With a plethora of local farms producing quality ingredients it’s no wonder that the Santa Barbara sweet treat scene is booming. Santa Barbara has specialty shops for chocolates, cupcakes, ice cream, and donuts – each producing high-quality products that are uniquely Santa Barbra. We’ve rounded up our favorites to help you enjoy these Santa Barbara sweet treats too.
Many of our favorite sweet shops are delivering nationwide, so whether you’re a local or live far away, you can enjoy the sweet taste of Santa Barbara.
CHOCOLATES
Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates is truly a Santa Barbara gem as it is the only chocolate factory between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and it is one of the only bean-to-bar chocolate factories in the entire country.
Twenty-Four Blackbirds’ hand-crafted artisanal chocolate bars and confections are created using raw, unroasted cocoa beans from single origin plantations in Madagascar, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, and Bolivia. After the raw cocoa beans are hand-sorted, the beans are roasted and crushed. Once the nib is separated from the shell, the nibs and sugar are refined to create a finished chocolate, which needs to age for 2-8 weeks. Then the chocolate is tempered and molded into the final chocolate bars, which are hand-wrapped in house-made labels. Finally, the chocolate bars are packaged and shipped to over 400 retail customers nationwide.
It’s no secret that Hotel Santa Barbara is a big fan of Twenty-Four Blackbirds. A few years ago we toured the Twenty-Four Blackbirds chocolate factory with its founder, Mike Orlando, and learned about the chocolate making process firsthand.
Twenty-Four Blackbirds offers free curbside pickup and $9.95 flat rate shipping on all orders. Visit the retail boutique, located at 428 E. Haley Street in the Lagoon District, by appointment by calling (805) 464-6074 or order online.
Our recommendation: try the Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans made with local coffee roaster Low Pigeon’s espresso beans for a real Santa Barbara sweet treats collaboration.
Jessica Foster Confections creates handmade gourmet chocolate truffles that are out-of-this-world. Owner and chocolatier, Jessica Foster finds fresh inspiration for new flavors at the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market, as well as from her travels abroad. She blends exotic teas, herbs, spices, and fresh fruit to create unique flavors that will transport your taste buds all over the world. Each truffle is hand rolled and dipped to create an edible masterpiece.
If you are a Santa Barbara local, you can find Jessica Foster Confections at Lazy Acres Market and Whole Foods. Jessica Foster Confections also ships nationwide.
Our recommendation: If you love Jessica Foster Confections as much as we do, you can join the Truffle Club. And add the local favorite, Sea Salt Caramels, to your order.
Chocolate Maya offers delicious confections made from the highest quality ingredients, including chocolate from Switzerland. Fillings are created using fresh ingredients from the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market and other local providers. Check out the flavors guide for the latest unique flavors, such as Miso and Ginger or Lavender Eucalyptus.
Confections created by Chocolate Maya are more than just a sweet treat, they are truly an art form. Each confection has its own beautiful design, so expect to find fruits, flowers, ladybugs, tiny animals, and more. Chocolate Maya also offers vegan and gluten-free options. With five chocolate collections to choose from (Curio, Fantasia, Purist, Vegan, and Chocolate Bars), there is something for every chocolate lover.
The Santa Barbara storefront is temporarily closed, but Chocolate Maya ships nationwide for chocolates delivered right to your door.
Our recommendation: try the Fresh Mint truffle made with Santa Barbara farmers’ market fresh mint and lemons.
CUPCAKES
Crushcakes & Café serves up to 15 different cupcake flavors daily, including a vegan and a gluten-free option. Don’t miss their signature cupcake “Crushcake”, a red velvet cupcake with sour cream frosting. Everything on the menu is made on site from scratch. They also offer a scrumptious menu of breakfast and lunch items.
Fun Fact: The owner, Shannon Gaston, has been on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars several times!
