Easter candy is a must-have holiday treat (and a sweet Easter basket filler idea!), and this year there are so many new candies that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the sugary options. We took it upon ourselves to find out which new candies are totally worth the sugar rush and which treats you can feel good about skipping.
Our staff tried everything we could get our hands on and we’re reporting back with our favorites. See which treats we loved (and what was just okay) and call up the Easter bunny to place your order. We’re hoping at least a few of these end up in our Easter basket this year!
9. Russell Stover Bunicorn
Staff quote: “Where’s the horn?”
We love that the unicorn trend is here to stay (we even made a unicorn Easter basket!), so of course, this was the first thing we added to our cart. Solid chocolate bunnies are nothing new to the Easter candy scene, so we were pretty excited about this unicorn-bunny hybrid. Once we opened the package, we realized the unicorn horn only appears on the cardboard box—not on the actual chocolate bunny. And while you can never go wrong with a big chunk of chocolate, we’re calling false advertising on this one.
Buy It: Russell Stover Easter Milk Chocolate Bunicorn, $3.49
8. Dove White Chocolate Carrot Cake
Staff quote: “Way too sweet, but I like the added crunch.”
Our staff agreed this candy tastes surprisingly similar to carrot cake, and we loved the added crispy graham pieces. The flavor is very strong (and sweet!), but if you really like carrot cake and are a fan of white chocolate, you’ll like these. This one also wins points for adorable packaging.
Buy It: Dove White Chocolate Carrot Cake, $3.99
7. White Chocolate Marshmallow M&Ms
Staff quote: “These really do taste like white chocolate with marshmallow.”
We think the Mars brand is totally on to something. Last winter, we raved about the Hot Cocoa M&Ms with a marshmallow center, and for Easter, they just released White Chocolate Marshmallow M&Ms—and they are good. They’re much sweeter than the regular milk chocolate M&Ms, and we were pleasantly surprised by the smooth inside texture. We’re definitely heading back to the store for more of these!
Buy It: M&Ms White Chocolate Marshmallow Chocolates, $3.19
6. New Peeps
Staff quote: “Peeps are a must at Easter, and the new flavors are so fun!”
The Peeps brand has totally expanded their candy line ahead of the Easter season. There are tons of new Peeps products that range from solid chocolate candies to sweet marshmallow-flavored coffee creamer. We’re most excited about the new flavors of the classic marshmallow treats—so we tried all the new Peeps flavors! Blue raspberry, sour watermelon, and chocolate caramel swirl were some of our favorites.
Buy It: Peeps Filled Delights: Chocolate Caramel Swirl, $2.09
5. Purple Rain Jelly Beans
Staff quote: “Subtle with the perfect amount of sweetness.”
While these Purple Rain jelly beans are actually mostly blue and white, they’re so tasty. The berry, blueberry, blue raspberry, and grape flavors go well together and our staff was in agreement that they have just the right amount of sweetness. There’s no word on whether Brach’s intended to affiliate the candy with the musician Prince, but we’ll be humming along to Purple Rain while we munch on these berry-flavored treats from now through Easter.
Buy It: Brach’s Purple Rain Tiny Jelly Beans, $19.76 (For two packages)
4. Cinnamon Sugar Churro Eggs
Staff quote: “Delicious flavor, but so rich I could only eat half.”
Russell Stover’s latest marshmallow egg is flavored like a cinnamon sugar churro, and we’re totally here for it. The outer layer is made from cinnamon-flavored candy coating which surrounds a fluffy marshmallow filling that tastes like a churro. What’s not to love about that? These eggs are super sugary, so even those with a strong sweet tooth may need to portion out the egg.
Buy It: Russell Stover Cinnamon Sugar Churro Eggs, $0.59
3. Dove Easter Truffles
Staff quote: “Can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate!”
While Dove truffles themselves have been around for years, they rolled out new Easter packaging in three delicious flavors and that’s good enough for us! Choose from dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and milk chocolate peanut butter, which come in boxes decorated with butterflies and the phrase “Some Bunny Loves You.” We loved all three flavors, but milk chocolate peanut butter was by far our favorite. Spoiler alert: We love this combination!
Buy It: Dove Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles, $3.47
2. Cadbury Shimmer Mini Eggs
Staff quote: “Pretty, and good melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.”
Cadbury’s Mini Eggs have been an Easter staple from day one, and their new Shimmer Mini Eggs are no exception. The milk chocolate candies have a hard candy shell that covers a soft chocolate center, just like the traditional mini eggs—but the new eggs have a shimmery coating that makes the eggs literally sparkle. Someone let the Easter bunny know we’d like several bags of these, please!
Buy It: Cadbury Milk Chocolate Shimmer Mini Eggs, $2.98
1. Reese’s Pieces Eggs
Staff quote: “Best thing I’ve eaten in a long time. Love the added crunch!”
It’s common knowledge among Reese’s fans that the holiday shapes are the best because they more room for the fluffy peanut butter filling than the traditional Reese’s cup. We’ve loved Reese’s eggs for years, but their newest Easter invention takes the classic chocolate peanut butter combination up about twelve notches. The new Reese’s Pieces Eggs have mini Reese’s Pieces candies mixed directly into the peanut butter filling, which gives the candy a super satisfying crunch. We’re not exaggerating when we say these might be the best thing we’ve ever tasted.
Buy It: Reese’s Pieces Eggs, $3.59
