Cleveland’s Sweet Bean: How these beautiful, unique chocolates are made

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Sweet Bean Candies is a local treasure, mixing the art of painting with delectable, unique chocolates. If this is your first time hearing about Sweet Bean, you are just in time for their third birthday and their Valentine’s Day specials!

Sweet Bean’s owner and Chief Chocolate Artist Kristin Barnes welcomed FOX 8 into her Cleveland shop to get an inside look at everything that goes into their beautiful treats that are “(almost) too pretty to eat.”

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Everything at Sweet Bean is hand-painted with colored cocoa butter and made right there at the shop by the small but mighty team. Check out the video below for a sneak peek at the chocolate-making process:

The artists at the shop not only make their own beautiful creations but also offer classes so you and your friends can learn to make the treats too.

At Sweet Bean, they are not afraid to play with flavor, even using unique ingredients such as herbs and cheese in some of their chocolates.

The shop uses homegrown herbs as well as many local ingredients, including milk from Hartzler Family Dairy.

A FOX 8 digital producer got to try a rosemary and sea salt bonbon, described by Barnes as the “underdog” flavor at the shop. It’s highly recommended a 10-out-of-10 experience!

According to Barnes, the first bonbon flavor she attempted was a classic salted caramel, which is still the No. 1 seller to this day.

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Sweet Bean got its start in 2013 but opened its storefront in Cleveland in 2021. According to Barnes, Sweet Bean started as a side gig, but was so beloved that it became her full-time job!

After the storefront opened during the COVID-19 pandemic and weathering about two years of construction, Barnes said this is the first time customers have unobstructed access to the front door — so it’s time to celebrate!

Feb. 1, 2024 marks three years since the 819 E. 185th St. location opened its doors. The shop is holding a grand opening party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Euclid mayor is planned for 4 p.m. on Feb. 1.

Barnes said the chocolates “taste even better than they look,” and this digital producer agrees! Whether you choose by color or flavor, you can’t go wrong.

Sweet Bean not only makes their beautiful bonbons but also other sweet treats including coco bombs, marshmallows, and their special bean-to-bar chocolate, which is a single-origin chocolate from scratch. In the shop, there’s even coffee and lattes to enjoy.

Order your Valentine’s Day gifts (or a sweet treat for yourself) now on the Sweet Bean website or Facebook page.

Also, click here to check out the Facebook Live FOX 8 got to do with Kristen from Sweet Bean.

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