The 14 best Seattle confectioneries for holiday sweets, treats

Sweeten up the holidays with gifts from Seattle's best confectioneries for everyone on your list, including yourself.

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season begins to look and feel a bit more normal, it's important to remember the sweetness of the season. Whether you're bringing a box of chocolates to your next holiday party or decompressing with a cup of hot cocoa, consider supporting local chocolatiers and sweet-makers this season. 

From showers of caramel corn, to luxurious drinking chocolate, to all manner of baking necessities, keep reading for 14 of Seattle's best shops for holiday confections.

Dolcetta Artisan Sweets

Based in Georgetown, Dolcetta Artisan Sweets handcrafts chocolates and confectionaries in small batches.

This season, Dolcetta is offering gift boxes in three different configurations, two of which are customizable. The Piccolo gift box ($65) includes a box of 12 truffles, a jar of snowflakes, five bonbons and two chocolate bars. The Doppio gift box ($110) includes a box of salty caramel truffles, a box of peanut butter crisp truffles, a jar of dark chocolate peppermint snowflakes, a jar of milk chocolate orange snowflakes and 16 assorted bonbons. The largest box, Famiglia ($130), includes a box of 25 assorted bonbons, one box of salty caramel truffles, one box of peanut butter crisp truffles and four chocolate bars.

Intrigue Chocolate Co.

Intrigue Chocolate Co. lives in the heart of Seattle in the Pioneer Square district. Known for their artisan chocolates and confectionaries, Intrigue Chocolate Co. "celebrates the discovery of flavor through the medium of fresh chocolate."

This holiday season, Intrigue is offering truffle boxes in 12 or 24 piece sizes. Also a great gift idea, the Rainbow Collection contains six bars that each celebrate an element of the Pacific Northwest. If you're just looking for a little holiday inspo, the Intrigue Chocolate Co. blog is laden with recipes like mint chocolate fudge and crinkle cookies.

Chocolat Vitale

While the Italian-inspired chocolate haven crafts an assortment of discs and bars, Chocolat Vitale is renowned for something a little more decadent: European-style drinking chocolate. Made from a blend of pure Swiss and Belgian chocolate, enjoy rich sips of molten chocolate free of cocoa powder. New is the Venezuelan Black drinking chocolate made with Venezuelan dark chocolate. 

indi chocolate

Ranked as one of the 24 best chocolate shops in America by Eater, Seattle-based indi chocolate is led by chocolatier Erin Andrews.

The shop, which settled into Pike Place Market in 2013, has great gift options like the care package box which includes two chocolate bars, two cookies, two brownies, two truffles and a bag of one lavender cacao tea for $55. Other gift sets from indi can be found on their website.

Know someone who doesn't like chocolate? indi also offers products like lotions and soaps using cocoa butter, made for sensitive skin. If you prefer to gift experiences, indi also offers fun classes like Bean to Bar and truffle making.

Chocolopolis

Featuring a multiplicity of hand-selected chocolate bars from around the globe, holiday gift boxes packed with gingerbread toffee and peppermint sticks, and flights of chocolate tastings, Chocolopolis sources its chocolates through an extensive curating process. From a list of explicit ingredient and sourcing principles to blind tastings, the shop prides itself on artisan goods infused with whiskey pecan, rosemary caramel and coffee ganache.

Chocolati

Doling out lavender mochas and truffles infused with flavors like yellow curry, bacon maple and Kahlua since 2000, Chocolati remains a beloved neighborhood gem for all manner of cocoa-infused sips and nibbles across the Seattle area.

For the holidays, indulge in boxes of candy cane truffles, chocolate snowflakes and limited-edition chocolate wine sauces.

Chukar Cherries

For three decades, family owned Chukar Cherries nestled in Pike Place Market has been transforming local sweet and tart cherries into award-winning chocolate coated cherries, no sugar added dried cherries and all manner of cherry gift baskets. If you're in the market for uniquely Seattle gifts, check out Chukar Cherries' website where's you'll find a "shop holiday" tab. Here you'll find tins and assortments of all kinds in special holiday packaging.

