North End Bake House – Shepparton & Mooroopna

Freshly crowned Australia’s Best Hot Cross Bun, North End Bake House is serving up their traditional and choc buns, each one worth every bite. Matt Aylett and his team have perfected these crowd-pleasers, making them a must-try whether you’re a local or just passing through.

‘The perfect amount of fruit, spices and sugar, in a big soft bun, baked just right with a very uniform white cross on top. All of these points must be tweaked, tested and consistent to make the PERFECT bun,’ says Matt Aylett.

Don’t miss out on Australia’s best at North End Bakehouse

Elmore Bakery – Elmore

The Elmore Bakery, situated 30 minutes north of Bendigo, on the Highway to Echuca, is the place to stop this Easter, with a perfect selection of hot cross buns. Freshly baked from 6 am each day, you’ll find the classics (crowned 2nd in the Hot Cross Bun 2024 Awards), but if you’re after something a little different, you’re in for a treat.

This year’s line-up includes Sticky Lemon with a zesty lemon curd filling (a flavour that’s now a bit of a tradition), Sticky Date and Butterscotch, and a brand-new, on-demand creation: Vanilla Slice hot cross buns.

‘We want people to get excited about food. So we always take on feedback and try something new each year,’ says baker Travis.

Indulge in the classic or mix it up with something new at Elmore Bakery

Jane Dough – Warrnambool

Out west in Warrnambool, make your way to Jane Dough for their beautifully glazed hot cross buns.

Baked fresh at this artisan bakery, founder William Jane brings his experience from kitchens around the world, to deliver superior flavour using high end ingredients. William recommends pre-ordering your favourite or going for the bake-at-home version to fill your kitchen with that unmistakable Easter smell.

Be sure to stop by and check out their "pièce de résistance" – a giant chocolate egg, created right in the bakery but made using a special mould from France, standing half a metre tall and now on display.

If you are a fan of artisan breads and cakes, then your Easter destination is Jane Dough

Wild Life Bakery – Brunswick East

Make your way to Wild Life Bakery in Brunswick East, where hot cross buns are anything but ordinary. Hand-cut, hand-rolled, and baked fresh daily, these buns have earned a loyal following among bun enthusiasts – pop ins are welcome but be quick.

New this year, alongside their classic version, is a bold variation for the fruit-free crowd: dark chocolate and Irish stout, made with brews from Inner North Brewing, a local distillery just down the road.

Pick up your Irish inspired hot cross buns at Wild Life Bakery

Mörk Chocolate – North Melbourne

Fresh off the success of earning Mörk Chocolate the 2024 Lord Mayor's Small Business of the Year, owners Josefin Zernell and Kiril Shaginov are redefining Easter eggs’ellence! This year they have introduced the Dessert Eggs - life-sized chocolate eggs filled with 4 different dessert-like fillings.

Choose from Triple Chocolate - rich 70% ganache and dark chocolate specked meringue; Pumpkin Pie - toasted pepita gianduja and spiced pumpkin ganache; Caramel Biscuit – salted caramel and brown butter biscuit and Passionfruit & Marshmallow – passionfruit and strawberry gum ‘yolk’ with vanilla marshmallow.

Mörk is not just for the adults this Easter. They also stock sensory rattle eggs and spring bubby pops for the kids.

Swing by one of Mork’s Melbourne stores to check out the full Easter range at Mörk’s Chocolate

Cocoa Rouge – Red Hill

Nestled amongst the vines at Mont Rouge Estate in picturesque Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll find boutique chocolatier, Cocoa Rouge.

Their Easter range is as beautiful as you'd expect from an artisan producer, with hand-painted chocolates, set to elevate any celebration. Choose from Easter Hampers, colourful 3D chocolate bunnies, paint splatter, tablet-style eggs and of course you’ll find traditional eggs.

‘All the chocolates are made on-site using chocolate from France and Belgium and featuring local ingredients wherever possible,’ says Sarah – chocolatier at Cocoa Rouge.

If a stroll amongst the vines, indulging in chocolate is your idea of a great day out, visit Cocoa Rouge

Planet Cocoa – Williams Landing

This year, Melbourne pastry chef Jeanette Macko, of Planet Cocoa, has whipped up an Easter treat to delight, delivering the tasty combination of macadamia + hazelnut eggs. Have a preference for something a little more coco-nutty? Try the indulgent coconut rough eggs instead.

Based in West Melbourne, Planet Cocoa is an online small-batch chocolate and artisan goods shop where all the chocolate is made from scratch. Raw cocoa beans are transformed over several days into products like Easter eggs, chocolate blocks and drinking chocolate.

‘Only ethically sourced cocoa beans are used, with current sources including beans from Savai’i, Samoa, Hacienda Macondo and Ecuador,’ says Jeanette.

For something smoother, why not try the drinking chocolate jars, an essential Easter treat in 45%, 65% and 85% cocoa.

If you’re a chocoholic, who appreciates an ethical bean, then check out Planet Cocoa

Kerrie's Kreations – Halls Gap

Are you an eggspert guesser? If you can guess eggsactly the number of eggs when you pop into Kerrie’s Kreations in Halls Gap, then you’ll be taking home a treat for your tastebuds .

‘My chocolates are made in small batches using local ingredients and Belgian chocolate – endorsed by the Cocoa Trace program,’ says Kerrie.

If a road trip to the Grampians is on your radar, then you don’t need Easter as an excuse to stop in and try her hand made goods. Kerrie’s year-round chocolate range includes all-time favourites like cherry jelly bonbons, Belgian milk chocolate hot chocolate bomb and a wide selection of Belgian truffles including orange, espresso salted caramel and more.

Tempt your tastebuds and plan your purchase before you go, with Kerrie's Kreations