Local Holiday Treats to Help You Feel Festive

These top spots offer up a selection of sweet goodies for the season ahead

These top spots offer up a selection of sweet goodies for the season ahead

From delicious graze boxes to tropical-themed confections, there’s everything from traditional to inventive on the menu this season. Welcome the Christmas season with these fun and festive goodies…

1. The Graze Company

Unveiling their limited-edition 2021 boxes, The Graze Company’s holiday dessert box includes jumbo chocolate-dipped wagon wheel cookies, milk chocolate hazelnut macarons, maple marshmallows, white chocolate gold foil red velvet truffles, chocolate Christmas tree cookies, snowflake shortbread plus more. Packed in two sizes, small ($110 for two) and mini ($45 for one), each box is hand-wrapped with custom ribbon and ??gold foiled gift tags.
5279 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby; Pre-order online for delivery and pick-up

2. Mon Paris Pâtisserie

Spreading comfort and joy this holiday season, Mon Paris Pâtisserie presents charming chocolate creations from Christmas yule logs ($45 to $55), playful snowmen ($25) made with white, milk or dark chocolate, beautiful trees ($32) with a variety of nuts and dried tropical fruits, a poinsettia flowerpot ($23), Christmas ornaments ($18) in milk or dark chocolate with two signature truffles, chocolate boxes ($31.50) that include 16 bonbons in a variety of signature flavours, enrobed in white, milk and dark Belgian chocolate. Plus, for the kids, a festive cookie-decorating kit ($25) features 16 baked sugar cookies, icing and festive sprinkles.
4396 Beresford Street, Burnaby; Pre-order online, in-person or by phone

3. Kafka’s

With their new online shop shipping nationwide, Kafka has made shopping local easy this Christmas. Perfect for the host-with-the-most, their holiday coffee box ($32) includes a bag of freshly roasted coffee and four festive cookies inspired by pastry chef Adi Kessleman’s childhood favourites (Christmas tree sugar cookies, espresso cardamom sable stars with golden dark chocolate drizzle, ginger chews with crystallized ginger and Kafka’s famous salted chocolate chip). The Christmas-themed cookies ($3.50 each) will also be available to enjoy individually at Kafka’s coffee shops.
Various locations; Order online for shipping or pick-up

4. Honey Salt

Get the whole family into the Christmas spirit and spend an afternoon constructing and decorating a whimsical gingerbread house at Honey Salt ($25 per table). Complete with all toppings, your party can create an enchanting home perfectly suited to Hansel and Gretel. 
39 Smithe Street, Vancouver; Saturday, December 4th and Saturday, December 18th; 3 p.m.; Reserve via email hsbookings@parqvancouver.com

5. Edge Catering

Edge Catering has taken the stress out of holiday baking this year this two festive-themed offerings. A fun-filled activity for both the little ones and the kids at heart, their cookie decorating kits ($30 to $50), include six or 12 butter and gingerbread cookies with icing, sprinkles and all the holiday fixings ready to decorate. The holiday baking box ($36), comes complete with holiday-themed tarts, squares, traditional shortbread and cookies. 
1927 East Hastings Street, Vancouver; Order online for pick-up or delivery

6. Coho Market

With a selection of unique and purposefully curated holiday gift boxes (from $35), Coho Market supports the best of Vancouver’s small artisans in the food and beverage industry. Explore the ‘Support Local Businesses’ box, opt for the ‘Women-led Local Foodie’ box, celebrate with a ‘BIPOC-led Local Foodie’ box, enjoy the ‘Asian Pantry Classic’ box; there’s an array of sweet goodies available on their online store sure to suit all. 
1370 East Georgia Street, Vancouver; Order online for delivery or pick-up

7. Beaucoup Bakery

Give the gift of Beaucoup Bakery this holiday season with the team’s curated holiday boxes ($35 to $75). Including an array of their most loved confections, from cookies, chocolate creations and one-of-a-kind artisanal products, these offerings capture the magic of the holiday season and impart an unforgettably nostalgic flavour to the festive season. Beaucoup is also offering a variety of treats and sweets including Santa’s cookie box, ($24 to $45), Rudolph’s Favourite Cruffin ($6.50), Mrs. Claus Petite Pannetone ($4.95) and so many more festive themed confectioneries.
2150 Fir Street, Vancouver; Order via email hello@beaucoupbakery.com

