Contrary to popular belief, you can go wrong when gifting chocolate. That’s because not all chocolate is created equal. There’s a big difference between the bag of off-brand Nutella wafers you pick up on a whim while standing in the checkout line at T.J. Maxx and a collection of handcrafted luxury chocolates made with the freshest Piedmont hazelnut paste. And while we’d likely eat any kind of chocolate that came our way, a low-quality piece of candy doesn’t exactly utter “you are special to me.” There’s a time and place for your standard supermarket milk chocolate bar, but we implore you to use this as an opportunity to get creative—it’ll make your gift all the more memorable.
After giving and receiving my fair share of chocolate gifts (including some hits and some misses), We’ve learned that the best chocolate gifts go beyond the cliche box of chocolates. Think Japanese chocolate-infused strawberries, artisanal hand-painted bonbons, and thick, gooey chocolate chip cookies delivered from one of New York City’s most iconic bakeries. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the very best chocolate gifts around, all of which are BA editor–approved.
With gorgeous bars and equally gorgeous packaging, Compartés is the cool kid of American chocolate makers. Here you’ll find a gift for every kind of Chocolate Person you know. There are pink-chocolate-covered cookies for your girlfriend who loves Oreos, a luxe set of vegan chocolate bars for your mom who’s really into superfoods, and the brand’s signature chocolate gift box for your dad who appreciates a good chocolate truffle. While you’re here, scoop up a few chocolate bars (like the bourbon pecan pie, avocado toast, or potato chip crisp) for yourself.
Give the gift of Levain’s iconic chocolate chip walnut cookies, which are thick and gooey and clock in at a third of a pound each. If your recipient lives in New York City, they likely know these treats in all their glory—if they don’t, they’ll be pleasantly surprised after one bite. Levain ships nationwide, and its cookies are baked and shipped the same day, which ensures they’ll arrive crispy at the edges and soft in the middle. For gifting, go with the signature cookie assortment. It’s available in three different sizes, and the assortment includes four bestsellers: chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip.
This second-generation chocolate shop in Los Angeles makes modern bonbons in flavors like hibiscus honey, masa hot chocolate, and double yuzu as well as classic flavors like dark chocolate and sticky toffee pudding. All of its products are made with artisanal ingredients like ethically sourced cacao and farmers market produce. This box of chocolates features 24 of andSons’ most popular seasonal confections, and it’s the perfect gift for anyone who is serious about high-quality gourmet chocolate.
Vosges Chocolate is a Chicago-based gourmet chocolatier known for creating unique flavor combinations featuring premium ingredients from all over the world. Think curry powder from India, Piemonte hazelnuts from Italy, and high-phenolic olive oil from Greece. They have a ton of stunning gifts, but we’re partial to the Comfort Food Tower, which puts a luxurious twist on three chocolate classics with Caramel Toffees, Caramel Marshmallows, and Peanut Butter Bonbons. If you want something with a bit more personality, the Tom Petty x Vosges Limited Edition Chocolate Bar Gift Set is “infused with the music of Tom Petty,” which is something your parents will probably be very into.
We’ve raved about Bokksu’s top-tier Japanese snacks before (see here and here), and we wouldn’t make a list of the best chocolate gifts without including its signature chocolate-infused strawberries. The strawberries are harvested, freeze-dried, infused with white chocolate, then cooled to create a rich, chocolaty treat that has all the flavor of fresh fruit. This gift box is the epitome of elegance.
These ingot-shaped, rose gold wrapped chocolates are made from cocoa mass, cocoa butter, Piedmont hazelnut paste, and raw sugar. With a rich hazelnut flavor that’s still light and creamy, each piece is basically solid Nutella. Plus, they don’t contain any milk, which makes them a delicious option for both vegan chocolate lovers and non-vegan chocolate lovers. Gianduiotti used to be hard to find outside of Italy, and now you can get it online at Venchi.
Alice Mushrooms chocolates are the perfect gift for that one friend or love one who religiously drinks tea before bed and always treats themselves to a new planner each year. Because these aren’t just any chocolates—they’re “functional” chocolates. This means each bar is infused with a different type of mushroom that allows the sweet treat to double as a stimulant, sleep aid, or even aphrodisiac. You might be skeptical of these claims—our editors were too when they tested Alice chocolates, only to end up repurchasing some of them because they were “just that good.” “I either expected to be bouncing off the walls with energy or to feel absolutely nothing,” said editorial operations manager, Kate Kassin, after trying the Brainstorm chocolate. “Instead I settled into a feeling of deep focus—the kind of dialed-in where you suddenly feel compelled to take a typing test.” We’re not saying your brain will achieve full actualization with these chocolates, but they do taste good and seem to do something.
Spring & Mulberry’s date-sweetened chocolate bars are just as delicious to look at as they are to eat. Each plant-based chocolate bar is made with 100% organic, direct-trade cacao and embellished with whole food ingredients like nuts, dried fruits, flower petals, and bee pollen. Their discovery and best-seller sets are a perfect all-purpose gift, but we also love their Dinner for Six and Sunday Soiree collections for hostess gifts.
BA’s Commerce Editor Carina Finn is never without a bar of Hu Kitchen’s cashew butter-stuffed chocolate in her tote bag for snacking emergencies. If you have a hanger-inclined person in your life who also appreciates a healthy-ish snack, gift them a box of Hu’s organic fair-trade chocolate bars. Their best-sellers are all made with dark chocolate and filled with things like luxurious nut butters and flaky salts, but their new milk chocolate bars are also deserving of a place in your stocking stuffer lineup.
A single bite of a Valerie Confections petit four will redefine this classic dessert for you. The L.A.-based confectionary started their business making hand-dipped toffees, but these days they sell all manner of truffles, chocolates, and more. While you can’t go wrong with any sweet treat from Valerie, I’d especially recommend the petit fours. Each bite is an explosion of silky, creamy sweetness, which makes them perfect for a special occasion when you want a bit of extra decadence.The brand’s white chocolate flavors—including rose petal, lavender, Early Grey, and lemon—are so good, they’ll convince even white chocolate haters.
Unlike most chocolate, which is made by roasting fermented cacao beans, Raaka’s sustainably sourced, single-origin bars are entirely unroasted. This lends a brighter, fruitier flavor that lets the raw ingredients shine (kind of like light roast versus dark roast roast coffee). Surprise the chocolate connoisseur in your life with this 30-piece set, which includes four assorted chocolate flavors: oat milk, coconut milk, pink sea salt, and dark chocolate.