Salted caramels, truffles, fruit-infused bars…you can€™t possibly go wrong.

The gift of chocolate may be a Valentine’s Day cliché, but there’s nothing blasé about these gourmet desserts from Edmonton. Besides, food is the way to a person’s heart (right?). Ranging from dairy-free, organic dark chocolate bars to multi-assortment boxes with hand-painted kisses, there’s something for every sweet tooth.

1. The Violet Chocolate Company

This award-winning chocolate company has an entire 2018 Valentine’s Day collection to choose from. Some options include, cinnamon heart and strawberries and cream flavoured chocolate bars (from $12), hand-painted Sweet Heart caramels ($16 for 6 pieces), and the Valentine Medley box ($35), which comes with a passion fruit marshmallow heart and a selection of Valentine bars.

2. Sweet Lollapalooza Fine Chocolates

Give a box full of love with Sweet Lollapalooza’s 24-piece assortment package ($53). Admire the cute Valentine’s Day images on each chocolate and then bite into flavours like apple crumble, hazelnut praline, vanilla hazelnut crunch and raspberry noir.

3. Natural Kitchen Delights

Lactose-intolerant chocolate-lovers rejoice! We’ve found a chocolate solution for you (or anyone looking for a dairy-free option). This small local Edmonton company is making a splash with their dairy-free dark chocolate made with fair trade organic ingredients. Try one of their unusual (but delicious) flavour combinations like blueberry and lavender or cherry and chilli ($5.25 each).

4. Jacek Chocolate Couture

This chocolatier has a reputation for creating desserts that are as pretty as they are tasty. For Valentine’s Day, feast your eyes and your taste buds on the H’Art Oozy salted caramel collection ($13.50), which includes six hand-painted heart-shaped chocolates. Or, for something more extravagant, try the Valentine’s edition of the Box of Joy ($100)—an assortment of caramels, lemon meltaways, chocolate-covered almonds and more.

5. Carol’s Quality Sweets

This family-owned sweet shop makes chocolates by hand using Belgian chocolate and natural flavours. They have an assortment of love-themed desserts to choose from this V-Day: an edible heart-shaped chocolate box filled with treats (from $12), as well as individual truffles ($2), solid hearts ($1.25) and chocolate hearts with doves ($3).

For more Valentine’s Day sweets that you can make at home, check out the WL Recipe Finder!

Dominika Lirette

Dominika Lirette