Indi Chocolates isn’t just a chocolate shop. Indi Chocolates makes their own chocolate, from bean to bar, and transforms these into a mind boggling range of products that are very difficult not to buy. Erin Andrews founded Indi Chocolates over 12 years ago. It all started with a trip Belize where she fell in love with chocolate and started a chocolate business there, making chocolate from bean to bar. After selling her interests in that company, she returned to Seattle and started again, but this time making lotions with cocoa butter, originally for her youngest daughter who had sensitive skin (her company is named after her eldest daughter). Today she sources chocolate direct from several origins which she makes and sells at her factory/cafe in Pike Place Market.
There are a few drinking chocolate options depending on the day. I was given a choice of a couple of origins and either served as a sipping (thick and decadent) or more standard drinking chocolate. Because of COVID, paper cups are all the rage in chocolate shops here in Seattle which, as you know, I hate with a passion because they make everything taste like, well, cardboard. Nevertheless, Indi Chocolate is a no brainer, and where I would start if I were recommending a hot chocolate in Seattle. I heard rumours that they offer a mole hot chocolate (how interesting would that be!!). Then of course you should add their toasted marshmallow…and probably also need a fudge brownie made from their own chocolate. You will be amazed at how different a brownie can taste when the chocolate used to make it is this good.
Once you are done with your hot chocolate, it is time to go shopping. Indi also offers chocolate spirit infusing kits, smore kits, a cocoa spice rub line. Of course there are Indi’s famous lotions made from cocoa butter. There are bottles of smokey mole sauce, bags of cocoa tea and, of course, spoons dipping in drinking chocolate. Its like a mini version of a superior Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory.
Indi Chocolate, 1901 Western Ave Suite D, Pike Place Market, open everyday from 8.30am to 5pm.
