The top ten worst Easter candies

Source: CandyStore.com

Easter is a really big candy holiday.

Did you know more is spent on candy for Easter historically than for Halloween?

According to Candy Store, who is always kind enough to send me this data every year (along with images that make me want to eat my laptop screen), The National Retail Federation says Easter candy spending was $2.49 Billion this year. That's down slightly from last year’s $2.63B, which may be due to the Coronavirus outbreak though it's not clear that's the case.

However, of the people who do not plan to celebrate Easter, 33% will still buy Easter candy. Yes!

This is a really fun list because there's a chocolate cross - yes, you heard that right - and yes, someone manufactures them.

Easter Candy Quick Facts:

- Among those who celebrate Easter, 87% plan on buying Easter candy

- For those who don’t celebrate Easter, 33% plan on buying Easter candy

- People will spend about $21 on average

- 90 Million chocolate Easter bunnies are made each year

- 87% of parents will prepare Easter baskets for their kids

- 81% of them will steal some candy from their kids’ baskets.

So turn off cable news and your anxiety for five minutes and devour the following list. Tomorrow I'll post the favorite Easter candies:

10. Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy Tails

Fluffy Stuff cotton candy stayed at #10 this year. It is a popular brand of packaged cotton candy. If you like cotton candy, it’s good cotton candy, but there is a strong sentiment that it doesn’t belong in the family of Easter appropriate candies.

Ok, it’s cotton candy, but is it even Eastery at all?

Is this repurposed leftovers from some other batch?

The bags of cotton candy that are supposed to be bunny tails. This takes up way too much space in an Easter basket to begin with.

9. Jelly Beans (Generic). Down from #6 last year.

Jelly beans come in many different flavors from many many different manufacturers. They are not universally hated for Easter. It’s just that people prefer higher quality - a.k.a. Jelly Bellies - these days.

8. Peeps Hot Tamales. New on the list this year.

The thing with Peeps is there is a group of people who love them and a much louder group who do not. Hard to imagine marrying a Hot Tamale with a Peep - kind of like putting hot sauce on a marshmallow - uh, no thanks.

7. Twix Eggs. New on the list this year. Twix Eggs don’t on the surface seem to be anything that might cause an affront. It’s just a bigger version of a Twix, which people love. It seems like the shape is what most people are objecting to. Also the fact that making a Twix into a giant bar maybe isn’t as appealing? Could it be that part of the appeal of Twix is the breaking apart and the snap with each bite?

6. Chocolate Crosses. Up from #7 last year.

Chocolate crosses have become an increasingly popular – but possibly not so well received – Easter candy. Much of the backlash seems to come from people trying to square the idea of turning a torture device into a yummy chocolate treat.

No thanks, I like my Jesus either framed or gold and inedible.

5. Chicks & Rabbits Marshmallow Candy. Down from #4 last year. I actually quite like these. But ok. Whatever. Also, they don’t really look like chicks or rabbits. They kind of look like aliens.

4. Bunny Corn / Easter Candy Corn. Down from #2 last year. Candy corn always places highly among the disliked candy, but can often also place highly on the most liked list. It’s a highly disputed candy type.

3. Chocolate Bunnies (Solid). Up from #5 last year. Chocolate bunnies are one of the most iconic Easter candies. So what gives? Solid chocolate bunnies are a bit much. They should give a grand prize to anyone who can eat the whole thing.

2. Peeps Easter Candy. Up from #3 last year. Peeps are a regular on Candystore's holiday worst list. I am not sure why. I like them! But they do tend to get compared to rubber or sugary foam.

1. Cadbury Creme Eggs. Reigning Champion. You be the judge.

List used with permission of CandyStore.com.

Photos: Top - used with permission, Candystore.com; Bottom - the author and her brother David as kids in Livermore, California, one Easter, 1970s.