Culinary Trails
Sweet Temptations Trail
Indiana Foodways Alliance recommends the following fine candy companies to visitors who wish to sample local favorites throughout the state. Call to verify hours.
We recommend that you use an Internet mapping service for the detailed directions you might need to find the recommended restaurants and businesses.
Click here to download a PDF file of the trail information.
Albanese Candy Factory
5441 E. U.S. 30 219-947-3070
Merrillville, IN 46410 http://www.albaneseconfectionery.com
Albanese channels Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for a sweet experience kids of all ages should not miss. When you enter the front doors, you will hear a splashing sound and smell the deep rich aroma of fresh chocolate. Turn your head to the left, and you’ll see the source: a three-story chocolate fountain! Or look straight ahead to the glass walls behind the retail area, where customers can view the multi-colored tubing that conveys the world’s best gummi bear flavors to conveyor belts. The Albanese family’s patented method for making gummi bears has become an industry standard all over the world. You can even get award-winning army guy gummies. Malted milk balls, roasted nuts and chocolate creams are just a few more of the sweet treats made fresh at Albanese. The Albanese Nut & Candy Outlet, 1910 W. U.S. 30, 219-738-2333, has candy, but not the fun features of the factory.
Blu Boy Chocolate Cafe
112 E. Kirkwood Ave. 812-334-8460
Bloomington, IN 47408 www.bluboychocolate.com
Chocolate and pastries are the passion of former physician David Fletcher, the pastry chef/owner of tiny downtown Blu Boy. A printed chocolate candy menu includes adventurous flavor pairings such as ancho chile and cinnamon, strawberry and ice wine, dulce de leche and jasmine, along with intense versions of caramel, mint and cherry. These are handmade and painted jewel-like chocolates that share space with homemade cakes, pastries and dense chocolate brownies. A velvety persimmon cheesecake is a seasonal favorite. Shop-blended cocoas and Brown County Coffee are available with your dessert, served at the handful of tiny tables in the storefront space. Open Mon.-Thu. 10 am-6 pm, Fri.-Sat. 10 am-10 pm.
Charlie’s Caramel Corn & Candy Shop
427 N. Second St. 812-882-8008
Vincennes, IN 47591 http://www.charliescaramelcorn.com
Since 1955, award-winning candies and caramel corn have been made and sold in this little white house. Family photos share wall space with the signature red tins of Charlie’s Caramel Corn, and the wide variety of turtles are the No. 1 selling chocolate item. We especially like the chocolate-covered orange peel and the seasonal candies. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 am- 5:30 pm; closed Sun.
Cocoa Safari
118 W. Main St. 812-273-8800
Madison, IN 47250 http://www.cocoasafarichocolates.com
Debra Fine's exquisite gourmet chocolates are handmade from the best ingredients, including fresh butter and Guittard chocolate, and no preservatives are used. The chocolate boxes, in milk, dark and white chocolate are reasonably priced works of art, and the silky butter creams meet the highest standards. Deb's homemade marshmallows, old-fashioned sponge candy and caramels with sea salt are unique specialties. They nestle beside her best-selling tortoises, walnut raisin clusters, and cherry cordials. Truffle flavors change seasonally and may include Myer lemon & thyme, Black Forest or Chai Tea, along with espresso, cheesecake, mint and raspberry. The sparkling aromatic shop is as pretty as the candy here on Main Street in Madison. Open Wed., Thu., Fri. and Sun. 11 am-6 pm; Sat. 10 am-6 pm.
DeBrand Chocolatier
10105 Auburn Park Drive 260-969-8333, ext. 4
Fort Wayne, IN 46825 http://www.debrand.com
Cathy Brand-Beere’s world-class chocolate business is one of Indiana’s premium culinary trail sites. Started in Cathy’s kitchen in 1987, DeBrand’s has grown to provide chocolates for Trump Hotels, but is still Fort Wayne’s hometown chocolate shop, with a new stone and stucco headquarters full of friendly staff and “chocolate” walls. You’ll find a full line of divine chocolate candy as well as chocolate beverages and gourmet coffees, desserts, ice creams and toppings just inside the front door. Tours are offered Tuesday at 10 a.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m. and at additional seasonal times. Open Mon.-Thu. 7 am-9 pm, Fri. 7 am-10:30 pm, Sat. 10 am-10:30 pm, Sun. noon-6 pm. Other Fort Wayne stores are located at 5608 Coldwater Road, 4110 W. Jefferson Blvd. in the Jefferson Pointe Mall and at the Fort Wayne Airport.
Farmland Chocolates at Tanglevine Crossing
110 N. Main St. 765-468-6958
Farmland, IN 47340 http://www.tanglevinecrossing.com
Cinnamon truffles and silky French chew taffy are among the handmade delights at Tanglevine, a treasure chest of a gift
shop and confectionery in charming downtown Farmland. The chocolate-covered cherries, toffee and carmidillos are also
worth a stop each time you travel through Randolph County near the Ohio border. Top quality ingredients and loving care
go into these carefully made candies that locals often order before they are fashioned. Open Tues.-Sat. 10 am-5 pm;
closed Sun.
Good’s Candy Shop
1423 W. 53rd St. 765-642-7247
Anderson, IN 46013 http://www.goodscandyshop.com
Randy Good carries on a family business founded in 1940 by his great-aunt, whose 13 original recipes have expanded to more than 100. Most of the candy is made on the premises and includes silky truffles, chocolate covered toffee, peanut brittle, almond bark and premium chocolate creams. Good’s Candy Shop is housed in a gingerbread house building just outside of town, with tables out front where you can enjoy Good’s latest recipes for its new super-premium ice creams in flavors like peach, lemon and pistachio. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. noon-6 pm.
