Valentine’s Day has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute it’s January gloom and wool socks. The next you are staring down Feb. 14 wondering how to say, “I love you,” without resorting to a drugstore heart box that could have been bought anywhere by anyone at the last minute. This is where local chocolate makers come in. Buying locally made chocolate is not just about sweetness. It’s about care. It’s also about knowing who made it and why. And it’s certainly about keeping dollars close to home and turning a small indulgence into something quite meaningful.
Central Oregon is quietly rich in chocolate talent. From bean to bar craft chocolate, to truffles that border on decadent art, to toffee that feels like a love letter passed down through generations. These are treats with stories baked in. For Valentine’s Day this year three local makers stand out as delicious reminders that romance can be handmade.
Seahorse Chocolate is a good place to start for anyone who likes their chocolate thoughtful and expressive. Based in Bend, Seahorse is a small batch craft chocolate roastery that treats cacao with the same respect usually reserved for wine grapes or single origin coffee. Their focus is single origin chocolate made from cocoa beans sourced directly from farmers and producers who prioritize transparency, quality and ethical practices. This is not just abstract, feel good language. Seahorse works with direct trade certified partners and can tell you exactly where the beans came from and how they were grown.
At their Second Street roastery cocoa beans are drum-roasted in small batches. This process brings out the unique flavor profile of each varietal. One bar might lean fruity and bright. Another might feel deep and earthy with notes that linger. Theirs is chocolate meant to be tasted slowly. Giving Seahorse Chocolate on Valentine’s Day is a subtle flex. It says you paid attention. It says you value craft and intention. It’s also a gift that invites a shared experience. Break a bar. Talk about what you taste. Decide which origin you love most. Romance through flavor is still romance.
If your Valentine leans more toward truffles and indulgence, then Lidia’s Chocolates is your answer. Lidia’s chocolates are handcrafted and luxurious, made using cacao grown in remote areas of Venezuela and processed using an all-natural method that retains all the flavonoids. The result is chocolate that tastes rich and full and unapologetically chocolaty.
Lidia’s truffles are the kind people talk about long after the box is empty. There are classic flavors done beautifully such as mocha, Marionberry and lemon. Each one is silky and balanced with fillings that complement rather than overpower the chocolate. Then there are the truffles for the adventurous. The Aztec Gold Truffle is a standout with ancho pepper and other spices finished with a dusting of gold. It’s warm and spicy and just a little dramatic, which feels just about right for Valentine’s Day.
Beyond truffles, Lidia also makes caramels that deserve their own moment. A vanilla bean caramel is simple and perfect. The Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Vanilla Bean Caramel hits that sweet/salty balance that keeps you reaching for just one more. Buying from Lidia is also buying into a passion project rooted in heritage, technique and an obvious love of the craft.
For those who believe Valentine’s Day should involve a little crunch, Holm Made Toffee Co. delivers. This family and women-owned business is based in Bend and built on a family recipe that has clearly stood the test of time. Holm Made Toffee feels generous. It is sturdy and rich and deeply satisfying in a way that feels nostalgic and celebratory at the same time.
Their Original Hazelnut Toffee is a classic for a reason. But the flavor lineup goes well beyond that. Marionberry adds a local fruit twist. Cardamom and Vanilla brings warmth and spice. Bourbon Brown Sugar leans cozy and grown up. White Chocolate Raspberry is playful and sweet. There is even a collaboration with Bohemian Roastery featuring Ethiopia Yirgacheffe beans which brings coffee and chocolate together in a way that feels very Central Oregon.
Supporting local chocolatiers for Valentine’s Day is about more than avoiding shipping delays or standing in line at a big box store. It’s about choosing gifts made by neighbors and about celebrating skill and creativity that exists right here where we live and work and play. When you buy from Seahorse Chocolate, Lidia’s Chocolates or Holm Made Toffee you are investing in people who care deeply about what they make. You are also giving a gift that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
This Valentine’s Day let chocolate do the talking. Let it say thoughtful, intentional and local. Let it be rich and spicy and crunchy and complex. Let it taste like home.
You can find all three of these local chocolatiers’ chocolate offerings at Central Oregon Locavore while both Seahorse Chocolate and Holm Made Toffee are in other stores and coffee shops throughout the area.
Seahorse Chocolate
Mon-Fri 11am-3pm
1849 NE 2nd Street, Bend
541-668-1760
seahorsechocolate.com
Lidia’s Chocolates
541-306-7149
lidia@lidiaschocolates.com
lidiaschocolates.com
Holm Made Toffee Co.
541-315-5915
holmmadetoffee.com
This article appears in the Source February 5, 2026.
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