The King of Easter Candy Is No Bunny

Think Easter candy, and marshmallow Peeps and chocolate bunnies likely come to mind. But that's not primarily what ends up in shoppers' carts. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs were the top-selling Easter candy in 2023, according to data from both Instacart and DoorDash. The eggs were the top seller in 37 states, according to Instacart data. Hershey's Milk Chocolate was second most popular, per Instacart, but Reese's scored another win with its Peanut Butter Cups coming in third. Lindt's "Hollow Milk Chocolate"—presumably a hollow bunny—came in eighth, while Peeps' marshmallow chicks came in ninth. Going by the DoorDash stats, Lindt's Milk Chocolate Bunny was seventh most-popular, with Cadbury Creme Egg Milk Chocolate Easter Candy in second and Starburst Jellybeans in third.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend $22.4 billion this Easter holiday, with $3.1 billion spent on candy, per Axios. Most of that will apparently be on chocolate, which appears to sell much better than marshmallows and jelly beans. However, consumers may pay more for chocolate this year, given the rising cost of cocoa. Cocoa futures topped $10,000 per ton on Tuesday for the first time ever—a more than 100% increase since January and 250% increase from last March, per CNN. Axios cites "disruptive weather amplified by climate change and rising freight costs." This has led some brands to diversify their Easter products. Hershey's, for example, announced "a lemon crisp Kit Kat and an Easter candy assortment with Haribo gummy bears," per CNN. (More Easter stories.)