Easter is the second most popular candy-eating holiday, so we went on a quest to find interesting facts about your favorites:
Peeps
There are more than 1.5 billon peeps consumed every spring! Right now, in Bethlehem, PA, sets of five sugar covered marshmallow chicks are rolling off a conveyor belt. In fact, every year an average of 5.5 million peeps are made every day. That is enough peeps to circle the earth twice. Peeps used to be made by hand, taking up to 27 hours to complete, and they even had wings.
Jelly Beans
It wasn’t until the 1930s that Easter became the most popular time for jelly bean consumption. Before then, they were a popular penny candy, and each color was sold separately. When you combine all producers of jelly beans, over 16 billion jelly beans are manufactured solely for Easter. While they take only moments to eat, it can take anywhere from 7 to 21 days to make a jelly bean!
Chocolate Bunnies
Chocolate bunnies were initially created in 19th century Germany to be hidden for kids to find as a fun kickoff to spring. Their popularity grew in the 20th century, and now more than 60 million chocolate bunnies are purchased each year. If you start eating at the ears, you’re not alone. 76% of Americans prefer to start eating the bunnies from the top.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
The first peanut butter eggs were tested in 1966 and launched in 1967. You may like these seasonal treats more than a normal Reese’s cup because they’re bigger (by 13 grams) and contain more yummy peanut butter in the middle.
Cadbury Creme Egg
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the humble Cadbury’s Creme Egg is a very popular Easter candy. If you stacked all the creme eggs made in a year on top of each other, the pile would be ten times the size of Mount Everest! It’s best to pace yourself if you like this candy since one egg contains 180 calories and makes up 29% of your suggested daily sugar intake.
Robin Eggs
With a unique crunch of malted milk and a bit of chocolate, these little guys are similar to the malted candy Whoppers. Just like the Reese’s Eggs, these are bigger than their regular candy cousins, which is probably why you like them more. They look like realistic eggs, come in five colors, and are a staple in many Easter candy baskets.
Do you have a favorite Easter candy we didn’t cover? Let me know in the comment section below.
