Best Candy & Chocolate Assortments & Samplers

Best Gift Idea: Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Milk Chocolates

Let’s talk chocolate gift boxes!

When it comes to chocolate and candy sampler boxes, we consider ourselves enthusiasts—we’ve tasted everything from those bargain basement grocery-store chocolates to fancy chocolates with French names you can’t pronounce. 

So when we decided to find the best assortments and samplers for candy and chocolate, we focused on two key factors: first, the sweets had to taste good. Second, the gift box had to look like, well, a nice gift. 

In other words, presentation counts!

To help you find the best bets, this article has pictures of what the boxed chocolates look like in the real world. You’re welcome!

Another key feature: value. We looked for chocolate gift boxes that gave the best bang for the buck . . . after all, “Bargains” is  in our name.

So after trying eight chocolate gift boxes for this article (not to mention dozens of other boxed chocolates over the years), we give the crown for the best gift idea overall to Ferrero Rocher. Yes, these are “fine hazelnut milk chocolates” that live up to their rather impressive brand reputation. 

Here’s what the box looks like in real life, with an Oreo cookie in the picture for a size reference:

This box has three different flavors. We cut into two flavors (the dark chocolate and the coconut truffle)—here’s what they look like up close:

What We Liked

• 24 assorted chocolate and coconut candies = great bang for the buck. Unlike other chocolate gift boxes with six or 12 pieces, this one goes the extra mile.

• Good variety: there are three flavors—dark chocolate (with dark chocolate pearl at center), milk chocolate with a hazelnut center and a white chocolate (dusted with coconut and almonds). 

• Box looks like cut crystal with gold foil. Overall, very nice presentation.

• Different textures. In our taste tests, we liked the crispy shells and creamy centers. A favorite was the hazelnut at the center of the milk chocolate truffle. While we aren’t the biggest coconut fans, the white truffle with coconut was a winner as well. While it is the messiest of all the three flavors, we liked it nonetheless.

What Needs Work

• Hazelnut flavor somewhat overpowered by the chocolate. The Ferrero Rocher gold-wrapped truffles were very chocolate . . .the chocolate filling and outer shell somewhat overshadow the pearl in the middle. 

• Coconut truffle is quite messy. You can see that in the picture earlier, as we cut into the coconut truffle, it sort of crumbled. 

• Box can be fragile. 

Best Budget Friendly: Ghirardelli Assorted Squares Chocolates

No, this bag of chocolates doesn’t look as fancy as those in gift boxes . . . but if you are a chocolate fan and want good bang for the buck, these assorted squares from Ghirardelli will not disappoint. We loved the flavors here—and the price is easy on the wallet.

What We Liked

• So delicious!

• Nice variety of flavors, including dark chocolate and caramel.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Allergy alert: may contain nuts.

Best European Chocolates: MERCI Finest Assortment of Eight European Chocolates

Chocolate truffles are nice, but they are often more cream filling or nuts than pure chocolate. That’s why we recommend this next pick: MERCI’s finest assortment of 8 European chocolates are chocolate bars . . . and wow, they are amazing.

Open this box and you’ll find 16 bars (8 varieties). Here’s what it looks like (with an Oreo cookies for scale):

And inside the box:

The chocolate bars are somewhat small—here is a size comparison, again with an Oreo:

We cut in half one of the bars (Coffee and Cream):

Here’s more on our taste tests of Merci chocolate:

What We Liked

• Nice variety of flavors including classics (Dark Mousse) and some left-field choices (Praline Creme).

• Individually wrapped.

• European chocolates made in Germany. There is just something about Europe and chocolate . . . they have it down.

• Great for chocolate bar lovers.

• Dark Cream chocolate was definitely more a bittersweet taste, with great mouthfeel. 

• Coffee and Cream had a great coffee aroma and taste . . . not too sweet.

• Loved the Praline Creme, which was smooth and had a traditional truffle-style filling that was nutty and caramel-y.

What Needs Work

• The bars are on the small size as you can see from the earlier picture.

• The white paper box is nothing fancy. Some folks like that; others thought it didn’t have enough panache.

• Marzipan chocolate was our least favorite—it had a too-strong, alcohol-tinged flavor. 

Best For Peanut Butter Lovers: REESE’S Miniatures Chocolate and White Creme Peanut Butter Assortment Cups

Wow! This assortment knocked the socks off the peanut butter lovers in our tester panel—yes, there are three kinds of candy here! Very tasty.

What We Liked

• Loved the variety of textures and chocolate.

• So tasty.

• Great for peanut fans.

What Needs Work

• A bit pricey.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!