Chocolate has always been the feel-good hero of Easter - what’s a holiday without a foil-wrapped bunny or a basket of candy eggs? But this year, the sweet stuff is feeling the squeeze. Prices are way up, portions are way down and to top it all off, some US states are trying to pull chocolate off the food stamps menu entirely. Talk about raining on the Easter parade.
Cocoa prices have been bouncing all over the place, soaring to over $12,000 a metric ton in 2024. That’s thanks to climate troubles and a major lack of investment in West African farms (where most of the world’s cocoa comes from).
“[Crop diseases] have an impact on production, but farmers also have other problems like ageing trees and adverse weather,” Pia Piggott, an analyst at agricultural bank Rabobank told Australian consumer watchdog Choice. “But the most important thing is probably poor soil fertility management. Farmers previously weren’t getting enough money to be able to afford to apply the right amount of fertiliser to produce cocoa.”
Prices have dipped a bit in 2025, but they’re still sky-high compared to what they were. That means manufacturers are raising prices or reverting to shrinkflation – the trend where treats get smaller but the price tag doesn’t. That Cadbury egg pack? It’s down two eggs and up in price. Same story with Nestlé’s KitKat mini eggs and Aldi’s budget-friendly options, according to Choice.
“Chocolate eggs are a classic part of any Easter spread, but this year your treats may taste more bitter than sweet once you discover your money probably isn’t getting you as much chocolate as it was last Easter,” says Choice’s Liam Kennedy.
“With many consumers still struggling to cover the cost of food and groceries, the last thing people need is the squeeze being put on their Easter favourites.”
According to 84.51°’s latest Consumer Digest, the love for chocolate is still strong, with 73% of shoppers still planning to tuck into chocolate for Easter. But inflation is taking a toll and 63% now say they’re “extremely concerned” about rising prices, up from 56% a year ago. As a result, 69% will be hunting more aggressively for deals, 56% will switch to cheaper brands and over half will cut back on extras like snacks and candy.
Meanwhile, Americans are facing more than just sticker shock. Proposed SNAP cuts could see food stamp benefits slashed from $6.20 a day to just $4.80 per person – some lawmakers even want to boot candy and chocolate off the eligible list altogether. It’s a harsh move for the 42 million consumers relying on SNAP, especially around the holidays.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Here’s our roundup of budget-friendly – but still feel-good – Easter treats to help you stretch the joy a little further this year.
Walker’s Shortbread gift bag
If you’re looking to skip the usual chocolate overload, Walker’s Shortbread has the ultimate buttery alternative with its Mini Egg Shortbread Gift Bag. This beautifully presented gift is bursting with premium all-butter bakes and offers a truly indulgent take on spring gifting – all wrapped up in a reusable jute bag.
Inside, you’ll find:
- 150g Mini Egg Lemon Shortbread Chick Carton: chick-shaped biscuits infused with lemon zest and studded with mini eggs
- 150g Vanilla Shortbread Carton: classic buttery rounds
- 150g Wee Shorties Mini Shortbread Pack: bite-sized icons
- 125g Shortbread Sheep Carton: sheep-shaped biscuits, perfect for kids
- 180g Ecclefechan Tarts: a fruit and nut filling wrapped in buttery pastry
- 150g Fruit & Lemon Biscuits Carton: a burst of citrus and currants
- 150g Belgian Chocolate Chunk Biscuits Carton: a decadent bite for chocoholics
Available exclusively on Walker’s Shortbread website for £22.00.
Sweet treats from Paul
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect gift, a showstopping centrepiece or simply a sweet treat to enjoy with coffee, the French bakery chain’s Easter menu ticks every (bunny-shaped) box.
The Bunny Chocolate Tartlet is almost too cute to eat, featuring a sweet pastry shell filled with dark chocolate ganache and topped with a milk and white chocolate bunny, at just £5 (or £6 to eat in). For a lighter nibble, the Brioche Chicks (soft, buttery buns shaped like baby chicks cracking out of chocolate shells) offer irresistible charm for £2.75 each (or £3.50 to eat in).
Paul’s pièce de résistance is the Mini Egg Carob Cake, a layered carob sponge filled and frosted with chocolate-speckled buttercream, crowned with chocolate curls and mini eggs. (Carob, known for its mellow, nutty-caramel flavour, is a caffeine-free chocolate alternative that’s naturally sweet.)
Made to share (serves 6-8) and available for £32 until Easter Monday in Paul bakeries across London, Reading and Oxford, as well as online for local collection.
Ole & Steen’s limited edition collection
If anyone knows how to combine indulgence with comfort, it’s the Danes – and Ole & Steen is treating the UK to a hygge-fuelled collection of limited-edition bakes.
At the centre is the Easter Cinnamon Social, a soft swirl of cinnamon dough that’s finished with a scattering of chocolate mini eggs, adding crunch and colour to every slice. Available until 21 April in all Ole & Steen stores in three sizes: slice (£4.65); half (£12.45); and whole (£20.95).
