Best Chocolate Gift Box Overall: Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Milk Chocolates
Let’s talk chocolate gift boxes!
When it comes to chocolate, we consider ourselves enthusiasts—we’ve tasted everything from those bargain basement grocery-store chocolates to fancy chocolates with French names.
So when we decided to find the best chocolate gift boxes, we focused on two key factors: first, the chocolate had to taste good. Second, the chocolate 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 chocolate gift box 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 and 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 dark 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 Chocolate Truffles Gift: Godiva Chocolatier Patisserie Chocolate Truffle Flight Box
Sometimes less is more—this flight of six truffles is just the right size. A nice sampling of flavors, without going overboard.
Let’s be honest: a two POUND box of chocolate is overkill. That’s why we like Godiva’s Truffle Flight Box.
We loved the flavors here, which are inspired by cakes and pastries (Black Forest cake, for example).
The truffles arrived in a large box, wrapped with cold packs in foil:
Unboxed, here is the exterior of the box with an Oreo cookie for a size reference:
Here’s what the truffles look like in real life:
Here’s more:
What We Liked
• Delicious! These are flavors you don’t see typically in boxed chocolates (our favorite was the vanilla dulce de leche). The Strawberry Creme Tart had a very tart-tasting strawberry puree that paired well with the sweet vanilla mousse. Here’s a close-up of that truffle split open:
• Affordable . . . at least compared to fancy gold boxes.
• Truffles are just the right size—not too small or too big.
• Good overall presentation. We liked the included sheet that gave detailed info on the truffles. The box itself is rather classy as well.
What Needs Work
• Can melt in warm weather. To be fair, this is a problem with any chocolate gift box. Chocolate melts between 86 and 90 degrees (higher for dark chocolate, lower for milk chocolate). So consider the temperature of where you are sending this to. Yes, Godiva ships this box with cold packs (as you can see from the earlier picture), but even cold packs can’t keep chocolate from melting if this box is sitting on a porch in Arizona in the summer for a few hours!
• Only 4.16 ounces of chocolate. If you want more bang for your chocolate buck, consider our next recommendation, a selection of European chocolates.
Best Chocolate Bars Gift Box: 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 Chocolate Cookie Gift Box: Barnett’s Gourmet Chocolate Biscotti Favors Gift Box Sample
And now for something different: a box of chocolate-covered biscotti.
If your special someone is bored with regular boxed chocolates, we’d suggest throwing them a curve: a box of chocolate-covered cookies. Our favorite: Barnett’s Gourmet Chocolate Biscotti.
The cookies arrive in a nice white box with decorative ribbon (the Oreo cookie is for size reference):
Inside are five rather amazing looking cookies:
The cookies are dipped in dark or white chocolate. And then as you can see from the picture above, they are topped with candied almonds, coconut crunch, caramel chips or crushed cookies.
Here’s what one of the cookies looks like up close:
It was a tough job, but here are our taste test results:
What We Liked
• Wow! Loved the chunky toppings, especially the caramel chips and candied almonds.
• Five distinct flavors, including some unusual choices (the cranberry, for example).
• Kosher.
• Hand-made.
• No additives or preservatives.
What Needs Work
• Biscotti was rather crumbly. Sometimes the toppings fall off. You can see that in the photo above when we cut into one cookie.
• Cookie itself was not very flavorful . . . they really needed those toppings! We realize biscotti isn’t exactly supposed to be a flavor explosion, but we thought it could have a bit more zip.
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.
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