To help you find options for your Valentine or Galentine (or yourself), we rounded up a selection of chocolate, candy and desserts we think you should know about. All of the product recommendations below are top-rated with at least 500 reviews on Amazon, are from trusted brands we’ve covered in the past or are products that NBC Select staff members have tried themselves.
The classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter is the perfect sweet treat for someone special in your life. This Valentine’s Day version of the familiar chocolate peanut butter cups has both miniature cups as well as chocolate hearts filled with peanut butter.
A Hershey’s Kiss is a classic for a reason. This Hugs and Kisses assortment not only comes with the traditional Hershey’s Kiss wrapped in silver foil, but it also includes Hershey’s Kisses made from white creme candy filled with milk chocolate wrapped in pink and silver foil.
This variety pack of uniquely shaped Swiss chocolate is great for people who enjoy a crunchy filling. I’ve tried Tolberone’s chocolate many times, and I always love the triangular shape and how you can easily break off equal-sized pieces from it. This particular set has chocolate bars made with white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, each one mixed with honey and almond nougat. Additionally, one of the bars of milk chocolate is mixed with salted caramelized almonds, according to the brand.
These miniature chocolates from The Madelaine Chocolate Company come wrapped in bright red foil. The chocolate’s small size also makes them great for sharing with friends. Each package is about one pound and comes with approximately 64 foil-wrapped chocolate hearts.
This truffle collection from gourmet chocolate brand Vosges Haut-Chocolat is your traditional heart-shaped box of chocolate tenfold. The purple box has a glossy coating and pink velveteen lace covering the sides and edges. (The brand sent samples to the NBC Select team to try.) Inside, there are 17 truffles, eight of which have their own unique flavor, including lemon chiffon, Thai iced tea, Bourbon Island Vanilla, Peach Melba and Gianduia (a paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts). Additionally, the box comes with a small leaflet explaining the inspiration behind the flavors, as well as “to and from” notes to attach to your gift.
Lindt chocolate is known for its classic, small chocolate truffles, which come in a variety of different flavors, including milk, dark and white chocolate, caramel and strawberries and cream. Whether they prefer to mix up flavors, or go with the more familiar options, there’s plenty for loved ones to choose from.
While many boxes of chocolate often come with chocolate either in squares, circles or spheres, Merci chocolate comes in slender “planks” placed side by side in a square packaging. I’ve personally bought and tried these chocolates and love that each piece has shiny gold wrapping, which makes each piece look especially luxe. The package includes milk chocolate, hazelnut and coffee-flavored chocolate bars.
Compartés is known for ornate designs on its candy bar wrappers and individual chocolates. The chocolates in this heart-shaped box, which the brand sent to NBC Select staff to try, come in a red box with faux snakeskin print. Inside, there are 15 chocolates, with the center pieces displaying the message “I Love You.” Some chocolates are creme brulee–flavored, while others are filled with strawberry cream. “It was the perfect ratio of filling to chocolate outer shell, in my opinion,” says NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin. “I tasted both flavors while eating it, making for a well-balanced bite.”
This heart shaped gift box includes 14 dark, white and milk chocolates from Godiva. The chocolates are filled with ganaches, fruit purees, praline and chewy caramel. The box itself is gold, partially covered with red and pink hearts.
This box of chocolate-covered pretzels from Hazel & Creme are a great gift that is both sweet and salty. The red box is adorned with a bow tied around the lid and each one comes with 12 pretzels that are coated with dark chocolate and sprinkles.
Boxes of chocolate may be a common choice for Valentine’s Day treats, but an individual chocolate bar can be equally as romantic. Seattle Chocolate sells both chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, which are packed and wrapped in colorful designs. “They have such unique takes on classic flavors and the packs have something for everyone” says NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez. The brand also donates 10% of their net profits to Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that empowers women through advocacy and mentorship, according to the brand.
This heart-shaped box from confection company Norman Love has colorful, heart-shaped chocolates on the inside as well. “My mom started sending them to me every year and they’re so gorgeous,” says NBC Select contributing editor Bethany Heitman. “The chocolates have no preservatives, come in cool flavors like bananas Fosters, champagne and smoked sea salt.”
Show your love with champagne-flavored gummy bears from Sugarfina. Each bottle resembles a miniature bottle of champagne, complete with gold foil wrapped on the top. The bottles are imported from Germany and are filled with gold and pink gummy bears made from Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne, according to the brand.
