Look, I’ve already waxed poetic about Easter candy. Easter candy trumps Halloween candy with its tasty invention and delicious brand mash-ups nearly every year. But, I don’t need to convince you of that. You clicked on this ranking, so let’s get down to it.
We sat in the Sporked conference room and taste tested Easter candy with Mythical office manager Jasmine Williams who was a delight as we passed her over 25 bags of chocolate, jelly beans, and more. So what did we look for? Well, when it comes to Easter candy, we, above all else, want quality. We want quality chocolate. We want quality flavor. And we want quality ideas. Easter is a time to take risks. It’s a time to fall asleep in your bed at 1 a.m. with a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs on your chest. It’s time to have a sugar crash outside in gorgeous spring weather. Easter is all about celebrating the best candy American grocery stores have to offer. So, we want to be wowed.
Here’s the results of our taste test, which we’re still recovering from:
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- Cadbury Mini Eggs
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“This is just Easter,” said editor-in-chief Justine Sterling. The boss is right. Cadbury’s iconically creamy, candied mini eggs are synonymous with springtime. The milk chocolate is just so damn delightful. It’s otherworldly in comparison to other chocolate. The way the sugary shell cracks in your mouth is crunchy perfection, and there’s something milkier about Cadbury Mini Eggs that makes them hard to put down. Simply put, it’s decadence in a bag. That might have something to do with the ingredients, which feature different milk products than your standard Hershey’s bar. Cadbury uses milk, milk fat, dried skim milk, and dried milk whey to make their eggs, while a Hershey’s bar simply uses milk and milk fat. Also, Cadbury is a British company. Accept it: They just do chocolate better than us. Take notes, all you middling chocolate-peddling schlubs. Praise be to Cadbury Mini Eggs.
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- Cadbury Creme Egg
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The Cadbury Creme Egg would be number one for me, but they can be a little divisive. Some people find the sugary goo off-putting, but not me. A Cadbury Creme Egg is delightfully extravagant, the whole act of eating one feels joyous and theatrical. Exposing the creamy center is an event, and tasting it is a blast of gooey sweetness directly to the dome. This is a dessert made for royalty. It’s just a perfect candy invention that surprises every year. Its mere existence vaulted Easter candy to new, fanciful heights.
Can it be messy? Sure. Sporked staff writer Jordan Myrick suggested sucking out the center of the Cadbury egg like a “soup dumpling.” But let me just go on record saying you don’t need to do that. Nobody needs to do that. Check the video to see what I’m talking about. Jordan, seek help.
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- Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
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Yeah, it’s just a Reese’s Cup, but the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate here is what makes Reese’s Eggs not only an excellent Easter candy but also the best overall Reese’s product. There’s more peanut butter filling and thus less middle-of-the-road chocolate. The whole thing is round and smooth, giving it an intensely creamy texture—not like the ridged, somewhat hard texture of a classic Reese’s Cup. The softness is really what sells these. The first bite of a Reese’s Egg melts in your mouth, making you do that thing where your eyes roll back into your head and you completely forget for a second that people can see you. The King of Reese’s products.
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- Fruity Pebbles Cereal ‘N Candy Eggs
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People, this is why we love Easter candy. These silly new Fruity Pebbles Cereal ‘N Candy Eggs combine delicious and crunchy Fruity Pebbles with creamy white chocolate. Cereal and candy already make a ton of sense, but this really wowed the Sporked team. Everybody who tasted one immediately became sweet on these eggs. Jasmine’s eyes got huge, her voice elated, as she said, “These are what I would expect to have in my Easter basket. Oh my god. It’s like a spoonful of Fruity Pebbles in my mouth.” Easter candy is all about entertaining, delicious, candy-fied inventions. These are creamy, sugary, crunchy, fruity little nuggets of pure joy. Just a wacky, nostalgic mashup. Dare I say that we’ve got a new Easter classic on our hands?
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- Tony’s Chocolonely Great Big Chocolate Eggs
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These shot up in the rankings as soon as we saw the package. Tony’s Chocolonely eggs completely nail the Easter aesthetic. These chocolate eggs come in a cute little egg carton and they come in five flavors: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate caramel sea salt, milk chocolate hazelnut, and dark chocolate almond sea salt. Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate is some of the best chocolate you can buy. It’s creamy and melts in your mouth while giving you an intense chocolate flavor that’s not overloaded with sugar. Also, the outside of each egg has a scaly, lizard egg-like texture that’s pretty fun. Quite frankly, it obliterates anything Hershey’s has ever done. Good brand ethics, too.
