'I tried Cadbury Mini Egg dupes from Aldi, M&S and Poundland - one blew me away'

Each year the crown for the best Easter Egg causes rife competition, but your chocolate feast is simply not complete without a bag of Mini Eggs. With fast approaching, everyone is gathering up their ready to crack open on Sunday after a visit from the Easter bunny, but big things also come in small packages.

The tiny speckled eggs have the nation in a chokehold each year thanks to their extremely moreish chocolate centre and sugary shell coating. But it's not all Easter joy as fans have shared their fury over the cost of the classic treat, with shrinkflation stinging shoppers year on year. The cost of an 80g bag has risen by over a third this Easter, coming in at £1.85. Some packets even cost more than £2, depending where you shop. Meanwhile, when they spotted WHSmith charging £19 for a 1kg bag of the Mini Eggs.

It's no wonder that supermarkets have jumped on the bangwagon to create their own budget versions, but how do they live up to the real-deal? As a Mini Egg lover, as soon as I see the recognisable yellow packets on the shelves I can't help but to pick up one or two - and unapologetically demolish the whole bag in one sitting. To get into the Easter spirit, I decided to see if Aldi, M&S and Poundland own-brand eggs are just as good as the Cadbury version.

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Cadbury Mini Eggs £1.85 (80g)

Cadbury's Mini Eggs are a classic for a reason. Maybe it's down to them only being available once a year, or because they are so devilishly moreish. They have a certain powdery sweet smell that instantly makes your mouth water, and the crunchy hard shell housing melt-in-the-middle chocolate will be tough to beat. The only downside is the price.

Aldi mini chocolate eggs 99p (80g)

In true Aldi fashion, the packaging is incredibly similar to the original, right down to the yellow and purple branding. The Dairyfine Mini Chocolate Eggs come in an 80g bag for 99p, making them nearly half the price.

When it comes to taste, you can tell they aren't Cadbury. The iconic crunch from the hard shell is there, and the chocolate is soft inside. But they have that sickly artificial flavour you often get with cheap chocolate and I simply couldn't get past it. These were a real let-down.

Taste - 2/5

Similarity - 4/5

Overall - 3/5

M&S chicky choccy speckled Easter eggs £1.25 (90g)

Again, much cheaper than Cadbury's, and I can say they definitely taste just as good. Out of the packet, they don't look as similar, but they are even more decadant. M&S' 'Chicky Choccy Speckled Easter Eggs' have the same yellow bag, but a more illustrative design, putting their own stamp on a classic.

As for the actual eggs, they are a lot bigger than original Mini Eggs, which makes them a little harder to eat. The chocolate is a bit harder too, so they don't melt in your mouth, but the rich filling screams quality. The shell had the perfect crunch and I couldn't stop eating them.

Taste - 5/5

Similarity - 2/5

Overall - 4/5

Poundland little speckled eggs £1 (70g)

I was very impressed with Poundland's take on the popular treat. Similar to the Aldi packaging with the small yellow bag, these 'little speckled eggs' were impressive, but were in a significantly smaller bag, and a lot of the eggs were broken which was a shame. They had a very hard shell which made it hard to chew on and break down, so perhaps wouldn't be the best for children, but the chocolate was tasty, and for the price you can't complain.

Taste - 3/5

Similarity - 4/5

Overall - 3.5/5

The verdict: Mini Egg dupes

Overall I was pretty impressed with all of the own-brand eggs - Aldi was a surprise letdown when it comes to flavour but for the price, it's still a good option. Out of my whole haul, M&S was the true showstopper. While they weren't a direct copycat, the chunkier eggs offered more chocolate which is always a win - and the chocolate itself was glorious.

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