This is the most wonderful dessert. As the business name says, this is a giant caramel apple covered with caramel and then chocolate. Nuts cover the chocolate. The apple is a Fuji apple. I've purchased this apple several times at Rachel Dunn Chocolates, which was a chocolate shop on Detroit Ave. in Concord. The apple is juicy and sweet. The caramel is just the right amount so it's not overly sweet. I ordered one for dessert for Christmas. It's refreshing after a big dinner.The apple is huge, and it easily can serve 8 people with a good size wedge. The literature that comes with the apple says it can serve 8 to 12 people. It's best to take the apple out of the refrigerator 8 hours before serving so that the caramel and chocolate are easily sliced. Once we forgot and then the chocolate was brittle and broke into pieces when we sliced it.Customer service is great. I wasn't able to get through on the phone line to order so I sent an email. This was 4 days before Christmas, and I didn't think anyone would actually get back to me, but someone called! I was able to get my order in and have this for Christmas. It comes in a pretty gift box. read more

See all

Amazing Chocolate Class & Delicious Treats! I'm rating this based solely on the chocolate class and their chocolates--I haven't visited their pop-up store in Concord, but I had the pleasure of attending their class in Oakland. First off, the chocolate is absolutely delicious! Second, the owners are incredibly kind and accommodating. The entire family is so welcoming and friendly, making the experience even more enjoyable. We were lucky to have our class led by the owner himself, Michael Dunn, who made the session both informative and fun. Parking was conveniently located right in front of their Oakland location, and we were fortunate to have a smaller, more intimate class. Everything was well-organized--from the hairnets and aprons to the chocolates and dipping stations. They shared insights into the chocolate-making process, along with a bit of history and its significance, which added a cool educational aspect to the experience. This is such a fun activity, whether you're with family, on a date, or even solo. Honestly, it would also make for a fantastic work team-building event! And the best part? Taste testing! Everything was fresh and absolutely delicious. Thank you for an amazing class and incredible chocolates! read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Some of the chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

I get my son and daughter-in-law an apple every single Christmas for years. I love this place and I love that it's family run been going here for years and years and years. It's well worth it. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would. Customer service communication is HORRIBLE!!! I placed an order for Christmas gifts. Still have not received Apples. I called and talked to Fran several times who has no information or tracking number for me. No problems charging my card. Was told someone would call email or text me. 8 days later crickets. NO TRACKING OR HAVE A CLUE WHEN APPLES WILL ARRIVE. read more

I was really looking forward to giving these great apples to my friends for Christmas. It took 9 days of phone calls and emails to find out my order was never shipped out. Good job! Dunn Family. Terrible customer service. read more

Chocolate is my mantra. I was glad to see they are still in business. Have great hopes for chocolate Easter bunnies.

Old fashioned customer service is part of the Dunn Family Chocolate experience. We have gone to a chocolate class at the factory in Oakland and ordered and picked up GIANT chocolate caramel apples for a family event. All of our interactions have been handled with friendliness, care and efficiency. Today Sean and Fran were both very helpful when I was on a very tight schedule and needed to pick up the apples a little early. They answered the phone, checked with the factory and called me back right away to assure me they could accommodate my schedule. We have interacted with Mike, Rachel and their grandson and enjoyed their class. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the chocolates are delicious! read more

I LOVE this apple! The apple is not a . The caramel is perfection - gooey, buttery and thick! The dark chocolate is a perfect complement to the sweet apple and the chunks of toasted almonds are the perfect contrast to the smooth caramel texture. Every year I look forward to one for my birthday instead of cake. The people are always great and have been making me a birthday card. It made my week The quality has not gone down since it was the Unbelievable Apple. I'm so happy to be able to order and although the apple is humongous I won't share it! read more

Kids and I went to the chocolate making workshop on a Saturday afternoon. We didn't fill out the paperwork in advance so we were quite rushed. Though once we got into the class I don't understand the rush. Anyway, we had fun and appreciated taking home the goodies that we made. Some of the chocolates we made were not exciting (Rice Krispies, for example). Others were good picks - toffee, peanut butter cup, bon bons, caramels. I was quite disappointed that we didn't make dipped strawberries as I had seen them in other pictures on Yelp. Boo! There were lots of kids there and they seemed to enjoy it a lot more than me or my 15-year olds. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

