Easter 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in years, as rising candy prices and seasonal costs make headlines ahead of the holiday. Many shoppers are noticing the difference at checkout, especially when filling baskets.
To break down what's driving the increase, CouponFollow analyzed changes in the cost of candy, groceries, and holiday items over the past 5 years. Here's what we discovered.
A complete Easter basket costs $49.66 today, up 71% from $29.12 in 2021, nearly triple the rate of general inflation (23.4%) over the same 5 years.
A complete Easter brunch cost $37.36 today, up 23.1% from $30.36 in 2021, nearly the same rate of general inflation (23.4%) over the same time period.
Cadbury Creme Eggs saw the largest increase of any item in the basket, up 120% from $2.50 to $5.49 in 5 years, making them the single fastest-rising Easter staple tracked in this study.
Easter candy is up 73.5% since 2021, while Easter groceries rose just 23.1%, meaning 75 cents of every extra dollar families are spending this year is coming from the candy aisle, not the grocery aisle.
5 of the 8 candy items in the basket more than doubled in effective cost over 5 years, led by Cadbury Creme Eggs (+120%), Starburst Jellybeans (+92%), Easter M&Ms (+84%), Reese's Eggs (+82%), and Lindt Chocolate Gold Bunnies (+62%).
Easter groceries rose 23.1% over 5 years, right in line with general inflation (23.4%), but actually fell 3.1% from 2023 to 2026 as egg prices dropped from their avian flu peak, masking the quiet candy surge happening at the same time.
Sugar is the one grocery item that behaves like candy: up 50% from $0.68 to $1.02 per pound, it crossed the $1 mark for the first time in 2024 and tracks the confectionery aisle more closely than the food aisle.
Ham accounts for 45% of the grocery subtotal, and its modest 17.3% increase ($4.79/lb to $5.62/lb) single-handedly kept the grocery basket near the inflation rate; without it, grocery inflation would appear meaningfully higher.
Plastic eggs rose 51.5% ($1.98 to $3.00 for a 48-count pack), the steepest non-food increase in the basket, driven not by cocoa or sugar but by petroleum-based input costs and a threatened 145% tariff on Chinese-manufactured packaging in 2025.
A potted Easter lily costs $12.99 today, up 63% from $7.99 in 2021, and NRF data shows total U.S. Easter flower spending surging 37.5% in just 2 years, from $1.6 billion in 2024 to a projected $2.2 billion in 2026.
The gap between budget and higher-end Easter chocolate has never been wider: Palmer's 3-oz. bunny rose just 11% in 5 years, while Cadbury Creme Eggs rose 120%.
While grocery staples have stayed relatively steady, rising candy and seasonal costs are making Easter baskets and brunches noticeably more expensive this year. But celebrating doesn't have to feel out of reach. With a few thoughtful choices and tools like CouponFollow to help find the best Easter deals, families can still enjoy a full, festive holiday without stretching their budgets too far.
This study tracked the cost of assembling a traditional Easter basket, brunch spread, and potted Easter lily using 17 items across three categories. Grocery staples, including a 3-pound boneless ham, a dozen eggs, milk, butter, flour, sugar, bananas, and chocolate chip cookies, were priced using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Price series via the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) database, which reports real dollar prices collected monthly from retail stores nationwide.
Easter candy and supplies—including a Lindt Gold Bunny, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Peeps, Starburst Jellybeans, Easter M&Ms, a Palmer chocolate bunny, and a 48-count pack of plastic eggs—were priced using observed retail data compiled by FinanceBuzz from Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Albertsons, sourced from archived weekly circulars, the Wayback Machine, and current retailer websites as of March 2026.
We compared prices at three points:
General inflation was benchmarked against the BLS Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which rose 23.4% over the 5-year window.
The prices of Easter brunch and basket (including flowers) were calculated based on the inclusions of the following items and quantities:
Easter brunch
Easter basket and flowers
Saving on holiday expenses can make celebrations feel more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone. CouponFollow helps shoppers find verified Easter holiday promo codes and deals on everything from groceries to seasonal essentials, making it easier to stretch your budget a little further. And the Cently browser extension takes the guesswork out of saving by automatically applying the best available discounts at checkout. Install Cently before you shop so you can focus less on prices and more on enjoying Easter with family and friends.
This information is shared for noncommercial purposes only. Any reuse or distribution should include clear credit to CouponFollow, along with a link to the original source.