As creator of Eggstagram content on Instagram, I am more than familiar with the rich and varied joys of eggs, just not usually the chocolate variety. Today though, I’m breaking out of my comfort zone for the benefit of The Irish Times’ readers, bringing you a semi-eggspert (sorry) guide to what’s on offer at the finer end of Ireland’s Easter egg market.
Ireland’s chocolate business is undeniably booming, with artisan chocolatiers dotted around the country delivering creations that wouldn’t be out of place in Paris.
This is in spite of ever-challenging industry; wholesale chocolate prices have soared in recent years on the back of supply disruptions linked in large part to climate issues in west Africa, the source of most of the world’s cocoa. Eurostat data shows meanwhile that the price of chocolate, cocoa and cocoa-based food for consumers in the State climbed by 14 per cent last year, having risen by 8.2 per cent in 2024.
Against this backdrop, many of the chocolate producers supplying our supermarkets have quietly downgraded their cocoa content, with some of the biggest name brands going from “chocolate bars” to “chocolate-flavoured bars”.
For milk chocolate to be categorised as a chocolate bar rather than a chocolate-flavoured bar in the EU, it must contain a minimum of 25 per cent cocoa solids, with 14 per cent or more milk solids. Higher cocoa content will inevitably translate into higher costs, but perhaps it’s sometimes worth it?
With this question in mind, I assembled some of the best and most luxurious eggs from across the country and tasted them on your behalf.
Grá Egg-ceptional Dark Chocolate Egg – €25
Gráinne Mullins, founder of Grá Chocolates in Galway. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
A richly savoury egg boasting 70 per cent chocolate, Grá’s Egg-ceptional Dark Chocolate Egg is a great Easter treat for those who don’t want a cloying sweet experience. If you truly love the taste of chocolate rather than sugar, this is a quality offering.
The flavour has the nuanced and bitter notes of cocoa while retaining the silky texture of a milk chocolate. The dark salted caramel truffles inside act as a contrast, while the sprinkle of sea salt on top rounds out the combination of sweet caramel and robust cocoa.
It’s also a visually stunning egg.
Skelligs Honeycomb Egg Large – €28
McKillen Corporation said it intends to continue ‘making wonderful chocolate’ at Skellig Chocolates in Co Kerry
At 500g (17.6oz), this is a hefty, high-quality egg with minimum 33 per cent cocoa solids. As befits its premium chocolate pedigree, the Skelligs honeycomb egg is delicious in an uncomplicated-reminds-you-of-the-Crunchies you grew up eating kind of way. The Kerry chocolatier’s offering will be a crowd-pleaser for those with refined palates as well as for younger chocoholics.
Another commendable element of the egg is that there is limited plastic packaging – just because it’s a premium product does not mean it needs to be wasteful.
[ St Patrick’s role in setting the date for Easter in IrelandOpens in new window ]
Sugar Plum Sweetery Dubai Inspired Chocolate Egg – €39.95
Sugar Plum Sweetery’s egg is utterly decadent, with the shell filled with pistachio, tahini and knafeh
In early 2025, the Sugar Plum Sweetery was sent into a 24/7 production frenzy to keep up with demand for its viral Dubai chocolate bar. This year, the company has launched a Dubai chocolate egg, which will be a sure-fire hit with existing Dubai chocolate fans.
This egg is utterly decadent, with the shell filled with pistachio, tahini and knafeh, a Middle-Eastern filo pastry. Although it’s one of the sweeter offerings on this list, it is made with a minimum of 34 per cent cocoa solids and 21 per cent milk solids, putting it squarely above the 25 per cent milk chocolate requirements.
Cocoa Atelier Chai White Chocolate Egg – €46
Cocoa Atelier’s Easter egg range
With a name like Cocoa Atelier, you would expect this gorgeous white chocolate chai egg to have been flown in from Paris rather than Dublin 12, where Coco Atelier is based.
This aromatic egg engages all the senses as soon as you open the box – the exotic yet buttery scents instantly hit you with notes of cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon. White chocolate, although it doesn’t contain cocoa beans, must contain at least 20 cocoa butter to be categorised as such under EU law. This egg is well north of that with 33 per cent cocoa butter. Coming with handmade cinnamon and vanilla marshmallows, there are instructions in the box on how to turn the egg into a milky chai white hot chocolate.
Ashford Castle’s 2026 Easter Egg – €75
Ashford Castle’s hand-painted 2026 Easter egg
Is this the most expensive Irish Easter egg? Quite possibly. I did not actually pay for this egg as it was a gift from Ashford Castle, but it certainly lies proudly at the premium end of Irish chocolate.
This limited edition egg for 2026 is designed by Paula Stakelum, the head of chocolate and patisserie at Ashford Castle’s owner, Red Carnation Hotels, and it is a vision.
Boxed in a jewel-green package, each element of this gorgeously hand-painted egg is carefully considered. Containing 55 per cent chocolate, it easily has the highest cocoa content of the milk chocolate eggs we tasted. There is something admirable about a high-end product not over-complicating it with tricks; just trying to make a classic that tastes exquisite.