Came here for a date day with the hubby. We bought a groupon and booked about 1 month in advance. The slots get filled up pretty quickly I noticed! This chocolate workshop shows you how to decorate chocolate and add a little extra flavor. Do not expect to temper the chocolate or make the chocolate from scratch when you come. That's a long process and the workshop itself is just a couple of hours, so we only had time to decorate. Overall, the experience was fun. Staff was friendly and our instructor was super helpful. Fun time read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - My masterpiece, lol - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

I love finding little local treasures like this. Heading back from Costco a certain direction in a seemingly all industrial area, you might notice a little a-frame that says "chocolate factory" on the sidewalk. I was craving some so we stopped by. You walk into a full blown candy storefront with so many options and tons of samples! May came to greet us immediately and was sincerely passionate not only about chocolate and candy making, but us as customers too! She was very knowledgeable and toured us in the back where the factory was too! It seems to be a local business only and they've been there for 21 years I think. They do chocolate making classes, and have a little pantry section where they sell their own sprinkles, candy heart decorations, chocolate wafers and chips, transfer paper, caramel by the tub, peanut butter filling by the tub, and much much more for any hobbyist candy maker. Chocolate caramels, peppermint cookie, and their famous big candy apple were my favorites- next to the amazing service from May that is. We will be back. Support your local businesses :o) DELICIOUS. *Gift giving tip: they sell a $25 ENORMOUS candy apple here. It's a 2-3lb Fuji apple specifically grown and supplied to them for this novelty treat. I bought the "baby" apple which is still ridiculously large for $12. AWESOME gift for coworkers, friends, or add some roses with one for a...lover OOoooOoooooooo!!!!!!!* read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - A baby apple, as they call it. It's still enormous and very loaded! Beautiful and delicious - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Boyfriend got us a Groupon for a chocolate-making workshop here, and it was a fantastic date! We both had to send in our signed forms a week before the class, and once we got here and showed our forms, we were then instructed to put on aprons and hairnets. We were part of a group of approximately 50 people. Our group included a herd of squealing little girls for a birthday party (parents, if you're thinking of bringing a party of children here, I strongly recommend against this, as the demographic is mainly adults who want to learn to make chocolates for others. Not to mention the little girls made a mess of their aprons, and their squealing and whining was headache-inducing). We were lead into the factory, and we each were given a tray set with everything we need to make different types of chocolates that we were instructed to make. Unfortunately, no photography nor phones are allowed here. After our chocolates were chilled, and we placed our creations into a goodie bag and small plastic gold tray they gave us, we were then given platters of samples of all the different chocolates they offer in the store. This was chocolate heaven. My favorite was the Pumpkin Seed Brittle, but we also got to try Peanut Brittles, Honeycomb, slices of the giant apple coated with chocolate and caramel, coins of chocolate ranging from white to 100%, caramels, it was all delicious. (But the kids were really grabby and things kept running out because of them. Ugh. Parents, please don't bring large groups of children here. I swear I'm not a kid hater, it was obnoxious.) Everything from the staff, the clarity and the pace of the class, the samples, the cute little store, it all satisfied my sweet tooth. read more

