The Easter bank holiday weekend falls early this year with Good Friday on March 29 and Easter Monday on April 1.
Yet even so, people are quick to point out that Easter eggs should not start filling the supermarket shelves as early as Boxing Day when they are first spotted. But for the chocoholics among us, it never feels premature.
Over at ES Best, a holiday devoted to the indulgence of chocolate is always one we can get behind – and it seems we are not alone. It is estimated that around 80-90 million chocolate eggs are consumed each year in the UK. That’s a whole lot of love for the hollow Easter favourite.
The tradition of gifting eggs has been practised for centuries – and long before the Christian holiday. It was done as part of a pagan ritual to celebrate the spring equinox as eggs were believed to symbolise new beginnings, rebirth and fertility. This tradition was conflated with Easter and passed through the generations. By the Victorian era, they had evolved with cardboard constructions and more intricately detailed designs.
Way back in 1873, the first hollow chocolate eggs were developed by British chocolatiers JS Fry & Sons and then popularised and mass-produced by John Cadbury two years later.
In the extended period since, brands have got more creative with their flavour combinations, designs and sheer variety. There are eggs at every price point, for kids, for adults, free-from alternatives for those with dietary restrictions, one-of-a-kind luxurious showstoppers or classic creations reproduced each year by stalwarts like Lindt, Nestle, Cadbury’s and Hotel Chocolat.
There is truly an egg for every taste and preference – even those who lean towards more savoury treats. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which are worthy of your Easter hunt, and which will be a surefire gifting win?
We’ve done the taste testing for you. The ES Best team has sampled thousands of varieties over the years to find the Easter eggs to make the long weekend the best one yet.
Shop below
Tony’s Chocolonely Chunky Egg
Tony’s Chocolonely has outdone itself with the latest addition to its collection. In previous years, the brand has offered mini eggs – and these are still available for 2024. But now, there’s a more traditional, larger-sized offering: The Chunky Egg.
Fear not as there are still five minis in all different flavours nestled within the box, but it’s the egg itself that will have you clamouring for more. In milk or milk caramel sea salt, the mouth-wateringly delicious egg is one you won’t want to share.
Buy now £12.00, Sainsbury's
Lindt GOLD BUNNY Salted Caramel
It doesn’t get more iconic for Easter than a Lindt chocolate bunny. But the Swiss chocolatier has been mixing things up for 2024 and added a brand-new flavour combination to its Gold Bunny collection.
The Salted Caramel is here and brings pieces of the beloved sweet-salty combination sprinkled into the smooth milk that is the brand’s signature. As you will expect, this crowd-pleaser is swathed in gold foil, resembling that of a bunny and finished with a blue ribbon.
Buy now £12.00, Tesco
Harvey Nichols Everything’s Golden Egg
From the Knightsbridge-based department store comes a luxury Easter offering that has been thought up by artisanal chocolatiers and made using the most premium ingredients.
The Everything’s Golden Egg opens to reveal a welcomed surprise. The dark chocolate shell is interspersed with gianduja, sea salt and chopped hazelnuts. After indulging in this delicious exterior, you will find praline truffles within for the gift that keeps giving.
Honourable mention too to the Honeycomb & Biscuit Blonde Chocolate and Pretzel & Caramel Milk Chocolate.
Buy now, Harvey Nichols
Venchi Cannolo Chocolate Egg
Venchi has brought a staple Sicilian dessert to the Easter equation for 2024. The Cannolo Chocolate Egg takes its flavour cues from that of the cannoli. In line with the iconic pastry, the creation has been crafted from orange-scented ricotta cream and biscuit crumbs. This is layered inside a dark chocolate exterior.
Buy now £62.00, Harrods
Easter Egg Chocolate Bundle 2024
A triple-whammy Cadbury's selection, treat your kids to Freddo, White Buttons and Mini Eggs-themed chocolate eggs this Easter. Each egg cracks open to reveal a handful of additional chocolates. Was £8.95, now £7.95.
Buy now £8.95, Amazon
Celebrations Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg, Easter Gifts, Chocolate Gift, 220g
While we can’t guarantee your egg won’t contain a Bounty or two, this Celebrations milk chocolate egg is certainly a brilliant way to celebrate Easter. Was £5.29, now £3.
Buy now £3.00, Amazon
Galaxy Ripple Chocolate Easter Egg, Easter Gifts, Milk Chocolate, Extra Large, 238g
Galaxy lovers rejoice, for this extra-large milk chocolate egg comes with two additional Ripple bars to last you the entire month of April. Was £7.99, now £5.
Buy now £5.00, Amazon
M&S Extremely Chocolatey Biscuity Easter Egg
While not technically an egg, the shortbread biscuit pieces embedded in the shell of M&S's alternative confection are indulgent enough to earn it a place on our list. Made to delight adults, this is a thick milk chocolate shell that will give Easter tea breaks the upgrade they deserve.
Buy now £10.00, Ocado
Reese's Milk Chocolate Easter Egg with 3 Reese's Peanut Butter Creme Eggs
If you like the peanut butter goodness of Reese’s Pieces, you’re going to love this. Not only are there two snack packs varieties of the original snack - one in white chocolate - included in this egg bundle deal but they come alongside a crackable Easter Egg in a larger size.
Buy now £5.00, Tesco
Love Cocoa Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Egg
A brand founded by James Cadbury - yes, that’s right, the great-great-great-grandson of the original Mr Cadbury himself - Love Cocoa most definitely delivers on the confectionery front.
Unlike his ancestor’s mass-produced chocolate, Love Cocoa is a small luxury brand that boasts many eco-friendly credentials - it’s palm oil free, sustainably sourced and every purchase plants a tree in East Kenya.
Our favourite egg is the Maldon sea salted, which is made with Peruvian chocolate and garnished with hand-harvested crunchy British sea salt flakes.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon
Maltesers Truffle Milk Chocolate Easter Egg 286g
When it comes to opening a box of Celebrations, some people will go straight for the Maltesers truffles. If that sounds like you, this XL Maltesers Truffle Chocolate Easter Egg will make your springtime dreams come true.
Buy now £10.00, Tesco
Kit Kat Chunky Milk & White Chocolate Easter Egg & 2 Bars 230g
Scoop up a two-for-one bargain this Easter with a brilliant half-and-half XL Kit Kat Chunky egg. This delicious option is split down the middle, with one side crafted from sumptuous milk chocolate, and the other from sweet white chocolate. Inside are two Kit Kat Chunky wafers. We’re getting a sugar high just thinking about it.
Buy now £5.00, Tesco
L’Occitane Almond Premium Easter Egg
A non-edible piece for luxury lovers, L’Occitane’s Easter-themed beauty pack is set to delight wives, sisters and mothers. Inside you’ll find some Almond Shower Gel and a tube of Almond Delicious Hands, two of the brand’s hero products. Worth £30.
Buy now £25.00, L’Occitane
