Halloween is upon us, with its built-in excuse to buy heaps of candy. But these local shops remain constant staples for all things sugar. Whether you’re trick-or-treating, or just in the mood for a sour gummi rush, here are some of Seattle’s best that offer both sweets and childhood nostalgia.
A pair of dentists (yes, really) opened a tiny spot on 34th Avenue that bursts with vibrant sugar in various forms. All the classics are here: penny candy, gummis, sours. Speciality items include fancy bars of chocolate (including ones from Seattle's incredible Spinnaker Chocolate) and locally made truffles, but Mad Candy isn't too fancy to stock things like Nerds. One of the shop's best sellers is Lakrids By Bülow, an artisanal Danish licorice that receives a sweet coating of chocolate, toffee, or caramel.
This tiny store—hidden in the DownUnder of Pike Place Market —has been around since 1997. A closet-size space still holds over 200 different types of candies, from jawbreakers to Swedish Fish to chocolate covered raisins. Various collectable Pez dispensers, not to mention jawbreakers and Razzles (remember those?), foster serious nostalgia. Owner Aika Takanagi was even game to participate in our oral history of the nearby Gum Wall...since Sweetie's is a good place to stop for provisions if you need to add your own wad of chewed Dubble Bubble to the sticky-gross milieu.
Randy Brinker’s candy store sits ironically between a yoga studio and a garden shop on Ballard Avenue. His homage to his grandmother Mickey has plenty of traditional indulgences like peach rings, chocolate covered gummy bears, and licorice wheels. But Sweet Mickey’s also showcases Brinker’s homemade fudge and a number of different truffles, including some seasonal Halloween-themed confections. No surprise, Sweet Mickey’s display window gets into the seasonal spirit.
Ann Peterson’s oasis of confections specializes in caramels, toffee, and mallows. In case you’re not fond of things getting stuck in your teeth, the shop also offers cookies, cookie dough, malt balls, gummy bears, and sour belts. This time of year, artfully drizzled caramel apples abound, as do smash pumpkins—hollow chocolate gourds filled with goodies like sour jelly pumpkins and chocolate covered pretzels. Hit one with the (included) mini mallet to access the treats.
The Confectionery
University Village
The longtime University Village candy shop rises to the sugar-coated occasion, whether it's Halloween candy corn, chocolate-covered santas, or gummi sour lips around Valentine's Day. No matter the season, the interior is stuffed with chocolates, gummis, vintage candies, nonpareils, ring pops, and a glass case full of caramels and truffles. The displays are half the fun.
Yes, it’s a chain, with mall-centered locations that include Bellevue Square and Alderwood Mall. Each one is filled with all sorts of gummies, caramels, truffles, and lemon sandwich cookies. The sweet shop also goes big on retro candies, like Charleston Chews and Pixy Stix, plus international candies including (but definitely not limited to) Pocky, and Boozy Bears, which are exactly what the name implies. Current seasonal items include a pumpkin s’more bark, and a take on quarantine’s infamous hot cocoa bombs that explode fall spices.