Fran’s Chocolates

The rumored home of Barack Obama's favorite confection — smoked salt caramels — Fran Bigelow has dished out nationally recognized truffles encapsulating light ganache, chocolate coated fruits and salted caramels since 1982 at Fran's Chocolates.

Of course, the Seattle-based chocolatier doesn't just dole out milk chocolate hazelnut diamonds and figs dunked in dark chocolate. For all manner of holiday gift giving, the chocolate shop boasts caramel and raspberry dessert sauces, alongside bronze tins of house-made hot chocolate powder.

Head to Fran's website where you'll find a link that directs you to the company's holiday gift shop. Find everything from orange confit to smoked caramels and peppermint imperales. If you're thinking of giving in more ways than one, look for the charitable giving link where you can purchase products that will help local organizations like the Safe Crossings Foundation and Neighborhood House.

Cobb's Popcorn

What's screams holiday more than a string of popcorn and cranberries around a big, tall tree? Well, instead of impaling your corn with a needle and string, indulge in the holiday delight with confectioneries from Cobb's Popcorn. Their storefront at Pike Place Market sells artisan popcorn popped fresh daily, hand-coated, slow tumbled and cooled the old-fashioned way.

For the holidays, Cobb's is offering their holiday tins and flavors which are a hard-kept secret until the week before Christmas. Some promotions for the holiday season include two large popcorn bags for $34, three medium bags for $37, and a 2 gallon tin for $67.

Jonboy Caramels

Nestled in Ballard, Jonboy Caramels is an artisan confectionery and small business which began in 2009 creating unforgettable small batch caramels by hand. Seasonal flavors are crafted using Northwest ingredients like raspberry and blackberry juices for their balsamic berry caramels and black salt caramels.

You can nab Jonboy Caramels on their website, at Whole Foods locations around Seattle, at PCC and at Seattle-area farmers markets.

Sugar + Spoon

Give the gift of nostalgia this holiday season with cookie dough that's not meant to see the inside of your oven. Don't worry, this stuff won't give you a tummy ache. Sugar + Spoon crafts edible cookie dough without eggs so you can eat it right from the jar.

For the holiday season, Sugar + Spoon is offering a wide variety of holiday flavors like peppermint hot cocoa, Mr. Grinch (a bright green sugar cookie dough with white chocolate chips and heart sprinkles), brownie batter, salted maple gingerbread, Snow Day (sugar cookie dough with winter-themed sprinkles), Reindeer Crunch (oatmeal dough with pretzels, mini marshmallows and sprinkles), graham cracker toffee and classic chocolate chip. Any of these flavors strike your fancy? Order the whole bundle or build your own pack of four, six, eight, 10 or 12 jars.

For the gift that keeps on giving, sign your giftee up for the company's monthly subscription box.

Sugarfina

It’s the holidays, which means we have a fair excuse to stock up on all things festive treats. And luxury candy brand, Sugarfina, is dishing out plenty of sweets from Seattle’s Nordstrom stores.

Nab one of their holiday bundles packed with decadent chocolates, champagne-infused gummy bears, jellies and Sugarfina’s most popular sweets. 

Askatu Bakery

Belltown’s Askatu Bakery doles out goods alongside Liberated Foods, LLC, a minority- and woman-owned small business that specializes in making allergen-free baked goods and mixes to order. From the elimination of wheat, dairy, soy and eggs to nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish, corn, rice, yeast and potatoes, the company strives to create equally tasty goods without the allergens.

This holiday season, grab a festive dessert platter of cookies, reindeer cake or limited-edition truffles.

Theo Chocolate

Founded in Seattle in 2005, Theo Chocolate has become a booming international business.

For the holidays, shop their Christmas collection which includes bars in flavors like milk and cookies, eggnog, and peppermint mocha. Prefer your sweets in a mug? Indulge in Theo's peppermint drinking chocolate. If binge-watching the "Great British Baking Show" has you inspired to create a thing or two on your own, pick up Theo's holiday baking kit, complete with cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and decoration sugar. Ready, set, bake!