Nothing sparks joy and jumpstarts the Christmas season like a food advent calendar. You get 25 tiny compartments, each housing a festive treat hidden behind a perforated door. They’re not just chocolate anymore. These days, they’re filled with everything from gummies and chili crisp to whiskey and coffee. And if you’re thinking of ordering one to enjoy this year, the time is now. December 1st is only seven weeks away, and after reporting on these things for the past five years, we’ve seen these calendars sell out months in advance or get backordered every year.
The best advent calendars contain high-quality sweets, booze, condiments, snacks, teas, or coffees you’ll be genuinely excited to open every day. And who knows, they might even introduce you to a product you’ll want to buy on repeat once the holiday season has come and gone.
Our absolute favorite food advent calendars
- For the licorice lover: Lakrids by Bülow Advent Calendar
- For the gummy candy lover: Sockerbit Advent Calendar
- For the whiskey aficionado: Flaviar Advent Calendar
- For the daily tea drinker: Palais de Thés Tea Advent Calendar
- For the coffee lover: Bean Box x Onyx Coffee Advent Calendar
- For the person who thinks everything tastes better with chile crisp: Fly By Jing Advent Calendar
This list is filled with advent calendars for every type of food and beverage enthusiast, many of them from brands we’ve long known and loved: a chile crisp-filled calendar from Fly By Jing, a Bonne Maman calendar filled with mini jam jars, and a chocolate advent calendar for mythology heads from San Francisco-based Dandelion Chocolate. Pick one up for yourself, or snag a few to gift to friends in the lead-up to the holiday season. Order soon, though. These sell out well before December hits.
Sweets
Lakrids by Bülow
We try not to play favorites here at BA, but I’ll be honest: This is the advent calendar fellow commerce writer Wilder Davies and I most look forward to receiving every year. If you’ve never had Lakrids by Bülow, allow me to explain. Every perforated door reveals a pack (or four) of spherical licorice candies, each coated in a white or milk chocolate shell flavored with passion fruit, strawberries and cream, salted caramel—you get the idea. These candies are indescribably delicious and guaranteed to convert even the most staunch licorice haters.
Sockerbit
If you, like me, are an absolute fiend for gummy candy, there’s no better advent calendar for you than Sockerbit’s. The New York-based Swedish candy company makes some of the tastiest gummies I’ve ever had, and their 25-day calendar features a selection of favorites from the brand’s vast catalogue. I won’t give the exact contents away, but know that the hefty box holds two pounds of gummies running the gamut from sour sugar-coated fruit slices to generously portioned colorful candy mixes.
Dandelion Chocolate
This one’s for the chocolate lovers who appreciate a little mythology lesson, too. Hailing from San Francisco-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker Dandelion Chocolate, this advent calendar features handcrafted chocolates from 24 acclaimed chocolatiers, all of whom earned their spot through a series of blind tastings. Along with the chocolate (which is packaged in individual ornament boxes you can hang on your tree), you’ll receive an illustrated storybook full of tales adapted from Nordic mythology, a decorative keepsake star, and daily digital content to be enjoyed along with your treats.
Walker’s Shortbread
Walker’s has made its signature shortbread for over 125 years, which is unsurprising if you’ve ever tried the stuff—it’s timeless and delicious. The brand’s advent calendar is a cookie lover’s dream, full of six varieties in an assortment of festive shapes that’ll go great with your morning cup of coffee or a mug of hot cocoa.
Delysia
If you’re looking for a fun, interactive take on the classic chocolate advent calendar, check out Delysia. The Austin-based chocolatier releases a new themed calendar every year that acts as a guessing game, with clues as to what each of the 25 truffle flavors is. This year’s edition is holiday movie-themed, and each chocolate corresponds to a classic festive film—think hot cocoa for The Polar Express, sesame praline and banana sour lime for The Grinch, and raspberry rose for It’s a Wonderful Life.
Hotel Chocolat
If you’ve got a hot chocolate lover in your life (or if that hot chocolate lover is you), this advent calendar from UK-based chocolatier Hotel Chocolat is the move. It contains 24 single-serve sachets of the brand’s signature velvety hot chocolate mix in a range of flavors, including some limited-edition seasonal varieties.
Charbonnel et Walker The Royal Arcade Advent
For the chocolate lover who delights in things that are just a bit extra, opt for the The Royal Arcade Advent from British luxury chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker. The 3D structure unfolds to reveal 24 boxes filled with chocolates and truffles, plus a special gift box of Milk Sea Salt Caramel Truffles to enjoy on day 25. It’s an advent calendar that doubles as Christmas decor—and as if the impressive construction wasn’t enough, the whole thing also happens to light up and play music.
