Taste Test: Milk Chocolate Easter Bunnies

Epicurious.com

by Carolina Santos-Neves,Epicurious.com

For many of us, it's just not Easter without a chocolate bunny in our basket. With all the options in the supermarket, we wanted to find a hollow milk chocolate bunny that would satisfy both kids and adults-without breaking the bank (this isn't the year for $100 mail-order bunnies). We purchased eight brands, with and without foil. All are available at drugstores or supermarkets, with the exception of Godiva (sold online or at its boutique stores). Prices ranged from $3.29 to $23.50.

Related: The Epicurious Guide to Easter

Methodology: In the blind taste test, nine judges compared the appearance, flavor, and consistency of the bunnies. We then ranked them according to the standard Epicurious four-fork rating system. One Epi Top Pick emerged from the group, earning a three-and-a-half-fork rating.

Best Overall

Epi Top Pick: Lindt Milk Chocolate Bunny
($4.50 per 3.5 oz. bunny)

Pros: Dressed in intensely yellow-gold foil and a red bow, this bunny is as elegant as it is tasty. One tester likened its pleasant scent to sweetened condensed milk. Its flavor is "delightfully creamy!" as one taster put it. "It just melts in your mouth," commented another editor. "Tastes like good European chocolate with a subtle accent of caramel," stated another. It just so happens that it's also the least expensive of the winners.

Cons: None. We can only say good things.

First Runner-Up: Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Bunny
($4.99 per 4 oz. bunny)

Pros: "This cute bunny with its sassy eyelashes reminds me of a Peter Cottontail illustration," said one editor. Encased in a detailed burnished yellow layer of foil, this chocolate is the darkest of them all. "As a dark chocolate lover, I appreciate the hint of semisweetness that lingers with each bite," stated one taster.

Cons: One editor described it as "spongy," while another disliked its "chewy" texture.

See also:Easter Baskets for Food Lovers

Second Runner-Up: Godiva Bertie the Milk Chocolate Bunny
($25.00 per 9 oz. bunny)

Pros: This bunny got high marks for presentation. "I am drawn to its simple and classic look," commented one tester. Packaged in a decorative pastel box, this creamy, rich, and cocoa flavored bunny had editors pleased.

Cons: Overly sweet aftertaste. The most expensive of all.


Prices and availability subject to change.

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