My family and I have been loyal customers of Krause's Homemade Candy for many years. We've bought chocolates for ourselves, holidays, and gifts, and visiting Krause's has always been a tradition whenever I returned to New York after living in Florida. In fact, it was the very first stop my husband and I made because I couldn't wait to enjoy my favorite chocolates again. Unfortunately, this visit was incredibly disappointing. The first thing I noticed was the new logo and packaging. While I know businesses evolve, the new design loses the classic, elegant feel that made Krause's so special and instead looks much more generic. More importantly, the chocolates themselves are not the same. Many of the pieces are noticeably smaller than they used to be, and the chocolate tastes different. Several pieces even had bloom, which affected both their appearance and texture. I purchased a variety of chocolates, including individual pieces from the display case, chocolate bars, and peppermint patties, and every product seemed to reflect a decline in quality. To make matters worse, many of my longtime favorite pieces were no longer available. I've happily recommended Krause's for years because it consistently offered some of the best homemade chocolates in the Capital Region. This time, however, I left feeling disappointed and honestly saddened. I truly hope the owners will consider returning to the quality, recipes, and traditions that built Krause's outstanding reputation, because many longtime customers remember how exceptional their chocolates used to be. read more

This is chocolate! Major candy companies don't even use cocoa anymore, they use preservatives and ingredients we can't pronounce... and the taste shows it. This is what chocolate should be. So delicious, cute litter store with an awesome variety read more

Still one of my favorite candy stores to visit when I am out in albany... even though they have discontinued by favorite watermelon slice hard candy. So disappointing but that is life. They have a great selection of unique Holiday molded chocolate candy and some of the best caramel apples around. This is also a great place to stop and shop for treats and gifts. read more

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They have all candy one might be looking for. Many candy gifts, prices are fair for excellent chocolate.

I am a volunteer in the nice Good Shepherd Gift Shop in the lobby of Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady. Sunnyview has received national accolades recently for its excellence. All proceeds from the Gift Shop go to help patients with their recovery. For several years, Krauses's has been a loyal supporter of the Gift Shop. They sell one pound boxes of their quality chocolates to us for a very low price, so we can sell them to patients and visitors in the Gift shop at a great price. The one pound boxes of Krause's chocolates we offer in the Shop are good sellers! We offer mixed boxes and also boxes of sugar free chocolates. Visitors buy them for patients. And patients can purchase them as gifts. Some patients come to the Gift Shop with therapists as part of their therapy. Another volunteer coordinates the sale of these chocolates. She orders and picks up. She says the owners of Krause are always happy to support Sunnyview by filling orders promptly and giving us a better than fair price so we can use profits from the sales to support patient care. Krause's gives back to the community in a kind and generous manner. read more

Somehow I haven't been here even though I have lived in the area for years. We missed our annual trip to Cape Cod this year and my son really wanted fudge. I have gone to Uncle Sam's to get him fudge previously, but I thought to try Krause's. The store is huge. I couldn't believe all of the open space. I can't comment on the chocolates etc, but I did buy fudge, which my son said we good. There were a handful of flavors to choose from so it worked out. read more

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I found this beautiful business on Google and can I just say wow! First off, I am about 3k miles away and had no way to try their chocolates, but I placed an online order their rocking horse chocolates for a baby shower. They customer service was amazing and very communicative! They arrived so well packaged and they are adorable too with a beautiful personalized ribbon! I love to support small business and if I am ever in Albany, I will stop by this adorable shop! Thank you Krauses! read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

Omg walking in here my son was like wow, then I was like wow! It's like a chocolate factory in here. My son also was so adorable and picked out a chocolate rose for his girl :P he's 4 btw so it was adorable. I really loved my chocolates from here and service was great. Such a cute place. Was perfect on our way back to my mom's house from LG to stop by here. read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - the front of the store - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

Always a great product with wonderful chocolate covered strawberries and seasonal goodies. Lovely staff!