Crushcakes, located at 1315 Anacapa Street, is open every day for pickup & delivery. The full menu is available from 8 am – 3 pm, and from 3 pm – 4 pm just cupcakes & coffee are available. Most of the menu is also available for delivery.
Our recommendation: watch the rotating seasonal menu for special flavors.
Enjoy Cupcakes is known for their mouthwatering cupcake flights consisting of six mini cupcakes. Each mini cupcake is filled with a delicious crème and topped with frosting and a drizzle, crumble, candy, berry or treat. Every week the menu changes to bring you five new flavors, but the sixth flavor is always the same – the signature Blackberry Syrah. During this time, Enjoy Cupcakes has modified their weekly menu to include only three flavors.
If you are not a local, Enjoy Cupcakes is now shipping cupcakes! Just fill out the Shipping Cupcakes On-Line Order Form to order one or two dozen mini cupcakes.
Our recommendation: Enjoy Cupcakes has partnered with local winemaker Saarloos and Sons to ship wine & cupcake pairings to your door.
ICE CREAM
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams has been a Santa Barbara staple since it was founded in 1949 by Santa Barbara locals Gordon & Ernesteen McConnell. Today their legacy lives on, and McConnell’s continues to create ice cream from scratch using local, sustainable, organic ingredients. The ice cream base uses only 3 ingredients: milk & cream, eggs, and pure cane sugar. Each ice cream flavor is then created by adding house-made or California-sourced jams, chocolate, caramels, coffees, nuts, fruit, cookies, etc.
McConnell’s has expanded into six scoop shops across Southern California and can be found in grocery stores across the country.
McConnell’s is now offering curbside pickup at their Santa Barbara location. Or order McConnell’s online to be shipped to your home (you must order a minimum of 4 pints).
Our recommendation: try the Chocolate Covered Strawberries made with local Santa Barbara berries.
Rori’s Artisanal Creamery serves up organic locally made ice creams that will no-doubt satisfy your taste buds. Owner Rori Trovato makes all of the ice cream, cookies, cones, and candies from scratch at the ice cream factory in Carpinteria. Rori uses a local California Central Coast dairy for all her milk and cream. She has also partnered with local and southern California farmers for lavender, lemons, cherries, herbs, and berries.
Rori’s Artisanal Creamery has scoop shops in Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria. You can also find Rori’s ice creams in restaurants and grocery stores in town.
Currently, the Montecito and Carpinteria shops are open from 3 – 8 pm.
Our recommendation: try the Black Pepper Pistachio made with Californian grown pistachios.
DONUTS
Hook & Press Donuts is Santa Barbara’s premier gourmet donut shop, which was opened in October 2018 by owner and head baker, John Burnett. Hook & Press makes an impressive 99% of their product in house from scratch, including the doughs, fruit glazes, custards, cookie dough, etc. Hook & Press partners with local farmers and artisans for seasonal ingredients, which are highlighted on their rotating menu. You’ll definitely find some incredible flavors on their menu, ranging from the classic Vanilla Bean Funfetti to the Strawberry Habanero.
Hook & Press, located inside Mosaic Locale at 1131 State Street, is open for pickup or delivery Tuesday – Sunday from 8 am – 2:30 pm (or until sold out, as these Santa Barbara sweet treats often do).
Our recommendation: try the Grapefruit Tarragon with the herbs locally grown in Santa Barbara.
Onus Donuts is the place to go for a fun twist on a classic donut. From maple bacon to cereal covered donuts, there is something for everyone, including an impressive selection of vegan donut options.
Onus Donuts, located at 413 State Street (just one block from Hotel Santa Barbara), is open for takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery Wednesday – Sunday from 8 am – 3 pm.
Our recommendation: grab a cup of coffee made with local roasting house Dune Coffee Roasters coffee to go along with a donut.
Santa Barbara’s bounty of local sweet shops have something for every craving. When you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, try the unique, local flavors that these Santa Barbara sweet treats provide! For more sweet treat recommendations, call our 24/7 staff at 1 (800) 549-9869 today.