St. Paul knows a thing or two about sweets. You don’t have to have a sweet tooth to appreciate the confections coming from these shops, factories, and showrooms, but it certainly helps if you do.
Pearson’s Candy Co
The largest candy company in St. Paul (and the 31st largest in the country), Pearson’s factory on West 7th Street is the beacon of classic sweets in St. Paul (every Minnesota knows Nut Goodie and Bit-O-Honey). But they’re not just about nostalgia: Pearson’s recently made a push for the future by introducing 7th Street Confections, a more artisan-style chocolate line for a lighter, healthier treat (although it’s still candy), featuring flavors like pineapple & toasted coconut, and raspberry & quinoa.
Pearson’s | 2140 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55116 | (651) 698-0356
Legacy Chocolates
Legacy Chocolates makes chocolate truffles from scratch, using a smooth, rich ganache to cover cacao that ranges from 34% to 99% dark. It doesn’t matter if you like your chocolate dark and bitter, or soft and silky sweet; it’s all here. Early favorites include the Himalayan Salted Caramel, a sweet Malvira, or just the Double (The chocolate on chocolate doesn’t need anything else to be perfect). Pro tip: Coffee and espresso is equally impressive here, and pairs well with chocolate.
Legacy Chocolates | 141 4th Street E (2nd level), Saint Paul, MN 55101 | (651) 789-6630
Madmoiselle Miel
Madmoiselle Miel has been making some of Minnesota’s best bon bons with local honey for years. Offering an alternative sweetness to processed sugars (and a smoked honey that is simply, Jesus, it’s divine), these are chocolates are anything but the same-old, same-old. The store and showroom on Kellogg Blvd, right across from the Minnesota History Center, isn’t open often, but offers a glimpse of the magic when it is.
Madmoiselle Miel| 342 Kellogg Boulevard W, Saint Paul, MN 55102 | (651) 226-4703
Regina’s Candies
A small, unassuming storefront hides homemade chocolates and brittles made the same way since 1926. Sweetcream fudge is also a specialty here, and it’s just as rich, sweet, satisfying as it sounds. Other classic candies, like saltwater taffy, spice jelly beans, and licorice can be found in abundance as well; a selection perfect for gift-giving or just indulging on your own.
Regina’s Candies | 2073 St Clair Ave, St Paul, MN 55105 | (651) 698-8603
Candyland
And, of course, the original, the one and only, Candyland. This is where you find the finest brittle, the chocolate pecan turtles, gummi sweets in all shapes and sizes, lollipops as big as your head, popcorn, and always something special for the season. The child in you will shine as you walk into this classic candy shop; the colors, the smells, the sweets, all recall Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (the one in the original 1973 film, as Tim Burton’s wasn’t nearly as delicious).
Candyland | 435 Wabasha Street N, Saint Paul, MN 55102 | (651) 292-1191
