The best Easter candy is fun and festive, it looks great atop a pile of plastic grass—and you probably can’t get your hands on it all year long. New Easter candy makes the season fun and special. And that’s what we wanted to focus on for this taste test of the best Easter candies.
Yes, there are the perennial hits you can and should buy every year. Some of our favorites are Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Reese’s Eggs, and Jelly Belly Jelly Beans—unimpeachable and delightful, every one. But what we’ve ranked here are the unique finds that are either new or newish to shelves this year. So, while this list may not have the be all, end all best jelly beans and best chocolate Easter candy, you’re sure to find something new to toss in the ol’ Easter basket this year. Oh, and if you’re specifically in the market for the best chocolate bunny or the best vegan Easter candy, we have you covered there, too.
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- Reese’s Spring Sprinkles Cups
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We were really hoping (hopping?) that the cute, colorful sprinkles buried in the filling in these new Reese’s cups would contribute texture and wouldn’t just be for show—and our hopes were fulfilled! We tried a bunch of Easter Reese’s in our taste test (they’re doing a lot this year), but this particular peanut butter cup is the best Easter candy if you want something that’s actually a departure from the norm. Leave the eggs behind and grab these instead.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Lindt Lindor Carrot Cake Truffles
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M&M’s didn’t come out with a new Easter flavor this year (it looks like last year’s flavor, Easter Sundae, may be available at some stores), but you can always count on Lindt to innovate for a holiday. These new Lindt Lindor Truffles really do taste like carrot cake—they have all those nice warm spices and the creamy white chocolate center has a tang that nods to cream cheese frosting. Do we wish there was some sort of textural element? Perhaps a morsel of chewy cake in the center of the truffle? Sure. But this is definitely the Easter candy we tried for white chocolate lovers.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Candy Coated Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
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If you happen to be filling eggs for a grown-up Easter egg hunt or filling a basket for an adult and want something to put in it besides liquor minis, this is the best Easter candy to seek out. Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered almonds have a sophisticated flavor profile—the chocolate is pleasantly bitter, which is tempered by the candy shell—but they’re still whimsical as all get out. The matte, pastel shells are mottled like little robin eggs. They’re adorable and delicious. This is a great chocolate Easter candy for people who prefer dark to milk chocolate.
Credit: Liv Averett
- SweeTARTS Jelly Beans
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It took me a minute to decide if I love or hate these SweeTARTS Jelly Beans, but I landed on love. Do you really like tangy, sour candy? Then these are the best jelly beans for you. They are WEIRD. It really is like a SweeTART wrapped around a jelly bean center. They somehow channel that slightly chalky quality that disintegrates in your mouth without making them crunchy. The green bean is very tart—almost too sour for some people, I’d bet—but the others are pretty pleasant for everyone. This is a fun new candy Easter innovation, so if you’re looking for an alternative to the all-time best jelly beans (Jelly Belly, obvi), give these a shot.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Break Apart Bunny
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This Easter treat kind of has it all. It’s a classic hollow bunny made with really lovely tasting milk chocolate (Trader Joe’s tends to import the good stuff). It’s an activity (you get to break it open, which you can do gingerly or you can do by smashing it against a table like we did). AND wait! There’s more! Trader Joe’s Peas & Carrots, one of the best Easter candies we tried for the first time last year, are inside the bunny! The gummy peas taste like yummy apple fruit snacks and the carrots are like orange-flavored jelly candies (they remind me of Chuckles in terms of texture). This is the best Easter candy, especially if you don’t have the budget for a full basket.
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
Best Reese’s
Best Truffle
Best Eggs
Best Jelly Bean Collab
Best Easter Candy!
