Bunnies, Peeps, and Easter Eggs: A Century of Sweets
Spring is a unique, wonderful time of the year. It’s a time of new beginnings, flowers in bloom, and delicious candy! In fact, the Easter season is second only to Halloween in candy consumption, and it’s easy to see why. The beginning of spring has become associated with so many delicious, iconic flavors: from chocolate bunnies to jelly beans, there are many Easter basket surprises to enjoy!
As the snow thaws and spring begins, let’s hop into the sweet, sugary origins behind America’s favorite Easter candies!
Chocolate Bunnies
Without a doubt, chocolate bunnies are the most recognizable springtime treat. After all, good chocolate tastes even better when it looks this cute! But did you know that the tradition of chocolate rabbits goes back more than 100 years?
Chocolate rabbits draw inspiration from the German tradition of the Osterhase, which means “Easter Hare”. You might also know him as the “Easter Bunny”! This springtime rabbit came to America with German immigrants in the early 18th century, and it's been a famous Easter character ever since.
The first chocolate bunnies were made in 1890, and they’ve become a classic Easter candy. Hollow or solid, dark or milk chocolate — there are many ways to enjoy this adorable treat. Our favorite Easter Bunnies are made from signature milk chocolate and filled with Jelly Beans for an extra sprinkle of Easter magic.
Easter Egg Candies
In cultures across the world, eggs are a symbol of new life and new beginnings, which makes them perfect for celebrating the coming spring. Easter Eggs were originally chicken eggs that had been dyed and decorated. And today, we take that decorating tradition & turn our egg-shaped candies into special treats for every bunny with a variety of ingredients like marshmallows, caramel, marzipan, and (of course) chocolate!
Over the years, candy makers and chocolatiers have experimented with many different ways to make egg-shaped sweets. Plenty of these candies have been around longer than you may think! For example, the New York candy company Koppers has been making its springtime candies since 1937!
Jelly Beans
Since the 1930s the egg shape of jelly beans has made them a popular Easter candy to fill baskets and sprinkle Spring joy. Earlier jelly beans were very different than those of today, sharing a similar recipe with an ancient Middle Eastern candy called Turkish Delight. The first Easter jelly beans were filled with fruit slices or nuts, instead of the flavored filling commonly found today. Nowadays you’ll find jelly beans inside Easter eggs, on top of decorative crispy cakes, and filled inside white and dark chocolate bunnies.
Peeps
For many people, springtime isn’t springtime without their favorite Peeps. Seeing these cute little chickadees appear on candy store shelves is a sure sign of sunny days ahead. Peeps have been an Easter classic since the 1910s! Back then, each marshmallow chick was hand-piped and hand-decorated.
Good thing they’re not handmade anymore because the brand estimates that more than 1.5 BILLION Peeps are eaten every Easter!
More than a century later, Peeps are more popular than ever! In addition to their iconic marshmallow chicks, Peeps come in a variety of fun shapes and new flavors: cotton candy birds, fluffy Easter eggs, and pop-up lollipops are just a few fun options!
Between festive eggs and marshmallow critters, there’s something for every chick and bunny on your Easter Basket list when spring comes around! What are some of the treats that you’re excited to enjoy this Spring? Let us know in the comments!
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