These conversation heart sour candies are the ideal gift for anyone with a sweet tooth and a love for tart treats. Each 1.5-ounce package comes with small heart-shaped candies in the brand’s familiar flavors, with words like “Be Mine” and “Hug Me” etched on to each one. Every box has a spot to write in who the e sweet gift is from and to whom you’d like to gift it.
Chocolate covered strawberries are a must for February 14, and these treats from Shari’s Berries are a festive choice. These particular strawberries are covered in rich milk chocolate and decorated with a red candy drizzle and coated in mixed sprinkles and mini chocolate chips. The berries are available in both full- and two-dozen packs, and are always delivered fresh by a local shop, according to the brand. “Shari’s Berries is one of my go-tos when I need to send some sweet treats,” says NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider. “They’re really reliable and well-priced compared to some other brands, and of course taste absolutely delicious.”
Ditch the classic batch of roses and opt for this donut bouquet instead. Packaged just like fresh blooms, this bouquet comes with 10 vanilla and chocolate mini cake donuts, all of which are dipped in milk, dark or white Belgian chocolate and topped with a chocolate drizzle or mini heart candies.
If your loved one is a fan of strawberries in their most simple form, these Oishii Omakase strawberries are a fit. These strawberries are grown in indoor vertical farms without the use of pesticides, which means they don’t have to be washed, according to the brand. Each case has six to eight strawberries. “On paper these are expensive, but they are some of the best strawberries I’ve ever had — they’re so worth it,” says Schneider. (The brand sent some to the NBC Select offices for staff to try.) “I’d be delighted if someone gave these to me.”
In case your Valentine is more of a fan of cookies rather than chocolate, consider these buttercream-frosted sugar cookies from Harry & David. Each box comes with individually wrapped, heart-shaped cookies, which are available in 12, 24, 36, 72, 100 and 200 counts. The cookies themselves are frosted with different shades of pink buttercream and covered in red, pink and white sanding sugar.
Baked by Melissa — which specializes in bite-sized mini cupcakes — is offering six limited-edition Valentine’s Day flavors: dark chocolate, marshmallow, dulce de Leche, “brookie” (brownie and cookie mixed together), red velvet and strawberry. I love Baked by Melissa cupcakes, not only because of the fun flavors, but because they’re small, you can try many out without getting full. You can ship a pack with all six flavors to your loved ones and choose to send 25, 50 or 100 cupcakes in the box. Baked by Melissa offers next day arrival if you order Monday through Friday by 2 p.m. ET, or you can schedule a delivery on a specific day — this makes the cupcakes a great last-minute Valentine’s Day gift.
Instead of standard chocolate-covered strawberries, gift your loved ones chocolate-covered strawberry pudding from the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City. This multipack comes with six cups of pudding, which is a blend of vanilla pudding, roasted strawberries, chocolate cake and chocolate fudge icing. The pack includes three cups of chocolate covered strawberry pudding and three cups of the brand’s bestselling classic banana pudding.
In addition to chocolate-covered strawberries and heart-shaped sugar cookies, Harry & David also sells full-sized desserts, like this Ultimate Chocolate Cake. The cake has a layer of fudge brownie and a layer of classic New York–style cheesecake. The top of the cake is decorated with piped fudge frosting and chopped pecans, too.
You don’t have to live in New York City to enjoy Levain’s popular cookies. The brand offers nationwide shipping for its rich and hefty cookies, which are available in chocolate chip, chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, dark chocolate peanut butter chip and caramel coconut chocolate chip. You have the option of sending the cookies securely packaged in gift boxes, which display the company’s classic logo and blue shade. I’ve enjoyed these cookies myself, and while they’re great on their own, they’re especially tasty when they’re slightly warm.
Milk Bar took its red velvet cheesecake cake and transformed it into bite-sized truffles that come in a box of 12. The truffles are filled with chocolate cake, chocolate chips and cream cheese and are coated in a chocolate shell and red velvet crumbs. If you are gifting the truffles, you can add a note and schedule a delivery date.
If your Valentine isn’t a fan of strawberries or chocolate, consider gifting them this sweet and savory treat from Harry and David. The set includes six gilded Royal Riviera® pears, four seasonal apples, a four-ounce block of white sharp cheddar cheese and a six-ounce wheel of gouda cheese. The fruit and cheese pairing is a great idea for those who love both fresh fruit and making charcuterie boards for gatherings.
Cory Fernandez is a commerce editor at NBC Select, where he covers food, kitchen, home and cleaning-related shopping content. To select the best Valentine’s Day chocolate, candies and desserts, he considered products that he’s tried himself as well as products that other NBC Select staff members love. Additionally, the products recommended above are either highly rated or sold by brands that NBC Select has covered and recommended in the past.
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