The best Easter eggs and hot cross buns revealed in a major supermarket taste test

EASTER is about more than just chocolate eggs, but figuring out what to pick up can be a challenge for some.

Good Housekeeping has revealed the best Easter foods for 2024 and there's something for everyone, including irresistible dark chocolate and cheesy hot cross buns.

Waitrose will be the best supermarket for hot cross buns in 2024Credit: Good Housekeeping

The institute tested a total of 162 items in 12 categories to determine which products on the market are worth their price tag.

Categories include vegan and gluten-free options, as well as a second budget option for each category.

A panel of lucky tasters and experts judged them in a blind taste test based on appearance, texture and even smell, along with taste.

Each entry was ranked out of 100.

Waitrose is one of the best supermarkets of 2024 for Easter, performing particularly well in the hot cross bun category.

Asda triumphed in the Easter egg section, placing in the top five in eight different categories.

Callum Black, food and drink testing manager at the Good Housekeeping Institute, said: “We've been hard at work since December sampling the most innovative and high-quality products on the market to ensure there's something for everyone this Easter , from main courses for all diets to the best sustainably focused chocolate eggs, and of course we ensure there is the best budget buy for every category. “

“In our 100th year of testing, it's great to see that our results reflect consumers' love for the classics.”

“Our winning products showcase the flavors of Easter: hot cross buns packed with chocolate, affordable roasts and to top it all off, Cadbury takes the winning spot in milk Easter eggs.

This way you can find the best bargains in the supermarket

“It is clear that tradition and nostalgia are of paramount importance this Easter.”

Here are the winners and runners-up in each category…

Best hot cross bun flavor:

Waitrose Belgian Chocolate Hot Cross Buns winner, £2.50 for 4, rating: 85/100
Runners-up: Morrisons The Best Extra Mature Cheddar & Red Leicester Hot Cross Buns, £1.25 for 4, rating: 83/100

Best Classic Hot Cross Buns:

Winner: Waitrose Golden Hot Cross Buns, £2.50 for 4, rating: 84/100
Second place: Aldi's specially selected Hot Cross sandwiches, £1.35 for 4, rating: 83/100

Best Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns:

Winner: Co-op Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns, £2.25 for 4, rating: 83/100.

Best budget hot cross bun:

Winner: Amazon 6 Hot Cross Buns, £1.15 for 6, rating: 75/100

Sainsbury's Belgian Chocolate Orange Egg won the most sustainable budget Easter eggCredit: Good Housekeeping

Best Milk Chocolate Easter Egg:

Winner: Cadbury Ultimate Crunchie Inclusion Egg, £12 for 396g, rating: 85/100
Joint runner up: Asda Extra Special Extra Thick Fruit & Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Egg, £8 for 400g, rating: 84/100
Joint runner-up: Quality Street Golden Collection Incredible Egg, £12 for 495g, rating: 84/100

Best White Chocolate Easter Egg:

Winner: Betty's White Chocolate Flat Easter Egg with Milk Chocolate Lamb, £13.75 for 130g, rating: 85/100
Runner Up: Harvey Nichols Honeycomb & Biscuit Blonde Chocolate Easter Egg with Blonde Ganache Truffles, £34 for 300g, rating: 82/100

Easter egg with the best price-quality ratio

Winner: Asda Extra Special Extra Thick Raspberry & Marshmallow White Chocolate Egg, £8 for 400g, rating: 81/100

Best dark chocolate Easter egg:

Winner: Asda Extra Special Cocoa Noir Easter Egg, £15 for 350g, rating: 85/100
Runners-up: Waitrose Hidden Truffles Dark Chocolate Easter Egg, £12 for 215g, rating: 84/100

Best Budget Easter Egg

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Dark Ripple Egg with Rich Coffee and Cocoa Nibs, £4.99 for 200g, Rating: 73/100

Best Vegan Easter Egg:

Winner: Cutter & Squidge Cookies & Cream Vegan Easter Egg, £22.99 for 500g, rating: 84/100
Runners-up: PlayinChoc ToyChoc Box 6 Rabbits Gift Set, £13.50 for 120g, rating: 83/100

Best Budget Vegan Easter Egg:

Winner: Asda OMV! Choc Orange & Caramel Crisp Easter Egg, £5 for 160g, rating: 81/100

Best Easter Egg for Kids:

Winner: Waitrose Sam on Toast, £5 for 78g, rating: 79/100
Runners-up: Aldi Dairyfine White Chocolate Strawberry Sundae, £8.99 for 250g, rating: 77/100

Best budget Easter egg for kids

Winner: Cadbury Freddo Faces Chocolate Egg, £2.50 for 96g, rating: 75/100

Best budget sustainable Easter egg:

Winner: Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Belgian Chocolate Orange Egg, £8 for 230g, rating: 81/100
Runners-up: Aldi Specially Selected Egg with Belgian Truffle, £9.99 for 250g, rating: 80/100

Most sustainable Easter egg:

Winner: Tony's Chocolonely Chunky Egg – Caramel Sea Salt, rating: 78/100

Good Housekeeping has also tested a range of different food items so you can decide which main course will look best on your Easter dinner table.

Co-op won best meat joint with its Co-op Irresistible Hereford Beef Joint at £15 for approximately 1kg.

While Tesco Finest Maris Piper Goose Fat Roast Potatoes at £3 for 800g was crowned the best on the market.

It's worth noting the prices. If you order any of these items online, you may need to factor in delivery costs.

Prices may vary from store to store, but keep an eye out for bargains around Easter Sunday, March 31.

You can use shopping comparison tools such as Google Shopping and Trolley.co.uk to compare the cost of items from different sellers.

We've put together a list of the cheapest places where you can buy Cadbury chocolate Easter eggs.

If you love Lindt, we've rounded up some of the cheapest places where you can buy Lindt chocolate eggs.

We also tested supermarket mini eggs against the original Cadbury dupes, to find out which supermarket dupe flopped.

If you're looking for Easter eggs on a budget, Morrisons has dropped the price of its Easter eggs to 75p if you have a More card.

Tesco has slashed the prices of its large Easter eggs and there are more than 20 chocolate eggs to choose from.

Sainsbury's is offering all Nectard card users the chance to get their hands on extra-large Easter eggs for just £4.

How can you save money on your supermarket shopping?

There are plenty of other ways to save on your supermarket shopping.

Making a list before you go grocery shopping is always a good start.

You are less likely to make hasty purchases or be tempted by unwanted offers.

Prices always vary between supermarkets and it may be worth changing your store.

Switching to your own brand can be an easy way to save hundreds of dollars a year on your food bills, too.

This means opting for 'own' or 'value' type products rather than 'best' or 'luxury' lines.

Many supermarkets also have shaky fruit and vegetable programs, where you can get cheap prices if they are misshapen or imperfect.

For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering 5kg boxes of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.

Many supermarkets have loyalty programs, where you can collect points that you can spend in a later store.

For example, Sainsbury's has its Nectar Card and Tesco has its Clubcard.

Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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