‘Dangerously moreish’: the best supermarket Easter eggs, tasted and rated

At the age of 45, my Easter egg hunt is about seeking out quality, transparency and flavour, rather than just finding the most eggs. Then again, I haven’t been on one for about 35 years, and my tastes have since changed, as has the market. Beyond those foil-wrapped novelties of yesteryear, there’s now a genuinely impressive selection of thoughtfully made, handcrafted chocolate eggs aimed at those with a more mature palate.

As with all chocolate, certifications matter: Fairtrade guarantees a minimum price, fairer working rights and investment in climate resilience, while the Rainforest Alliance focuses on environmental standards and farm sustainability. The quality and processing of the chocolate is also important. Most eggs contain the likes of invert sugar syrup, soya lecithin and E471, so rather than highlight every additive, I’ve instead flagged products with minimal processing, as well as those that use palm oil. I haven’t marked down for high sugar content – it is Easter, after all – but I have included the percentage of sugar.

The best supermarket Easter eggs

Best overall:
Waitrose dark chocolate orange egg

★★★★☆

Don’t be fooled by the comical packaging: this Fairtrade-certified, silky-smooth, 65% dark chocolate egg is sophisticated and decadent. Flavoured with a wonderfully aromatic Valencian orange oil and dusted with freeze-dried orange pieces that fizz in the mouth, it’s utterly delicious. Contains preservative (sulphur dioxide, a common additive in dried fruit) and 34.1% sugar.

Best bargain:
Co-op Irresistible marbled millionaire’s chocolate egg

★★★☆☆

A beautiful, angular egg marbled with dark (54% cocoa) and white chocolate, and filled with thick nuggets of clotted cream fudge and shortbread. Velvety texture, rich flavour, but teeth-achingly sweet (53% sugar). Fairtrade-certified.

And the rest

Waitrose No 1 dark chocolate & nut flat egg

★★★★☆

A wildly decadent (yet, at 34.5%, with less sugar than most) flat “egg” made with 65% dark chocolate and hazelnut praline, and topped with flaked almonds, pecans and truffles. Hugely moreish, with a rich, dark-roasted aroma and varied texture. Fairtrade-certified.

M&S Big Daddy peanut-loaded half egg

★★★★☆

A monstrously thick, 34% milk chocolate half-egg loaded with peanut butter and caramel chunks, and sprinkled with 44% dark chocolate and roasted peanuts, a bit like a chocolate bar medley. Very sweet (41.5% of sugar) and dangerously moreish. Fairtrade-certified. Contains palm oil.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference the Dark One

★★★★☆

An elegant, beautifully sculpted, 64% dark chocolate egg with the M&S crest on its front. Layers of salted white chocolate and truffle, interspersed with nuggets of caramel and honeycomb. Sweet (40.1%) and elegant. Contains palm oil. Well priced by the gram, and huge, making this my best splurge.

Lindt Gold Bunny milk chocolate Easter egg

★★★☆☆

A classic egg with nine mini chocolate bunnies. A wonderfully smooth and silky mouthfeel, but very sweet (55% sugar). Gentle cocoa flavour with creamy malt and caramel notes. No third-party certification, but Lindt has its own cocoa sustainability programme.

Tesco Finest double-layer caramelised biscuit chocolate egg

★★★☆☆

A very thick egg with copper speckles on the outside. Sweet (46.5% sugar), caramel-flavoured blond and white chocolate with caramelised biscuit pieces. Includes palm oil and colour. Fairtrade-certified.

Ferrero Rocher golden Easter egg

★★★☆☆

A big, 42% milk chocolate egg with crunchy pieces of hazelnut and six truffles. Like the truffles’ outer shell, the egg is quite thick and has a classic praline taste. Contains palm oil. No third-party certification, but Ferrero Rocher has its own sustainability programme.

★★★☆☆

An opulent, extra-thick egg made with milk (40%) and dark (70%) chocolate and milk chocolate hazelnut praline. Filled with Easter treats (truffles, pralines, caramels). Plastic-free, compostable packaging. No third-party certification, but Hotel Chocolat has its own sustainability programme.

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