Ghyslain Chocolates, Inc.
350 W. Deerfield Road 866-449-7524
Union City, IN 47390 http://www.ghyslain.com
Ghyslain Maurais brought his old world candy and pastry making skills from Quebec to Eastern Indiana and presides over an aromatic candy kitchen where chocolate is elevated to fine art. (We always knew it belonged on a pedestal!) The beautifully painted chocolate turtles and truffles glow in their gold boxes and melt in your mouth. Plump marzipan fruits and pastries make still life tableaus in the display cases. And the croissants! Let’s just say Ghyslain is a certified French pastry chef and candymaker who has worked in the finest five-star hotels throughout the world before settling down with his wife, Susan, in Union City, to delight Hoosiers with his craft. Tours with taste tests are available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday or by reservation. Open Mon.-Fri. 8 am-6 pm, Sat. 8 am-3 pm; closed Sun.
Lowery's Candies
6255 W. Kilgore Ave. (IN 32) 800-541-3340
Muncie, IN 47304 http://www.loweryscandies.com
Lowery's fine chocolates are hand-dipped with no fillers. Vickie Good's family opened the seasonal candy business
downtown in 1941, moved to Rt. 32 in 1964, and Hoosiers have been enjoying nut rolls (vanilla creams rolled in black
walnuts), real butter toffee with pecans and those silky wonders, the "Dark Secrets" ever since. The little beige house
with brown trim is full of seasonal favorites as well as the tiger paws, creams, nuts, cherries, chews, and pastels they are
famous for. Chocolate Easter eggs and Colt's footballs filled with candies are especially popular. Say hello to the
dedicated staff while you are there - their artistry makes Lowery's a special place. Open Labor Day to Mother's Day, Mon.-Fri. 9 am -5 :30 pm, Sat. 9 am-5 pm; closed Sun.
McCord Candies
536 Main St. 765-742-4441
Lafayette, IN 47901 http://www.mccordcandies.com
McCord Candies, located on Lafayette’s downtown square since 1912, is one of the oldest operating soda fountains in Indiana and the Midwest. In addition to its handmade fountain drinks and old-time favorite lunch items, McCord Candies is beloved for its chocolates, fruit slices, snappers, and the famous 9-inch handmade candy canes that are made each fall and shipped around the world to help make Christmas merry. Locals also favor the chocolate cherry cordials, homemade toffees and peanut butter fudge balls as unique Hoosier treats. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm, Sat. 10 am-4 pm; closed Sun.
The Mercantile
314 Ferry St. 812-427-2445
Vevay, IN 47043 http://www.shopvevay.com
This old-fashioned general store features the local products and artisan wares of Vevay and Switzerland County. Satterfield Farms all-natural honey candy is one of the unique offerings here, produced by hand with honey from Patriot. The Mercantile also carries the homemade chocolates, fudge, truffles and buckeyes from Coyote Creek Family Farm in nearby Florence, where Shannon Vinson presides over the Coyote Creek Country Café during warmer months when she is not in the candy kitchen. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 11 am-4 pm.
Mundt’s
207 W. Main St. 812-265-6171
Madison, IN 47250 http://www.mundtscandies.com
Mundt’s jewel-toned candy fish are made in the same third-floor kitchen, with most of the original equipment, in the same 1835 building where the Mundt family started this river town confectionery in 1917. The finest ingredients are mixed in huge copper kettles and cooled on long stone tables before being hand-fed into matched brass rollers to create the tangy-sweet treat beloved by generations of Hoosiers. Mundt’s is also known for its chocolates and award-winning ice cream, including the “1937 Flood”—a sundae that serves four. Please call in advance because Mundt’s observes seasonal hours. Open Mon.-Tues. 10 am-5:30 pm, Thu.-Sat. 10 am-5:30 pm; closed Wed. and Sun.
The Party Shop
413 N. Jefferson St. 260-355-0142
Huntington, IN http://www.pecanturtles.com
Watch the caramel being made in a big copper kettle for the Party Shop’s giant pecan, cashew and almond turtles and for the fresh caramel corn in this nostalgic downtown candy store. Hot roasted nuts and beverages, such as smoothies, coffees and teas, are offered year-round, along with cinnamon rolls and muffins, and the Shop uses local apples in the fall to make a full line of gourmet caramel apples as long as the supply lasts. Chocolate covered bananas, buckeyes and strawberries are also seasonal features. Open Mon.-Sat. 7 am-2 pm, Sat. and Sun.
8 am-2 pm.
Uncle Henry’s Candies at the Cicero
Coffee Company
150 S. Peru St. 317-984-2739
Cicero, IN 46034 http://www.unclehenryscandies.com
Carl Harvey inherited his own Uncle Henry’s candy recipes and has been making his signature hand-dipped pecan turtles and pecan logs for 30 years. Six years ago, Carl built a sparkling candy kitchen in Cicero and began selling the distinctive pint and quart tins of candy on the Internet and in local shops. The Cicero Coffee Company carries and sells as many of Uncle Henry’s candies as it can stock. The Cicero Coffee Company should have a good supply this winter of the turtle bits, turtle bites and full-sized turtles that keep Hamilton County residents in turtle bliss. Open Mon.-Fri. 7 am-2 pm, Sat. and Sun. 8
am-2 pm.
