9 artisanal chocolatiers who can help with Valentine’s Day

Whether you like milk chocolate or dark, filled candies or solid bars, new flavors or old standbys, Northern New England offers plenty of high quality, locally made treats to satisfy any sweet tooth. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, here are 9 shops to consider for your—or your honey’s—next chocolate fix.

Tucked into a former ice plant in the town’s working marina, Kate McAleer’s chocolate wonderland embraces candy that McAleer says is “good for you.” By incorporating nuts, fruit, and high-quality Rainforest Alliance–certified chocolate, she proudly creates bars, bonbons, and other sweets that you can feel virtuous about enjoying. She even offers gluten-free, kosher, organic, and soy-free options.

A 1-pound dark chocolate lobster or apple cider caramels—or a box of champagne truffles or pistachio-and-cranberry-studded chocolate hearts might make the perfect gift for your special someone. Closed Sundays.

From the counter at this gourmet shop, you can look into the production space as chocolatiers dip each truffle in silky smooth ganache.

Single-source bars, such as the Madagascar 64 and Guanaja, highlight the different flavors imparted by the terroir of each cacao-growing region. Embedded pansies, crunchy milk-chocolate pearls, and candied violets make several of Byrne & Carlson’s offerings almost too beautiful to eat.

What’s the first thing visitors notice when entering this nearly century-old shop? Lenny, the 1,700-pound life-size chocolate moose watching over the candy displays. As if to make Willy Wonka jealous, Len Libby stocks almost any sweet treat you can imagine.

Stock up on jellybeans, taffy, all sorts of licorice, and Maine’s state candy: the Needham, a chocolate-covered coconut-and-potato concoction that some compare to a Mounds bar with more body. (Many Maine candymakers also use potatoes in their Needhams, but Len Libby’s does not.) Truffles, bark, and double-dipped pretzels tempt you from the display counter, where you can buy single pieces or candy by the pound. Closed Sundays.

Nestled in the center of this quintessentially New England town, this traditional chocolate shop offers mix-and-match truffles and other chocolate-covered goodies by the pound. You can stick with the standard peanut butter, mint, or coconut-filled truffles, or branch out into new territory by trying chocolates filled with key lime or chili cream.

You can also find prefilled bags of gummy bears (both plain and chocolate covered), spice drops, and house-made bridge mix. The creamy, smooth chocolate coating is sure to keep you coming back for more.

This chocolate shop’s large, airy showroom has welcomed customers since 2002, though the business sold its first candy under the Van Otis name in 1958. Because the shop stocks such a wide selection, consider allowing the staff to help select the perfect mix of truffles, turtles, and homemade caramels.

Don’t forget Van Otis’ famous melt-in-your-mouth Swiss fudge. You’ll also find novelty treats including Oreo cookie–coated pretzels, chocolate-coated Twinkies, and a cute gift-boxed purse made entirely of chocolate. Closed Sundays (except for the runup prior to major holidays).

A mainstay among local Vermont businesses, this popular confectioner continues to grow, recently upgrading its flagship factory store on Pine Street and opening a location in Stowe. The Lampman family, which founded and still runs the company, focuses on the “pursuit of extraordinary chocolate moments” while also striving to ensure sustainable practices.

The certified B Corporation sources as many of its ingredients from non-GMO, organic, and fair trade–certified sellers as it can to strengthen economic and social systems both in Vermont and in cacao-growing regions.

The renovated factory shop features customer favorites—Five Star Bars, caramel clusters, almond butter crunch, and limited-edition special chocolates—as well as the factory seconds section and a new pastry counter and hot chocolate bar.

What does Vermont taste like? When Dar Tavernier-Singer and her husband, John Singer, started their chocolate business in 2014, they sought to answer that question by incorporating the flavors of the Connecticut Valley region in their creations.

Their work with area foragers and locally sourced ingredients shines through in their chocolates, whether in the earthiness of their black trumpet, porcini rosemary, and chantarelle truffles or in the sweetness of their Queen Bee Cups, featuring honey from the nearby Singing Cedars Apiaries.

Working in small batches, the couple seeks to ensure that each chocolate delivers a true taste of the Green Mountain State. Closed Mondays–Thursdays.

Pamela Hunt, a freelance writer in Burlington, Vermont, writes regularly for AAA publications.