10 Sponge Candy Spots Only Locals Know About

I’m a mom of two small kids. That means in our house, the world revolves around the impending arrival of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the chocolatey gifts they bear. But at Valentine’s Day, a little bit of chocolate-fueled selfishness takes over and I find myself craving the sweets all for myself.

And my preferred chocolatey treat? That would be sponge candy. (I’m from Buffalo and I have a sponge candy addiction so it makes perfect sense.) Buffalo’s signature sweet, made of crunchy honeycomb toffee and enrobed in chocolate, has been a shelf staple at all of our local chocolatiers for decades.  Some may debate which shop makes it best but honestly, I’ve never met a piece of that chocolatey goodness I didn’t love.  

Sure, Fowler’s and Watson’s have become household names when it comes to sponge candy, but here’s a list of 10 more sponge candy makers only the locals know about:

Alethea’s Chocolates, 8301 Main Street, Williamsville
Named after the family’s great-grandmother, Alethea’s is the most darling chocolate shop you’ve ever seen. And their sponge candy? The gold standard in a lot of locals’ minds.  Always fresh and the highest quality of chocolate is evident in every bite.

Sponge candy being made at Alethea’s

Park Edge Sweet Shoppe, 325 Abbott Road, Buffalo
They toss aside your traditional square-shaped candy and sell sponge candy STICKS. It’s like 3 pieces of sponge candy in one, which is obviously a good thing. The inside is perfectly crisp and the chocolate coating is sinfully sweet.

Family Chocolate Shoppe, 10295 Main Street, Clarence
Tucked into a plaza along Main Street in Clarence, this family operation makes some of the tastiest sponge candy that the residents of this small town have been raving about for years.

Oh Pour L’Amour Du Chocolat, 4476 Main Street, Amherst
One step inside this artisanal chocolate boutique and you’ll want to scoop up everything on the shelves. Their sponge candy – coated in milk, dark or orange chocolate – is ridiculously fresh. Every bite is exactly what a bite of sponge candy should taste like.

Delicious sponge from Oh Pour L’Amour

Ko-ed Candies, 285 Abbott Road, Buffalo
They’re celebrating over 60 years of cranking out some of the sweetest treats in town!  Their sponge candy puts them on the map but their other confections should not be ignored. While I’m sure South Buffalo would love to keep this little gem all to themselves, we can’t help but share it with YOU!  It’s just too good not to.

Sweet Jenny’s, 5732 Main Street, Williamsville
Surely the village holds this old-fashioned chocolate shop near and dear to its heart considering they reside inside the village’s historic water mill built 200 years ago. Chocolate lovers, on the other hand, hold Sweet Jenny’s in high regard thanks to their delicious sponge candy and other delightful confections.

Parkside Candy, 3208 Main Street, Buffalo
While they have many locations around town, their Main Street location in Buffalo is downright adorable. This chocolate shop / ice cream parlor is straight out of 1927 when they opened their doors to the public and their sponge candy is straight up amazing.  Swing by for a bit of nostalgia and a bite of deliciousness.

Parkside Candy’s old-fashioned interior – photo courtesy of Parkside Candy

Wahl’s Candies, 130 Losson Road, Cheektowaga
Head to Losson Road in Cheektowaga to sample some of Wahl’s tasty sponge candy.  This family-owned business has quite the candy-making operation underway at their sizable facility.

Mike’s Homemade Candies, 2110 Clinton Street, Buffalo
Since 1958, Mike’s has been hard at work making delectable treats for the Kaisertown neighborhood. Even roadfood.com, the website of legendary food writer Michael Stern, had this to say about Mike’s. “At Mike’s, however, the sponge part of the candy truly does melt away on the tongue, leaving only the sweet taste of pure, homemade molasses-touched dark chocolate.”

Platter’s Chocolates, 908 Niagara Falls Boulevard, North Tonawanda
They’ve been a mainstay in Western New York since 1938 and their sponge candy is what keeps locals flocking in their doors.  If you’re looking for an option beyond just milk and dark, give their peanut butter sponge candy a try!