Attention chocolate lovers! You will be as delighted as a kid in a candy store when you visit Chocolat Hanalei during your visit to Hawaii. This adorable little retail shop is fondly referred to by locals as possibly the tiniest chocolate shop you’ll ever visit. But that’s ok. It’s what is inside that will impress! All we can say is get ready to take it all in and enjoy! This little show stopper is filled with the biggest, best chocolates the island has to offer. Chocolat Hanalei is easy to find. It’s a cute little shop conveniently located in the popular downtown shopping area on the north side of Kuhio Highway. Look for the small green building with a Little Free Library outside the front entrance. The instant you walk through the door all your senses will awaken to the ultimate chocolate experience.
Almost everything in this quaint chocolate shop is handmade by the owners who are third-generation farmers, and, of course, chocolate lovers. Their story is interesting and is what makes their products so special. They have a family farm nearby that features four fields of cacao the number one ingredient that goes into making their delectable chocolate products. There is something different about cacao beans grown in Hawaii. It’s like the essence of the islands provides a wonderful, one-of-a-kind flavor with the creamiest, silkiest texture.
The other items grown there are also ingredients for their unique chocolate creations. Bananas, citrus fruits, lychee, longan, coffee, and gorgeous, fragrant plants and flowers are grown on the farm. The family is happy to share their love and legacy of chocolate making with customers. They describe their special farm as an island within an island. They truly believe that the location of the farm and rivers that flow through it creates the perfect lush setting that gives their products their amazing flavors.
Now let’s talk about what you’ll find and better yet, taste, inside Chocolat Hanalei.
The star of the show is the Wainiha Powerhouse Bar, a seed to bean to bar chocolate created from more than 400 trees that grow right on the family’s farm. They are a local favorite and the taste is absolutely fabulous. Powerhouse Bars feature touches of fruit and toasted nuts that mingle perfectly with the incredibly rich and mellow flavor that only cacao in this area can produce. You have to taste a Wainiha Powerhouse Bar for yourself. It’s like a taste of chocolate Hawaii heaven.
Chocolat Hanalei also has a delicious selection of bonbons, coconut truffles, passion fruit caramels (our favorite) coffee drops, tropical bark, chipotle bark mac nut bark, and Hanalei PBJ’s.
Everything is delicious. You cannot go wrong. We suggest trying something out of your chocolate comfort zone. You’ll be glad you did. Other chocolate delights are dark chocolate turtles, dark chocolate apple bananas, milk chocolate shells, and dark chocolate mangoes. It’s like a fabulous, fresh taste of Hawaii all covered in chocolate.
We recommend sampling while in the shop and taking plenty home with you. If you don’t, you will definitely regret it. Chocolat Hanalei has boxed gift sets perfect for all the chocolate fans on your gift list. You deserve a gift, so get one for you, too! The chocolates are so irresistible, they might not make it back to the hotel!
Insider Tips:
-You can take a virtual tour of the farm found on their website. https://www.chocolathanalei.com/our-farm