12 Best Canadian Chocolate Shops, Hands Down
I'm a pretty big fan of chocolate. As a kid, most of my experiences with chocolate were reserved for the big candy-centric holidays, and then I would sort and savor my pile of chocolate bliss to my heart's content. Most of that chocolate is fine for a child's palate, and I'll still never turn down some of my favorite candies that you can only find on Canadian shelves, but an actual, honest-to-goodness (emphasis on "goodness") chocolate shop is where the true excellence lies.
While every state has at least one excellent chocolate shop, there are plenty of Canadian ones worth visiting, including the ones listed below. Almost all of them are award winners that receive overwhelmingly positive reviews online and in print. Their offerings vary, from exquisitely wrapped chocolate bars to filled truffles and bonbons, and even include chocolate-adjacent offerings, like pastries, gelato, and ice cream.
Many of these chocolate shops directly source their own beans and roast them in-house for better quality control over the finished product — and it shows. While I've been privileged enough to sample a couple of the shops on this list, I know that I'll have to make a bucket list –– a Charlie Bucket list, if you will –– of sorts and hit all of them up for a true taste of chocolate excellence.
Purdy's Chocolatier
Some chocolate snobs may turn up their nose at the inclusion of Purdy's Chocolatier on this list of the best Canadian chocolate shops. However, I implore you to try one of its Himalayan Pink Salt Caramels and tell me it's not one of the most delicious things you've ever put in your mouth.
The nationwide chain originated in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1907 and in the more than 100 years since, it has expanded across the country, regularly popping up in malls with its iconic purple signage. In addition to using sustainable cocoa in its chocolate, Purdy's also helps support cocoa farmers by providing a higher standard of living for workers, business education, and improved agricultural practices. That's a business ethos I can certainly get behind, and it helps that its chocolate is seriously irresistible, as well as accessible for most Canadians.
Many of the shops on this list have singular locations and, while it may offer shipping throughout Canada, this can limit how many people can enjoy their treats. Purdy's offers a high quality product (it also sells plant-based chocolate, no-sugar-added chocolate, and ice cream) that many Canadians can access, which earns it a spot on this list.
Multiple locations
Stubbe Chocolate
Stubbe Chocolates, a family-run chocolate shop with German roots, first started in 1845. In 1989, the family moved to Canada, where the business continued. It currently has locations in Ottawa, Toronto, and Kanata. Chocolate is a labor of love for the Stubbe family, who have almost two centuries of chocolate-making experience under their collective belt. Stubbe's chocolate cakes and tortes are some of the best around, thanks to their luscious, decadent sponges and rich frostings.
However, considering the fact that cakes don't necessarily travel so well, you'd be better off picking up one of the many gift boxes Stubbe Chocolates offers. Each truffle and bonbon is handcrafted using old-world techniques and family recipes. While the techniques may be old-school, the flavors are anything but. Stubbe Chocolates gets creative with its chocolate offerings, with varieties that use ingredients like calamansi, basil, and aged balsamic vinegar, to name a few. Plus, if you're craving a chocolate truffle with a bit of bite, Stubbe is the spot to visit. Its boozy truffles are made with whisky, rum, and even Gewürztraminer wine.
Multiple locations
Hummingbird Chocolate Maker
Based in Almonte, Ontario, Hummingbird Chocolate Maker is a bean-to-bar operation that uses 18th century chocolate-making techniques. Using cacao sourced from the best farms in the world, each bar from Hummingbird takes over a month to produce, with careful attention paid to each important step. That diligence should be rewarded, and it has been many times over; Hummingbird Chocolate Maker has earned over 140 awards for its treats, including the Golden Bean for "Best Chocolate in the World" in 2016 from the Academy of Chocolate (which is real, and not something out of Willy Wonka).
So with all that high praise, what about the chocolate itself? Fortunately, I have been able to sample Hummingbird Chocolate Maker's confections on more than a few occasions, and each time it has been nothing short of a revelation. While I'm particularly partial to the Chocolate-Covered Salted Caramels (I have a type) and the Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (Reese's has nothing on these bad boys), the chocolate maker also offers a variety of single-origin and infused chocolate bars. I know that on my next trip to the factory, I'll have to pick up a couple bars in flavors like London Fog and Maya, the latter of which incorporates cinnamon, nutmeg, and chili in its 68% single-origin dairy-free dark chocolate bar.
(613) 801-0357
476 Ottawa St, Almonte, ON K0A 1A0
SOMA Chocolatemaker
SOMA Chocolatemaker began with an ethos of "finding new ways to create and enjoy chocolate." SOMA, which has been in operation since 2003, now has multiple shops as well as a factory in Toronto, Ontario. The bean-to-bar manufacturer uses vintage equipment to roast its cacao beans at its own factory, a process that is paramount in crafting high-quality chocolate with varying times and temperatures. The attention and loving care paid to each individual cacao bean might be the reason why SOMA Chocolatemaker won the Best Dark Chocolate Award in 2015 and is a favorite among Torontonians.
