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Easter Baskets

Pre-filled baskets, candy-free stuffers and grown-up treats for toddlers, teens, adults and the family hosting Easter brunch.

Updated By the Gift Baskets Market Editorial Team

Braided Easter bread rings baked around colored eggs

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Easter Baskets & Gift Baskets Buying Guide

Easter baskets have grown well beyond a handful of jelly beans in plastic grass. Pre-filled baskets now range from board books and bubbles for toddlers to craft kits for school-age kids, snack-and-accessory sets for teens, and grown-up versions stocked with gourmet chocolate. Buying one ready-made saves a trip through picked-over seasonal aisles, while filling your own lets you match every item to the child.

Below are our picks by age, plus candy-free and allergy-aware ideas, a step-by-step guide to building a basket from scratch, and gifts for the family hosting Easter dinner. Because Easter moves every year, landing anywhere from late March to late April, we also cover how early to order so nothing arrives after the egg hunt. For year-round ideas for little ones, see our gift baskets for kids.

Easter Baskets & Gift Baskets: at a glance

When is Easter?
A Sunday between March 22 and April 25 in Western churches; it moves every year
Best for
Toddlers, school-age kids, teens, adults and Easter hosts
Typical contents
Chocolate bunnies, candy, plush toys, books, crafts and outdoor toys
Candy-free options?
Yes; many baskets use toys, books, stickers and crafts instead of sweets

Our Picks, Explained

What each gift is, who it suits and what usually comes inside.

Pre-Filled Easter Basket for KidsBest OverallBest for: School-age kids who love a mix of toys and treats

Ready-made baskets for school-age kids usually combine a plush bunny, chocolate eggs, a few small toys and an activity such as chalk or a coloring set, all wrapped in cellophane. They save a trip through crowded seasonal aisles. Check the contents list against allergies, and swap out anything your child won't eat.

  • Plush, candy and small toys together
  • Wrapped and ready for Easter morning
  • Contents vary; read the full item list

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Toddler Easter Basket with Plush and Board BooksEditor's PickBest for: Babies and toddlers under three

For the youngest kids, leave out hard candy and small parts altogether. Toddler baskets built around a soft plush bunny, chunky board books, bath toys or bubbles are safer and just as exciting to unwrap. Check each item's age grade on the listing, since toys with small parts aren't meant for children under three.

  • Plush, board books or bath toys
  • Candy-free for little ones
  • Check the age grade on every item

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Easter Gift Basket for TeensBest for: Tweens and teens who've outgrown pastel bunnies

Teens still like being included, as long as the basket doesn't look babyish. Look for sets with grown-up candy, snacks, fuzzy socks, a water bottle or lip gloss in a neutral bucket or tote. It's also easy to build one around their favorite snacks and slip a gift card inside a plastic egg.

  • Grown-up candy, snacks and small accessories
  • Neutral or sporty designs, not pastel bunnies
  • Easy to add a gift card

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Adult Easter Basket with Gourmet ChocolateBest for: Partners, college students and grown-up chocolate fans

Adults enjoy an Easter basket too, especially one with better chocolate than the checkout-lane kind: truffle eggs, a dark-chocolate bunny, gourmet jelly beans and perhaps a candle or coffee. It's a sweet surprise for a partner, a college student far from home or a grandparent who's usually doing the giving.

  • Premium chocolate eggs and bunnies
  • Sometimes adds coffee, tea or a candle
  • Grown-up packaging and flavors

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Lindt Gold Bunny ChocolateBest ClassicBest for: Anchoring kids' and adults' baskets alike

The foil-wrapped Lindt Gold Bunny, with its red ribbon and little bell, has been an Easter fixture for decades and is recognizable enough to anchor any basket. It comes in several sizes and flavors. Buy early in the season, since popular sizes can disappear from shelves as the holiday approaches.

  • Foil-wrapped chocolate bunny with a bell
  • Several sizes and flavors
  • Easy centerpiece for a DIY basket

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Non-Candy Easter Basket StuffersBest for: Allergy-aware families and kids who get candy everywhere else

Stuffer packs of toy-filled eggs, stickers, mini puzzles, bubbles and squishy toys fill a basket without adding sugar. They suit kids with food allergies, households limiting sweets and classroom or church egg hunts. Check age grades and small-parts warnings, especially if toddlers share the house with older siblings.

  • Toy-filled eggs, stickers and mini games
  • Nothing edible, so no ingredient lists
  • Handy for egg hunts and classrooms

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Personalized Empty Easter Basket with NameBest PersonalizedBest for: Families who fill their own baskets and reuse them yearly

An empty basket embroidered or printed with your child's name becomes part of the family tradition, coming out of the closet every spring. Fill it with your own mix of treats, books and toys. Order early, because personalized items need production time before they ship, and double-check the spelling.

  • Name embroidered, printed or on a tag
  • Canvas, felt or woven styles
  • Fill with your own treats and toys

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Fillable Plastic Easter Eggs Bulk PackBest for SharingBest for: Backyard egg hunts, churches, classrooms and big families

An egg hunt is half the fun of Easter morning, and a bulk bag of bright fillable eggs is a budget-friendly way to stage one. Fill them with stickers, coins, tiny toys or wrapped candy, and count them before hiding so none are left for the lawnmower to find in May.

