The great debate that has families walking on eggshells every Easter has finally been settled for Marylanders: Cadbury Creme Eggs or Peeps?
In Maryland, candy lovers prefer Cadbury.
Marylanders are not alone–61% of states nationwide also prefer Cadbury, especially across the Midwest, Northeast, and South. While Peeps maintain their sugary hold over major population centers and Sun Belt states, including California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, and New York, their squishy appeal is not enough to beat out their British-inspired rival.
These numbers, however, are according to only one store’s sales data: Target’s. The information comes from Target’s candy unit sales data from March 16, 2025–April 20, 2025.
That’s good enough for Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry, who counts himself among the majority.
“I am indeed proud to be part of the Good Taste Majority who recognize that anything chocolate is clearly superior to oddly-colored marshmallows,” Henry told Baltimore Fishbowl in a phone call. “The only thing that Peeps are good for is falling off of my skewer into a campfire, while I’m enjoying a Cadbury Creme Egg. That’s definitely something I would want to do s’more.”
Cadbury has been around since 1824, when John Cadbury opened a grocer’s shop in Birmingham, England. Over the years his cocoa gained a reputation, and in 1875 his sons launched the first Cadbury Easter Egg. It was smooth on the outside, made of dark chocolate, and filled with sugar-coated chocolate drops, called “dragees.” Nearly a century later, in 1971 Cadbury launched the first Cadbury Creme Egg, and quickly became a fan favorite.
In 1988, The Hershey Company acquired the license to manufacture and market Cadbury products in the U.S., including Cadbury Mini Eggs, and Cadbury Caramello candy. Their Cadbury Creme Eggs, however, are made by the Mondelez company in Canada. There are three flavors of Cadbury Creme Eggs, including the original, caramel, and chocolate crème.
Henry was not sure if he had tried the Cadbury Creme Eggs from England, recalling a friend had brought him a Cadbury chocolate assortment from England, but then wondering if his friend actually brought them from Australia, though they were made in England. He could not confirm if the assortment included a genuine U.K. version of the Cadbury Creme Egg.
“Why aren’t you asking the hard questions, like, which is better, Cadbury caramel eggs or Reese’s peanut butter eggs?” Henry chided. “Because that’s almost a, ‘We’ll have to decide this one on the field of battle,’ kind of situation. Peeps aren’t even in that fight.”
Target’s infographic did not specify the data in terms of just how much more popular Cadbury Creme Eggs were than Peeps with Marylanders. Considering the Miami Herald reported that 5.5 million Peeps are made daily and 2 billion are made per year, it is not unreasonable to presume they’re still quite popular.
“My comms team prefers I not use profanity in family newspapers,” Henry said, also mentioning that his comms team is sometimes hesitant to let him deal directly with the press. “I can’t give you my completely honest and candid assessment of Peeps under the vocabulary restriction that I’m abiding by.”
Peeps flavors are considerably more varied than Cadbury Creme Eggs, with more than a dozen just for the Easter season. In 2026, Peeps flavors included brand collaborations like Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry, SunnyD, Dr. Pepper, and Rice Krispies Treat. They also had Chili Lime Mango, Cotton Candy, Sour Watermelon, Party Cake, and S’mores flavors.
Peeps even teamed up with Rita’s, the beloved cold treat company, to introduce a New Mystery PEEPS Italian Ice Flavor last month.
“On a separate note, that conversation with my comms team did steer in a different direction, where it was pointed out that Peeps are kosher for Passover,” Henry said. “And my response was, ‘Sweet noodle kugel is also kosher for Passover, and far superior to Peeps.'”