The microbatch chocolatier is worth a visit for both the truffles and the hot chocolate –– two highlights visitors rave about. Notable truffles include the Honey Butter Cloud, which has a whipped ganache with butter, honey, and salt crystals; Balsamic Vinegar, a cylindrical truffle filled with Madagascan cacao dark ganache infused with aged balsamic vinegar; and Thai Stick, a blend of white chocolate, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, chili, and lime that won Silver in the International Chocolate Awards. Not into truffles? Perhaps the gelato, cookies, and drinking chocolate are more to your tastes.
Multiple locations
Peace by Chocolate
Peace by Chocolate, which is based in Nova Scotia, is the hard work of Syrian refugees. The original chocolate factory existed in Damascus, Syria, until late 2012 when it was destroyed. The family behind Peace by Chocolate, the Hadhads, later rebuilt their business on the other side of the world, in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 2016. (The family story is actually the subject of a film, too, also called "Peace by Chocolate.") The company blends Syrian-inspired fillings and chocolates, paying special attention to the quality and experience of each bite.
Online, fans of Peace by Chocolate state that the confections are unbelievably good as well as fairly priced — not something to scoff at in a time of inflation and food costs. The sheer variety of items offered by Peace by Chocolate is near overwhelming, with boxes, bars, snacks, and hot chocolate available to enjoy.
As a tribute to its new home in Canada, Peace by Chocolate has lots of lovingly crafted chocolate bars with pretty unique Canadian names, like the Fill Yer Boots New Brunswick Bar (dark chocolate with maple flakes), Who's Yer Fadder? Prince Edward Island Bar (milk chocolate with potato chips), Welcome Home Nova Scotia Bar (dark chocolate with Nova Scotia wild blueberries), and Whadda Y'at Newfoundland & Labrador Bar (dark chocolate with juniper wood smoked Newfoundland sea salt).
Peace by Chocolate's business practices are just as sweet as its product, too. It created the Peace on Earth Society, an organization that contributes funds to peace-building projects around the world.
Multiple locations
ChocoSol Traders
If you're a chocolate fiend with allergies, you might want to consider ChocoSol Traders. The small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate company's creations are all free of nuts, dairy, soy, gluten, and preservatives. As a result, every one of ChocoSol Traders' treats is dark chocolate and has a cacao percentage ranging from 52% to a staggering 100%. Each bar, crafted using an authentic stone-ground method that traces its roots back to ChocoSol's beginnings in Oaxaca, Mexico, is ethically produced and delicious, largely thanks to its use of directly sourced cacao beans.
Across multiple platforms like TripAdvisor and Facebook, happy customers declare that the Toronto-based ChocoSol Traders creates some of the best chocolate they've ever experienced in their lives. Under the Best Sellers tab of their website, you'll find standout bars like 65% Vanilla Sea Salt, 68% Jaguar Swirl, and 75% Darkness. ChocoSol Traders' chocolate bars have won multiple awards as well, both at the national and international level, solidifying its status as a spot you'll have to add to your bucket list.
Multiple locations
Chocolatier Constance Popp
For pastries, frozen treats, and, of course, chocolate, look no further than Chocolatier Constance Popp in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Chocolatier Constance Popp, which opened in 2007, is Manitoba's first-ever bean-to-bar chocolate maker to use premium chocolate sourced from around the world. The company's commitment to providing exceptional, high-quality chocolate has been recognized through multiple awards as well as appearances at notable Canadian and international events, including appearing in gift lounges for the Golden Globes.
When it comes to chocolates, Chocolatier Constance Popp excels in the shaped chocolates and novelties side of things, with special attention paid to holidays. While you can score intricately made chocolate confections like the chocolate bison and crunchy chocolate frogs, I'm most intrigued by the award-winning Manitobar. This bad boy is packed with ingredients like Manitoba-grown hemp, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, honey, caramelized flakes, gianduja chocolate (which blends chocolate and hazelnuts but is different from Nutella), and praline before being enrobed in dark chocolate. If that sounds too fully-loaded for you, may I suggest the Birch Bar, a unique creation that blends milk and white chocolates with birch syrup and is formed using a specialized birch tree mold? Oh, who am I kidding? I'll have to try both.
(204) 897-0689
180 Provencher Blvd, Winnipeg, MB R2H 0G3
Master Chocolat
When it comes to famous names in chocolate, few are as recognizable as Callebaut. The Callebaut family has been crafting fine Belgian chocolate since 1911 and is one of the brands the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, recommends when buying store-bought chocolate. All of this is to say that Master Chocolat, based in Calgary, Alberta, is the work of Bernard Callebaut, the heir to the Callebaut chocolate family. So if you're searching for the best chocolate in Calgary, this is where you'll want to stop.
