(PCM) Whether or not you celebrate Easter, there’s no denying that this time of year is a good one for candy. It’s second only to Halloween in terms of how much candy we use to celebrate this holiday. Whether it’s chocolate, marshmallow or jelly beans, the variety and style of Easter candy seems never-ending – which is a good thing!
But not alllllllll the candy is good and some types certainly rank higher than the rest, so we’ve put together a list of some of the most sought-after and dreamt about candy that people of all ages will be hoping to find in their baskets this Easter Sunday. There are regional favorites like Philly’s Zitner’s Butter Krak Eggs and Cup-o-Gold on the West Coast and the Goo Goo Cluster from Tennessee, and some delicious home-made Easter traditions, but we’ve limited our list to some of the best-known national brands.
There are, of course, what I’d call the second level of Easter Candy which includes treats like the Butterfinger or Nestle Crunch Eggs, Marshmallow Eggs, Pastel M&Ms, the ‘spicy’ Jelly Bean and Peeps (which don’t get bumped to the top level because of the split of people who both love and hate these colored marshmallow chicks), that we’re probably going to eat eventually, but there are just a few types of candy that seem to epitomize what it is and why we love the candy of Easter so much! Concerned about the healthiest candies? Read about them here. Everyone has their own taste, but there are five candies that seem to be common on almost everyone’s Easter basket dream list.
The Top 5 (in no particular order):
Jelly Beans
It’s strange; even if you’re not a big jelly bean fan the rest of the year, there is something about Easter that could make almost anyone reach out for a handful of jelly beans. It’s not chocolate, but that’s also one reason to love them when we’re inundated with every type of chocolate under the sun this time of year. While the Starburst jelly beans have been gaining in popularity the past few years, there are plenty of brands that keep the jelly bean love alive – even if it’s only for a few days every year.
Whoppers Robin Eggs
Because of their shape and texture, you may expect to find these are nothing but speckled M&M’s just by looking at them, but when you pop one in your mouth it’s a refreshing change of pace (no offense to the M&M). Inside, its malted milk, which may sound strange, but we assure you it tastes delicious! With the speckles, chocolate coating and surprising middle these could prove to make or break a basket. It’s nice to get the big candy and the break-apart eggs for Easter, but these little Robin Eggs are just as important a component to making that basket complete
Chocolate Bunnies
Easter candy seems far from complete without a heavy dose of chocolate, so if you’re a chocoholic we wouldn’t be surprised to find these rank as your #1 treat on Easter morning. Whether it’s a delicious chocolate bunny with the center filled with more chocolate or caramel or the center is left hollow, this is sure to get you your chocolate fix and bring a smile to your face.
It’s certainly a task to undergo eating an entire chocolate bunny, but we heard a rumor that calories don’t count on Easter… Okay, maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but hey, you only live once, so at least eat an ear of your chocolate bunny!
Cadbury Crème Eggs
We’re sure you’ve seen the commercials this year for them, but the Cadbury Egg has been a staple of Easter candy for years and years. The Cadbury Crème Egg does seem to rank as favorite with its delicious chocolate coating and tasty vanilla crème inside to mimic the yolk of an actual egg, but the chocolate eggs and mini eggs available from Cadbury manage to hold their own against the rest of the candy aisle around Easter time.
We bet if you ask anyone around you their favorite Easter candy, Cadbury makes the cut, because the company sells over 300 million of them a year!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
We mentioned that the Butterfinger and Nestle Crunch eggs were part of the second level Easter candy, so why does Reese’s make the top tier? Well, for one, not only do people start salivating at the mention of this Easter candy but it almost always is brought up immediately in conversation. Like, seriously, we’re not trading any other candy for these eggs.
While a Reese’s cup is good any time of year, there is little more exciting than walking into a store and seeing the beautiful display of Reese’s eggs finally in stock so that we can all partake in the splendor of the most perfect chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio there could ever be.
There are so many types of candy around this holiday that it’d be nearly impossible to mention them all. What candy makes the cut for your ideal Easter basket? Anything we left out?