If you’re looking to back locally crafted enterprises this Easter, explore these tasty innovations
With Easter Sunday just over a fortnight away, there remains plenty of time to treat yourself or someone you care about to a chocolate egg crafted by a skilled Irish artisan. While supermarkets nationwide offer a vast array at every budget, if you’re after something a touch more special, your search ends here…
Ashford Castle
The 2026 Ashford Castle Easter Egg (above) draws inspiration from the estate’s final Guinness apple tree, planted more than a century ago when the Guinness family resided at the castle. Although the tree still bears fruit today, this historic specimen sparked the imagination of Paula Stakelum, Global Director of Chocolate & Patisserie at Red Carnation Hotels. Each egg is painstakingly hand-painted, featuring layered greens and reds that pay homage to the tree’s leaves and fruit. Lovingly crafted with the estate’s exclusive Valrhona ‘Legend’ 55% milk chocolate, the egg contains 29% ‘Legacy’ milk chocolate shards, with notes of roasted hazelnut to evoke the tree’s bark. Priced at €75, this is certainly a luxury egg, available exclusively at Mrs Tea’s Boutique, located on the Ashford Estate grounds in County Mayo. Guests staying at Ashford Castle over Easter may find an egg waiting in their room on arrival.
Clo Chocolates
This year, the Sligo chocolate makers have collaborated with renowned Irish designer Shane O’Driscoll for its Atlantic Milk Easter Egg, handcrafted with smooth, creamy 33.6% Irish milk chocolate, with its signature Atlantic praline, Sligo-made Knocknarea honey and award-winning Donegal sea salt. Celebrating the best of the Atlantic way suppliers and artists, each egg is €24.95.
Butlers Chocolates
Established in 1932 and produced in a dedicated, cutting-edge Dublin facility, Butlers has a long tradition of chocolate craftsmanship. From charming chocolate rabbits and chicks to bold flavour pairings, such as this new Hazelnut boxed egg, these indulgent treats come with a correspondingly appealing price range, beginning at €8.50 and going up to €16, with the Giant Wrapped Egg priced at €28. Discover more here.
Skelligs Chocolates
Nestled between the mountains and facing Skellig Rock at St. Finian’s Bay, County Kerry, the Skelligs Chocolate Factory has been operating since 1996. Wholesome, high-quality Irish ingredients sit at the core of Skelligs’ creations, including Irish sea salt, honey, dairy, and whiskey. This commitment to local sourcing and craft runs through their entire range, from Easter specials to year-round favourites. This Easter, each egg is handcrafted in their factory with at least 33% cocoa solids and spans options from Dark Chocolate Mint and Milk Chocolate Honeycomb to Marshmallow and Whiskey varieties. My personal favourite is the Milk Chocolate Orange Shard Egg, €28, though the small Puffin Eggs are ideal for youngsters.
Temptation Chocolates
Fan of banoffee pie? You’ll adore this egg, produced and hand-painted in County Laois, using 38% milk chocolate with lovely vanilla notes and a silky-smooth banana caramel filling. This triple-layered egg is finished with a cocoa-rich milk chocolate and biscuit-crunch layer, and it hides truffles inside. €48; click here to view all luxury eggs on offer.
Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates
This Easter, Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates is reimagining seasonal favourites with brighter, spring-inspired notes alongside comforting classics. Each egg is handmade in Kildare and features some of the brand’s most-loved chocolates, such as the Desserts Collection, Crispy Hearts and Sticky Toffee Chocolates, as well as new flavours like this white chocolate egg infused with lemon zest and studded with dried raspberries, €18.
Tara Gartlan Chocolate
Tara Gartlan, a skilled pastry chef and chocolatier based in County Monaghan, has crafted truly decadent and imaginative Easter egg offerings, each one hand-painted, handmade and unique. Options include Raspberry and White Chocolate, Passionfruit Caramel (pictured), Double Fudge and Hazelnut Rocher, all priced at €48 each. Find more here.
Baileys Chocolates
The Baileys Chocolate collection blends the finest Irish Lir Chocolate with a touch of Baileys Cream Liqueur. Beyond the enduring Baileys Chocolate Original Easter Egg, featuring a smooth Baileys-flavoured milk chocolate shell and a selection of indulgent Baileys Chocolate Truffles, or the Baileys Salted Caramel Egg (both €15), the new Baileys Caramelised Popcorn Egg is packed with whole pieces of caramelised popcorn for a sweet-and-salty crunch. All eggs are €15 and come in striking boxes designed to cut plastic use, as the factory advances its packaging toward sustainability. Available at retailers nationwide.
Bean and Goose
Inspired by the Bean Goose — a rare winter visitor to Ireland’s shores — this limited-edition figure is made from 36% Esmeraldas white chocolate, cultured Irish buttermilk, early rhubarb and Madagascan vanilla. Each Goose arrives with an Easter postcard illustration by Anne O’Hara, inspired by Ireland’s landscapes and wildlife. €30.50
Bon Chocolatiers
The Tullamore chocolate makers understandably sold out of their limited-edition Mikado egg, filled with raspberry pâte de fruit and fluffy raspberry marshmallow, finished with a layer of milk chocolate and buttery shortbread pieces. However, there are still delicious options to choose from, including the Cacao Nib Crunch Egg (€26.50) and the Cool and Crisp Egg (€43). Find them here.
Grá Chocolates
Among Galway’s standout designs is the Egg-ceptional Dark Egg (€25) for devotees of dark chocolate. Each generous half-egg is fashioned from a silky 70% chocolate and filled with dark chocolate caramels with a hint of sea salt. For the full Easter collection, click here.
Sugar Plum Sweetery
The Mullingar chocolatier and confectionery brand offers the ultimate egg for Kinder Bueno enthusiasts: the Bueno Boss egg (€39.95). Made with a minimum of 34% cocoa solids and 21% milk solids, its premium chocolate houses its popular hazelnut Bueno centre. Visit their site to discover more treats.
NearyNógs
Northern Ireland’s pioneering bean-to-bar chocolate producer has created these charming ‘Some Bunny Loves Me’ chocolate-and-caramel-filled bunnies, crafted from Ecuadorian 60% chocolate and vegan, sea-salted caramel. As the team behind NearyNógs notes: “We ethically source sustainable cacao beans, supporting the Rainforest Alliance and practising direct trade where possible. We pay above market value for cacao beans to ensure that farmers earn a living wage, safeguarding the cacao industry and the livelihoods of the farmers. We aim to honour the farmers, the cacao, and the maker.”
Chez Emily
For chocolate lovers who avoid dairy, Ireland’s Belgian chocolatiers Chez Emily have crafted Dairy-Free Easter Bites — a delectable assortment of dark chocolate caras and Easter-themed vegan delights fashioned with rich 70% dark chocolate. €12
A important note: with an estimated 64,790 tonnes of packaging expected to be recycled over the Easter holiday period, Repak is urging all consumers to recycle their packaging and to reduce and reuse where possible.
