The 20 Best Valentine’s Day Candies and Chocolates, Ranked from All Right to Love at First Bite
Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, and we’re definitely feeling the love. But you know what would put us even more in the spirit? Dessert. Here, we’re sharing the most noteworthy Valentine’s Day candy and chocolates, ranking them from the most polarizing to universal crowd-pleasers. Whether you share a bag of red and pink Starbursts with your dinner date, hook your kid’s class up with festive lollipops, mail your mom a bouquet of chocolate roses or gift a box of chocolate-covered strawberries to a faraway friend, all 20 of these treats are bound to get you and your loved ones in the spirit.
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20. Conversation Hearts
Most nostalgic
OK, major points for being iconic and romantic. But these cuties taste like straight-up chalk (sorry, not sorry). Just in case you love them or want a bag for posterity…
19. Godiva’s Giant Box of Chocolates
Most versatile
Listen, we’ve never met a box of chocolate truffles we didn’t inhale on sight. But we’ll be the first to say it’s not the most original idea…especially on the 14th. Nevertheless, it makes a great gift for just about anyone, whether you’re shopping for your parents, friends or S.O. If you’re pulling out all the stops (roses, candles—you know the drill), go with this 37-piece number from Godiva, which is complete with every flavor from Red Velvet Cake Truffle to Cherry Cordial.
18. See’s Cinnamon Lollipops
Best for parties
We’re suckers for these (sorry). Chalk it up to fond memories of finding a ruby-red, heart-shaped lolly in a sea of valentines in our classroom mailbox (and hoping it was from our crush). Now that we’re all grown up, we have our hearts set on these cinnamon lollies by See’s Candies.
17. Starbursts FaveReds
Best for a romantic movie night
Nothing says “I love you” like saving your partner the work of digging out all the oranges and lemons. This variety pack only includes cherry, strawberry, watermelon and fruit punch Starbursts. And since the wrappers are all red and pink, they fit the V-Day color scheme just right. Might we suggest dumping them in a bowl, popping some corn and having yourself a DIY movie marathon?
16. Better-for-You Chocolate
Best for dieters
Props to you if you’re not willing to break your 2022 meal plan for Cupid’s big day. But you should still treat yourself (or your newly-keto honey) to a lil’ TLC. Try Zazubean’s Valentine’s Day Variety Pack, which features six bars of organic, Fair Trade, kosher, gluten-free and soy-free chocolate. Flavors range from chili and cinnamon to cherry-hazelnut crunch. Many of the bars—named Vixen, Smooch, Flirt, Hottie, Nakid and Bling—are also vegan. If sugar is your main concern, opt for Zazubean’s sugar-free Slinky chocolate bars, HU Dark Chocolate Gems or Kuli Kuli's low-sugar, keto SuperBark, which comes in Sea Salt Peanut, Mint Chip and Raspberry Chia varieties.
15. Lik-m-aid Valentine's Day Fun Dip
Best for Galentine's Day
Feel like a kid again with this throwback treat that you haven't indulged in since elementary school. You and your squad can sip wine between licks of Cherry Yum Diddly Dip and RazzApple Magic Dip powders while chatting, snacking and relaxing.
14. Reese’s Heart
Best for peanut butter lovers
We have it on good authority that the world’s very first soulmates were chocolate and peanut butter. Indulge in more than a quarter pound of them both with the help of your significant other. (Or just tackle it on your own—we won’t judge.)
13. Skillet Sweets
Best last-minute baked dessert
The cast iron skillet’s superpower is its ability to give just about any dessert a gooey, decadent middle and golden, chewy edges. While we’re huge supporters of making skillet sweets from scratch, but these mix-and-bake kits are pretty damn ingenious. We *loved* the Hershey’s skillet brownie kit that came out last year, complete with mix and a heart-shaped skillet, but while we wait to see if it comes back in stock for 2022, these kits from Vintage Classics will have to hold us over. (They come in brownie, chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, BTW.)
12. Giant Chocolate Bar
Best for a couple’s night in
There’s something weirdly sophisticated (dare we say sexy?) about sharing a special chocolate bar at a leisurely pace instead of plowing through a whole box of truffles. We already loved Tony Chocolonely for its ethical sourcing and mission to make the cocoa farming industry fair, but we fell extra hard for the White Raspberry Popping Candy flavor that’s just right for V-Day, since it’s packed with freeze-dried raspberries and popping candies. (If your boo is all about variety, go for the Rainbow Tasting Pack instead.) We're also big fans of Omnom’s seasonal Sea Salted Toffee and Lakkris (aka licorice) and Raspberry bars, as well as Seattle Chocolate's V-Day offerings, which include Tart & Soul, Berry in Love and Like You a Latte truffle bars. (You can try all three with the Berry in Love Care Package).
