13 of the best places to buy chocolates for Valentine’s Day in NJ

💘 It's almost time to get chocolates for Valentine's Day

💘 Some places require pre-orders

💘 These are some of the best NJ chocolate shops for heart-day candies

Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it. What’s your go-to gift for that special someone? Flowers? Jewelry? A romantic candlelight dinner for two?

No matter the choice, surely a box of delicious, gourmet, silky-smooth chocolates will make it into your special Valentine’s hands.

But you don’t want to get any old box of chocolates. You want the best.

We asked New Jersey 101.5 listeners for their opinions to put together a list of 13 of the best places to get Valentine’s Day chocolates in New Jersey.

Birnn Chocolates

314 Cleveland Ave., Highland Park

Birn Chocolates has been around for more than 100 years. The company makes traditional high-quality chocolates for those who want to combine the ultimate chocolate taste with a healthy lifestyle. Birnn uses only natural ingredients and all the nuts used are dry roasted. The Highland Park shop is the only place where the chocolates are made.

The have a wide assortment of homemade chocolates and boxed chocolates ready for Valentine’s Day.

Hanna Kraus

2220 NJ-37, Toms River

There was an overwhelming response for Hanna Kraus as the chocolate shop of choice for Valentine’s Day. The store features handmade chocolates, including truffles, chocolate-covered strawberries, fudge, caramels, and creams.

While Hanna Krause’s Bergen County shop on Route 17 in Paramus closed in June, the Toms River location is still going strong serving homemade treats using the same 65-year-old recipes.

David Bradley Chocolatier

92 N. Main St., Windsor

David Bradley Chocolatier has been making gourmet hand-crafted chocolates for over 45 years.

There are so many treats to choose from for Valentine’s Day including their signature heart box filled with an assortment of milk and dark chocolates.

There are also edible heart boxes filled with pretzels, truffles, chocolates, gummies, and so much more.

Try the loaded chocolate hearts with your choice of coffee toffee, pistachio, wasabi, almond, milk s’mores, chocolate chip, cookies n’ cream, chai tea, and salt and vinegar. There is a flavor for everyone’s taste buds.

Try the chocolate bacon heart, the edible heart with fruit slices, and even a chocolate smash box.

The possibilities are endless.

The Fudge Shoppe

461 Route 202, Flemington

Another popular pick among listeners is The Fudge Shoppe which has been in Flemington for over 50 years and currently has three generations of the family working.

There are so many Valentine's Day treats such as their exclusive chocolate heart, solid chocolate hearts, the Love Shack (a milk chocolate shack decorated with Valentine’s Day sprinkles and sugar pieces), the Love Pup (comes in milk or dark chocolate and is decorated with sprinkles and a bow), foiled chocolate hearts, chocolate covered fruit, dark thin mints, chocolate covered Oreos, and more.

Aunt Charlotte’s

5 West Maple Ave., Merchantville

Established in 1920, this quaint, family-run candy has been in existence for four generations. The chocolate shop offers homemade treats, and gifts too.

There is a variety of chocolate heart-shaped boxes to choose from including the lace, tuxedo, and floral and heart border boxes that come in milk, dark and white chocolates.

There are also rose bouquet heart pops, heart pretzel toppers, a chocolate heart puzzle, and other delicious assortments.

Listeners say going to Aunt Charlotte’s is an experience, and they wrap their boxes without using tape.

2 Chicks With Chocolate

1300 Route 35, Middletown

Artisan chocolates are hand-crafted with fresh cream, no fillers or preservatives. You can even design your own custom flavors from start to finish. Choose the chocolate, the box, the ribbon, and a custom message.

Choose from artisan bonbons, tiles, barks, booze- and wine-infused chocolates, a vegan collection, and a sugar-free chocolate collection.

Lee Sims Chocolates

743 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City

Lee Sims has been owned and operated for four generations. Their traditional “sweet shop” window displays are locally famous for their mouthwatering appeal.

For Valentine�����s Day, there are so many great chocolate options to satisfy all sweet tooths. There is the 2 lb. passion ivy heart, the 1 lb. red heart, the 28-piece cherry heart filled with chocolate-covered cordial cherries, and the 14 oz. chocolate-covered nut clusters heart, to name a few goodies.

The Tall Valentine Box consists of 36 pieces of assorted chocolates, 8 oz. of chocolate graham crackers, 8 oz. of chocolate nonpareils, 16 pieces of sold chocolate hearts, 8 oz. of Valentine candies and one chocolate lollipop.

Lee Sims even has a 20-oz. solid chocolate teddy bear or a diamond heart box filled with assorted chocolates.

Jean Louise Homemade Candies

1205 3rd Avenue, Spring Lake

This long-standing family-owned candy shop specializes in homemade chocolates, gummies, and caramels.