See all

Holy crap, I thought I wrote a review about this place already! I guess not. Well, here it goes... Located in the industrial part of Concord, close to the ghetto road of Monument Blvd; Down Detroit Ave (how appropriate) lies Rachel Dunn Chocolates. Ok, let me shed some light and say, at least it's somewhat close to Costco. =) So last year, the gf purchased a travelzoo on a "chocolate making" workshop. This wasn't a class on how the chocolate is made, but more of a step by step process on how to create some of her fine confections. We checked in on a Saturday morning and had a pretty big class, maybe about 40 people. You sign a waiver/contract much like on Willy Wonka, and put on some protective gear. Hairnet, apron, shoe covers, etc. As we entered, little did I expect the actual chocolatier herself, Rachel Dunn to be our teacher. She introduced her staff, shared some history, and set some general rules. Like "DO NOT to eat the ingredients" while creating "your" treats. Yes, the chocolates you create are yours at the end of class. That alone made the class well worth it. Was total fun creating the various chocolate morsels. Using the tools, and putting the ingredients together. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Especially families that brought their kids; Such a great activity. Definitely different! Now, there's also another reason why I had to write up a review, and that's because of Naomi. I made a recent visit and needed an anniversary gift. Naomi helped me out from beginning to end. She gave me samples, showed me some great gift ideas, and took my order for a dozen chocolate covered strawberries. And the day I picked them up, she told me that Rachel had personally made them. How freakin' cool is that? But the real kicker was when she mentioned how fun it is working with Rachel. She said, she wakes up, comes into work and tells her, "I get to make CHOCOLATE today!" :) Love it! Take the class, pay a visit, or give her chocolates a try! I'm sure you'll love'em too! read more

See all

I've been holding a GroupOn deal since we got it as a Christmas gift over the holidays and finally managed to squeeze the workshop in this past weekend. There are a few things to note so you won't be disappointed by expecting a different experience. 1. The workshop size is large so it will run probably about 50-95 people per workshop but you can still learn as she projects what she is doing at the podium area on a screen. 2. You are not making the chocolates from scratch but she does supply the recipes for the centers if you want to try making it at home after the class. For the workshop itself, the centers are already premade for you and placed on a tray for you. You will use the tools provided to enrobe them properly and decorate them. After the workshop, you can purchase the ingredients at 10% off if you would like to try it at home and they supply samples of their offerings as well so you can be sure that you like what you buy. The one thing I would recommend an improvement on is the check in process. They suggest being there 30 min prior to the workshop but yet instead of being rewarded for being there on time, we just stood around for the 30+ min waiting for everyone else to get checked in and "suited" with their aprons, hair net, etc.. I am not suggesting that people get there late so you don't have to wait but it would be nice if they had something for us punctual people to keep us occupied. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Creation from the workshop - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

See all

I had no idea Rachel Dunn is so popular. I purchased a workshop class through Groupon for a friend and I. I was amazed at how large the class was - there must have been 50 people at least. The store front looks really small so I was concerned where they were going to place us all. To my surprise, there was a door that led you behind the storefront and into the facfory. It was quite interesting. The workshop was well organized! All the workers were so helpful and friendly. Even Rachel herself was full of energy and personality! Imagine having to run a workshop 3 or 4 times a day and every weekend? It would get really old for me - so I appreciate everyone there, especially, Rachel, for running the workshop with lots of enthusiasm! Clearly, she loves what she does! It's a great class for those that love chocolates and want to learn how to make sweets. You may not be good at it, but you'll come out of that class appreciating all the work that goes behind a box of chocolates. =) A couple of things worth mentioning: The class moves fast so pay attention and don't doddle. Make sure to read the instructions before you go to the workshop - it was CLEAR, CONCISE. Preparation is key - wear comfortable, close-toed shoes because you will be standing for 2 hours straight. No jewelry, no nail polish, or fragrances - there's a good reason. I only gave it 4 stars because I do think that the class was a little rushed only because they want us to have time to shop at their pantry. Overall, great class and it was a pleasure to meet Rachel! read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

My girlfriends and I just took a class here and we had so much fun! The winning part of the whole experience was Rachel Dunn's enthusiasm for chocolate. She loves what she does and it is infectious. Although her chocolates are great too, I can tell that her love of it ALL has taken her the extra mile. In the class, we were set up with a tray of what would become the "insides" of our chocolate pieces. Pre-tempered chocolate was given to us and Rachel showed us how to dip and decorate each piece. In the end, you package and take home what you made. And then you walk into her store and you buy even more to take home because you just HAVE to. This class is for beginners, or those who know a bit about chocolate but just want to have fun. They do not teach you how to temper chocolate, but they touch upon it and you can ask questions if you want to. After the class, they had some of their caramel Fuji apples cut for samples. YUM. The big one is probably party-size worthy, but we got the baby ones and I will be eating one and giving the others away as gifts to family and my son's teachers. This was a great experience, and I highly recommend it for a ladies' night out or for date night. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - My girlfriends and I with Rachel Dunn. And of course we are all smiling - we all have bags of chocolate in hand! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

