Portland’s chocolate culture has deep roots, with many chocolatiers drawing inspiration from traditional recipes while incorporating local ingredients. Hello, haven’t you heard of Moonstruck Chocolates? While they no longer have retail locations, they continue to make magic in their production facility in Portland. The city’s proximity to the lush Willamette Valley provides an abundance of high-quality produce, including hazelnuts, berries, and herbs, which are often featured in their creations.
Notable Chocolatiers
Woodblock Chocolate
Location: NE Portland
Woodblock Chocolate is a pioneer in the bean-to-bar movement in Portland. They source cacao beans directly from farmers, ensuring ethical practices and high-quality chocolate. Their tasting room offers a variety of single-origin chocolates and unique flavor combinations, showcasing the nuances of each bean. According to their website, “Portland’s Own Woodblock Chocolate is the fortunate result of years of rigorous artistic endeavors by husband and wife team Charley and Jessica Wheelock. We met doing antique restoration, and both had an affinity for the intriguing potential of a raw material: wood (that’s where the Woodblock comes from). Single-source chocolate was intriguing, too. The more we learned about chocolate, the more we understood how everything we had done led to this. Was it a calling? For us, making chocolate from the bean was more like realizing a dream that we didn’t even know we had!”
Creo Chocolate
Location: NE Portland
Creo Chocolate is known for its innovative approach to chocolate-making, emphasizing both flavor and texture. Their chocolates are crafted using ethically sourced cacao and often feature unexpected ingredients. The shop offers workshops for those interested in the art of chocolate-making. Their website explains, “Having been farmers, our heart seeks out the source and integrity of ingredients, the connection with the grower, crafting a quality product, and impacting the community. We carry these values with us as we make our chocolate. It is a part of who we are and what drives us. Our family, their family, your family connected, making a difference in this world and putting a face on chocolate.”
Missionary Chocolates
Location: NE Portland
Missionary Chocolates has garnered a loyal following for its artisanal chocolates that blend classic techniques with modern flair. They specialize in vegan truffles. That is right…NO DAIRY! As highlighted on their website, “Missionary Chocolates began in 2008 when Melissa Berry, a Naturopathic Physician, was in her last year of medical school. What started as gifts for her vegan mother quickly became a company, as a few months later, her dairy-free truffles won first place at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Portland.”
Verdun Fine Chocolates
Locations: NW Portland and Beaverton
Verdun specializes in handcrafted chocolates that celebrate French-inspired techniques. Each piece is a work of art, beautifully designed and bursting with flavor. According to their website, “Nestled in the pristine mountains of Lebanon, Verdun Fine Chocolate has since the early 1970s built up a success based on quality. Verdun chocolates are handmade to the highest standards, comparable in flavour and texture to the very best produced worldwide, are the result of over 40 years experience by Mahmoud Hamoush, the company’s founder.”
Whether you’re a lifelong chocolate lover or a curious newcomer, exploring the artisanal chocolatiers of Portland promises a delightful experience filled with unique flavors and heartfelt stories. As these talented artisans continue to innovate, they ensure that Portland remains a sweet destination for chocolate aficionados, celebrating the art of chocolate-making one delicious bite at a time.
Johanna is married with two kids, three dogs, three cats, one leopard gecko, several chickens, and a few fish. She has been in the Pacific Northwest since the dream was alive in the 90s but has Southern roots and hails from Arkansas. The family spends a lot of time at some sort of sporting event for the kids. Johanna likes to fast craft, garden, host parties, and bake. Johanna and her crew go hard traveling, DIY-ing, and are always up for a new adventure or challenge.