Satisfy a sweet tooth at these four Greater Phoenix candy shops, including gourmet marshmallows, brittle and more.
With healthy and nutritious eating on trend these days (kale, anyone?), we’d be lying if we said we didn’t crave a sweet morsel of candy goodness every now and then. And although a store-bought peanut butter cup or chocolate bar may make for a temporary fix, a variety of Greater Phoenix candy shops offer all that and so much more.
Here’s a look at the top shops for satisfying your next sweet tooth.
Long-time Phoenicians have been savoring the indulgent confections at Arizona’s largest candy factory for decades. The company specializes in molded chocolates, like its signature French mint. But Cerreta makes a range of candy to satisfy any discerning chocolate palate.
To watch the magic unfold, visitors can take a 30-minute guided tour of the family-owned operation located in Glendale and see chocolate flow in real-time and learn some industry “secrets,” such as how cream centers end up in the middle of a luscious piece of chocolate — then try your hand at the make-your-own-chocolate-bar experience.
5345 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale
623-930-9000
Located just north of Central Avenue and Camelback Road next door to the uber-cool, oh-so hip Windsor, is Churn, a charming ice cream shop that screams good, old-fashioned fun.
Sure, you can have scoops of homemade ice cream, a frosty milkshake or fizzy float (honestly, who can resist on a hot, summer day?). Or if baked treats are more your thing, Churn bakes pastries and cookies fresh every day. But if it’s candy you’re after, their wide selection will make you feel like, well, a kid in a candy store.
From Necco Wafers and Big League Chew, to candy buttons, gumballs and atomic fireballs, nostalgic favorites are what you’ll find. They even have throwback toys and novelties like plastic Army men, wax lips and yo-yos.
Candy and toys? Churn, you just made our day!
5223 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
602-279-8024
While this new kid on the block is mostly a hidden gem of an ice cream shop (located right near the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix), you will also find a nostalgic assortment of sweets: lollipops, Chick-O-Sticks, Jujubes, PEZ, Boston Baked Beans, Lemonheads, taffy — you get the idea.
Don't miss out on the fresh, warm cookies. Better yet, pair them with a scoop of one of the decadent ice cream flavors for a perfectly melty, made-to-order ice cream sandwich.
Look for specials, like the "Chicko n Waffles" ice cream sundae, that combine a little of all the above (warm waffle topped with Vanilla Bean, crushed Chick-O-Stick crumbs and Ghirardelli chocolate drizzle).
114 W. Adams St., Phoenix
602-448-1872
First there was artisanal cheese, then came artisanal chocolates, and now we have artisanal … wait for it … marshmallows. Yes, the overly processed, store-bought marshmallow is making way for a new batch, handcrafted from scratch, hand cut and creatively decorated.
Once such shop singing the praises of the gourmet marshmallow is Toasted Mallow (formerly Fluff It Gourmet Marshmallows) in Gilbert. Owners Tricia Medina and Hazel Arce started their business in 2013 after Medina won an office cooking contest for her homemade marshmallow. The pair began selling at farmers’ markets and a year later they opened their shop, which features a selection of gourmet marshmallows ranging in flavors from lemon bar and orange creamsicle, to strawberry banana split.
And what would a marshmallow shop be without s’mores? Toasted Mallow offers ready-to-eat s’mores made with a graham cracker bowl, as well as a build-your-own s’mores bar. Pick your marshmallow flavor and add toppings like berries, brownies, cookies, caramel sauce and more.
1034 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert
480-686-9071
Since 2009, pastry chef Tracy Dempsey has provided stunning, mouth-watering desserts to Greater Phoenix restaurants such as Citizen Public House and Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn. And for the longest time, fans could only enjoy her creations at client restaurants or by picking up a package of her famous confections at such retailers as Sphinx Date Ranch, Changing Hands Bookstore and the Bodega Market at FnB Restaurant.
To meet the growing demand, Dempsey opened a permanent location in Tempe to get her pastries and fresh-baked goods — from canelé and cakes to shortbreads and her Original Bacon Pecan Brittle — right into your hands.
Dempsey originally made her signature creation when she was pastry chef at Cowboy Ciao. Wanting to add texture to the restaurant’s bread pudding, she added the brittle as garnish, with a scoop of bacon ice cream. Before long, she began making the brittle with applewood smoked bacon and pecans, and the rest, they say, is history.
And because brittle is where it all started, Dempsey now offers an apricot pistachio brittle and the Don’t Cry for Me, habanero peanut brittle, made with a dash of Cutino Sauce Co.'s habanero sauce.
1323 W. University Drive, Tempe
602-376-9021
