What: There are few Easter treats more iconic than the Lindt bunny. But this is no ordinary bunny. This one-kilo gold rabbit is pretty much life-sized and comes in its own box with a strap for carrying, presumably so you carry it with you and eat bits of it throughout the day. For that reason, we’ve rounded up the best chocolate advent calendars for 2023, to help make your decision on which one to get that much easier. So go on, leave the kids to their Kinnerton abominations and treat yourself - we've rounded up the best chocolate advent calendars for 2023 so you can start planning your countdown to Christmas, from hot chocolate samplers to incredible luxury creations. Best dark chocolate advent calendars

With more and more of us turning to veganism and looking to reduce our dairy intake, vegan chocolate is booming, and there are some fantastic vegan chocolate offerings out there nowadays. Thankfully, going vegan doesn't mean you have to miss out on the advent calendar fun! H!P Oat Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar Watch the temperature. Using a candy thermometer, look for the temp to reach 240º Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, spoon a small amount of syrup into a bowl of cold water. A soft ball should form in the water. When you remove it and place it on a flat surface, the ball should flatten. This is how you’ll know it’s ready. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture come to a boil and leave it undisturbed. Don’t stir or mix once you reach this point. What: We love Chococo’s handmade chocolates, and the Dorset chocolatiers really outdo themselves at Easter with a huge range of great eggs. This milk chocolate number is made from their signature 47% Colombian milk chocolate, and 5% of every sale goes towards the Ocean Giants conservation programme.

What: This child-friendly treat-filled calendar gives you change from a tenner while also making sure you get a proper chocolate hit. Hiding behind each door is a sweet little milk chocolate shape which will keep you guessing day to day, and you can get the Christmas Eve choc personalised with a name on it. If you've got a big brood, Thorntons often does special offers on multiple calendars, so make sure to keep an eye out in the run up to Christmas. What: Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpiller - two iconic treats that are getting an Easter makeover from M&S this year. Treat the chocolate lover in your life to a giant Percy Pig or Colin face - the latter is white chocolate, and Percy is milk chocolate so they cover all bases.

You don’t need to refrigerate them at all. These make great gifts because you can ship them and they’ll be just fine. Use the right equipment. Using a candy thermometer is the best way to know if your caramel is ready. If not, they might end up being too soft or chewy, or too hard. What: One of the biggest Easter eggs we’ve ever laid eyes on, this whopper from Kent-based chocolatier Cocoba weighs in at a weighty four kilograms. Gather together a few hungry mates to polish it off. Buy now: M&S Extremely Chocolatey Caramel Latte; M&S Extremely Chocolatey Orange Explosion M&S Easter Chocolate Animals

Buy now: M&S Extremely Chocolatey Hot Cross Bun M&S Percy Pig & Colin the Caterpillar Giant Chocolate Face What: Daylesford Organic’s gorgeous golden egg is made from sustainably sourced Peruvian cacao, and features a dark chocolate shell stuffed with smooth hazelnut truffle. The egg cup itself is whittled from walnut, so you can keep that for boiled eggs and soldiers in the morning. What:Made with oat milk and 100% Colombian chocolate, H!P's advent calendar is vegan-friendly, and it's plastic free so entirely recyclable when you get to Christmas Day! Plus, the calendar mixes things up with four different chocolate flavours - plain, salted caramel, gingerbread and white chocolate - so you're not getting the same old same old every day. No matter how old we get, there’s something about the joy of a chocolate Easter egg that fills us with glee. Whether it’s unwrapping the foil coating or discovering the hidden treats inside, our love for Easter eggs is as strong as when we were five years old. What: Gianduja, for those who don’t know, is a delicious, smooth hazelnut chocolate combo that originates in Northern Italy - think Nutella and you’re on the right lines. This egg throws in crunchy whole hazelnuts for texture alongside smooth gianduja chocolate - perfect for Nutella nuts in the family.

What: If you’re going for the creme de la creme Easter Egg this year, you can’t go wrong with Ducasse. The master chef has turned his hand to chocolate in recent years and it’s unsurprisingly brilliant, taking single origin cacao from bear to bar then fashioning it into pleasing geometric shapes, designed by French designer Pierre Tachon. Spoon it out. When it reaches the correct temperature, spoon it out onto the prepared baking sheet. You can do these as little or as big as you like. What: Chocolate orange fans, this one's for you - Selfridges’ egg mixes single origin dark chocolate with zesty orange chocolate, and it looks pretty smart too. There are two other delicious flavours available too - a praline and a tasty malted blonde version.Now we know deep down that chocolate shouldn’t really be part of your breakfast, but that adds to the indulgence of it all, and arguably the small bite-sized squares you get in an advent calendar taste even better than a full-sized bar as a result. The issue comes when making the decision as to which one, or in our case how many, you’re going to commit to buying this year, with so many different options on offer. Combine the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan and stir to combine. Be sure to stir well because you will soon have to stop stirring. What: The title of this egg isn’t hyperbole, as it’s the size of an actual ostrich egg. The shell is made of milk chocolate that has been filled with crunchy cookie pieces and puffed rice, while the egg also comes with a tray of 20 chocs, meaning the whole thing amounts to over 1kg of chocolate. Just the right amount for one we think. What: A dark chocolate lover's dream, this seriously decadent egg is made from 70% cocoa, and comes filled with high-cacao pralines, caramels, simple truffles and plenty of other chocolatey treats.