This is a beautiful candy store! Lots of selection, is large and clean. Nice counter service. The chocolate covering the malted milk balls and peanut butter chicks and bunnies is generously thick and delicious. Worth a trip, will visit every time I'm out n Albany. read more

Ordering a birthday gift for a family member in another state was easy in person with a lot of options. We also picked up some yummy fudge for ourselves! The employees are kind, helpful and knowledgeable, I'm so grateful for this store! They have many sweet treats for any occasion! The store is not loud and plenty of staff to ask questions or sample products. My family member received their gift within the time frame offered and were pleasantly surprised & shared the goodies with others! Krause's made many extremely happy to celebrate a loved one read more

3 words POTATO CHIP BARK! A smidgen salty mixed in with milk chocolate is my #1 reason for loving Krause's. Hazelnut Truffle is a close 2nd. I've probably tried all their chocolates, the chocolate covered marshmallows, marzipan, buttercrunch, coconut, live 'em all. Fun gift baskets and specialty items for every single holiday. Great party favors for showers, birthdays, weddings. Not everything is chocolate, they also have nuts, hard candies, sugar free candies, fudge and more! read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Potato chip bark - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

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Simply the best- best chocolate, best candy, love going here for sweet treats all year round.

I have lived in Albany for 15+ year and like chocolate, but only now came here. Came with my wife, and we had a good time looking at the various offerings. Sure, they had some traditional stuff that you can find elsewhere (fudge, molded chocolate shapes, hard candies) but also had some unique items and special things that I hadn't seen before (a chocolate tree trunk with chocolate squirrels). They had lots of individual sweets like truffles, nut clusters, and filled pieces. We each picked out a few that caught our eye, and it wasn't too expensive. The staff were friendly, and I think would have offered samples had we asked (we overheard them doing so for others). I am no chocolate connoisseur but they stuff tasted good. Being local, I liked that. I will be back. Edit: the raspberry and orange truffles were great, and the peanut butter/rice krispie chocolates were good too, but the star for me was the toffee nut popcorn. Simply sensational! read more

I thought I reviewed Krause's? How could I not? This is a Colonie staple and you can't - wouldn't want to - make it through a holiday with out some of their fine sweets. I grew up a couple blocks away, and I remember my friends and I riding our bikes over and going in to get a peek at them making some chocolates, and getting some treats. Nostalgia. Their confections are a common gift we give my Nanny and Poppy for Christmas, my family often receives these treats while hosting parties, children of friends send out for fundraisers - unavoidable, irresistible treats. My favorite thing in most recent years has been the chocolate covered peanuts, sweet and salty. I also love the chocolate drizzled popcorn. My BF loves anything peanut butter filled, mostly the eggs featured for Easter. If you even remotely like sweets and chocolate, you need to come get a taste of what Krause's is doing! read more

Alwaus great candy over 40 years yummmmy.best fudge pick your owne chocolate. The staff is wonderful.

When I'm shopping at Krause's, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Wait... what?? I started coming to Krause's to purchase one of the staples of life, namely dark chocolate cherry cordials. I had previously been buying them from a chocolatier closer to my home, until they raised the price of theirs to $25.00 a pound... were they adding saffron?? Having previously sampled and enjoyed Krause's dark chocolate, I decided to visit here to sample their dark chocolate cherry cordials. Hmm.. just as good... and only $12.98 a pound, a savings of FORTY EIGHT PERCENT? Yes please!! Most of their cordials and truffles can be ordered at their counter, as well as in conveniently packaged boxes typically of 8, 16, and 32 ounces. The store also has tables and shelves full of specialty chocolate items, mixed nuts, gummies, sour bites and taffies. During other holidays such as Christmas and Easter, they have other specialty items. I guess having these during religious holidays proves their confections are good for the soul. In 2011, I saw a TV article in which they state they believe they are the 2nd largest manufacturer of marshmallow chicks in the country, and the largest manufacturer of chocolate-covered marshmallow chicks. Armed with that knowledge, I bought a couple dozen of each to bring with me to a convention I was attending in Albany. We dined in 3D - delicious dessert decadence. About a month later, I discovered I still had an unopened package of their marshmallow chicks. Unlike those brand-name marshmallow chicks, these were just as moist a month later as they had been when I bought. Sadly, we'll never know if they would have been just as fresh 2 months later. read more

