The Big Island has quietly become one of the premier chocolate destinations in the United States. The volcanic soil, tropical climate, and dedication of local farmers create ideal conditions for growing exceptional cacao. Whether you’re a chocolate enthusiast planning a Valentine’s Day surprise, a foodie seeking unique island flavors, or someone who appreciates quality sweets, the Big Island offers chocolate experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
Our Big Island bed and breakfast is perfectly positioned for chocolate exploration. Several of the island’s best chocolate makers, farms, and shops are within easy reach of our rainforest retreat. Here’s your guide to discovering Big Island’s sweetest offerings.
Where did Chocolate Originate?
Cacao wasn’t always available in Hawaii. It traveled here from Central and South America in the early 1800s. For over a century, cacao trees grew mostly as ornamentals in botanical gardens and private estates. Then, in the 1990s, a handful of visionary farmers recognized the Big Island’s potential for commercial cacao production.
The volcanic soil provides exceptional drainage and minerals. Microclimates across the island create diverse growing conditions, allowing farmers to cultivate different cacao varieties with distinct flavor profiles. Some Big Island chocolates taste fruity and bright; others are nutty and earthy. The terroir (the unique combination of soil, climate, and cultivation) makes Hawaiian chocolate distinctively different from chocolate grown in Ghana, Ecuador, or anywhere else.
Today, the Big Island produces some of the most expensive and prized cacao in the world. Small-batch chocolate makers craft bars that win international awards and sell for premium prices at specialty stores globally. But you don’t need to be a connoisseur to appreciate the difference. One taste and you’ll understand why Hawaiian chocolate has developed such a devoted following.
Chocolate Tours on The Big Island
The best way to understand Hawaiian chocolate is to get an up-close look at where it grows. Several Big Island farms welcome visitors for Chocolate tours that walk you through the entire chocolate-making process.
Puna Gold Estate
Puna Gold Estate (13-3534 Maile St, Pāhoa) offers one of the most accessible cacao farm experiences for our guests. The farm cultivates cacao in the rich Puna volcanic soil, where the combination of rainfall, elevation, and mineral-rich earth creates distinctive flavor profiles in their beans. Tours walk you through their cacao groves and processing facilities, where you’ll learn about their commitment to sustainable farming practices.
Lavaloha
Lavaloha (1820 Amauulu Rd, Hilo) brings together two of Hawaii’s most celebrated crops: cacao and coffee. Their facility showcases the art of chocolate making while also roasting premium Hawaiian coffee, creating a sensory experience that highlights what makes Big Island agriculture so special.
The Lavaloha experience includes tastings of their handcrafted chocolates, allowing you to appreciate how different processing techniques and cacao percentages affect flavor.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory
Located in Kealakekua on the island’s west side, the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (78-6772 Makenawai St, Kailua-Kona) is widely considered the pioneer of Hawaiian chocolate production. Bob and Pam Cooper started growing cacao here in 1997, making them among the first to prove that commercial cacao farming could succeed in Hawaii.
Their farm tour takes you through cacao groves where you’ll see trees at different stages of production, learn how cacao pods develop, watch (and smell) the fermentation process, and discover how different roasting techniques bring out specific flavors.
Kuaiwi Farm
This small family farm in Holualoa offers a more intimate chocolate experience. The Kuaiwi Farm (82-6155 D Rd, Captain Cook, HI) tour focuses on sustainable agriculture and the relationship between healthy soil and exceptional cacao. You’ll walk through their organic farm, learning how they integrate cacao with other tropical crops.
The farm produces limited-quantity chocolate bars, coffee, and fruits sold exclusively on the farm tour. Getting your hands on a Kuaiwi bar feels like discovering a secret.
Hamakua Chocolate
On the island’s northeastern coast, Hamakua Chocolate (27-2313 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd, Papaikou) operates from a historic warehouse in Papaikou. Their tour includes a full bean-to-bar chocolate-making demonstration, a chance to taste the cacao fruit directly from the tree, and a 12-course chocolate tasting. You’ll also have access to their botanical gardens, spice gardens, and eucalyptus grove.
Where to Buy Hawaiian Chocolate Near Volcano Village
You don’t need to drive far from Volcano Village Lodge to find excellent chocolate.
Volcano Village Lodge offers chocolate-covered pineapple and other sweet treats available for guests looking for a romantic indulgence or a special Valentine’s surprise.
Cooper Center Farmers Market (19-4030 Wright Rd, Volcano) on Sunday mornings often features vendors selling locally made chocolate, including small-batch makers who don’t have retail locations. It’s a great place to discover new favorites and chat with the makers themselves.
Kilauea General Store (19-3972 Old Volcano Rd) and the Volcano Store (19 Haunani Rd) in Volcano carry locally-made Big Island chocolates, including snacks from Punalu’u Bake Shop and other local producers.
Volcano House Gift Shop (1 Crater Rim Drive) located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stocks Hawaiian-made chocolates alongside other local products. Shopping here supports the park while giving you access to quality Hawaiian souvenirs.
Hilo Farmers Market (Kamehameha Avenue and Mamo St, Hilo) brings together multiple chocolate vendors on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You’ll find everything from raw cacao nibs to elaborate chocolate truffles.
Big Island Candies: A Hilo Institution
No discussion of Big Island chocolate is complete without Big Island Candies (585 Hinano St., Hilo), the Hilo-based confectionery that’s become synonymous with Hawaiian gifts and treats.
Since 1977, Big Island Candies has been crafting brownies, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, and their signature shortbread cookies that have achieved near-legendary status. The Hilo location offers free factory viewing where you can watch cookies being made, dipped in chocolate, and packaged. The viewing area overlooks the production floor, so you’re seeing actual operations, not a staged demonstration.
The retail shop showcases the full product line, from individually wrapped cookies to elaborate gift boxes. Free samples are plentiful, try the dark chocolate mac nut clusters or the chocolate-dipped fortune cookies before deciding what to buy.
The Big Island Chocolate Festival
Each spring, the Big Island Chocolate Festival celebrates everything cacao. The event brings together chocolate makers, pastry chefs, farmers, and chocolate lovers for a weekend of tastings, demonstrations, and competitions.
Featured chefs create elaborate chocolate desserts and savory dishes incorporating cacao. Competitions include categories for best truffle, best drinking chocolate, and most creative use of Hawaiian chocolate.
Hawaiian Chocolate: The Sweetest Big Island Souvenir
Big Island chocolate represents more than indulgence. It’s a story of farmers who believed in this crop when nobody else did, of volcanic soil creating unique flavors, of small batches crafted with obsessive attention to detail.
When you taste Hawaiian chocolate, you’re tasting the rain that fell on cacao trees, the sun that ripened pods, and the dedication of the hands that harvested and fermented beans. You’re supporting sustainable agriculture and family farms. You’re participating in a food movement that values quality, transparency, and connection to the land. Whether you’re touring a cacao farm, sampling at Big Island Candies, or discovering a new chocolate maker at the farmers market, you’re experiencing an essential part of what makes this island special.
Book your stay now and sweeten your Big Island adventure with the finest chocolate Hawaii has to offer. Your Valentine (or your taste buds) will thank you.