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Easter's rapidly approaching and supermarket shelves are already groaning under the weight of seasonal treats in every conceivable form. Hot cross buns remain an Easter essential, but which ones should grace your table this year?

The experts at Which? put more than 400 individual hot cross buns through their paces in a blind tasting session, evaluating offerings from the likes of Asda, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. The buns tested ranged in price from £1.40 through to £2.50.

When determining this year's supermarket champions, Asda and M&S emerged victorious at the summit of the league table. But there's more - Asda secured both a Best Buy accolade and Which?'s Great Value award.

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Which? praised Asda's Exceptional Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns (£1.40) for delivering "superb flavour for less", reports the Express.

They wrote: "These fruity hot cross buns from Asda were rated a superb 77%. The buns had the most appetising appearance of the buns tested, were deliciously sweet, and most of our testers thought the texture, flavour and amount of fruit were spot on.

"At £1.40 a pack, they're the cheapest buns we tested this year, also earning a Great Value badge. With great flavour at a great price, it's one to include in your Easter spread."

M&S's Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns also achieved a score of 77 per cent, but missed out on the Great Value accolade due to their higher price tag of £2.50 per pack, making them the most expensive buns tested.

Which? commented: "The majority of our tasters thought these hot cross buns were deliciously sweet and spiced, and our panel praised the amount of fruit."

Just outside the top two was Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Fruity Hot Cross Buns (£2), which garnered a total score of 75 per cent. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Waitrose's Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns (£2) received the lowest score at 68 per cent.

Which? wrote: "The majority of our tasters said the spices were too weak, and half said the buns were dry. The buns needed more fruit and weren't sweet enough."

In determining the rankings, the overall score took into account: flavour, aroma, appearance, and texture.

If traditional hot cross buns don't tickle your fancy, Which? pointed out that supermarkets offer a plethora of flavour variations, with Sainsbury's and Tesco boasting the broadest selection.

There are also several savoury options on offer, including M&S's Extremely Cheesy Cheddar and Red Leicester Hot Cross Bun.

See Which?'s complete ranking of supermarket hot cross buns below.

• Asda Exceptional Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns - 77 per cent (Best Buy & Great Value)
• M&S Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Bun - 77 per cent (Best Buy)
• Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Fruity Hot Cross Buns - 75 per cent
• Tesco Finest Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns - 73 per cent
• Iceland Luxury Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns - 71 per cent
• Lidl Deluxe Hot Cross Buns - 71 per cent
• Morrisons The Best Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns - 71 per cent
• AldiSpecially Selected Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns - 70 per cent
• Co-op Irresistible Richly Fruited Luxury Hot Cross Buns - 70 per cent
• Waitrose Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns - 68 per cent