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- Starburst Jelly Beans
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For my money, this is the best jelly bean. Starburst Jelly Beans explode with delicious flavor. There’s something thrilling about the perfectly fruity taste and chewy texture. You can really shovel a load of Starburst Jelly Beans in your mouth like an overstuffed handful of popcorn. We love that. They also have a berry flavor and a jumbo jelly bean that rocks, too. Starburst is really crushing the jelly bean game.
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- Peeps Milk Chocolate Covered Marshmallow
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These portable, individually wrapped chocolate-covered Peeps are damn delicious. The marshmallow here is thicker than your regular, military issued Peep, and therefore more fluffy and textured. The milk chocolate casing melts in your mouth and provides added texture to compliment the fluffy Peep. You know what would absolutely shred? Put this in a microwave and squish it in between a couple graham crackers. Wow, great idea, Danny. Plus, you can buy these individually. Individually wrapped chocolate Peeps will round out your expertly curated Easter basket. Buy these and look like a genius.
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- White Chocolate Key Lime Pie M&M’s
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Boy, these grew on all of us. Key Lime Pie M&M’s are sugary, mellow, and just a little tart. More than anything, they’re creamy and bright. The lime flavor feels embedded in the white chocolate itself; it doesn’t overpower at all. Strikingly, it does kind of remind one of a creamy and sharp key lime pie, but don’t expect these to be overwhelmingly acidic. I went in as a skeptic and came out a believer. The balance here is what makes these so good. And they’re light years better than the new M&M’s Easter candy, Honey Graham Cracker. These are likely to be divisive, but if you like them, you go to bat for them hard.
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- Lindt Gold Bunny
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No Easter basket would be complete without a chocolate bunny and Lindt delivers on the chocolatey goods. The chocolate here is just milkier than the rest of the bunnies. Simply put, a Lindt chocolate bunny feels luxurious in a way the rest don’t. The chocolate is sweet but not too sweet, and it’s smooth and creamy. It melts in your mouth.
Side note: All chocolate bunnies should be hollow. Solid bunnies are a crime against people everywhere. They force your hand so your first move has to be a swift decapitation—and then what? You take a bite of a bunny and set it down to be eaten later? That’s mental. Go hollow.
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- Big Chewy Nerds Jelly Beans
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“I wouldn’t put this as a jelly bean, it’s its own candy,” remarked Justine. She’s right—these have a uniquely rough texture that you wouldn’t normally associate with jelly beans. Still, Nerds Jelly Beans have a delightful sour flavor and great texture. This is more of a soft-hard candy than a jelly bean, but we’re here for it. This is quality candy and quite honestly better than a lot of the classic jelly beans.
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- Hershey’s Vanilla Frosting Kisses
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These are Hershey’s Kisses with vanilla frosting filling and they taste like little miniature cupcakes. The creamy, sugary vanilla frosting filling truly tastes just like licking cake frosting from a spatula. Couple that with the added texture of the milk chocolate and you’ve got something divine. It’s a whole new flavor from a tried and true company and we love the big swing. Hershey’s Kisses continue to be the best, most innovative Hershey’s product, and these little vanilla frosting delights prove the point.
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- Jelly Belly “Carrot Bag” Tangerine Jelly Beans
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In a sea of really sweet candy, this is a refreshing break. The tangerine flavor is really refreshing and the carrot packaging is adorable. If you’re really trying to style a glamorous Easter basket for your child or loved one, the Jelly Belly tangerine carrot is a must. Just don’t expect much variety from the jelly beans themselves. It’s all one flavor.
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- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Mallow-Top
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These have a salty, white chocolate, slightly mallow flavor to them that are quite nice. It can’t compete with the Reese’s Egg, but it’s still really good. The mallow-top Reese’s is creamy and dreamy. It’s not actual marshmallow, but rather marshmallow-flavored cream, so temper your expectations if you think you’re getting s’more vibes.
