You might wonder why a vegan atheist is reverse engineering Cadbury Creme Eggs, but look: my philosophy is that there’s (just about) never a reason not to party, okay?*
I never even liked Cadbury Creme Eggs as a kid — I found them too cloyingly sweet to get through an entire one in one sitting. So when I made this copycat recipe from scratch, I made them about half the size of the store-bought kind. Either my tastebuds have finally aged enough for me to enjoy food like this, or this homemade version tastes better than the store-bought kind. They’re messy as all get-out to make, but I think they’re worth the mess purely for the novelty factor.
By the way, you can definitely make yours a lot more professional looking than the ones I’ve pictured if you use candy molds — or even cupcake liners, if you want peanut-butter-cup-shaped candy — or even just let them dry upright on skewers or toothpicks. Have fun, and you can thank me later for making it easy for you to whip up some homemade vegan Cadbury Creme Egg milkshakes, or any of these other totally real recipes. Haha, ha.
- ½ c light corn syrup
- ¼ c vegan butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 c powdered sugar
- red and yellow food coloring
- 12 oz vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tsp shortening
- wax or parchment paper
- egg-shaped candy mold or skewers, optional
- In a medium bowl, cream together corn syrup, butter and vanilla.
- Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
- Place about a third of the mixture in a small bowl.
- Add food coloring drop by drop until you’ve achieved the desired color.
- Tightly cover both bowls and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Line two cookie sheets with wax or parchment paper.
- Using a teaspoon and your hands, form balls out of yellow fondant and place on a cookie sheet.
- Place cookie sheet in freezer.
- Using a tablespoon and your hands, form white fondant into balls.
- Flatten white balls into discs; place on cookie sheet.
- If whites are still firm enough, you can go ahead and start filling them with the yellow centers. Otherwise, place sheet in freezer for a little bit until they firm up.
- Place one white disc in the palm of your hand.
- Drop a yellow ball into the center of the disc, and fold white around it.
- Roll fondant into a larger ball and place on a cookie sheet.
- Repeat with remaining fondant and place balls in freezer for another half hour.
- In a double boiler or microwave, slowly melt together chocolate chips and shortening, stirring until completely smooth.*
- Skewer a fondant ball with a toothpick and dip in chocolate, taking care to shake off any excess.
- Place coated balls in refrigerator to harden fully.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
*The fact that humans eat another animal’s eggs is totally backwards, and I’d hate to encourage anyone to think about them as some sort of chic food item, but come on, look at those chocolate-coated, neon orbs! If you’re gonna eat food shaped like an egg, it might as well be vegan.
26 comments
Hannah says:
Mar 14, 2013
Um…why hello vegan Cadbury Creme Eggs! I’ll definitely be making these for Easter. My family loves the store bought stuff, but these look a million times more appetizing. And honestly, the novelty factor alone is worth it. They look so fun!
claryn says:
Mar 14, 2013
I should really confess that I love making novelty foods — hey, if they turn out kind of weird, at least you have a good story to tell!
But I honestly do think this recipe makes some pretty tasty — though obviously goofy! — candy.
Jojo says:
Mar 14, 2013
Yours look pretty professional to me! I’ve been meaning to make vegan Cadbury’s eggs ever since I heard it could be done about four years ago but I’ve always been too lazy! I’m hoping that someone has them for sale at Brighton Veg Fest this weekend.
claryn says:
Mar 14, 2013
Aw, thanks Jojo
Me, I wish I were eating speculoos cupcakes this weekend!
Karen says:
Mar 17, 2013
These look delicious! Can the corn syrup be substituted for something else?
claryn says:
Mar 17, 2013
Sure, as long as you don’t mind a slightly different flavor! You can use any syrup you like — light agave might be your best bet, because it’s so lightly flavored. Simple syrup with a splash of vanilla would also work fine.
Passover and Easter…Veganized! | says:
Mar 21, 2013
[...] If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even make your own! Here’s a recipe. [...]
Marie says:
Mar 22, 2013
Hello. Could someone tell me roughly how many whole eggs this would make!? I can use an egg mould and stick two halfs together but I’m finding chocolate is really expensive and was wondering if I could make less.
claryn says:
Mar 24, 2013
It really depends on the size of your egg mold (and whether it makes round eggs or halves, etc.)! If you want to use less chocolate overall, your best bet is to make fewer eggs, which will require you to cover less surface area.
