We never need an excuse for chocolate, but Valentine’s Day is always is a good one! From homemade chocolates to saltwater taffy and vintage sweets, here are favorite next-level chocolate and candy shops in NJ:
1300 Rte. 35, Middletown
888-896-2449
Aside from the incredibly beautiful and interestingly-flavored bonbons here (think PB Oreo Cookie, lemon cheesecake, raspberry chocolate martini), you can get chocolate-covered potato chips, s’mores, hemp-infused chocolates and boozy bites. They make vegan and sugar-free chocolates, too.
5 W. Maple Ave., Merchantville
856-662-0058
Charles Brooks Oakford, Sr., loved his aunt and loved his candy, and thus the shop was born in 1920 and has been in operation for four decades. Although they’ve moved a long way from hand-wrapped caramels served from the front seat of Charles’s Model T Ford truck, they now offer everything from butter creams, crabs, bark and crunch to fudge, meltaway, soft center and sugar-free options.
1522 Rte. 206 – Suite B, Tabernacle
609-388-4237
Order a chocolate-covered pretzel tray, a four-piece customized truffle box, gourmet chocolate caramel apples and chocolate-covered Oreos that you can decorate specifically for holidays or occasions.
Store and Factory: 350 Rifle Camp Rd., Woodland Park
973-684-1496
Essex Mall: 891 Bloomfield Ave., West Caldwell
973-227-0819
The Candy Case includes a selection of crunchies and chewies, fruits and nuts, chocolates with soft centers, and truffles. Their specialty for Valentine’s Day is chocolate-covered strawberries.
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1152 Rte. 10 W., Unit I, Randolph
973-252-5300
Step into this small storefront with floor-to-ceiling walls filled with candy. Homemade chocolates and freshly spun cotton candy make this spot a favorite destination for candy lovers of all kinds. But because Candylicious ships their treats, anyone with a sweet tooth can get their hands on these treats without making the trip in.
COURTESY OF CHOCOLATE FANTASIA FACEBOOK PAGE
137 Ridge Rd., Lyndhurst
201-935-8723
Chocolate Fantasia may be small, but the store is loaded with homemade chocolate goodies. The shop works year-round to offer the coolest seasonal treats for Valentine’s Day (decorated strawberries), St. Patrick’s Day (pots of gold), Thanksgiving (a chocolate cornucopia filled with chocolate-covered pretzels), Easter (chocolate-covered marshmallow PEEPS) and other special occasions. Make your birthday party 10 times sweeter with chocolate party favors in the shape of a shoe, duck and anything else you can imagine.
575 Rte., 73, Building D, Suite 5, West Berlin
856-486-9292
This chocolate museum and retail store sells Cluizel chocolate, which is made with 100 percent natural ingredients; even the colors, like red and orange, come from beets and carrots, respectively. There are no preservatives, no soy and no added flavors. And the chocolate comes from seven single-estate cocoa plantations before being shipped to the original Cluizel location in Normandy. You can ask about a tour, too.
931 Amboy Ave., Edison
732-486-3400
Known for its selection of coffee, espresso and tea, Coffee House has the perfect drinks to wash down Chocolate Moonshine Co. candies, which they now carry.
125 Lewis St., Eatontown
732-542-7847
In operation for 95 years, Criterion offers a selection of chocolate pretzels, apples, bunnies, seashells, bark, caramels, cookies, malted bars and apricots. If you are craving something sour, go for the fruit slices, taffy or orange peels.
Livingston, Millburn, Red Bank
If your little cookie monster’s birthday’s coming up, host your own candy-themed party. Kids can decorate their own chocolate, scarf down ice cream and learn where chocolate comes from and how it’s made. If you want cocoa treats to take home, print your own images onto Belgian chocolate lollipops and bars.
Windsor Industrial Park, 92 N. Main St., Robbinsville
609-443-4747
There’s a fun selection of New Jersey-themed chocolates on the menu, including a cutting board assortment, filled coffee mug and NJ state chunk of chocolate. Take a tour of the chocolate factory and store to see exactly where the chocolates come from.
461 Rte. 202, Flemington
1208 Rte. 22 E., Phillipsburg
21-115 Belle Mead-Griggstown Rd., Belle Meade
Chocolate-covered fruit, almond butter crunch, handcrafted fudge, truffles, pretzels, grahams, Oreos and chocolate bars are available in store or to ship anywhere.
