The Best Boxed Chocolates

This colorful box of chocolates was among our tasters’ favorites for both presentation and overall flavor and texture. It included flavors like balsamic PB&J, passion fruit, cardamom rose, and black sesame ginger. We were impressed by the packaging that matches the name, with drawers just like a jewelry box. The box came in an attractive mesh bag that felt fancy and gift-worthy. This assortment featured chocolates with bold hues and thin, delicate shells. While the chocolate was pleasant and tasted fresh, the fillings dominated, and tasters enjoyed the unique-yet-approachable flavor combinations. The flavor key was clear and fairly easy to match to the box of chocolates, although it lacked in-depth descriptions and depicted more chocolates than were in the box. Cacao & Cardamom’s website advertises a “no-melt” guarantee, which means the company will add ice packs free of charge depending on the shipment location and time of year.

This box of truffles earned high marks for presentation, flavor, and texture. Tasters described the purple box as “elegant and refined.” The chocolates themselves were uniform truffles with chocolate shells and ganache, fruit, caramel, or nut fillings, but each one was decorated with a different simple garnish as an extra clue to what was inside. The flavors ranged from approachable (brown butter, burnt sugar caramel) to imaginative (horseradish, olive oil, absinthe), and tasters found them to be complex, bold, and not overly sweet. The key, while lacking pictures, aligns with each chocolate’s spot in the box, so it’s easy to tell which one you’re selecting. The box also comes with an in-depth booklet describing each flavor’s inspiration. The box itself was shipped wrapped in plastic, an extra step to help maintain freshness that we appreciated.

These minimally garnished chocolates from a lauded French chocolatier were arranged in an attractive geometric pattern and came in a pretty, petite box. Tasters enjoyed the chocolate itself, with one calling it “spectacularly smooth.” The fillings, in flavors such as hazelnut, caramel and chocolate ganache, and pistachio, were pleasant, if unremarkable. They were more chocolate-forward, with fewer fruit or other flavor embellishments than some boxes. We had some trouble figuring out which chocolate was which because they looked similar to each other and the paper guide contained a wider range of chocolates than the box itself.

This box had a lot of variety, with everything from little bonbons of varying sizes to filled chocolate mice. The traditional-looking golden box was sturdy and attractive. The filling flavors were largely liquor such as port or whisky, fruit such as fig or apricot, and nuts, although flavors do vary seasonally. They were on the subtle side. One taster who tried a whisky option wrote, “if I was a whisky fan, I think I would be disappointed.” But with other flavors, such as Earl Grey, some thought its light flavor complemented the dark chocolate. We liked that the chocolates were small, usually just a single bite, which enabled the recipient to try a wider selection. The flavor key had clear photos and descriptions, but it showed more chocolates than the box contained, so it was slightly tricky to match up and find which chocolate we were actually tasting.

This box’s square chocolates had colorful graphic designs on top, which felt chic and artsy—“a feast for the eyes,” one taster wrote. The flavor selection was a balance of fruity flavors such as key lime pie or fresh strawberry, nuts such as salted pistachio, and dessert-inspired treats such as tiramisu or crème brûlée, with something for everyone. The smooth, snappy chocolate was “deep and rich.” The key had more chocolates than the box itself contained, so it was harder to quickly find the flavor we were looking for. It came bubble-wrapped for extra protection, which we appreciated.

This box of chocolates had a balance of colorfully painted, eye-catching bonbons and unpainted, natural-looking chocolates. The chocolate shells were delicately crisp and smooth and tasters noted they felt “luxurious” and “special,” especially for chocolates at a slightly lower price than our top-rated chocolates. The box included dessert-inspired flavors such as blueberry crumble and peach pecan gingersnap. The fruity flavors, like passionfruit and Meyer lemon, were especially “bright.” The boxes were wrapped in plastic and bubble-wrapped for protection and to help maintain freshness. It was also the only box that was shipped with ice packs in January, which we appreciated for the extra security against melting. The flavor key had clear pictures, but it depicted many more chocolates than the box contained, so it was harder to figure out which was which. Some flavors also had more obscure names (“Wild Thing”) without descriptions, so we had no idea what we were biting into.

This box’s packaging was simple but attractive and eye-catching. The chocolates were visually varied, with hearts, domes, and squares in different colors and textures. Some of the fillings, such as chocolate mint tea and liquid caramel with rum, were very subtle, while others, like golden espresso, were very bold, leaving “no doubt about what the filling was.” The collection also included fruity flavors such as pineapple pastis or fresh-squeezed lemon. Tasters especially enjoyed the molded chocolates, which had crisp shells that contrasted nicely with their luscious fillings. The enrobed chocolates had a chewy but tender consistency from the exterior to the center.

The sleek black box was simple and “minimalistic” but felt “premium.” While most tasters found a flavor they liked, the selection leaned “floral and botanical,” with flavors such as spring jasmine tea or lavender vanilla. One taster said their chocolate “smelled like a nice spa.” Another taster suggested it would be “a great gift for someone who likes ‘untraditional’ flavors,’” since the box featured combinations such as tarragon grapefruit, banana caramel, or rosemary olive oil. It also included a few flavors of pâte de fruit (a fruit-flavored jelly candy) as well as chocolates. The key was in black and white and had very small illustrations that looked similar to each other, so it was difficult to tell which flavor was which.

This box’s packaging was basic, old-school, and “nostalgic.” The flavor assortment was very traditional, with selections such as almond, walnut, caramel, or butterscotch, and skewed “sweet.” The chocolates themselves were quite large—multiple bites each. While the box came with a paper key, many of the chocolates looked very similar to one another, and it was hard to tell the difference between them before biting in. Multiple tasters were enthusiastic fans of the nut brittle, enjoying its “buttery,” “salty” flavor.

This purple box was fairly basic and traditional, which makes sense given the box’s description of being “inspired by European-style chocolates from the 1920s.” One taster suggested it felt ‘safe” for less adventurous chocolate eaters, with classics like mocha, caramel, peanut butter, and fudge. The chocolates were “indulgently smooth” but not especially complex—“not particularly deep or cocoa-ish,” noted one taster. While it came with a key with photos, some of the chocolates looked similar and were hard to distinguish.