Beverages
Vinebox
If you’ve ever dreamed of embarking on a month-long wine tasting, Vinebox’s wine advent calendars make that a reality. Choose between two 12-day options (“Vine” or “Velvet”), or opt for a 24-day set that includes both. The wines are sourced from all over the world, and each bottle contains 100 milliliters. If you’re curious to learn more about a particular variety, the advent calendar grants you access to sommelier-led virtual tasting videos to accompany each wine.
Nespresso x Swarovski
The Nespresso devotee in your life will delight at the chance to try a different classic or limited-edition coffee capsule every day in the lead-up to Christmas. This year’s calendars are part of the brand’s new collaboration with Swarovski and come in two versions, one for the original machine and one for the Vertuo. The last day contains a special gift, which I won’t spoil here.
Flaviar Whiskey
Whiskey enthusiasts will love Flaviar’s luxe advent calendar, which includes 24 whiskies from all over the world, including pours from Japan, Ireland, and Finland. Along with the liquor, each kit comes with a set of two collectible Glencairn glasses, a free year of access to the brand’s Flaviar Black membership, and a tasting booklet with information on each variety and a QR code you can scan to learn more and purchase full bottles of anything you love.
Palais de Thés
Palais de Thés’s advent calendar makes our recommendation list year after year for a few reasons. For one, it’s beautiful and luxe-feeling while ringing in under $40. But the main reason is the quality and variety of what lies within each perforated door: an assortment of 24 tea bags that are, in commerce writer Wilder Davies’s words, “genuinely lovely.” Each calendar includes a mix of classics and more interesting festive blends far removed from the stereotypical holiday flavors that so easily stray into Bath and Body Works scented candle territory. Consider this the ultimate way to settle into cozy season.
Bean Box
Coffee purists will love every day of this advent calendar from Bean Box, made in collaboration with Onyx Coffee Lab. Each of the 24 days includes a signature blend or an exclusive Advent-only single-origin release, perfectly portioned for a 24-ounce pour-over.
Food Favorites
Bonne Maman
There’s a chance you’ve seen this calendar from Bonne Maman on your Instagram feed, and we can confirm it’s worth the hype. The 24 mini jam jars are adorable, of course, but what we really love about this set is the unique flavors it includes—flavors like apricot lavender, cherry pink peppercorn, and raspberry lychee that you can't find in Bonne Maman’s regular lineup.
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Fishwife
Tinned fish hive, rise up. This advent calendar from fan-favorite conservas brand Fishwife features 12 days’ worth of tasty tins and some exclusive fish-adjacent goodies. I won’t spoil exactly what’s in it, but know that some of our favorite offerings from the brand’s lineup include the Albacore Tuna with Spanish Lemon, Smoked Rainbow Trout with Red Chimichurri, and Smoked Salmon with Fly By Jing’s chili crisp.
Murray’s Cheese
12 days of cheese? Sign us up. This calendar from Murray’s Cheese sells out every year, so we’d recommend snagging one while you still can. It’s filled with a host of cheeses (like Parmigiano Reggiano, Gruyère, and truffle cheddar) and accoutrements (like apple butter and oat cakes) that you can fashion into a festive cheeseboard or enjoy one by one. And don’t worry, it arrives in an insulated shipper, but you do have to keep the whole calendar in the fridge throughout the holiday season.
Fly By Jing
Give the gift of 12 or 24 days of chile crisp and chile crisp-adjacent surprises with this advent calendar from one of our favorite spicy condiment brands. It contains an assortment of mini sauce jars, packs of the brand’s best-selling noodles, and some limited-edition surprises—so even if your pantry’s already stocked with Fly By Jing, you can find something new to love here. This calendar tends to sell out in October, so we’d recommend buying one soon.
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Williams Sonoma Chuck’s Luxury Advent Calendar
This luxe advent calendar from Williams Sonoma has a little bit of everything. Balsamic vinegar from Modena? Check. A bundt pan-shaped ornament? Also check. This is the calendar to splurge on if you can’t decide whether you want chocolate or trinkets.
Uncommon Goods 12 Days of Hot Sauce
We all have that friend who seemingly can’t eat a meal without dousing it in hot sauce first. Get them this advent calendar from Uncommon Goods, which contains a mini bottle of hot sauce behind each of its 12 doors. These aren’t your average Cholulas or Tabascos. Instead, you’ll find flavors like Sweet Onion Habanero, Pineapple Papaya BBQ, Plum Reaper, and Psycho Curry, all ranging in spice level from sweet and mild to very hot.