POPPY says:
Mar 26, 2013
Hi Claryn. I have nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogging Award. http://bunnykitchen.com/2013/03/26/super-sweet-blogging-award/
Tenzin says:
Mar 29, 2013
These were amazing. These were one thing I really missed after going vegan. My kid loved them too. Thanks for sharing
Amelia says:
Apr 1, 2013
oh jeez wow these are in my fridge (but seriously, not for long!!!!)
they are essentially the cloyingly sweet, chocolate covered dreams of my non-vegan youth and I don’t know how to thank you enough!!!!!
Jen says:
Apr 3, 2013
I’m at step 4 and can already tell these will be amazing! I also LOVE the pb cups and butterfingers. Thank you times a billion for veganizing my favorite candy bars!!
Heathyr says:
Apr 30, 2013
Could someone turn me on to a vegan brand of powdered sugar? I usually buy the vegan granulated stuff from my local health food store, but I’ve never seen powdered! Also, if anyone knows of a good red food coloring that is not made from insect carcass, I’d love to hear about it. I’ve thought about simply using beet juice, but wouldn’t want to alter the flavor – especially for sweet treats.
Marie says:
Apr 30, 2013
Powdered sugar means icing sugar which is vegan. I use the sugarflair gel paste colouring as these are vegan friendly.
Traci says:
Mar 1, 2014
Heathyr: You can make your own natural food colorings very easily by dehydrating beets for red, spinach for green, blueberries for “blue”. Stale turmeric can be used for yellow (as once it is stale, it is fairly neutral in flavor). Once the vegetable/fruit has been dehydrated, simply whirl it in the food processor to make a powder. As for the confectioner’s/powdered/icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Powdered Sugar. Not all powdered sugar is vegan.
Heathyr says:
May 1, 2013
Hi Marie,
Thanks for the response. I do know what powdered/icing sugar is (although I had never heard it referred to as icing sugar until a couple years ago). However, I also know that 99.9% of sugar is processed in factories that use bone char filters. This is certainly not vegan (not even vegetarian, actually) and while I have found vegan granulated sugar, I have never seen vegan powdered/icing sugar. Ideas, anyone? I’ve even tried to powder my own vegan sugar in a food processor (not effective at all), haha.
Marie says:
May 2, 2013
Hi heathyr I’m in the uk so icing sugar is our common name here. I have researched bone char and the information I have found has said the Tate & lyle and billingtons brands are vegan, vegetarian and kosher safe and so not use this process. I stick to Tate and lyle products. I’m not sure what brands you have access too. It surprising what process happen especially when there is and alternative method.
Heathyr says:
May 4, 2013
Thanks for the information, Marie! I’ll check out Tate & Lyle and hope it’s available here in the States
Brittany @WeHeartVegan says:
May 26, 2013
I made vegan cadbury eggs last year (twice). My friends and family just couldn’t believe they tasted better than the store bought (crap) ones (:
Taryn says:
Jun 26, 2013
I am also a vegan atheist and I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog. This recipe looks great. I can’t wait to try it. This weekend I am going to try your vegan fried chicken and I just made your vegan chocolate pudding and it was delicious! Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Esther says:
Jun 30, 2013
Amazing recipe! I know, it’s a little late for the warning and maybe someone already statet it, but you have to be carefull with the red food coloring. It’s almost always from carmine which is made from lice secretions (check wikipedia). The lice die in the making. There are vegan colorings though, you just have to search for them. Love your blog, vegan power <3
claryn says:
Jun 30, 2013
Agreed! Most red food coloring these days (that I’m aware of) is made with synthetic chemicals (i.e. Red #40), but some folks are uncomfortable with using that as well. There are lots of tips around the ‘net on making natural food coloring if you’re in the market (like these!), and of course, there’s also the option of leaving it out altogether (because contrary to popular opinion, yellow doesn’t actually taste better than white!).
Katie @ Produce on Parade says:
Sep 20, 2013
Oh, Claryn! As a fellow vegan Atheist, don’t worry…I get it
Though I did happen to have LOVED Cadbury Eggs. I’ll have to make this next Zombie Jesus Day…I mean Easter.
scuffy says:
Sep 25, 2013
Sounds like not bothering with the food coloring would make the process a lot simpler, as it would cut out the most complicated steps.
I am going to try these at some point, minus the fake yolks. Thanks for reverse engineering this!
claryn says:
Sep 25, 2013
Hey, if you just want to eat balls of chocolate-covered fondant, more power to you! If the shape doesn’t matter, it might be even easier just to assemble them the way you would peanut butter cups.