I aways buy the apples for my coworkers and family at the holidays, and they never disappoint

First, let me just say that if I could give more than 5 stars, I totally would! I bought this Chocolate making class deal off of Living Social. It was for my boyfriend's birthday :) I knew he would enjoy this class because ... We both love chocolate! And it's a new experience to share together. We were running late and the class had already begun! Uh oh, I know. But the woman who helped got us ready was really nice and understanding. She got us aprons, hair nets and told us to wash our hands. We walked into the factory where the class was being held. In the front of the class, Rachel Dunn was explaining what to do, but since we weren't on time ... we was confused and lost. But her staff was VERY FRIENDLY & nice. One worker came over to us, started explaining how to make the first two pieces of candy that we missed while Rachel Dunn was continuing to teach the rest of the class. The woman who helped us out was really nice! (None of her staff had name tags and I forgot to ask for her name!) She had a pair of Ray Ban glasses, blonde hair, and wearing a Hockey Jersey under her apron. She was AMAZING, friendly, funny, nice and sweet! I even tried to call the store afterwards to find out her name, but couldn't get to a receptionist :( The entire time we were there was entertaining. Everyone in the class was enjoying it! I learned a lot about chocolate, how to create truffles, how to cover marshmallows in chocolate, how to make certain designs, how to store them, etc. And I also want to mention.... DON'T BE GREEDY! You leave with a pound of chocolate that you created! We were next to a couple who made more than what they were suppose to. For example, you were allowed to make two truffles per person. They made three each. I mean seriously? Not to mention, the male kept filling his paper molds with chocolate (to make more chocolate) when you were't suppose to! And at the end, he even put sprinkles on TOP of his already wrapped tray. I was speechless. Anyways, the BEST part of the class was when they sang Happy Birthday to my boyfriend (and two other's, also their birthdays). He didnt expect that! And the girl who helped us out, who I never knew her name nominated my boyfriend to Rachel Dunn ... because she usually gives her chocolate tray away! My boyfriend was so surprised when Rachel Dunn came over to wish him a Happy Birthday and to receive her tray of perfectly made chocolates! read more

This place smells amazing. Also, the chocolate workshop was really fun... and delicious! Highlights: - Chocolate. Really, really good chocolate. - The class is very well organized and paced well, for the most part. The staff were super nice and ready to help, as needed. - While you wait for your chocolates to chill, they do a chocolate tasting. - Some interesting information and stories. - Easy to follow instructions. - You leave with a nice plate of chocolates to enjoy by yourself, or share if you're nice. - Chocolate. Really, really good chocolate. (It's worth mentioning again.) Why I'm holding at four stars... - No e-mail confirmation after booking by phone, so we didn't know to bring our signed waivers... and this seemed to stress out the person who checked us in, although we had plenty of time to sign there. - The class begins with a cheesy photo slideshow and music that was just over the cusp of being too loud. - Michael Dunn is obviously passionate about his art. I know it must be tedious to do so many classes and tell the same stories over and over, although the stories/information felt a bit much at times. If you are a chocolate fan, I highly recommend at least stopping by their shop for some treats for yourself and/or people you like. read more

My son and I took the chocolate making class today and had a good time. When I first got there, I was a little worried that we weren't going to have a good time because there were a lot more people there than I expected (about 50) and the registration area is a bit of a mess. When we first walked in to the rather small front/registration area it was packed with people and no one really explaining what we needed to do. We figured out we needed to wade through the crowd to the right of the room to turn in our signed waivers and get our aprons and hair nets. I must say the ladies in the front room were not very helpful or nice. Maybe they were frazzled. Luckily, everything got better from there. When the class started we were led into the back workshop space which was much larger and we all had our own workspace with everything set up for each person individually. Michael Dunn led the class and gave a lot of information about the chocolate making process and showed us step by step how to dip and decorate a wide variety of different chocolates. He was great and we really enjoyed it. After the chocolate making (or technically decorating) he led us through a chocolate tasting. When we were done we all got to take our chocolates home. Was a fun afternoon with my son and I recommend it! Minus a star for the bad first impression at registration. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

