In the heart of downtown Olympia, Bittersweet Chocolates draws shoppers with a sweet tooth from across the Pacific Northwest. As a local chocolatier, Bittersweet Chocolates creates artisan truffles in indulgent flavors including port & plum, Vietnamese coffee and cinnamon hazelnut praline. And each flavor is crafted in-house. In addition to the wide selection of truffles that are available year-round, it is a Bittersweet Chocolates’ tradition to introduce special-edition flavors each holiday season.

Bittersweet Chocolates
In addition to signature build-your-own-box varieties that are available throughout the year, Bittersweet Chocolates will be offering special edition Christmas boxes, where shoppers can customize a six-truffle box or a 12-truffle box with both classic and special edition flavors. Photo credit: Molly Walsh

Chocolate Truffles Hand Crafted in Olympia

As local residents begin to draft plans for holiday shopping, Bittersweet Chocolates has a season of festive varieties and giftable chocolate truffles, fit for anyone’s wish list. This year’s special edition flavors are fresh from the Bittersweet Chocolates’ kitchen and evoke different facets of the holiday season: reminiscent of a sweet dessert after a holiday meal or a warm treat after coming in from the cold.

Holiday truffle flavor profiles include brown butter, chocolate caramel, Tahitian vanilla, peppermint dark chocolate, Bailey’s, fig & fennel, dulce Leche and apple pie in dark chocolate, complete with a crumble topping.

Bittersweet Chocolates
Bittersweet Chocolates will offer a nine-piece candy cane-shaped box geared toward younger chocolate fans, with flavors like chocolate caramel, vanilla caramel and peppermint. Photo credit: Molly Walsh

Chocolate Gift Boxes for Everyone on Your List

If the people on your list have their favorites, don’t worry, you can still do a signature build-your-own box that is available throughout the year with all of Bittersweet’s most popular chocolates.

Looking for something with those festive flavors in a beautiful box all ready for gifting? Bittersweet Chocolates has special edition Christmas boxes, where shoppers can customize a six-truffle or 12-truffle box with both classic and special edition flavors.

They also have a range of pre-boxed chocolate assortments. The special edition flavors will be available in a pre-assorted 12-piece box. A five-piece pre-selected Nutcracker box, containing holiday flavors, makes a perfect hostess gift — the box is so adorable it can be used as a decoration long after the chocolate has been enjoyed.

Know someone who really loves sweets? A 12-piece caramel box will be available on shop shelves, featuring flavors like brown sugar bourbon caramel.

Geared toward younger chocolate fans, Bittersweet Chocolates will offer a nine-piece chocolate gift box, shaped like a festive candy cane. The candy cane box will contain a range of flavors including chocolate caramel, vanilla caramel and peppermint truffles.

Have people on your list with allergies? For shoppers in search of gluten and dairy-free treats, Bittersweet Chocolates will create a five-piece gift box of pates de fruits or fruit jellies.

Bittersweet Chocolates
Bittersweet Chocolates will offer a range of holiday chocolate bars that feature ‘Merry Christmas’ messages and winter snowman motifs. Photo credit: Molly Walsh

Handmade Stocking Stuffer Sweets

Don’t forget to stuff those stockings!

For a solid chocolate fix, there will be a range of holiday chocolate bars that feature “Merry Christmas” messages and winter snowman motifs.

Solid chocolate balls are perfect for stocking stuffers and come in milk chocolate, cookies and cream and ruby chocolate flavors.

Bittersweet Chocolates will also be rolling out nut barks, including a dark chocolate mixed nut, white chocolate peppermint and tiger bark, which features a mix of milk chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. They’re so delicious you will want to buy one for yourself as well as for gifts.

Orders can be placed through the new Bittersweet Chocolates’ website. Shoppers can also call the store to make a holiday pre-order.

Bittersweet Chocolates
Holiday truffle flavor profiles will include brown butter, chocolate caramel, Tahitian vanilla, peppermint dark chocolate, Bailey’s, fig & fennel, dulce Leche, and apple pie. Photo credit: Molly Walsh

Find Bittersweet Chocolates at Olympia Events this Season

In addition to special holiday treats, Bittersweet Chocolates is also looking to connect further with the greater Olympia community this holiday season. This includes partnering with the City of Olympia to provide treats for holiday happenings, like Oly on Ice. Bittersweet Chocolates will provide free hot chocolate for Oly on Ice visitors during multiple special events throughout the Oly on Ice skating season.

“Having been at the community college, and worked with community events and that sort of thing through our careers there, we wanted to hopefully continue those partnerships and we’ve been fortunate to be able to do that,” says Cindy Cindy Uhrich, co-owner of Bittersweet Chocolates.

Bittersweet Chocolates also hopes to expand these community partnerships in the coming years, including hosting workshops and classes related to chocolate making in the new year.

Bittersweet Chocolates
Bittersweet Chocolates will carry a range of pre-boxed chocolate assortments throughout the holiday season. Photo credit: Molly Walsh

Shopping in Olympia for the Holidays

As the holiday season gets into full swing, downtown streets will fill up as community members attend seasonal events and stop by local shops for the holidays.

Bittersweet Chocolates is looking forward to the season ahead, grateful to be a part of the small business community in Olympia and for the support of customers over the years, especially through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people didn’t make it through,” explains Uhrich. “And we were fortunate that we did and the reason we did was because we had such a wonderful supportive community base that believed in the concept of staying and buying as much as you can in your own community. And so we’re thankful for that and we support it too.”

We all need a little sweet treat during the holidays. Get yours at Bittersweet Chocolates and savor the handmade perfections created with love by local artisans. Orders yours by stopping by their Olympia location, calling 360.489.1812 or visiting the Bittersweet Chocolates’ website.

Bittersweet Chocolates
203 Columbia Street NW, Olympia
360.489.1812

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