As a kid living downstate, my mom used to always receive a 2-pound box of Krause's chocolate for Christmas each year from one of her co-workers. Well, I knew I loved the chocolate then and I still love it today. They have a large variety of chocolates and candies. You can create your own mix-and-March box of chocolates or choose from the abundant array of already packaged boxes. I like to visit Krause's when I'm need of a nice gift for someone. Beware: it gets VERY busy during holidays so be prepared to stand in line. If you want to choose your own chocolates, make sure to grab a number right away. It's definitely a fun and delicious candy shop to visit! read more

A lot of variety to choose from. The owner or manager let the kids dip a banana in chocolate and sprinkles - made their day!

Bought Valentines gifts for my girlfriend daughter and grandkids everyone was ultra satisfied and raved about chocolate covered strawberries and fudge that I purchased for gifts read more

Belgium or Albany, NY? . Have been remiss in not sharing a review sooner. The selection and quality of chocolate and chocolate candies has always been excellent. I'm a dark chocolate snob and they have plenty of excellent dark chocolate options. So, how good is Krause's? Well, just came back from Belgium. Expected to be blown away by their chocolate candies. Don't get me wrong, it was all good. Can Krause's compete? You bet. No exaggeration. No passport needed! Great local business, with great staff to boot. Enjoy. read more

great chocolates of all kinds. my only pet peeve, "please put more juice in the chocolate covered cherries".

There was a note in my email box from my Step mom that said "I shipped your husband a birthday gift. Keep an eye out for it." If I had known what was inside of it I would have never told him he was getting something in the mail. Inside this mystery gift box was a box of Peanut Butter Cups in both Dark & Regular Chocolate. I don't even like Peanut Butter Cups but those Dark Chocolate brought me even deeper into the Dark side of the Chocolate world. These were hands down the best pieces of candy Ive ever eaten. The other part of the gift was an assorted gift bag that said "Happy Birthday and had a big regular Chocolate bar that said "Happy Birthday" also. Let me get back to the Peanut Butter Cups. Did I mention they were Dark Chocolate? Did I mention that I don't even really like candy but these were so incredible that I think about them when I'm alone. Yeah, that's how good they are. read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

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The chocolate at Krause's is good enough to make Willy Wonka jealous. Over the years I've eaten my way through just about every piece of sweet goodness they have to offer and I've never been disappointed. My favorite candy here, hands down, are the truffles. The chocolate is creamy, the variety of fillings is extensive, and the taste is second to none. The cappuccino, and sea salt and caramel truffles are must tries! Their chocolate covered treats, ranging from marshmallows to potato chips, are all fantastic. The candy apples, whether plain caramel or dipped in nuts and drizzled with chocolate, are outstanding. Anyone with a sweet tooth needs to pay Krause's a visit, it's easily the best chocolate store in the area! read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Various chocolate truffles - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

This store never disappoints. Stopped in to pick-up Valentine's gifts. Parking lot and store were packed. They have a great system, once you learn it...go to counter & take a number asap if you want to hand select your chocolates. Staff is friendly, efficient and seem to do all jobs. Despite the crowd don't think I waited more than 5 minutes for service. Great selection and interesting novelties -- a chocolate academy award anyone?! One of the best chocolate shops in the Capital region. read more

Good quality chocolate, lots of different options, reasonably priced. I was skeptical when I saw the five star rating from other users. Then someone in NYC mentioned they had the cherry cordials shipped to them, I decided to try it and was not disappointed. The chocolate is rich, smooth, and very consistent. It's hard without being brittle or chalky and is tempted well so it has a nice snap when biting into or breaking it. The store is beautiful, clean and 'cutesy' while not being over done. There is a large array of prepackaged chocolates and various individually wrapped molded chocolate treats. There is a loose chocolate selection that takes up about half the store, and the other half has prepackaged chocolate and candy. They also have various themed chocolate treats - chocolate baseballs, frogs, and even chocolate high heels. It was slow when I went, but if the three checkout stands, huge private parking lot, and various sizes of shopping baskets are an indication of how busy they'd get, I imagine they are packed during the holiday season. read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - This is made out of chocolate. - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