2804 Bridge Ave., Point Pleasant
The woman-owned company creates small-batch, artisanal, hand-painted bonbons and filled chocolate bars in unique, rotating flavors. They use ethically sourced chocolate and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Other items include cordial cherries, crunch peanut butter cups and chocolate caramels. Kick it up a notch with the mango passionfruit black sesame bar, or the sour cherry pistachio bon bon.
Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery
1063 Broad St., Bloomfield
You may recognize this old-fashioned ice cream parlor from The Sopranos series finale, but our readers know it as one of the best dessert stops around. Sticking close to its 1939 soda shop roots, the Holsten’s menu—which also includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner options—still features black and white sodas, egg creams, and sundaes, all of which are made with homemade ice cream. Don’t forget to ask about their homemade chocolates, candies and fudge!
Atlantic City, Tinton Falls, Ocean City, Wildwood, American Dream in East Rutherford
It’Sugar is over the top in the best ways. With brightly colored walls and larger-than-life candy boxes, it’s hard not to get lost in all the sugary goodness. Inside this real-life Candy Land, you’ll find gigantic gummy worms, oversized lollipops, novelty chocolates, cookie butter bars, Twinkie-flavored popcorn, everything Dubai chocolate-inspired, Pez and Sour Patch Kid sours, and tons of candy-inspired merch.
300 Ocean Ave., Point Pleasant
732-892-7576
It isn’t a trip to the boardwalk without a taste of homemade fudge or salt water taffy. Jenkinson’s puts its own twist on these classic summer favorites with unique flavors and samples available for tasting. Try the fruity jelly donut and orange creamsicle-flavored fudge or the savory peanut butter explosion and watermelon taffy. If you’re in the mood for a cool treat on a hot summer day, try one of their soft serve or hard ice cream flavors.
Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Twp.
This Swiss chocolate store is getting lots of attention for its larger-than-usual-sized samples of chocolate as you walk by the doors. Inside, find a collection bean-to-bar chocolates, including FrischSchoggi (extra large tablets of fresh chocolate), pralines, truffles, and other confections.
600 Berdan Ave., Wayne
973-696-7255
Laurie Walker studied at the Philadelphia School of Candy Making and in 1978, opened her original location in Midland Park. After 2 years, she moved her business to her current location of Wayne, next to her husband’s business, Glenn Pond Nursery. She sells 100 types of homemade chocolate candies, has a wall of over 50 flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans and 20 flavors of jelly fruit slices, gummies in many shapes, and molded chocolate shapes for all occasions.
25 Alden St., Cranford
551-396-7064
Chocolatier Amanda Sanabria is the daughter of Portuguese and Brazilian immigrant parents, and she brings her traditions to her chocolate creations, like bonbons with berries, chocolate-covered strawberries, and chocolate bars. Popular flavors are banana cream pie, boozy black forest, cinnamon poached pear, cookie butter crunch, peanut butter caramel pretzel, and poppin’ hazelnut.
Bridgewater Commons, Willowbrook Mall in Wayne
908-333-0622
Chances are you stopped in your tracks to check out this pastel-colored fantasy world. Treats are imported from around the globe, and chocolates are made fresh for the picking. You can also order online and have candy (or teddy bears) shipped across the country.
Love Live Sweets Chocolate Cafe
508 Monmouth Rd. (Rte. 537 West), Millstone
609-208-3799
This is the type of shop you wish you could live in. Why stop at chocolate-covered everything when you can add on freshly baked cupcakes, pastries gelato, a coffee bar and sandwiches? There is a party room in the back, and community events are held on site throughout the year.
7 Kings Highway E., Haddonfield
856-281-9565Â
1618 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA
215-419-5574Â
The artisanal chocolates are made with interesting ingredients such as sea salt, caramels, red wine, cocktails, tea, coffee and herbs.
637 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff
201-848-8200
Originally opened as Meyer’s Ice Cream and Confectionery in Jersey City back in 1904, the products at this Wyckoff sweet shop run the gamut, from chocolate and fudge to candies and gummies to fruits and nuts. You can have your chocolate molded, or turned into party favors. Valentine’s Day items include breakable chocolate hearts filled with more candy, special cookies and jelly beans, chocolate-covered strawberries, and decorated Oreos.
