How Much Sugar Is in Your Favorite Easter Candy?

Charlotte Fisher
·3 min read
easter candy basket
easter candy basket

Getty Images/Amy Mitchell

Easter food brings to mind family brunches, eggs (of course!) and baskets filled with Easter candy. Those pastel-wrapped treats and egg-shaped chocolates are certainly tempting, but they can pack on the added sugar. The recommended daily limit on added sugars is 10 percent of calories, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar for women and 9 teaspoons for men. Consistently eating too much sugar can cause your insulin to spike and over time may ramp up your risk for diabetes and obesity. And most of us get way too much sugar—the average American gets 270 calories each day from added sugars, the equivalent of almost 17 teaspoons of sugar. Of course, eating too much sugar isn't ideal but there are some occasions (like holiday) where the amount of sugar you are eating should not be front-of-mind. That said, a little planning can go a long way to help your sugar intake in check.

Related: Better-Than-Store-Bought Homemade Candy Recipes

We've compiled a list of some classic Easter candy and you may be surprised by how much added sugar is in each. The candy labels measure sugar in grams, and 4 grams are equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Almost all of that is added sugar, except for trace amounts of natural sugar, like lactose, that may be found in some of the milk chocolate. See how your favorites stack up and how to keep your sugar intake in check this spring.

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

8 g sugar (2 teaspoons)

1 egg (17 g): 90 calories, 5 g total fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 9 g total carbohydrate, <1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

*The stats listed are for the snack-size eggs. The larger, individually sold Reese's eggs are twice as big and have double the calories and sugar.

Russell Stover Marshmallow Eggs
Russell Stover Marshmallow Eggs

Russell Stover Marshmallow Eggs

14 g sugar (4 teaspoons)

1 egg (28 g): 110 calories, 3 g total fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 20 g total carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs
Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs

Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs

20 g sugar (5 teaspoons)

6 eggs (43 g): 220 calories, 14 g total fat, 8 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 26 g total carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Cadbury Creme Eggs
Cadbury Creme Eggs

Cadbury Creme Eggs

20 g sugar (5 teaspoons)

1 egg (34 g): 150 calories, 6 g total fat, 4 g sat fat, 0 g trans, <5 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies
Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies

Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies

26 g sugar (6.5 teaspoons)

4 bunnies (31 g): 110 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein.

M&amp;M's Milk Chocolate Eggs
M&M's Milk Chocolate Eggs

M&M's Milk Chocolate Eggs

27 g sugar (7 teaspoons)

1/4 cup (42 g): 210 calories, 9 g total fat, 5 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Cadbury Mini Eggs
Cadbury Mini Eggs

Cadbury Mini Eggs

28 g sugar (7 teaspoons)

12 pieces (41 g): 190 calories, 7 g total fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, <1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Jelly Beans
Jelly Beans

Jelly Beans

28 g sugar (7 teaspoons)

35 beans (40 g): 140 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 g cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein.

Related: All-Natural Easter Egg Dyes