The multi-generational chocolate shop specializes in bars, specialty items, sauces, and mouthwatering bonbons. While plenty of the chocolate makers on our list craft incredible, luscious bars of quality chocolate, Master Chocolat and Bernard Callebaut pay just as much attention to the creation of decadent fillings within the bar. Notable flavors I'm dying to try are the Blackberry Crumble Bar, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bar, and the Brownie Affair Dessert Bar. Might they be too much of a good thing? I'm more than willing to try it out. You know, for science.
Multiple locations
Sweet Lollapalooza Fine Chocolates
Another Alberta must-visit is Sweet Lollapalooza, an award-winning chocolatier that works with some of the rarest chocolates on Earth thanks to the direct-trade relationships it has with growers. Master chocolatier and owner Brett Roy was even named one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America in 2015.
At Sweet Lollapalooza, everything is handcrafted and made with the finest ingredients, which is why the shop has been on the receiving end of more than 90 international chocolate awards. Fans of the shop also love how knowledgeable the staff are about the products and tout it as some of the best chocolate in the world. While I'm naturally drawn to the salted caramels, there are plenty of other bonbons offered by the shop. With eye-catching designs and a variety of shapes, there's something for everyone to enjoy for their own Willy Wonka experience. A few worth mentioning here are the Teaism, which blends three kinds of tea and a hint of fresh ginger; Root Beer, which uses root beer schnapps and root beer; and Passion Fruit & St. Germain, which infuses a passion fruit caramel ganache with St. Germain liqueur.
(780) 436-3190
10155 102 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8
Rhéo Thompson Candies
Part of Stratford, Ontario's, "Chocolate Tour," Rhéo Thompson Candies has been around since 1969. The Canadian family-owned and -operated shop churns out 152 handmade products using the same recipes, techniques, and tools it's had in place since opening.
While there are plenty of confections Rhéo Thompson offers, including hard candies and roasted nuts, I'm here to tell you about the chocolate. Crafted from ethically-sourced cocoa, the chocolates aren't of the fancy style. Rather than sweets made with unfamiliar ingredients, this chocolate shop keeps things a bit simpler (although no less delicious). Chocolate-covered caramels and creams are offered in boxes and individual capacities, as well as bars, barks, and molded chocolates. However, if you're making the trip to Rhéo Thompson Candies, you simply cannot leave without trying one of the shop's Mint Smoothie Bars. It's the store's signature chocolate that features a velvety smooth ganache center flavored with peppermint oil encased in milk chocolate (also available in dark chocolate). Pro tip: Pair it with a top-ranked mint chocolate chip ice cream and enjoy.
(519) 271-6910
55 Albert St, Stratford, ON N5A 3K2
Kasama Chocolate
A multi-award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate company based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Kasama Chocolate trades in handmade, small-batch chocolate bars. With over 100 international chocolate awards to its name in the last four years alone, Kasama Chocolate understands that quality chocolate starts with ethically sourced cocoa beans.
Kasama was written up in the National Post as one of the best Canadian bean-to-bar chocolate makers to buy, and the word of mouth has spread online. (According to one Redditor, Kasama Chocolate isn't stingy when it comes to samples in the shop, either.)
Kasama Chocolate offers loads of single-origin chocolate bars, ranging from white chocolate up to 88% dark chocolate, but it's the flavored bars that are most intriguing. The multi-award-winning Goat's Milk bar combines goat milk and dark milk chocolate for a smooth taste and tangy finish, while the limited-release Forest & Sea bar uses 65% dark chocolate with rosemary and sea salt. Almost all of Kasama Chocolate's bars have won accolades, which is all the more reason you should give them a try.
(236) 455-2490
2-1244 Cartwright St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8
Érico Chocolaterie Québec
Érico Chocolaterie, based in Québec City in the province of Québec, has been churning out sweet treats since 1987. In the beginning, founder Éric Normand began with cream sugars and fudges, before the company gradually expanded to include more chocolates, pastries, gelatos, and ice creams. In 2000, Érico Chocolaterie even opened a small museum of chocolate, which customers can still visit today.
For a little taste of Paris in Canada, I recommend enjoying one of Érico's hot chocolates after a tour of the chocolate museum, perhaps while perusing the chocolate menu for a selection of indulgent bonbons to take home. The assortment of filled chocolates is more classic than avant-garde, which contributes to the old-world majesty of the place.
A multi-award-winning shop, the pastries and ice cream offered in-store are also nothing to scoff at. The chocolate eclair receives high praise, while the brownie got rave reviews for being the perfect balance of dense and rich without tipping into total fudge territory. If you're in need of a chocolate coma, then picturesque Québec City is the place to be.
(418) 524-2122
634 Rue Saint-Jean, Québec, QC G1R 1P8
Methodology
When I was determining the best chocolate shops in Canada, I considered a few things. If I had first-hand experience with a shop (and it was repeatedly positive), I noted it. I also looked at accolades and press for each shop, as well as at customer ratings and reviews across multiple platforms like Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google. I considered the range of products when considering a shop to be "the best," as well and noted if there were specific techniques in either the roasting or sourcing of cocoa beans as noted by an individual shop.