have covered price, nutrient content and ingredients. We have also covered a small sample of products available in Australia. Last but not least, availability and taste are also very important factors to consider.
[Photo by Jasmine Waheed on Unsplash]
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