I’m an avowed supporter of Valentine’s Day — not as a result of I’ve a very rosy-eyed view of affection and friendships, though I’m additionally professional these issues. However I’m actually right here for the chocolate, which on Valentine’s Day, deservedly takes satisfaction of place, dialog hearts and luxurious vegetable bouquets however. That is the time to request and provides actually fancy chocolate, the sort of chocolate that instantly telegraphs luxurious and decadence. There’s nothing that matches that invoice fairly like a good looking field of bonbons or truffles.
Historically, bonbons are made with molds and comprise all kinds of fillings, from fruits and nuts to caramel and marzipans, in contrast to truffles which typically comprise ganache. Each could be a canvas for a chocolatier’s creativity, usually painted to resemble glistening gem stones. And in contrast to the bar you choose up at grocery retailer checkout, these bins of goodies are all the time a celebration. Right here, an inventory of confectioners from throughout the nation with appropriately festive choices (all of them ship nationwide).
Stick With Me Sweets
That is the place that satisfied me there’s completely nothing extra pleasant than sitting round and consuming bonbons all day. On the New York Metropolis store, Susanna Yoon manages to pack all of the flavors of different elaborate desserts — like calamansi meringue pie or black forest cake — into a good looking bundle. You possibly can’t choose particular person flavors while you order to ship on-line, however belief, they received’t disappoint.
Vesta Chocolate
New Jersey-based Vesta Chocolate is a bean-to-bonbon chocolate manufacturing unit, that means chocolatiers Roger Rodriguez and Julia Choi Rodriguez begin the chocolate-making course of with complete cacao beans which they then course of to type the idea of confections starting from scorching chocolate to bars to bonbons. These bonbons can be found to ship in bins of six or 12 shock flavors.
Exquisito Goodies
In Miami, bean-to-bonbon Exquisito Goodies prides itself on moral sourcing (you’ll be able to see precisely how chocolate maker Carolina Quijano turns cacao into chocolate on this episode of Eater’s “Handmade.”) For Valentine’s Day, you’ll be able to order each a present and a date-night exercise with its bonbon portray child, which helps you to embellish your individual bonbons with edible paint.
Piety and Need Chocolate
New Orleans bean-to-bar store Piety and Need sells bins of its fairly bonbons in units of 4 to 24, and whereas the flavors are a thriller (they’re a mixture of Piety and Need’s seasonal and signature bonbons), there’s the choice to decide on nut-free units. A vegan field can be accessible.
Topogato
Eater SF as soon as known as Topotgato San Francisco’s “most audacious on-line chocolate store.” These hand-painted confections comprise taste mixtures like brandied eggnog, blood orange amaretto, and spiced scorching chocolate.
Sugoi Sweets
Sugoi’s Elle Lei makes bonbons in small batches out of Chicago. You possibly can select from the newer collections (with flavors like beer pretzel, Chicago corn, and milk tea) or the unique assortment (flavors right here embody blueberry lavender, coconut almond, and cotton sweet pop rock). Or go for a candy stack of six flavors (take your choose of peanut butter and jelly, Mexican scorching chocolate, and others).
Cacao and Cardamom
Houston-based Cacao and Cardamom acknowledges the jewel-like enchantment of the bonbon, which right here are available quite a lot of shapes, packaged in festive bins. Because the store’s identify implies, spices take a starring position in chocolatier Annie Rupani’s flavors: there’s strawberry Szechuan peppercorn, garam masala pistachio, 5 spice praline, and cardamom rose, simply to call just a few.
Kate Weiser
The Valentine’s Day choices at Dallas-based chocolatier Kate Weiser mix my want for high quality, fancy chocolate with the gaudy Valentine’s Day imagery I unironically love. Simply take a look at these pink hearts!
Monsoon Chocolate
In Tucson, Monsoon Chocolate places collectively bins of bonbons that showcase quite a lot of aesthetic types with flavors that replicate the southwestern setting, comparable to chiltepín pepper, prickly pear caramel, and Sonoran sea salt darkish chocolate. This assortment of chiltepín- infused goodies additionally advantages the Northern Jaguar Mission (NJP), which works to guard the jaguars of the Sierra Madre Occidental.
Jardí Goodies
Atlanta-based Jardí Goodies is especially properly suited to the fruit lover with flavors comparable to salted blueberry vanilla and mango with mezcal. But it surely’s the large, darkish chocolate and brown sugar marshmallow hearts by chef Jocelyn Gragg which might be the actual Valentine’s Day stand-out.
andSons
At andSons in Los Angeles, second-generation chocolate makers keep it up the household custom with elegant bonbons and different chocolate confections. The 2025 Valentine’s Day assortment drops quickly based on the positioning, however the model’s signature assortment is all the time successful with flavors comparable to Pecan Crispy, Hazelnut Gianduja, Double Yuzu, and extra. A portion of gross sales will probably be donated to World Central Kitchen to assist LA wildfire aid.
Bon Bon Bon
Bon Bon Bon’s bonbons may not have the standard domed form, however the flavors take full benefit of the anything-goes spirit of the bonbon. The Detroit store’s Valentine’s Day assortment is offered for pre-order and intensely on-theme, that includes flavors like Pet Love (pet chow and milk chocolate) and Can’t Get Un Oeuf (sprinkles and meringue in custard). Alternatively, its traditional bon bon field is a pleasant assortment of crème brûlée- and excessive tea-inspired goodies.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Vosges is a luxurious chocolatier from Chicago, Illinois, and it actually delivers on not solely style however presentation with its choices and collaborations; in the future, I’ll carry house its elaborate wreathe of bonbons for the vacations. The confectioner’s Lunar New Yr collections are rightfully taking heart stage proper now, nevertheless it’s Valentine’s Day drops are quickly to observe. Within the meantime, take a gander at its reward field of Canard-Duchêne Brut Rosé Champagne and Unique Truffle Assortment, which incorporates flavors comparable to absinthe (Kübler absinthe, Chinese language star anise, fennel, darkish chocolate, matcha, and white poppy seeds), Woolloomooloo ( macadamia nuts, Sri Lankan coconut, and milk chocolate), Olio d’oliva (Tuscan olive oil, white chocolate, and inexperienced olives), and extra.
Compartés
Compartés has been making luxurious goodies from its Los Angeles, California hub for almost 75 years, and its tackle the standard heart-shaped Valentine’s Day chocolate field is pleasant; as an alternative of the traditional fake satin-lined field, Compartés provides a inexperienced crocodile-print coronary heart containing chocolate-dipped fruits, chocolate coated nuts, cookies, and extra.
Twenty-4 Blackbirds
This Santa Barbara, California-based confectionary sources its cocoa beans from single origin estates and co-ops, and chances are you’ll acknowledge it from collaborations with the likes of Flamingo Property. Founder Mike Orlando began Twenty-4 Blackbirds with a DIY mindset — even making a few of the tools himself — and the ethos that deciding on top quality, bean-to-bar goodies ought to really feel enjoyable and accessible. This reward field will spherical up a dozen truffles chosen by workers comparable to lavender blossom caramel and a seasonal pâté de fruits bonbon.
Advantageous & Uncooked
For many who need to forgo the frills of conventional Valentine’s Day chocolate bins, attain for Advantageous & Uncooked. The Brooklyn, New York-based chocolatier focuses on uncooked, natural bean-to-bar chocolate that’s all dairy-free and packaged in low-key graphic bins.
Etsy
Etsy is house to many small-scale chocolate slingers, however it’s also a purveyor of edible bouquets that lean into the kitsch joys of the vacation with preparations of Ferrero Rocher, Butterfinger bars, and extra Large Sweet classics.
