As Valentine’s Day approaches, we’ve got some helpful tips on where to find the sweetest of treats for your sweetheart. Read on to learn more about Cumberland Valley's best chocolate, candy, and desserts. If you're not here for Valentine's Day, these businesses are great year-round stops for delicious candy and desserts.
Sweet Treats
Pennsylvania Bakery
They have SO many options for sweet treats at the Pennsylvania Bakery that you really can't go wrong. From cupcakes and cannoli to cinnamon buns and a variety of Danishes...it's all scrumptious. Valentine’s Day specials include fun and unique creations such as the Chocolate Brownie Heart, a decadent chocolate brownie covered with chocolate and vanilla mousse and topped with a chocolate-covered strawberry. Or try the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake for 2, a heart-shaped cheesecake covered in chocolate ganache and garnished with a chocolate-covered strawberry. They even have candy heart-themed cupcakes and cookies!
Helena’s Chocolate Cafe & Creperie
Among the many menu delights at Helena’s Chocolate Cafe & Creperie, the delicate French macarons are a must-try customer favorite. They are made in-house using traditional recipes and come in a variety of inspired flavors like dulce de leché, pomegranate, and lavender, plus favorites like white chocolate and chocolate raspberry. Helena’s dessert selection also features made-from-scratch cakes, cookies, biscotti, pastries, and more. They even offer treats for your dog! Top off your dessert of choice with their indulgently rich and sweet mochas or hot chocolate featuring authentic 64% dark Belgian chocolate.
Sweet Velvet Macarons
By focusing on one particular treat, Sweet Velvet Macarons offers an unparalleled experience for anyone who loves these delicious French sandwich cookies. Their menu changes seasonally, offering a curated selection of 20 fun and traditional flavors, such as fudge-dipped bourbon salted caramel, chocolate peanut butter, and strawberry champagne. All flavors are gluten-free. Sweet Velvet also custom designs macarons for special occasions, working with you to craft the perfect flavor and appearance to complement your wedding, party, or event.
SweeTreats Bakery
At SweeTreats Bakery, everything is made from scratch with quality ingredients. Located at the West Shore Farmers Market, they have plenty of treats that are easy to eat on the go, such as hand pies, muffins, and more than a dozen flavors of cupcakes. Customer favorites include cannoli made with homemade filling and apple crumb cake. SweeTreats also offers an extensive menu of keto/sugar-free treats using Swerve Sweetener, including cupcakes, mousse, mini cheesecakes, and the popular creme brulee, so even those with diabetes or sugar restrictions can safely indulge their sweet tooth. Cakes and cupcakes, including their sugar-free products, can also be ordered in advance for your special event.
Dalicia Ristorante & Bakery
Dalicia Ristorante & Bakery brings rich, authentic European flavors to the Cumberland Valley. With traditional recipes passed down for generations, you can taste the love Dalicia bakes into every dessert. Their decadent menu includes favorites from across Europe, including Black Forest cake, baklava, eclairs, macrons, cannoli, Danishes, and strudel. With three days’ notice, you can order whole cakes from their extensive two-page menu. Stop by for breakfast or lunch to enjoy their savory options.
Massimo’s Italian Bakery
Every delicacy at Massimo’s Italian Bakery is made from scratch using the finest imported ingredients and traditional Sicilian techniques and recipes. No wonder their motto is “a taste of Italy in each bite.” Massimo’s mouthwatering display cases are filled with colorful cakes, pastries, cookies, and arancini (deep-fried rice balls). Tricolored cookies inspired by the Italian flag are particularly popular, but you can’t go wrong no matter what you try. If you can't make it to their Mechanicsburg location, check out their second location in Lemoyne.
Three Dog Bakery
People aren’t the only ones who deserve a treat! Treat your dog at Three Dog Bakery, where real pastry chefs use real ingredients to craft fresh-baked cakes, cookies, and other treats that are dog-safe and dog-approved. Your four-legged friend will thank you! Packaged treats are also available, so your dog can enjoy them at home too.
Candy
Georgie Lou’s Retro Candy & Gifts
For Valentine’s Day, forget the boxed chocolate and head to Georgie Lou’s. Your sweetheart would love to receive decadent gourmet chocolate bars or a yummy selection of homemade treats like delicious fudge, giant chocolate-covered marshmallows, and over-the-top pretzels. Good old-fashioned candy never goes out of style, and here you can find favorites such as Charleston Chew, Mallo Cup, Necco Wafers, Laffy Taffy, and rock candy, plus a selection of Harry Potter-themed sweets. With bulk candy, hard candy, candy bars, gummies, and chocolate…this store meets every craving. To top it off, they also sell a unique selection of retro gifts and over 100 varieties of glass bottle soda. (Photo credit: Georgie Lou's Facebook page.)
Macris Chocolates
The chocolate recipe used at Macris Chocolates has been passed down through the generations and is still used to make the store’s candy from scratch at their factory north of Pittsburgh. This elegant store, with stylish seasonal décor, welcomes customers with more than 100 varieties of chocolate, including nougats, jellies, toffees, pretzels, and more. Boxed chocolates, custom gift baskets, and specialty gift items are also available. Step up your Easter candy game with a variety of chocolate eggs and bunnies. If that's not enough, Macris serves Penn State Berkey Creamery Ice Cream with a constantly changing selection of delicious flavors. If you can’t visit their Lemoyne location, be sure to stop by their second location in Mechanicsburg.
Lindt Chocolate
Lindt Factory Outlet is a chocolate lover’s paradise! As soon as you walk through the front door, you are greeted with thousands of Lindor Truffles in a huge array of flavors such as Extra Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt with Caramel Dark Chocolate, and Coconut, to name just a few. While there, you can also browse fun-flavored chocolate bars (popcorn flavor anyone?) and find great bargains on the chocolate “seconds” (not as cute, but equally as delicious). For Valentine’s Day, they offer a variety of gift boxes and even chocolate teddy bears.
Exquisite Chocolates
Exquisite pleasures can be found at Exquisite Chocolates, a boutique store carrying a wide range of gourmet and artisan chocolates and pastries from around the world. These mouthwatering delights include confections from Ghyslain Chocolatier, John Kelly Chocolates, Moonstruck Chocolate Co., and Neuhaus. Made from the freshest premium ingredients, these handcrafted creations offer the finest indulgence and make the perfect treat for yourself or a loved one.
Mummert Chocolates
Mummert Chocolates specializes in handmade milk and dark Swiss chocolates made on-site from family recipes. Choose from 36 varieties, including toasted coconut, peppermint patties, cordial cherries, and assorted hand-roasted nuts. If you can’t decide, purchase some pre-packaged nonpareils, chocolate-covered pretzels or graham crackers, and other seasonal molded chocolates. These decadent treats will tempt your taste buds and satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.
Cumberland Valley is One Sweet Place
To learn more about our chocolate artisans, check out our Chocolate Paradise blog. Discover other bakeries in our restaurant directory. Or read our Art, Wine, and Chocolate blog to plan a fun or romantic weekend getaway in southcentral Pennsylvania featuring our best galleries, wineries, and candy shops.