By Jecca Berta

With Thanksgiving arriving later this month, we asked Dandelions what they’ll be sharing with family and friends around the table. A surprise to no one? Chocolate. In all forms: chocolatey caramels and toffee, a many-layered chocolate cake, a chocolate-encased Timbale filled with pecan pie … In our factory, no feast is complete without chocolate, especially not one of the year’s grandest. Here’s what we’re choosing this year. Maybe it will bring some inspiration to your table.

I love giving a Single-Origin Hot Chocolate Mix Trio to whomever is hosting. 

– Parul

I haven’t tried them yet, but this year I’m going to pick up some Peanut Butter Brittle Bonbons for everyone to enjoy while cooking. I might even stuff the turkey with them. 

– Austin 

Historically, I try to bring home the Chocolate-Dipped Fig Truffles for the holiday season. The spices are perfect for fall, and I think they’re such a decadent and thoughtful item. I have always loved the story behind them and their origin in Ecuador, plus my personal experience [working] with them in Confections. We have an old newsletter photo from like 2021 of the Confex team hand-dipping the figs for the first time for their debut in the Love Letter to Ecuador Valentine’s Day set.

Outside of that, the Timbales have been a HUGE hit with my friends due to their autumnal flavors — the Pecan Pie one especially. So I’ll bring those to family and friends for Thanksgiving as well this year.

– Dillon

My go-to is our Single-Origin Caramels. They are perfect for sharing. I’m also looking forward to bringing the Timbale Collection to Thanksgiving. Since it’s new, my family has yet to try it — I know they’ll appreciate the pie-inspired flavors and textures. The thing my family looks forward to every year though is the Black-Sesame Toffee Brittle … I get texts about it from several family members year-round … they are addicted. 🙂

– Kayla

I’m going with our Silky Pistachio Praliné Cake. It’s a sleeper hit.

– Todd

Reader, if you’ve yet to slice into our Pistachio Praliné Cake, picture, from bottom up: a layer of Camino Verde, Ecuador chocolate cake, a layer of ginger-scented chocolate ganache, a second layer of cake, a layer of pistachio-praliné buttercream, a third layer of cake, another layer of  chocolate ganache, and one final layer of cake. The whole thing is finished with pistachio-praliné buttercream and topped with a pistachio-chocolate streusel. Sleeper hit, no more. 

I usually bake an apple galette or a squash tart for Thanksgiving, but I love setting out bonbons after dinner too. The Winter Tales Collection is this year’s pick. I have some family in the Houston area with Lebanese roots — since this set celebrates Houston-based Mostly Chocolate’s Lebanese heritage, the choice is clear. 

– Jecca

My family doesn’t know a lot about dark chocolate. This year I’m bringing them our new Velvety Chocolate Pumpkin Tart. The taste is approachable, and I know that everybody will love it.

– Luis 

Thanksgiving dessert is TBD, but for something savory, my go-to is this stuffing — a friend of mine’s recipe. 

– Dave

(Thanks Dave. We needed a moment to cut the sweetness. And now, back to chocolate.)

A Box of Toffee is perfect for the dessert table. Lay it out, and folks can snack as they wish. 

– Bruno 

I plan to take the Cacao-Fruit Gâteau Basque to Thanksgiving this year. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the classic pies on the dessert table, with its bright flavors and unique fruity taste.

– Jennifer

When I was younger, I cooked and baked a LOT, and friends and family were accustomed to receiving home-baked gifts around the holidays — especially pumpkin-chocolate treats at Thanksgiving. At first, when obliged to go grain-free a decade ago, I was stumped about how to proceed with holiday baking; but soon discovered that mashed, maple-roasted pumpkin or squash (or canned pumpkin purée) makes an excellent base for grain-free cookies, muffins, and quick breads.

Once I joined Dandelion (six years ago this November!), I found that chopped-up Large Chips make the BEST chocolate chunks for said pumpkin-y baked goods. Regardless of origin, the Chips’ silky texture, and intriguing tasting notes — whether creamy, nutty, or fruity — go perfectly with pumpkin, plus toasted pecans, autumn spices, dark maple syrup, real vanilla, and good salted butter. Now everyone expects to see pumpkin-chip muffins on the Thanksgiving dessert table!

– Lori

Those muffins sound like an ideal morning-after Thanksgiving breakfast as well. Reader, we’d love to hear what you’re planning to bring or bake for Thanksgiving this year. If you’re local, several of our baked goods are available for pre-order and pickup at our 16^th Street factory in the Mission. For those beyond the Bay, Lisa’s seasonal Pumpkin Gâteau Basque can be shipped. Just a thought.