8. The Drive Canteen

Newly opened The Drive Canteen, makes local snacking easy and can also custom make gift boxes for your holiday shopping needs. Think Beta5 chocolate bars, housemade cornuts, Chaotic Good stuffed cookies, housemade nachos and Scarlito’s Way cookies.
1111 Commercial Drive, Vancouver; Order online

9. Ladurée

This holiday season experience a touch of Parisian magic with Ladurée’s exquisite collection of classic and limited edition macaron gift boxes (from $40). This year’s limited edition items are designed in collaboration with Mellerio dits Meller jewellery house, reflecting the excellence of the French art of living and savoir faire. Ladurée will also be offering their famous bûche de Noëls.
1141 Robson Street, Vancouver; Order online or purchase in-store

10. Faubourg

Faubourg Bakery is marking the season by unveiling a new limited edition artisanal collection of sweet offerings. The show-stopping line-up includes three bûches de Noël (from $35) inspired by iconic holiday symbols or classics, plus delightfully-delicious ornaments ($9.50) filled with lime white chocolate mousse, raspberry gelée and sablé Breton, Christmas stollen (from $17), gift baskets and so much more!
2156 West 41st Avenue and 769 Hornby Street, Vancouver; Available in-store and online, with orders placed before December 12th receiving an early bird discount of 10 percent

11. Blue Hat Bakery-Café (Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts)

Offering a delicious selection of traditional, along with seasonal staple cakes and confections, the team at PICA have curated an array of festive treats to tempt all sweet tooths. From Christmas stollen (from $5) and orange chocolate-dipped shortbread ($12), to caramel popcorn ($9) and handcrafted Christmas yule logs in classic chocolate, almond chocolate and gingerbread spice ($35), as well as chocolate bark ($14) with candied hazelnut and almond in both milk and dark varieties.
1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver; Available for pre-order online

12. Temper Chocolate and Pastry

Created by Temper owner and lead chef Steven Hodge and his talented team of chocolatiers and pastry chefs, the newest holiday-themed creations include chewy ginger cookies ($3.25), mini chocolate Santas ($9), chocolate ornaments ($39), and always-popular advent calendars ($65), festive chocolate lollipops ($4.25) in white, milk and dark chocolate varieties and sprayed with seasonal red, green or blue accents and so much more. Plus, Temper’s bûche de Noël are available in salted caramel, chestnut and nut-free Yuzu vanilla ($45).
2409 Marine Drive, West Vancouver; Order bûche de Noël online from November 30th, with holiday treats available for purchase in-store

13. The Bench Bakehouse

Serving up traditional favourites, The Bench Bakehouse is making the holiday season easy for you. From homemade stollen ($20) and fruit cake ($12 to $24), seasonal cookie boxes (from $15), fully assembled do-it-yourself gingerbread houses ($75), cookie-decorating kits ($30), and bake-at-home goods (from $8), there’s something for everyone here. You can also grab a festive warm drink, with specials like eggnog lattés and mulled apple cider.
1641 Commercial Drive, Vancouver; Order online and in-store starting December 1st

14. Chez Christophe

This Christmas, Chez Christophe’s holiday showpiece collection offers the classics with a twist. As the majority of us have missed out on warm vacations during the winter months, they have decided to bring a tropical holiday to you with their ‘A Tropical Christmas’ collection. Featuring a ‘Ho Ho Hawaii’ Santa ($34.95), ‘Surfin’ Sydney’ penguin ($32.95), and ‘Scuba Steve’ Rudolph ($31.95), the collection is one-of-a-kind. Alongside this holiday collection, their delicious bûche de Noël ($39.95) is available in four flavours. 
Various locations; Order online for delivery or pick-up

15. Buttermere Patisserie

This season, Buttermere Patisserie has your cute and aesthetic holiday treats perfected. The line-up features a limited edition snowglobe cake ($50), boasting Alunga soft biscuit, black currant jelly, coconut cremeux, coconut mousse, and is finished with a gingerbread man enclosed in a clear, sugar dome, a wreath red velvet cake ($75). Opt instead for a ‘Joyeux Noel’ chocolate hazelnut Madeleine ($75), or—for those looking for smaller treats—Buttermere’s Christmas mini set ($55) includes a variety of mouth-watering goodies.
636 Main Street, Vancouver; Order online for delivery or pick-up