Have you started shopping for holiday presents yet? Normally, I tend to wait until the last minute to shop for presents, but given this year the holidays are going to look a little different, I wanted to plan ahead to make sure my gifts will arrive in time. One of my goals when buying gifts is to be thoughtful and intentional. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider myself a good gift giver. I extensively go back and forth on my ideas for weeks… that’s probably why I end up getting them at the last minute.
One factor to consider is how to support small and/or local businesses. It’s so important that we support them during these times (and maybe a little extra love during the holiday season??) What better way to spread cheer than by giving your loved ones a gift from a beloved local business?!
Of course, shopping local shouldn’t be limited to just the holiday season (and I highly recommend supporting these businesses year-round), however, I was researching Seattle businesses and was amazed by the abundance of specialty foods and chocolatiers that are local! I love to see that, given how I am a HUGE chocoholic myself. In my family, giving dessert as gifts is common– we often buy boxes of chocolates for our family and friends (and some to keep ourselves). Tis the season to get our sweet tooth on – happy shopping!
*Disclaimer: Please note that all images were used with the permission of the respective businesses mentioned below. Image used in the header is by FreeStocks from Unsplash – a source for freely usable images.*
5 local Seattle businesses to shop at for the sweet tooth:
Sugar+Spoon Dough
I think the best part about baking cookies is definitely the cookie dough! If you’re like me and can’t resist some dough, Sugar+Spoon is the place to go! Founded as part of an Entrepreneurship class (at my alma matter!!), I am so fortunate to have seen this business grow into what it is today, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them! I remember going out of my way to grab some dough in between classes when I heard the Sugar+Spoon truck was on campus!
Sugar+Spoon has launched their HOLIDAY COLLECTION on 12/1 featuring 8 holiday flavors: Peppermint Bark, Mr. Grinch, Brownie Batter, Gingerbread, Snow Day, Reindeer Food, Hot Cocoa Dough, and Classic Chocolate Chip. Looking for the perfect gift? Their gift boxes with 10 oz jars of dough are also available for sale at their brick and mortar shop and online with nationwide shipping options. There are tons of gift options and flavors to choose from for your dough lover!
Where to find them: 4518 University Way, Seattle WA 98105 and their website.
Bell’s Cookie Co.
Who doesn’t like a cookie? From classic chocolate chip, to out of the box Columbian Corn, they got both traditional and unique cookies covered — you won’t be disappointed. If you enjoy large cookies with gooey insides and crip outsides, you might want to take home a box (or 2) for the holidays, or give it to your favorite cookie lover! All of their cookies live up to the hype, but my favorite cookie of theirs is definitely “The Pantry:” pretzels, white chocolate, and espresso. The sweet and salty combo is amazing– I’ve had nothing like it.
Bell’s Cookie Co holiday cookies are also available and festive gift boxes can be purchased that contain both traditional and seasonal flavors. Customers have the option to pick up their cookies or have them delivered or shipped. They deliver locally in the Seattle area, or ship nationwide. More details on their pick up, shipping and delivery options are on their website!
Where to find them: 198 Nickerson St, Seattle WA, 98109 and their website.
Macadons
I LOVE macarons. They’re airy, sweet and delicate, and almost too pretty to eat (but I still will anyway). I’ve tried many times myself, and let’s just say, I’ll leave it to the professionals. This is why I was so excited when I found a shop that specializes in macarons. One thing that makes Macadons so unique is its flavors — over 25 flavors! Besides classic flavors such as vanilla, Macadons also has fun nostalgic flavors such as fruity pebbles, and flavors that embrace Asian heritage such as taro, durian, and Thai tea. And they are all beautifully colored, assembled, and displayed in boxes or macaron towers! What also makes Macadons unique is they sell create custom, personalized macarons. You can add any text, image, or design onto each cookie. Can you imagine a cute little macaron tower next to a Christmas tree or gifting a custom box of macarons? How cute! These beautiful arrangements of macarons will surely put a smile on anyone’s face.
Macadons will also be selling their holiday gift sets, but you can also purchase boxes of assorted macarons (regular and mini), macaron towers, and custom macarons boxes. Customers can order online for local delivery, nationwide shipping, or local pick up. For anyone who’s in the area, they can even drop by their store in Seattle. More details on their shipping and delivery options are on their website!
Where you can find them: 9828 16th Ave SW Seattle, WA 98106 and their website.
Chocolate Spiel
If you enjoy eye-catching, handcrafted chocolate, Chocolate Spiel is the place for you. The founder has a background in chemical engineering for paints, and she combined her background with her interest in making chocolate to create the most beautiful chocolate! The chocolate here looks like artwork — almost too pretty to eat! Personally, the chai latte bar caught my eye. Chai and chocolate? Sign me up. The best part? The chocolates are made with simple, quality ingredients and are vegan. The company lives by the “bean to bar” method, where they source the cacao directly. Anyone, regardless of their dietary preferences, can enjoy this beautiful, creamy, delicious chocolate. It’s seriously so good!
Chocolate Spiel sells chocolate bars, bonbons, nut butters, and trail mix. Looking for a gift? You can choose from chocolate bars or bonbon gift sets. There’s the original gift set (with dark chocolate bars), coffee lover’s gift set (think, latte, chai, and hot chocolate flavors), and the option to pick your own 3 bars in a set. Chocolate Spiel delivers locally in the Seattle area or ships nationwide! More details on their shipping and delivery options are on their website!
Where you can find them: On their website.
Joe Chocolate Co.
Joe Chocolate Co. started as an idea to create the perfect hiking snack — natural, caffeinated and lightweight. The end result? Coffee infused chocolate. Coffee and chocolate? Sign me up! The Joe Chocolate Co. cafe is located in the famous Pike Place Market, where they also sells drinks (they even sell dirty chocolate chai — it’s as if they made that for me!!), ice cream bars and chocolate chunk cookies. Yum! While they sell classic flavors such as Salted Caramel and Roasted Cacao, their current seasonal flavor is the Pike Place Medley Pack, which is flavored with hazelnuts and raspberries! And because these chocolates were made with hiking in mind, they are packaged in easily portable, resealable bags — making it the perfect chocolate for those on the go! Bonus points for also having vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Joe Chocolate Co. Sells boxes of 3, 4, or 5 packs of chocolates in assorted flavors. For the major chocolate enthusiasts, they even sell chocolates by the case — in 12 2.5 oz bags! Regardless of what you choose, there are many gifting options to choose from. Customers can buy their chocolate at the Pike Place location or order online — they ship nationwide! You can’t go wrong with gifting chocolate.
Where you can find them: 1606 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101 and their website.
Regardless of where you are, you won’t have to miss out on these delicious sweets, and you get to support a local small business too! Hoping everyone has a wonderful holiday season!
2 Comments
Kristina
These all look so tasty!!
Mani
thank you!