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How could you not give Krause's five stars? It is a truly happy place. They have lots of novelties like chocolate covered Oreos. They have an amazing giant peanut butter cup and the bridge mix is famous. They also sell giant blocks of chocolate. I always go with the dark which has a awesome balance of cocoa to sugar. If you want the box o chocolate ala Russell Stovers they have got you covered. You could also buy by the pound (but I imagine that would get really pricy very quickly.) Always prepared for the holidays, swift service, daily samples and it is HUGE. Much bigger than your typical candy shop. Krause's truly is a gem of the capital region. If you live here you probably already know that. If you are from out of town and passing by turn the wheel towards the parking lot. Right now! :) read more

Right after a big workout (superheroes need to stay in shape or the zombies win) I headed over to Krause's late Saturday morning to get in on their 30th anniversary celebration, swearing as Zeus is my witness that I WOULD NOT eat sweets until I had something healthy to eat. Yep, I had candy for breakfast. Man was it ever good. Zeus shot off a couple of lightening bolts but I was fast out of the way. Heck, I was on a 5-star Yelp sugar-high most of the day. There were prizes, a raffle, and tastes of their house-made chocolates and jelly beans. Let's just say I overstayed. They had some crazy flavors to explore - I absolutely loved the Himalayan Sea Salt chocolate and the Chili Chocolate, but the pickle and the olive I can do without. Still undecided on the one with the bacon... Over the 15 years I've been in Albany I've been a regular. I particularly love their peanut brittle - salty, loaded with big fresh roasted peanuts, and the fudge is excellent - creamy, never gritty. Lots of foils for every occasion: especially pretty are the fall leaves (green and orange and yellow and red). If you are in the dumps I highly recommend the dark chocolate molasses chips - crunchy and divine. Heck anything dark chocolate will see you through, though the milk chocolates are also amazing. I'm always impressed by the amazing smell of sugar as you walk in the door, the wonderfully friendly genuinely helpful staff and great service, and the quality of their products. Life is short like me. Eat more chocolate. Zena, Goddess of Fire read more

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Simply put, this place is paradise for any chocolate lover. They basically have anything you could imagine. They've also got you covered for every occasion. While I don't think you could ever miss at this place, I highly recommend the malted milk balls and chocolate covered Oreos. read more

You will not find a better value, high quality chocolate anywhere! I've been getting chocolates from Krause's for about ten years, but just realized that I have never reviewed it. I just wrote a review of Adirondack Chocolates and realized how much better Krause's product is at a much better price. I mostly eat dark chocolate an occasional piece of milk. Krause's uses a high quality dark chocolate that has a deep, rich taste. The have a great variety of fillings. The fillings taste exactly like what they are supposed to taste like, but not so strong of a flavor that it overpowers the chocolate. Their truffles are great! My favorites are their cherry cordials, the best I've ever had, and the almond butter crunch. My milk chocolate favorite is the hazelnut truffle. My wife really likes their chocolate covered homemade marshmallows. Krause's quality has remained constant over the years. Their prices have increased modestly as the price of ingredients have gone up, but the still cost only half as much per pound as other premium chocolate stores. read more

If you want delicious chocolates, look no further. I really like their chocolate dipped marzipan, their chocolate petit fours during holidays, and the truffles read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Assorted chocolates - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

Upstate NY isn't known for a lot of things. Sure, we've got cool Autumn leaves and lots of snow cornered, but we're often overlooked for many other things (Um, hello? Our apple cider rocks!) which is why you need to go out of your way and swing by Krause's if you're in town - we know our chocolate! Their shop is immaculately clean, and the second you walk in, you're greeted by the overwhelmingly delicious smell of chocolate and sugar. (Yankee Candle should capture this scent) Their dark chocolate is just as good as anything you'll find in Crossgates and here, you have the added bonus of knowing you're buying local - something you can't do at Godiva or Lindt. My personal favorites are the dark chocolate almond bark and the chocolate covered peanuts (I love that they use salted peanuts, which lends itself well to a salty-sweet taste). Stop by, you won't be sorry! read more

