With less than five days until Easter, now is the time to get those baskets ready. Whether you’re a fan of chocolate bunnies or jelly beans, Easter isn’t complete until you have some candy.
Have you ever wondered how many Peeps are made each Easter? How to properly eat a chocolate Easter bunny? Yes, that does matter.
Well, we’ve got you covered with these 10 fun facts about classic candy treats that make this holiday the sweetest of them all!
1. Cherry is the most popular jelly bean flavor
Add some jelly beans to your Easter basket or on top of your festive cupcakes this season for some extra sweetness. You have probably tried a wide variety of jelly bean flavors, but did you know cherry is the most popular flavor among children?
According to InfoPlease, children indicate their favorite Easter jelly bean flavors are as follows: cherry (20%), strawberry (12%), grape (10%), lime (7%) and blueberry (6%).
What's your favorite jelly bean flavor? You can't go wrong with Jelly Belly or BRACH's this season.
Fun Fact: Americans consume roughly 16 billion jelly beans at Easter. If you lined them up from end to end, they would circle the world nearly three times.
(Find a recipe for Easter cupcakes HERE.)
2. Ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year
Chocolate bunnies are an Easter staple and a delicious way to spruce up a basket.
According to InfoPlease, nearly 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are created each year.
Depending on your flavor preference, many brands such as Hershey's, offer milk chocolate, cookies and cream, white chocolate and dark chocolate bunnies.
Fun Fact: Adults prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate when it comes to bunnies.
3. Chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first
Similar to the question of how a Mickey ice cream bar should be eaten, the same goes for chocolate Easter bunnies.
According to InfoPlease, surveys show that 89% of Americans believe that chocolate bunnies should be eaten from the ear first. Only 5% believe the tail should come first.
How do you eat your chocolate Easter bunny? Did you know this was a phenomenon?
Fun fact: Chocolate bunnies were originally created in Germany in the 1800s.
4. American’s buy more than 700 million Peeps each Easter
When you walk into a grocery store in March and April, you'll see bright colored Peeps marshmallows stacked on the shelves.
According to InfoPlease, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps each Easter season.
Available in packs of four, these soft and sugary marshmallow treats are a fan favorite among children and adults alike. In addition to marshmallow chicks, the brand also offers bunnies for the holiday.
Fun Fact: The brand recently partnered with Kellogg's to release a limited-edition Peeps cereal made with crunchy O's and marshmallow pieces.
5. Fifty-two percent of people prefer their chocolate eggs to be filled
Plain chocolate Easter eggs are tasty, but why have them hollow when they can be stuffed?!
"Fifty-two percent of people prefer their chocolate eggs to be filled with caramel, peanut butter, or chocolate ganache, as opposed to them being hollow or solid chocolate through and through," according to Insider.com.
Which do you prefer?
Similar to Stuffed Puffs' chocolate-filled marshmallows, chocolate Easter eggs also taste better when they have a filling for many people.
Fun fact: J. S. Fry & Sons Limited made the first chocolate egg in 1873.
6. Cadbury mini eggs are only available during Easter
Don't you wish some seasonal products were available year round? That's definitely the case for Cadbury mini eggs. The brand's popular pastel colored chocolate mini eggs with a crisp sugar shell are only available during the Easter season.
Since it's so easy to devour a whole bag of these eggs, you should consider grabbing a few next time you hit up the grocery store.
Fun fact: Cadbury mini eggs are available in white chocolate, dark chocolate and chocolate crunch creme.
7. Peeps have a two year shelf life
Several studies have tested the shelf life of Peeps such as this one from Emory University. The study was conducted by Emory researchers Gary Falcon and James Zimring.
The two tested the durability of Peeps in a number of substances (tap water, boiling water, acetone, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide) to see how they would hold up.
The study found that Peeps remain indestructible for up to two years. Whether you stock up for this Easter or want to wait until next year to eat these fluffy treats, the brand has you covered.
Fun fact: There used to be a Peeps & Co. store in Center Valley, Pa. Unfortunately, the location closed due to the pandemic, but you can still find Peeps online and in stores nationwide.
8. Yellow Peeps are the most popular
Not only are Peeps delicious, but the vibrant colors make them inviting. The brand has pink, blue, purple and yellow marshmallow treats available year-round.
According to InfoPlease, yellow is Peeps most popular color.
What is your favorite color?
Fun fact: Peeps offers marshmallows for different holidays year-round including Christmas and Halloween. The brand has a variety of different flavors such as cotton candy, hot tamale, chocolate pudding, root beer and party cake.
9. Jelly beans became a popular Easter treat in the 1930s
Jelly beans are an Easter must-have among many individuals. Not only are they tiny and tasty, but they also have some historical significance.
According to Eat Out Eat Well, the egg shape of a jelly bean, which can be taken as representing fertility and birth, led it to become popular as an Easter candy in the 1930s.
Fun fact: Studies show that 70% of kids aged 6 to 11 say they prefer to eat Easter jelly beans one at a time, while 23% report eating several at once. When it comes to eating jelly beans, boys are 29% more likely to eat a handful than girls at 18%.
10. Peeps only take six minutes to make
If you spend lots of time in the kitchen, then you know that some of the best treats take a long time to make. However, over the years, Peeps has been able to expedite the process.
In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a single marshmallow Peep. Today it only takes six minutes - Isn't that unbelievable?
Fun fact: Peeps have been around for more than 60 years.
Whether you celebrate Easter or not, there's no better time to enjoy some sweet treats. Not only are they tasty, but the bright colors make them fun and a great way to get into the spirit of spring.