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- Palmer Magical Easter Unicorn
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This unicorn is bonkers and we love it. The unicorn looks loony, with its wide open, lifeless eyes staring right at you like it’s screaming, “help me.” As harrowing as this little nightmare is, it’s also quite delicious. This is smooth, sweet white chocolate with sprinkles. Honestly, this would be great to gift a child or your adult friend. I’m going to give this to my idiot friend Eric. There’s something ridiculous about one grown man giving another grown man a giant white chocolate unicorn.
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- Whoppers Robin Eggs
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“I absolutely love them,” says Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart. “This is what Easter as a child tastes like.” Justine agrees, and while the Whoppers aren’t as exciting as the other products, they still serve a simple, nostalgic purpose. Covering chocolate malt balls in a candy shell doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a loyal Easter candy that’s consistently there for you. Something to be said for stability, ya know?
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Best of the Best
Best Chocolate Egg
Best Reese’s Product
Best New Easter Candy
Best Chocolate
Best Jelly Bean
Best Peep
Best M&M’s
Best Chocolate Bunny
Best Sour Candy
Best Hershey’s Product
Best Packaging
Second Best Reese’s
Best Wild Easter Candy
Best Classic Candy
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I would not want to live in a world where I had to choose between Cadbury Mini Eggs and Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs! No way, Jose! So I agree with your ranking! I am sucker for good, old-fashioned jelly beans from Brach’s, picking out the licorice ones for my Mom.
Along with Cadbury, I would have put Lindt at the top as well.
Fruity Pebbles eggs are insanely good to me. I impulse grabbed a bag at check out and I know I’m going to be sad when they can’t be found anymore.
right? truly think they’re here to stick around
My ultimate easter treat is Number 2. You just cant beat a Cadbury creme egg!
I think this site is great and I love most of the content but an article that correctly states the eggs are the best Reese’s ratio AND then teaches me of a new Fruity Pebbles candy is the pinnacle of what I’m looking for here. Thanks!
thanks for the article Danny. Thanks for getting me excited for the spirit of easter, which is the spirit of candy, identical to the spirit of Halloween and Crismus. Is it weird if I buy easter candy for myself and eat it out of a walmart sack instead of an easter basket? I am a married grown man with no children to buy candy for. please advise. I think the article should have dealt with the controversial nature of cadbury eggs more directly. Although I enjoy the first bite of the regular cadbury eggs, even the miniature eggs can be too rich and too much after one or two, and I’m a hardcore chocolate boy. I know many people that see that Cadbury brand and take a hard pass, but maybe its just too British for my southern brethren. In conclusion, thanks for the article.
I totally agree!! Those are really insightful opinions, and you write really well. Mythical should contract with you as a freelance writer on your snack reviews.
I think it was would MUCH weirder if you bought an easter basket for yourself. Keep using that Walmart bag, pal!
Ahhh, I think the richness of Cadbury is its strength. The decadence of Cadbury is why it has won over the hearts of so many Americans and candy enthusiasts. If it wasn’t rich, it’d just be another Hershey’s Bar. Sure, it can be a little off-putting to some, but overall, no company has snatched the candy crown of Easter quite like Cadbury.
There are 2 “Best Chocolate Egg” awards, was it a tie?
aha. fixed it. Tony’s was supposed to be “best chocolate.” The quality and variety of that little egg carton is incredible.
Thanks for catching that
The Key lime pie M&Ms look amazing! Does anyone know where they sell them? And will they be around after Easter?
they’re REALLY divisive.
I see them at Target quite often. They might stay on the shelves for another week or so after Easter. But, always available on Amazon I believe.
Target, by the way, carries most of these things. They seem to be leaning into the Easter Candy Aisle magic hard this year.
Thank you! I love most things white chocolate, so I’m running over to Target as we speak!
Like Danny, I am also from Pittsburgh and I agree with his list 100%. Yinzers for life
we can do no wrong
My absolutely favorite chocolate of all time is Iddy Biddy Bunnies from Russell Stover. They don’t taste quite like the regular kinds of RS, and they’re tiny, so you can let one melt on your tongue or toss a whole handful into your mouth for those of us (me) who don’t have the self control to eat one.
Gotta say my favorite part about Easter is Cadbury mini eggs! Waiting a whole year for them to be in stores again is way too long!!