11. Booze-Infused Chocolate
Best for a wine pairing
Wine and dessert are a match made in heaven. While we typically prefer to drink our vino instead of eat it, there’s no better time for a collab than Valentine’s Day. If you’re all about the chocolate, these homemade red wine chocolate truffles are an easy win, but you can save yourself the work by opting for Hotel Chocolat’s Tipsy Truffles Sleekster instead. Flavors include Pink Champagne, Gin Truffle, Mojito, Cognac, Caramel Espresso Martini and more.
10. Chocolate-Covered Caramels
Best for caramel lovers
Not gonna lie…we can so get behind noshing on a stretchy piece of caramel chocolate with our S.O., Lady and the Tramp-style. Our fave right now? The Caramels Both Familiar and Curious Limited Edition Love or Lust collection from North South Confections, an artisanal chocolate brand from Justine Pringle of Nunu Chocolates. Each piece is filled with what’s possibly the richest, creamiest caramel you’ve ever eaten, since it’s infused with fresh fruit purée and white or milk chocolate before being enrobed in dark chocolate. Flavor infusions include passion fruit, coconut, naranjilla, graviola, lime and strawberry.
9. Cupid’s Mix M&M’s
Best for a double date
It’s just a fact: Set a bowl of M&M’s out and they’ll disappear in a few minutes flat. This seasonal version features white, pink and red M&M’s stamped with lips, roses and Cupid’s arrows. Toss them in a bowl of popcorn, include them in a DIY sundae bar or bake them into cookies.
8. Dylan’s Candy Bar Triple Gummy Hearts Bulk Bag
Best for gummy lovers
If your S.O. is a gummy fiend, look no further than this half-pound bag of heart-shaped goodies from the famous Dylan’s Candy Bar. They’re prime for grabbing by the fistful while crying over The Notebook for the hundredth time. (BTW, the brand’s other V-Day treats include a Glitter Lip Lollipop, a pink marshmallow pop, a festive Valentine Variety Tackle Box and even a three-tier Candy Cake.)
7. Sour Patch Kids Hearts
Best for sour candy stans
What’s that? You can eat your weight in red Sour Patch Kids? Today’s your lucky day. These sweet-and-sour candies only come in Redberry and Pink Strawberry flavors, so you won’t have to dodge the green gummies like you do with the original pack. (FYI, Sour Patch also makes its own version of conversation hearts.)
6. Avant-Garde Chocolate
Most splurge-worthy
Some confections are so luxurious that they’re more a masterpiece than a simple dessert. Exhibit A: The Vosges Haut Chocolat Ensemble du Chocolat. TBH, the chocolates in both don’t even look like chocolate at first glance because they’re so colorful and gorgeous. Dig into exotic truffles (think Sri Lankan coconut, wild Tuscan fennel pollen, curry masala and a slew of other unique flavors), light-as-air caramel marshmallows, peanut butter bonbons and a bombalina finished with 23-karat edible gold leaf.
5. CBD Chocolate
Best for stressed parents
What better way to unwind on date night than with mellowing, high-quality CBD? Consuming it in the form of chocolate merely gilds the lily. Vital Leaf's hemp-infused chocolate bars contain 200 milligrams of CBD, as well as ethically sourced, organic ingredients and coconut palm sugar for sweetening. Choose from Classic Dark, Vanilla Bean Crunch and Hazelnut Sea Salt.
4. Chocolate Roses
Best for gifting to mom
You're already sending her a stunning floral arrangement—why not sweeten the deal with these foil-wrapped gems from Oriental Trading? You can either shower her in all 72 flowers complete with 14-inch stems, or split the lot up into smaller bouquets for each of your family members.
3. Singles Chocolate
Best for treating yourself
What’s love got to do with it? Normally, the thought of "singles chocolate" makes us cringe (chocolate is for everyone, always), but this treat makes us willing to overlook the concept and dig right in. Eat your feelings with the clever Broken Heart Chocolate Pizza from Sugar Plum Chocolates. Not only is the 12-ounce chocolate heart topped with crushed pretzels, cookies, potato chips, candied chocolate gems and white chocolate, but it also comes with a wooden mallet so you can work out your emotions and smash away.
2. Candy Subscription
Best for gifting your S.O.
The only thing better than snacking on your go-to candies on the 14th is getting surprised by new favorites month after month. For your boo with the serious sweet tooth, check out Candy Club, a monthly candy delivery service with options for sweet and sour lovers alike. Each box comes with six signature candies each, from Gummi Unicorns to Sour Pink Cadillacs.
1. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Most romantic
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to impress your partner. Chocolate-covered strawberries, albeit common on Valentine’s Day, are undeniably elegant, romantic and mind-blowingly easy to make yourself. If you’d rather relax than cook on V-Day (hey, we don’t blame you), lean on this assortment of Love & Romance Dipped Strawberries from Shari’s Berries. The berries are massive, decorated in festive chocolatey drizzle and come in a heart-shaped box. What more could you ask for?
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