Every year I browse the candy aisles for Easter candy. Jelly beans, Peeps, and Reese’s Pieces Eggs, oh my! But most of the candies are coated in chocolate, meaning they’re off limits to me. I also increasingly find many candies are made in Mexico or even China. Um, no thank you.
This has led me online to Jelly Belly and Williams Sonoma, who both offer high quality, made in the US candies, many of which are cocoa free! I have a serious weakness for pectin jelly beans and sour gummy bunnies.
I’ve also taken a liking to making my own candy. Homemade candy has high quality ingredients that you control. The flavors shine through, and they are super fun to make. The kids can even get involved in a lot of them!
Last year around this time, I bookmarked a recipe for Homemade Cadbury Crème Eggs. I’ve been counting the days until I could make this recipe. I eliminated the food coloring, as a lot of people aren’t a fan of it. This also streamlined and simplified the process without altering the flavor in any way. It doesn’t exactly look like and egg, and I honestly don’t know if it tastes like the real thing, as I’ve never had one, but I promise you these are addictive little candies that no Easter is complete without.
The sticky, sweet interior has tons of little vanilla bean specks, so you know that pure flavor packs a big punch. The assertive carob matches the sweetness perfectly, though I also liked them with white chocolate. Of course, if you’re not allergic to chocolate, feel free to use dark chocolate to coat these. Scroll down past the recipe for more fun Easter candy ideas!
Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15-20 eggs 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ½ cups carob chips or dark chocolate
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat corn syrup, butter, salt, and vanilla bean paste with a hand mixer on medium speed to combine into a homogeneous mixture. A stand mixer may also be used.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. You may need to stir the final cup of sugar in by hand. Mix until completely smooth.
- Place bowl in freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of shortening. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between to promote melting, until fully melted.
- Remove the butter mixture from the freezer. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the butter mixture and roll it into an egg shape using your hands. Using 2 forks or your fingers, coat the egg in the melted white chocolate. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. Repeat until you have coated half the eggs.
- Place the butter mixture while you melt the carob/dark chocolate. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt carob/dark chocolate with 1 tablespoon shortening. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between to promote melting, until fully melted.
- Remove the butter mixture from the freezer again, scoop it, form it into egg shapes, and coat in the carob. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. Once all the eggs are coated, place them in the refrigerator to set completely. Eggs may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature about 1 hour.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ashley Rodriguez, courtesy Food 52
I hope you are inspired to make your own Easter candy this year. Here are a couple more recipes to get you set for the holiday. Plus, all of these are gluten free as long as you double check the ingredients you add. It looks like it’s going to be one sweet Easter!
Carob Peanut Butter Eggs – This classic candy is a blast to make and tastes just like the real thing!
Homemade Snickers Bars – Peanut butter nougat, peanuts, and homemade caramel combine to make one delectable candy. Cut them in egg shapes to make them more festive!
Homemade Marshmallows – Forget about Peeps, these fluffy, pillowy morsels of goodness pack in real vanilla flavor.
Peanut Butter Fudge – You won’t believe how easy it is to make this irresistible candy. All the cooking is done in the microwave!
I love making homemade candy and those cadbury creme eggs look delicious! I’m definitely feeling inspired to make Easter candy now. 🙂
YUM! lovelovelove the homemade candy!
Homemade cadbury creme eggs – now there is a recipe I must try!! My sister and I used to eat so many of them when we were kids!
Please let me know if you try them. I know they would be a huge hit, Ashley!
Oh Laura, these all look fabulous and perfect for Easter! Homemade candy is the best and always so much better than the store bought variety. Thanks for sharing all of these ideas!
I so want to try making my own Cadbury Creme Eggs one day, I look forward to them every year!
These are so easy to make, Joanna, I hope your try them!
Yum! Making candy at home is so satisfying, isn’t it?! Wish I could reach through the screen and sample all your homemade creations 🙂
Yes, I love making candy! And the results are amazing!
cadbury eggs are my weakness!
I treat myself to 2 a week, and trust me I enjoy every moment. LOL
Tempting to make my own
I’m sure you’d put some fabulous spin on them too!
What a great post! Buying Easter candy can get out of control, think Halloween! I adore the idea of making your own candy! At my house the homemade Snickers bars would be gone as soon as they were ready!
Unfortunately, I both make and buy candy 😉
I need to get on this homemade candy making train! I loveee candy and making them at home would be such a treat!
I so want to try making the Cadbury Creme Eggs! I have lots of experience with them, so I’ll definitely know if these taste like the real (fake?) thing! 🙂
If you do make them, I’d love to hear how they compare!
I too love all the special Easter candies. A favorite of mine is Cadbury Mini Eggs. They are chocolate so I know you can’t try them but I think your mom liked them too. These Cadbury eggs look fantastic!!!
Great ideas for candies! Fantastic!
This has motivated me to make some homemade candy – it’s been too long! Easter is a great excuse to 🙂
I totally take your homemade version of Cadburys over the store ones! At least yours have REAL ingredients as well as real vanilla flavor!
Such a cool idea!! I’m really excited to try the snickers! Thanks Laura 🙂
Thanks, Todd! I know you’ll love the Snickers 🙂
Laura, lovely candy and so perfect for Easter! I want to start making my own candy too, so that I know exactly which ingredients I put into it!
I want to try my hand at making your creme eggs and some pb eggs! SO irresistible!
I use to eat these every Easter… I doubt I could eat a whole one now, although your homemade version looks great!! I love the idea of making these type of sweets at home!
We love making our own Easter candy! Buttercreams, in particular. These are great — thanks so much!