The Best Easter Food in Every State
When you think of springtime and Easter, what foods come to mind? Hand-painted Easter eggs, maybe a spiral ham and some potato salad? Easter isn't one of the biggest food holidays of the year—Thanksgiving has a hold on that title—but it's still a time for eating food that's a little more special than your everyday fare. Whether you're cooking roast lamb or stuffing plastic eggs with candy, Easter has plenty of food traditions of its own.
But have you ever wondered whether there are regional factors at play when it comes to Easter food? Are people in, say, California, celebrating the holiday differently from those in the Midwest? We were determined to find out! So when Zippia shared its report on "each state's favorite Easter treat," we were intrigued. The jobs website looked at Google Trends data to figure out which states preferred candy and which ones were more likely to stick with traditional hard-boiled eggs.
Methodology: "We defined Easter treats as treats that peak in search volume around Easter. From there, we determined what treat is searched a disproportionately, high amount in each state," Zippia explains in the report. "For example, while New York eats all the candies the rest of the country does, the search interest in 'Kinder Easter Eggs' is disproportionately higher than the remaining states—making 'Kinder Easter Eggs' more popular in New York than anywhere else." Zippia collected the Google trends data during a two-week period in the Easter 2020 time frame.
Keep reading to find your state's top Easter food. Do you agree with the results?
And for more Easter ideas, don't miss these 21 Easter Dessert Recipes Ready In 20 Minutes (Or Less!).
ALABAMA: Chocolate Bunnies
Alabama keeps its Easter baskets traditional with chocolate bunnies. No shame in their game!
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ALASKA: Boiled Eggs
If you're looking to enter an Easter egg-decorating contest, Alaska is just the place for you.
ARIZONA: Boiled Eggs
Arizona joins Alaska in its love for boiled eggs, preferably dyed pretty pastel colors.
ARKANSAS: Starburst Jelly Beans
Forget regular jelly beans. Arkansas is all about that chewy Starburst life.
CALIFORNIA: Caramel Eggs
Why eat a hollow chocolate egg when you could chomp on a caramel-filled one instead?
COLORADO: Boiled Eggs
Coloradoans can't resist a decorated Easter egg, and who can blame them?
CONNECTICUT: Chocolate Bunnies
Connecticut residents' Easter baskets are stuffed with chocolate bunnies with care.
DELAWARE: Peeps
Love them or hate them, Peeps are everywhere when spring comes around.
FLORIDA: Caramel Eggs
Let's hope those caramel eggs aren't melting in the Florida sun.
GEORGIA: Jelly Beans
Georgians know that jelly beans are just as good as chocolate candy.
HAWAII: Chocolate Bunnies
Hawaii doesn't want to mess with a classic, and that classic is the chocolate Easter bunny.
IDAHO: Peeps
The only question here is whether Idaho residents will also love the Peeps-Pepsi soda.
ILLINOIS: White Chocolate Eggs
Whether or not it's "real" chocolate, white chocolate is the preferred Easter candy of choice for Illinois residents.
INDIANA: Boiled Eggs
We hope Indiana residents know the absolute best way to hard-boil eggs.
IOWA: Starburst Jelly Beans
Starburst's fans are devoted, and they won't settle for regular jelly beans in their Easter baskets.
KANSAS: Jelly Beans
Kansans are happy to fill those plastic Easter eggs with traditional jelly beans.
KENTUCKY: Jelly Beans
Kentucky residents have a soft spot for jelly beans come Eastertime, too.
LOUISIANA: Cadbury Creme Egg
Forget caramel eggs—Louisiana is all about that classic Cadbury creme egg.
MAINE: Peeps
Scoff all you want, but Maine residents aren't afraid to share their love for Peeps.
MARYLAND: Boiled Eggs
Maryland residents are on the right track with their love of eggs—here are 17 Surprising Side Effects Of Eating Eggs Every Day.
MASSACHUSETTS: Peeps
These sugar-coated marshmallow treats are a delicacy in Massachusetts.
MICHIGAN: SweeTART Jelly Beans
Now, we're getting to the good stuff. Michigan will happily bypass regular jellybeans and the Starburst variety in favor of the SweeTARTS version.
MINNESOTA: Boiled Eggs
Minnesotans like to have a little fun decorating hard-boiled eggs for Easter.
MISSISSIPPI: Cadbury Creme Egg
The ultimate Easter basket staple, the Cadbury Creme Egg, strikes again.
MISSOURI: Starburst Jelly Beans
Don't even try to put regular jelly beans in an Easter basket in Missouri.
MONTANA: Cadbury Creme Egg
Who can resist that chewy center?
NEBRASKA: Boiled Eggs
Prefer soft-boiled eggs to hard-cooked ones? Here's How To Make the Jammiest Soft-Boiled Eggs.
NEVADA: Peeps
We just can't seem to escape these chick-shaped monstrosities.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Jelly Beans
In case you've wondered, here's How Jelly Beans Are Made.
NEW JERSEY: Boiled Eggs
In the egg-decorating mood? Here are 24 Easter Crafts the Whole Family Will Love.
NEW MEXICO: Boiled Eggs
So, you've boiled and decorated your Easter eggs. Now what? Here's What You Need to Do to Easily Peel the Shells from Hard-Boiled Eggs.
NEW YORK: Kinder Easter Eggs
New Yorkers are never ones for following the crowd, so it's no surprise that the more niche Kinder Easter eggs have a special popularity in the Big Apple.
NORTH CAROLINA: Peeps
The Old North State has a soft spot for marshmallow Peeps.
NORTH DAKOTA: Boiled Eggs
North Dakotans know the value of a good Easter egg decorating contest.
OHIO: Starburst Jelly Beans
Don't show up to an Easter gathering in Ohio with regular jelly beans! Only Starburst jelly beans will do.
OKLAHOMA: Peeps
Did you know there are Hot Tamales flavored Peeps, too?
OREGON: Chocolate Bunnies
If you really want to celebrate Easter in style, go for a solid chocolate bunny instead of a hollow one.
PENNSYLVANIA: White Chocolate Eggs
White chocolate eggs may not be the most traditional, but that doesn't mean they aren't delicious.
RHODE ISLAND: Peeps
Rhode Island is another state where Peeps reign supreme.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Chocolate Bunnies
They're always watching you, until you bite their heads off.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Cadbury Eggs
No Easter basket in South Dakota is complete without a Cadbury egg.
TENNESSEE: Starburst Jelly Beans
Somehow, making jelly beans out of this chewy candy just works.
TEXAS: White Chocolate Eggs
Everything's bigger in Texas, including the state's love for white chocolate Easter eggs.
UTAH: Boiled Eggs
Utah residents are sure to hard boil eggs before decorating them for Easter.
VERMONT: Boiled Eggs
Vermont residents know that hard-boiled, decorated eggs make a perfect Easter breakfast.
VIRGINIA: Chocolate Bunnies
Virginia is another state that marks the Easter season by chomping on bunny-shaped chocolate.
WASHINGTON: Boiled Eggs
Don't forget the egg dyeing kit!
WEST VIRGINIA: Jelly Beans
Jelly beans are all the rage in West Virginia.
WISCONSIN: Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs and Wisconsin cheese make a delicious pair.
WYOMING: Mini Eggs
Wyoming was the only state that specifically searched for "mini eggs." Aw!