Also hopping back for a limited time is the Easter Chick Whip – a marzipan base topped with passionfruit marshmallow, coated in white chocolate and rolled in yellow coconut shavings (£4.45).
And for tradition with a twist, Ole & Steen’s Hot Cross Buns are soft, spiced and studded with raisins and candied peel. Priced at £2.45 each or £8.50 for a pack of four.
Simply Ice Cream’s mini egg ice cream
For a scoop of indulgence, Simply Ice Cream’s Mini Egg flavour is making a return for 2025. This seasonal bestseller blends the brand’s signature creamy base with crushed mini eggs.
Available for a limited time only, the ice cream is sold in 500ml tubs (£6.50) online and in selected independent retailers across the UK.
Founded by Sally Newall in her Kent kitchen 25 years ago, Simply Ice Cream has grown into an award-winning brand that champions all-natural, local ingredients. With its handmade, small-batch ethos, the brand’s 30-strong lineup includes inventive choices like Brown Bread, Kentish Cobnut Fudge and Stem Ginger & Marmalade.
Cake or Death’s Eggstravaganza brownies
Looking for a plant-based Easter treat that doesn’t hold back on indulgence? Enter Cake or Death’s Eggstravaganza brownies, a joyful mashup of vegan favourites baked into its signature fudgy, chocolatey slabs.
The limited-edition brownies are fully loaded with Doisy & Dam Good Eggs, vegan KitKat bars, Moo Free White Chocolate, Freedom Mallows, dark chocolate drops and a chocolate drizzle.
Each box contains six gooey brownies, ready to satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike. They’re priced at £22.00, including free UK-wide delivery, and can be personalised with a note - perfect for gifting. Deliveries run until 19 April. All bakes are freshly made and shipped direct from the Cake or Death bakery in Exeter.
Hopping with Popcorn Shed
Popcorn Shed is bringing serious crunch to the Easter snacking scene with its Easter Popcorn range, designed for sharing, gifting or hoarding for yourself. This year’s lineup features the bestselling Choc Trio Shed and two brand-new flavours inspired by classic bakes:
Carrot Cake Popcorn with Cream Cheese Frosting: A warming, spiced caramel base topped with creamy icing. Sweet, nutty and a little bit cheeky.
Cinnamon Roll Popcorn: Think cinnamon sugar, buttery caramel and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that mimics that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
Each shed (80g, RRP £4.50) is handmade in the UK using all-natural ingredients and packed with bold, nostalgic flavour. Available online, via Amazon and in select independent retailers and farm shops.
Pepperidge Farm’s Caramel Brioche Swirl
Stateside Easter tables are getting a little sweeter, thanks to Pepperidge Farm’s latest addition to its beloved Swirl Bread lineup. Following the success of last year’s Lemon Blueberry, the Caramel Brioche Swirl is all about soft, thick-cut slices infused with buttery brioche and sweet caramel ribbons.
Rolling out nationwide across major retailers, including Target and Instacart, the Caramel Brioche Swirl is priced at $4.69 SRP per 14oz bag.
Also joining shelves this season is the Farmhouse Thin-Sliced Sandwich Bread range, with four new options (Sourdough, Butter Bread, 100% Whole Wheat and 15-Grain) for those who want flavour-packed slices with fewer calories.
Oato’s Chocolate Oat Milk
Chocolate doesn’t have to be solid to be satisfying. British brand Oato is making waves with its Chocoloato, a rich, creamy chocolate oat milk made fresh and home delivered in reusable glass bottles.
Available via Modern Milkman, Milk & More and in over 400 Sainsbury’s stores (it’s the only fresh oat drink in UK supermarket chillers), Oato’s Chocoloato joins the brand’s full lineup of Barista Whole, Strawberry Oatshake and Caffe Latte flavours. It’s vegan, soy-free, nut-free and made with 100% British oats, offering a sustainable and ethical twist on Easter sipping.
Oato’s production is powered by solar, its glass bottles are reused up to 25 times and its carbon footprint is 90% lower than dairy milk. This is the is the drink of the season.
Order online for next-day doorstep delivery.
Del Monte’s Easter Egg Peach Blondies
Give your Easter a fresh twist with Del Monte’s Peach Easter Egg Blondies, approved by the brand’s ambassador Pauline Crosby (aka ‘Nan’). The comforting traybake is packed with seasonal cheer and serves 10 for just £0.73 per slice.
- 1 tin Del Monte Peach Slices in Juice
- 250g unsalted butter
- 2 3ggs
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 150g light brown sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 300g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 30g white chocolate chips
- 160g sugar-coated mini chocolate eggs
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a 21x21cm tin with baking paper. Drain and chop peach slices.
Melt butter in a pan. Stir in both sugars until glossy.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the butter-sugar blend and vanilla. Fold in flour, salt, peaches and white choc chips.
Bake for 20 minutes. Halve some mini eggs. Press halved and whole eggs on top.
Bake for another 15 mins. Cool completely, then slice and serve.