6 White Deer Plaza, Sparta
973-729-3466
Even with the latest and greatest candy creations in stock, Nutty Over Sweets still has a classic feel to it. If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, sample nuts and dried fruit, or if your kiddos have allergies, there’s a specific selection of treats just for your little sweeties. Goodies are sold by the pound.
627 Park Avenue, Freehold
732-462-1311
Considered the OG of New Jersey candy shops (open since 1939 in historic Freehold), you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. They’re famous for their cans of peanut brittle and traditional chocolate bars. Come Easter, their 3-foot-tall chocolate bunny is a showstopper!
106 Main St. Matawan
217 Main St., Manasquan
Note: The Cranford location closed recently.
732-217-1750
Papa Ganache is a vegan bakery that makes a variety of vegan and gluten-free treats. Everything is cholesterol-free, and has no trans fats, dairy, eggs, preservatives or animal products (though some products do have nuts or soy). There’s lots of chocolate here, from cookies, cakes and brownies to breakfast pastries to cheesecakes and cupcakes to traditional bon bons.
719 Stokes Rd., Medford
609-953-0040
Through the Chocolate Store, their cyber candy store, you can order chocolate, candy, nuts, gift baskets, favors, custom chocolate and other novelties. Some of the 40 featured items include boxed chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, deluxe chocolate assortments, gourmet chocolate truffles, and sugar-free chocolates and candies.
1325 Rte. 206, Skillman
609-924-1124
The chocolate shop has been serving the Central Jersey region since 1978 with custom and gourmet chocolates, truffles and confections. Some of the more popular items are a caramel assortment, coco-vine variety pack and seasonal molds (everything from heart-shaped chocolate lollipops to fillable Easter eggs to a Diwali assortment to a chocolate menorah).
Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy and Fudge
Ocean City
877-668-2339
Shriver’s saltwater taffy doesn’t actually contain salt or much water, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. This candy shop has been serving the Jersey Shore community since 1898. Choose from more than a dozen flavors, including molasses mint, oh-so-very berry and flippy fruit.
The Mall at Short Hills, 1200 Morris Tpke., Short Hills
855-784-2734
Named one of the world’s most beautiful candy shops by Architectural Digest, Sugarfina is totally Instaworthy. If Short Hills is too far for you and your crew, you can shop Sugarfina candies at Kings Supermarket and The Paper Store locations throughout NJ.
1100 Rte. 35, Middletown
732-796-0115
You can’t open the door to Suzi’s without being hit in the face with the smell of delicious chocolate. There are shelves and baskets filled with everything from truffles to chocolates in novelty shapes to ready-made gift baskets.
26 Broadway, Denville
973-625-0025
This sweets emporium has been located in the heart of Denville for over 30 years, and has a carnival-meets-boardwalk-like feel. Learn how to make chocolate at the Foodies Cooking School, or get a DIY Kit to take home to decorate yourself.
26 Beechwood Rd., Summit
866-283-3300
This locale is always pushing the boundaries of what a candy store can offer. Some of its newest candy creations include coffee dipping spoons flavored with caramel, mint or marshmallow. If you love the smell of chocolate, try one of the shop’s scented candles.
1118 3rd Ave., Spring Lake
732-449-7535
The Candy Directory here is split into chocolates and gummy candies. They specialize in handmade chocolates, especially truffles, turtles and caramels; as well as fruit slices, jelly beans, saltwater taffy (you’re by the beach!) and licorice.
Princeton, Montgomery, New Brunswick
This OG chocolate shop is also known for its selection of saltwater taffy, ice cream and roasted coffee. In New Brunswick it’s known as Next Door Chocolates & Gift Shoppe.
Van Holten’s Chocolates & Sweet Shop
1893 Rte. 88, Brick Twp.
732-830-2220
Since 1904, Van Holten’s Chocolates has been presenting chocolate as an art form to fill your sweet tooth. High-quality cocoa beans are combined with fruits, nuts, creams, jellies and just about anything else you could imagine. Sample their fudge, jelly beans, M&Ms, lollipops and other creative treats.
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