  • Dozens of colorful snap-shut eggs
  • Fill with candy, coins or tiny toys
  • Reusable year after year

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Choosing Easter Baskets by Age

The right basket depends far more on age than on budget.

Babies and toddlers

Skip candy entirely. Hard candy, jelly beans and small toys are choking hazards for children under three, so fill the basket with a plush bunny, board books, bath toys, bubbles, chunky sidewalk chalk or a sun hat for spring.

School-age kids

This is the sweet spot for the classic mix: a chocolate bunny, a few candies and something to do, like a craft kit, building set, kite or jump rope. Seed-starting kits are a fun spring project that keeps kids busy long after the chocolate is gone.

Tweens and teens

Retire the pastel bunny and go for their actual interests: favorite snacks, fuzzy socks, a water bottle, lip gloss, sports gear, a paperback or a gift card tucked into a plastic egg. A neutral bucket or tote feels more grown-up than a woven basket with a bow.

Candy-Free and Allergy-Aware Easter Baskets

If your child has food allergies, or simply collects plenty of candy from grandparents and the church egg hunt, a candy-free basket is easy to pull off:

  • Bubbles, chalk, kites and outdoor balls for spring weather
  • Stickers, mini puzzles and activity books
  • Plastic eggs filled with coins, erasers or tiny figurines
  • A new swimsuit, sunglasses or summer pajamas
  • Seed packets and a small trowel for planting together

When you do include candy, read every package's ingredients and allergen warning, even for brands you buy all the time. Holiday-shaped versions of a favorite candy are sometimes made on different lines than the everyday version, so the allergen warnings can differ. For packaged treats with clear labels, browse our snack gift baskets.

Keep pets in mind

Chocolate is dangerous for dogs, plastic basket grass is a hazard if a cat swallows it, and Easter lilies are toxic to cats. Keep finished baskets out of reach, and choose paper or fabric filler if you have a curious pet.

How to Build a DIY Easter Basket

Filling your own basket takes about twenty minutes once you have the pieces, and our guide to empty baskets, filler and wrap covers the supplies.

  1. Pick the container. A woven basket, a sand pail, a tote bag or even a pair of rain boots all work, and the non-basket options get used again.
  2. Add filler. Crinkle paper or tissue in the bottom lifts items up so the basket looks full.
  3. Place tall items at the back. Books, plush toys and boxed games stand up behind everything else.
  4. Layer medium items in the middle. Craft kits, outdoor toys and a chocolate bunny go next.
  5. Tuck small treats in front. Filled eggs, candy and stickers fill the gaps.
  6. Wrap it. Clear cellophane and a ribbon hold everything in place if the basket has to travel.

For a showpiece in the middle, a solid chocolate bunny or a box from our chocolate gift baskets gives a homemade basket a polished focal point.

Easter Gifts for Adults, Hosts and Faraway Grandkids

Easter baskets aren't only for kids. A grown-up version with truffle eggs, gourmet jelly beans and good coffee is a sweet surprise for a partner, a college student or a grandparent who usually does the giving.

If you're heading to someone else's home for Easter brunch or dinner, bring a host gift that doesn't need oven space, such as a tin of decorated sugar cookies, a box of spring truffles or a potted plant. Our cookie gift baskets and family gift baskets include shareable options for a crowd.

Order early; Easter moves every year

Western Easter falls between March 22 and April 25, and Orthodox Easter is often a week or more later. Seasonal chocolate and pre-filled baskets can sell out in the final stretch, so order two to three weeks ahead, allow extra time for personalized baskets, and ship grandkids' baskets to their parents a few days early so they can be hidden before Sunday.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Easter?

Easter is always a Sunday, but the date changes every year. In Western churches it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21, which puts it between March 22 and April 25. Orthodox churches use a different calculation, so their Easter often comes later; check the calendar if you're shopping for an Orthodox family.

What do you put in an Easter basket?

A balanced basket usually includes something sweet, something to play with, something to read and something for spring, such as a chocolate bunny, a kite, a picture book and a new pair of sunglasses. Scale the mix to the child's age, and for toddlers leave out candy and small parts entirely.

Are pre-filled Easter baskets worth buying?

They're worth it when time is short or you want a polished, gift-wrapped look, especially for grandkids you're shipping to. The trade-off is less control over the contents, so read the full item list before ordering. Many parents buy a pre-filled basket, then swap out one or two items and add a personal favorite.

What can I put in an Easter basket instead of candy?

Try bubbles, sidewalk chalk, a kite, stickers, puzzles, books, art supplies, seed-starting kits, bath toys or summer clothes like a swimsuit or sun hat. Plastic eggs filled with coins or tiny toys keep the egg hunt fun without sugar, and candy-free baskets are a safe choice for kids with food allergies.

At what age do kids stop getting Easter baskets?

There's no fixed age. Many families keep the tradition going through the teen years and even mail baskets to college students, simply swapping plush bunnies for snacks, gift cards and practical items. If an older child seems to have outgrown it, a smaller basket or a single treat on Easter morning keeps the ritual alive.

How far ahead should I order Easter baskets?

Two to three weeks before Easter is a comfortable window, and personalized baskets may need longer. Seasonal items can sell out close to the holiday, and spring warmth can soften chocolate in southern states. At checkout, look at the estimated arrival for the recipient's address and aim for a date several days before the weekend.