With Easter coming up, you might be thinking about stocking up on chocolate eggs - but why the heck are they so expensive?
It’s the question on many Kiwis’ minds as the big choccy-filled weekend rolls around.
Can we do it cheaper? Is it better to grab a few blocks of chocolate instead of eggs?
We’re diving into how to get the most bang for your buck this Easter - and how to avoid that looming Easter guilt.
The price of Easter
Chocolate lovers, brace yourselves - cocoa prices have gone through the roof, and that means Easter eggs are experiencing it too.
Whether you're grabbing a block or a bunny-shaped treat, chocolate is significantly pricier than it was this time last year.
We’re talking price hikes between 11% and 24%, depending on the brand and quality.
Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen told RNZ that cocoa prices had tripled since 2020.
Rising chocolate prices are due to lower cocoa supply from major producing countries in Africa, and the World Bank Commodity Price Index shows cocoa prices sitting three times higher in March 2025 than five years ago, with prices the last two months easing back slightly off record highs.
We’ve noticed this over the last few years with NZ chocolate makers Whittaker’s having been transparent about their multiple increases over recent years.
Eggs vs blocks - What’s the better buy?
But if you’re looking to stretch your choccy budget, a block is the smarter buy.
According to Consumer NZ, a 100g Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter egg will set you back $6.00 at Woolworths - that’s $6.00 per 100g.
A standard 180g block of Cadbury Dairy Milk costs just a cent less than the egg at $5.99, but you’re getting way more chocolate for your money - $3.33 per 100g, to be exact.
Another popular Easter option is Lindt. A classic 100g Lindt Bunny goes for $11, while a 100g block of Lindt chocolate is only $8. That’s a $3 saving for the same amount of choc.
Ferrero Rocher’s 100g Easter egg is cheapest at Pak’nSave for $8.99. But for just $1 more, you can nab a 16-pack of the original Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
If we’re looking per 100g, it works out about $3 cheaper, too. The egg clocks in at $8.99 per 100g, while the chocolates come to around $5 per 100g.
Avoiding the Easter guilt
It can be especially tricky for parents when you're standing in the shop trying to justify a $20 chocolate egg wrapped in cartoon unicorn packaging.
That was the case for one mum who told us: “Easter shopping for my five-year-old daughter was quite overwhelming this year.”
I debated whether to get her the giant Unicorn Easter egg, which I know she would love, even though it's mostly about the box, and the eggs inside are all the same.”
There was another battle over whether it was cheaper to get some blocks of chocolate, but the Easter feel just wasn’t the same.
In the end, she struck a bit of a compromise for her wallet.
“Since we always do an egg hunt, I bought a few smaller eggs, but was also searching for less expensive alternatives this year. I ended up getting her some Easter-themed crafts, which I'm sure she'll love without the sugar rush!”
Her idea to get more lasting Easter gifts added to wanting to save on next year’s haul, and to not fork out a fortune on sweet treats.
Whatever you’re doing this Easter, just remember - it’s all about the time spent and memories made, and sure, a little bit of indulgence, too.
You don’t need to splurge on overpriced chocolate or stress about what everyone else is doing. Skip the eggs completely if you want and get creative with some crafts, or even a fun brekkie.
Do Easter your way, whether you’re going full bunny mode or just keeping it simple with those close mates and whānau.
