Springtime is just around the corner, and grocery store shelves are quickly filling up with colorful, egg-shaped candies. But one sweet treat stands out among the pastel-colored field: Cadbury Mini Eggs. These magical little ellipsoids of sugar-coated chocolate are definitely one of the most popular Easter candies. But what makes these mini eggs just so addictive? Ultimately, it’s another type of bite-sized milk chocolate with a hard candy coating, similar to M&Ms. But there’s just something different about Cadbury mini eggs that makes them especially delicious and addicting.
Cadbury
Cadbury is a British candy company owned by Mondelez International, an American-based food, beverage, and confectionary company that owns a plethora of brands, including Oreo and Triscuit. Cadbury has markets in countries around the world, and Cadbury Canada is responsible for these magical mini eggs. Cadbury states that they source their cocoa from Ghana in West Africa. The cocoa beans are fermented for several days with banana leaves, which helps develop the rich flavor. This cocoa sourcing may be one factor of Cadbury mini egg magic — but there must be more to it.
It's what's on the inside that counts
Most milk chocolates have the same basic ingredients, and Cadbury mini eggs are no exception. However, the proportion and amounts of ingredients may be their secret. In descending order by weight, the main ingredients of mini eggs are: sugar, milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dried skimmed milk, and dried whey from milk. In comparison, the main ingredients of M&Ms in order are: sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, and milk fat. The first noticeable difference is Cadbury’s larger proportion of milk — plain milk, as well as dried skimmed milk and whey. This might be part of the distinctively milky, creamy taste.
Shape and shell
The most satisfying part of eating any candy-coated chocolate is crunching through the sugary shell, revealing the creamy encapsulated chocolate. Mini eggs are distinctive in the matte finish of their candy coating, different from the glossy finish of M&Ms and other candies. This matte shell might provide a better grip for your teeth to really sink into and bite down on the crunchy coating.
Another unique aspect of Cadbury mini eggs is their distinct ellipsoid shape and ratio of candy shell to creamy chocolate. Each mini egg is approximately 3.33 grams, whereas one M&M is only 0.9 grams. Thanks to some gastronomically-driven geometry, we know that surface area increases with the radius squared, whereas volume increases with the radius cubed. So not only does each egg give you more chocolate, but it also has a lower candy shell-to-chocolate ratio. If you were to eat about 3.5 M&Ms, you’d get almost as much chocolate as one mini egg, but way more sugary coating. To me, this ideal ratio of more chocolate to less sugary shell is probably the key to mini eggs’ deliciousness. Maybe it’s a combination of texture and taste— I want more creamy chocolate for each crunchy bite, and Cadbury mini eggs seem to perfect this combination.
These aspects might provide insight into why Cadbury mini eggs are just so addictive. But one thing's certain: If you haven’t stocked up on these addictive little gems, head out to your grocery store soon because they’re only available (in the U.S.) during this time of year.