I live less than a mile from Krause's, I am supposed to sell this house soon,HMMMM! On one hand I don't want to, on the other , WHAT A SELLING POINT!!!!! BEST CHOCOLATE EVER. read more

My family and I have been frequenting Krause's for our chocolate & candy needs for years and we're big fans. Admittedly, I'm a fan of chocolate, but let's be real here, people: all chocolate is not created equal. The garbage that you cave in and buy when you're starving and standing in line at the grocery store is not real chocolate. Krause's has real homemade chocolate. Not only does their chocolate taste great (which should be the number one criteria), they also make great looking and unique treats. I'm particularly partial to the dark chocolate raspberry creams and the truffles. If you're not in the mood for chocolate or if you agree that diversity is the spice of life, no fear! Krause's has you covered with a wide variety of non-chocolate candy options. I've always been partial to the jelly fruit slices (I can't remember if that's their actual name but if you ask for those, you should get the right thing). What's the cherry on top of all this deliciousness? Krause's is reasonably priced. Gotta love it. read more

Wonderful chocolate candy! My only gripe about the place was that it's entrance was in the back of the establishment which had me a bit flustered on getting in. I taste tested one of the truffles and ended up purchasing over a pound of candy to bring home to my family. I'm sure they'll enjoy. UPDATE: Family LOVED the chocolate! I tried some of the dark chocolate I gave to my daughter and its probably the best sweet thing I've eaten. And I LOVE peanut butter. LOL read more

Krause's has the BEST chocolate anywhere. I have family begging me for it every time I see them. My family travels from all over the county to Albany just for Krause's!!! I am never without a supply. The dark chocolate of all types is amazing! read more

So I came here in the spirit of a saint. I'm not a chocolate connoisseur but I gotta say that all the chocolates I have tried have been exceptional. Is there a difference with chocolates like Ghiradelli? I don't know that my taste buds have enough experience to answer that, but I think supporting a local business is always a plus. I ended up getting 60cts of chocolate (4 different flavors of 15) and they let me sample them before I committed to getting them. I think the free sample limit is 4 tho, because on the fourth one, the girl said, "no more," haha. Oops, sorry. The cost is about 12 or so dollars per pound, which equates to about 7 of the smaller pieces for about $4.75. If you're a fan of chocolates, you can't go wrong with any of the items here. They do have a box of chocolates, so if you're out to get something for that special someone, you know you will get great quality chocolates. Where life leads you after this, you'll never know what you'll get, but at least you know that you tried the best chocolate in Albany. *Update: I tried their red and white heart shaped gummy candy lightly coated with sugar. I LOVE THESE. It reminds me of the coco cola gummies I used to eat all the time as a kid. I had their chocolate covered strawberries. Have you ever seen Ratatouille? The two flavors combine to make a perfect harmony! read more

I just love candy stores. And I love homemade candy stores. And I love creative and impressive homemade candy stores even more. So many of the things on display qualified as art. It wasn't crazy overpriced either. I just give it 4/5 stars because the layout is a bit confusing (I walked in circles a LOT) and they seemed overstaffed behind the counter which led to me telling more than one person what I wanted from the chocolate display and a third person fulfilling the request. It just felt hectic. read more

Krause's Homemade Candy - Now THIS is an Easter Bunny! - Candy Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

I've been here a couple of times and I've liked it every time I've stopped. They have a lot of seasonal candy/chocolate, which is really great and they make awesome gifts (quality over quantity for sure!). They also have all the standard candies, including fruit slices, which are amazing! The chocolates are very, very good and it tastes a ton better than the mass-produced bars you'd find everywhere. The staff is very nice and helpful and it's just a fun place to visit! read more

By far my favorite chocolates over all chocolates including those "gourmet big name brands." Each time I go in there, the variety of chocolates in the display to fill the 1/2lb, 1lb boxes (and bigger) are amazing. Milk caramels are my fav! I love that you can personal a box of chocolates, choosing each piece. I really love (and so do the kids) the shaped chocolates. There is always unique shapes and themes. My daughter loves the fudge. She enjoys getting various flavors. read more