Put your orders in now for gourmet chocolates at $33 per pound like almond bark, truffles, chocolate bars, caramels with sea salt, chocolate pops, coconut kisses, and more.

For Valentine’s Day, Jean Louise offers dark/milk chocolate foiled hearts, hugs and kisses gummies, milk chocolate foiled lips, milk chocolate Valentine presents, sour smooch lips, Valentine gummy bears, and Valentine truffles.

Damask Candies

2255 Route 322, Swedesboro

Damask’s Candies is a family tradition spanning almost four generations of quality candy-making in the heart of Southern New Jersey.

For over 115 years, Damask Candies has used the freshest, highest-quality ingredients for its chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate-covered oyster crackers, and assorted candies.

Create a special, customized Valentine’s Day candy box filled with milk or dark chocolates, nuts, creams, or the works. Custom boxes are available in one, two, three, or five-pound assortments.

Want something different? Chocolate-covered oyster crackers are a popular pick. They’re available in milk or dark chocolate. Light, crunchy crackers are smothered in creamy chocolate for a salty-sweet combination you’ll love.

Krause’s Homemade Candies

203 McLean Blvd., Paterson

50 Bergen Blvd., Fairview

With two locations in Passaic and Bergen Counties, Krause’s has been making homemade chocolates since 1929.

They have a wide assortment of Valentine’s Day milk and dark chocolates. The Rose Box assortment is available in 8 oz. and 16 oz. sizes.

The 7 oz. dark chocolate hearts are wrapped in gold foil. They are available in either dark chocolate or 72% heart-smart chocolate.

The chocolate foiled rose is a hollow milk chocolate rose wrapped in red or pink foil.

Foiled-wrapped lips are available in milk chocolate.

But, Krause is known for their chocolate-covered strawberries. Available in both locations, the berries are 100% covered in milk chocolate and made fresh daily.

Bromilow Chocolates

350 Camp Road, Woodland Park

891 Bloomfield Ave., West Caldwell

“The Sweetest Spot on the Mountain, in suburban Woodland Park, New Jersey has been the home of our candy kitchen since 1958,” according to the shop’s website.

All the chocolates are homemade on the premises.

Valentine’s Day chocolate specials include chocolate-covered fresh strawberries that must be pre-ordered, chocolate heart pops, Valentine heart mini foils in bright colors, Valentine Oreos, long-stemmed chocolate roses, Valentine’s tote box with chocolate-covered pretzels, peanut butter hearts, truffles, sugar pops, Rice Krispy treat pops, and more.

Can’t decide? Put together your own custom hand-packed assortment fresh from their candy case. Valentine boxes are available upon request.

BC Chocolates (Brooks Collins Chocolates)

1522 Route 206, Tabernacle

This family-owned confectionery store creates handmade chocolates and are famous for their popular pretzels and chocolate-covered fruits like strawberries and blueberries.
Chocolatier, Mike Collins has 30 years experience, making each batch of old time candies and chocolate with the best ingredients.

The chocolate-covered pretzels are available in milk and dark chocolates. Feel free to mix them up, too.

Chocolate confection flavors include raspberry jelly, coconut cream, cherry cordial, vanilla and chocolate buttercreams, double-dipped mint, salted caramel, pecan turtles, and more.

Seasonal chocolate-covered fruits are made to order. Blueberries and strawberries are the most popular and requested, but they’ve also done chocolate-dipped apples and more.

Boxes of chocolates can be customized to match your preference, holiday, and budget.

Barbera’s Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe

782 S. Brewster Road, Vineland

Amy Barbera is the owner, lead chocolatier, and creative genius behind Barbera’s Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe.

Making chocolate started out as a hobby for her, but quickly evolved into a passion, and then a career.

Listeners rave about Barbera’s homemade chocolates, chocolate-dipped caramel apples (premium Washington State Granny Smith apples bathed in a rich, creamy caramel. Each caramel apple is topped with decadent chocolate plus a topping of your choice), and chocolate-dipped strawberries (made with the freshest and sweetest strawberries dipped in chocolate and topped with a special treat).

Choose from a variety of other unique chocolate offerings for that special Valentine.

What about a “chocuterie” board?

Pretzel pizzas feature a pound of pretzels, custom Oreos, and a special chocolate message. Each is served in an actual pizza box for a very sweet surprise!

Chocolate wine bottles are unique. Bring Barbera your Valentine’s favorite bottle of wine or spirits and she’ll wrap it in a food-safe wrap, dip it in chocolate, and decorated to your preference. When you’re ready to enjoy the bottle, simply pull the tab on the wrap, and the chocolate peels right off.

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