Totally sweet

Sweet shops

Bean-to-bar chocolate making at Loon Chocolate in Manchester.

Courtesy photo.

Offering everything from handcrafted chocolates to novelty goodies, here are 12 spots that are guaranteed to make you feel like a kid in a candy store.

1. graNiTe sTaTe caNDy shoppe BesT of The BesT

13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591, granitestatecandyshoppe.com Established by the Bart family in 1927, Granite State Candy Shoppe has been offering all kinds of homemade chocolates, candies and nuts for three generations. Founder Peter Bart came to Lawrence, Mass., in 1909, from the Greek island of Lesvos, where he found a job as a candy maker. He moved to Concord several years later, where many of his original recipes and candymaking techniques and equipment are still utilized today.

2. vaN oTis chocolaTes

341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com Van Otis gets its name from Evangeline Hasiotis, who opened a small candy store inside a family apartment in Manchester following completion of a candy-making course in Boston in the fall of 1935. Today the business continues to thrive in the form a retail store and large candy kitchen on Elm Street and has also expanded into various wholesale initiatives — Van Otis purchased the assets of longtime New Hampshire staple Hutchinson’s Candy in 2020, and now produces its own candied popcorn under the “Evangeline’s” brand. A second Van Otis store also opened in Wolfeboro the following year.

3. NelsoN’s caNDy & music

65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com A Wilton institution, Nelson’s has been making its own peanut brittle, fudge, chocolate turtles and other indulgent treats for more than a century. The late Doug Nelson was a third-generation candy maker from Lowell, Mass., before selling his shop in 2019. Current owner Nancy Feraco continues to carry on the candy-making tradition at the Main Street shop.

4. looN chocolaTe

252 Willow St., Manchester, loonchocolate.com Loon Chocolate was born when owner and founder Scott Watson watched a Netflix documentary about a Southeast Asian coffeehouse that produced its own chocolate on site. He got inspired enough to start making chocolate out of his own house, eventually selling his first bar in the spring of 2018. Today Loon Chocolate operates out of an adjoining chocolate production facility and retail space, the latter of which Watson shares with Theresa Zwart of 603 Charcuterie. All of his chocolates are handcrafted in small batches from bean to bar, the cacao beans sourced from multiple growing regions in South America and Africa.

5. DaNciNg lioN chocolaTe

917 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4043, dancinglion.us Dancing Lion Chocolate, which opened in 2007, is owned and operated by master chocolatier Richard Tango-Lowy. Originally a physicist, TangoLowy has been working with chocolate since 1996. He graduated from Ecole Chocolat in Vancouver before going on to earn master chocolatier designations in both France and Italy. Chocolates from his quaint downtown shop are sourced from cacao beans all over the major Central and South American growing regions. His line of products includes bars, Mayan drinking chocolate and bonbon sharing boxes, as well as house-baked croissants.

6. sweeT BouTique

21 Kilton Road, Bedford, 222-1521, visitsweetboutique.com New to Bedford last year, Sweet Boutique was founded by Michael Pais and his partner, Lynn Mackenna, a chocolatier with more than three decades of experience working at the former Willey’s Candy Shop on Salisbury Beach. Housed in the former Triolo’s Bakery space on Kilton Road, the shop also roasts its own nuts and produces its own caramel corn in several flavors, in addition to offering a line of sugar-free products.

7. lickee’s & chewy’s caNDies & creamery

53 Washington St., Suite 100, Dover, 343-1799, lickeesnchewys.com Calling itself a “unique medieval candy kingdom,” this downtown Dover candy shop is named after an old military term owner Chris Guerrette heard one day while serving overseas. It’s known for offering among the largest candy selections in the area, with thousands of items from around the world to choose from. There is also a wide variety of handmade chocolates and ice cream products, including its famous “king shakes,” loaded with all different types of candies.

8. ava marie haNDmaDe chocolaTes

43 Grove St., Peterborough, 924-5993, avamariechocolates.com Owned and operated by Susan Mazzone, Ava Marie Handmade Chocolates is named after her daughter. What began as a home-based business has since grown to offer all kinds of sweet indulgences, including its award-winning milk and dark chocolate pecan turtles, as well as hand-painted artisan chocolates, toffees, caramel centers, ice cream and assorted pastries.

9. marTha’s sweeT shoppe

185 Main St., Nashua, 883-8781, marthas-exchange.com/sweet-shoppe The candy counter at Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewing Co. in downtown Nashua offers everything from fudges and truffles to seasoned nuts, English toffee, cream wafers, bagged candies and more.

10. chuTTer’s

43 Main St., Littleton, 444-5787, chutters.com Chutter’s is the home of the “world’s largest candy counter” at its Littleton shop, featuring 112 spanning feet of glass jars filled with all different types (and colors) of candies. A Littleton staple since the late 1800s, it’s named after its original owner, Frederick George Chutter. A second Chutter’s with another long candy counter — though not as long, “only” 63 feet — opened in Lincoln in 2010.

11. The chocolaTier

27 Water St., Exeter, 772-5253, the-chocolatier.com Since 1978, this Exeter shop has been a favorite for its handcrafted small-batch chocolates, which include a wide selection of creams, bars, barks, cordials and even chocolate-covered potato chips.

12. pearls caNDy & NuTs

356 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-9100, pearlscandynh.com Family-owned and -operated on Route 28 in Salem, Pearls specializes in old-fashioned and novelty candies, as well as fresh hand-roasted cashews and peanuts.

Award winning, medieval themed ice cream, candy & chocolate kingdom

53 Washington St, Dover NH (603) 343-1799 Sun-urs 10am-6pm / Fri-Sat 10am-8pm