9 California Craft-Chocolate Makers Offering Factory Tours
California’s craft chocolate scene is booming, and lucky for us chocolate enthusiasts, many makers open their doors for behind-the-scenes peeks.
I’ve spent months sampling my way through the Golden State’s finest cacao creations (tough job, I know).
Nothing beats watching raw beans transform into silky, complex chocolate while breathing in that intoxicating aroma.
Ready for a sweet road trip that’ll satisfy both your curiosity and your taste buds?
1. Dandelion Chocolate: Bean-To-Bar Magic In San Francisco
The moment I stepped into Dandelion’s Mission District factory, the rich aroma of roasting cacao beans nearly knocked me sideways. Their tour guides aren’t just employees—they’re passionate chocolate evangelists who’ll transform how you think about chocolate forever.
Visitors witness every meticulous step of small-batch chocolate making, from sorting beans to tempering the final product. The best part? Generous tastings throughout let you compare chocolates from different origins—Madagascar’s bright fruitiness versus Ecuador’s deep earthiness.
My favorite moment was watching the vintage melangers (stone grinders) slowly turning cacao nibs into liquid silk. Book ahead—these tours fill up faster than their famous hot chocolate sells on foggy San Francisco mornings!
2. TCHO Chocolate: Tech-Meets-Tradition in Berkeley
Formerly housed on San Francisco’s waterfront, TCHO’s sleek Berkeley facility feels like stepping into a chocolate laboratory from the future. Founded by a NASA scientist and a chocolate industry veteran, this isn’t your average candy company.
During my visit, I couldn’t stop geeking out over their flavor wheel approach—they classify chocolates by taste notes rather than cacao percentages. Their hour-long tours showcase how technology and tradition merge in modern chocolate crafting.
The guide explained how TCHO partners directly with cacao farmers, providing them with special “flavor labs” to improve bean quality at the source. The complimentary tasting session featuring their “Chocolatey,” “Nutty,” and “Fruity” bars converted me into a full-fledged TCHO devotee.
3. Seabreeze Craft Chocolates: Coastal Sweetness In Santa Cruz
Tucked away near the Santa Cruz boardwalk, this family-run gem delivers charm by the surfboard-full. Owner Maria greets everyone with samples of her signature sea salt caramels while sharing how a hobby evolved into an award-winning chocolate business.
The intimate tour accommodates just eight people, creating an almost private demonstration feeling. I watched mesmerized as Maria hand-tempered chocolate on a marble slab—an increasingly rare technique in today’s automated world.
What makes Seabreeze special is their incorporation of local ingredients: lavender from nearby farms, honey from Santa Cruz mountain apiaries, and their famous sea salt harvested from Monterey Bay. Everyone leaves with a small goodie bag and the irresistible urge to return for more of their coastal-inspired confections.
4. Jelly Belly: Sweet Crossover In Fairfield
Surprised to find Jelly Belly on a chocolate tour list? I was too until discovering their lesser-known but equally impressive chocolate line. Their massive Fairfield factory tour includes a special section dedicated to their chocolate creations, including chocolate-covered beans and gourmet truffles.
Kids practically vibrate with excitement watching the enrobing process—where centers get bathed in flowing curtains of melted chocolate. The air smells like a confectionary wonderland, with jelly bean and chocolate aromas competing for attention.
The chocolate portion features antique equipment alongside modern technology, showing how candy-making has evolved. While not exclusively chocolate-focused, this tour offers the unique opportunity to compare two distinct sweet-making traditions under one roof—and the chocolate samples alone make it worthwhile.
5. Guittard Chocolate Company: Historic Excellence In Burlingame
Walking through Guittard’s doors feels like entering chocolate royalty territory. Five generations of chocolate-making expertise permeate this historic company founded in 1868. Their recently opened visitor center offers limited tours that book out months in advance—I waited half a year for my slot!
The wait proved worthwhile when our group received exclusive access to their R&D kitchen where chocolate scientists (best job title ever) develop custom blends for famous bakeries and ice cream makers nationwide. My jaw dropped learning that many of America’s favorite chocolate chip cookies secretly contain Guittard chocolate.
Their sustainability initiatives impressed me most—detailed explanations of direct trade relationships with specific farming communities in Ghana and Ecuador demonstrate genuine commitment beyond marketing buzzwords. The parting gift of single-origin baking discs kept my home smelling heavenly for weeks.
6. ChocoVivo: Ancient Methods Meet Modern Tastes In Culver City
ChocoVivo blew my mind within minutes of arriving. Owner Patricia refuses to use conching machines—instead making stone-ground chocolate the way Mayans and Aztecs did centuries ago. The resulting texture contains micro-particles of cacao that explode with flavor unlike anything from larger manufacturers.
Their intimate workshop tours feel more like chocolate history lessons mixed with sensory experiences. Visitors grind cacao on traditional metates (stone tools) while learning about chocolate’s sacred origins as currency and medicine in Mesoamerican cultures.
The tasting flight showcases unconventional flavors like black pepper and rose petal infusions. My personal favorite was their “Coffee + Vanilla” bar that perfectly balances bitter and sweet notes. The tour concludes with a sampling of their legendary drinking chocolate—thick, barely sweetened, and utterly transportive.
7. See’s Candies: California Classic In San Francisco
Nostalgia hit me like a sugar rush when entering See’s South San Francisco production facility. For generations of Californians, those black-and-white boxes represent holidays and special occasions. Their limited public tours offer rare glimpses behind the iconic brand.
Contrary to what you might expect from a company their size, many processes remain refreshingly hands-on. I watched fascinated as skilled candy dippers hand-decorated chocolate pieces with precise fork swirls—a technique unchanged since Mary See started the company in 1921.
The tour highlights their commitment to quality ingredients, including showing how they still use real butter and cream in an era when many manufacturers cut corners. Everyone receives the signature See’s hat (which I proudly wore the entire drive home) and a box of chocolates that somehow tastes even better after witnessing the care that goes into making them.
8. Marich Confectionery: Farm-To-Chocolate Pioneer In Hollister
Hidden in agricultural Hollister, Marich represents California’s farm-to-chocolate movement at its finest. The family-owned operation crafts premium chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, often sourced from orchards visible from their factory windows.
My springtime tour coincided with strawberry season—perfect timing to witness fresh berries being transformed into their chocolate-dipped specialty. The air inside alternated between fruity and chocolatey as we moved between production areas.
Their panning room fascinated me most—where nuts and fruits tumble in giant copper kettles while chocolate coatings are gradually applied. The multi-generational employees shared stories of watching the company grow from a small kitchen operation to an international brand. Don’t miss their factory store offering discontinued flavors and test batches not available elsewhere—I scored limited-edition chocolate-covered cherries that haunted my dreams for months.
9. Rogue Chocolatier: Artisanal Newcomer In Sacramento
Sacramento’s newest chocolate attraction operates from a converted warehouse where founder Colin (a former software engineer) creates micro-batches of exceptional single-origin bars. His weekend-only tours feel more like casual hangouts with a chocolate-obsessed friend than formal presentations.
Colin’s passion borders on scientific—he tracks fermentation variables and roasting profiles with precision that would impress laboratory researchers. Visitors taste cacao at different processing stages, from raw beans to finished bars, understanding how each step transforms flavor.
The highlight comes when Colin cracks open a fresh batch of Madagascar chocolate made just days before the tour. The bright, fruity notes practically dance on your tongue. His transparent approach extends to pricing—he openly discusses fair trade practices and why truly ethical chocolate costs more than supermarket varieties. I left with three bars and a newfound appreciation for chocolate makers pushing the craft forward.