LThe giant chocolate caramel apple the size of a newborn's head still lives! Limited hours and largely requires pre-orders, but supports a fabulous student program: https://www.thegiantcaramelapple.com (effective 11/23/19) The Giant Caramel Apple, LLC Manufactured in collaboration with The International Hospitality & Tourism Academy at Mt Diablo High School 2611 East Street Concord, CA 94520 In the building with large mural, next to Serendipity Cafe Rachel Dunn confirmed that the Washington-state apples (grown 5 miles from the Canadian border) reach their gargantuan sweetness by being individually wrapped in paper bags. (Talk about a good use of senescence.) This has been my go-to for years to bring to parties and send as holiday treats. The apple survives thanks to a new generation and the Dunns... read more

We took the chocolate decorating class and really enjoyed the experience. The instruction was clear and simple, as they gave you a tray that was sectioned out into pieces according to the step you're on. The chocolate was delicious, honestly. The instructor explained how you can tell the difference between manufactured chocolate and pure, and you can really tell the purity of what you get. Once completed, you get to take it home on a golden tray. It's pretty simple and nothing too elaborate, but the fact you go home with top quality chocolates after a date is always a fun way to go for couples or groups. read more

See all

My friend recommended this class to me and I bought it through Groupon. No need to e-mail the waiver, they have some right when you come in. Be sure to arrive a little early to check-in, put your apron and hairnet on. Mike Dunn taught the class. He was very knowledgeable and funny. I love the little science tidbits and chocolate facts he shared with the class. We had so much fun creating our very own chocolates! The staff were friendly and approachable. They were always there to answer questions and help with the chocolate making during the workshop. My biggest mistake was eating so many samples in the beginning that I didn't get to enjoy all the other samples after the class. Prepare yourself for a TON of chocolate samples! Overall, it was a great experience! read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Yummy chocolates! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

See all

I just attended the chocolate making class today. I had purchased a voucher from one of the discounted offers sites. The class: it's not really a chocolate making class as the chocolate is already made. However, we used their chocolate to make confections which we took home. We made about 15 pieces of chocolate in total. Everyone gets 1-2 piece of various fillings. You share the chocolate for dipping and the toppings used to decorate. My class was led by Michael who is the President of the company. He is friendly and informative. He demonstrated how to make the confections and also added information about his company, the process of growing cacao plants, the tools to use to make chocolate at home, and how to store it. You can copy his demo or get creative and make/add your own preferred toppings/fillings. Tips (the good stuff): 1. If you are going with a group of 3 or more, split up into opposite sides of the table so you can face each other during the class. Because you share materials among other guests, why not share with people you already know. 2. We were provided with tons more chocolate materials then we actually needed to make the confections. After Michael demonstrated each piece, we made them on our own individual tray. Because there is a lot more chocolate then you will really need, you can use the chocolate provided to make extra chocolate pieces at your own leisure! Make extra pieces on the side when you are done with the demo piece so you can take more chocolate home. 3. I would suggest sitting toward the back. I sat close to the front but there's a projector screen where you watch the demo. You can probably see the screen better from the back. Also they passed out sample bits of their candy bars during the course, and if you are sitting in the back, I would guess that you could get a heaping leftover sample portion since everyone else in the front has received their share. Bonus: If you didn't sample enough during the course, all of their 13 candy bars were available to sample after the class and Michael was there to answer questions. Booking the class: Booking was pretty simple. You go to their website and select the preferred dates. Their weekend dates go pretty fast. I booked as soon as I purchased my voucher for a date a month and half out. About a month before my date, my cousin tried to book the same date as me and the class was already full. Fill out the waiver and write your voucher number on the waiver ahead of time if you can. For some reason even though I registered online and entered my voucher information there, we were told to enter our voucher again when we signed the waiver in person. Minor inconvenience to find it, but there was a lot of numbers and letters to write. Staff was friendly. Course was fun. With all the confections that we made we still ended up buying $60 worth of chocolate bars. Would recommend for family events, date night, friends, everyone! read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

See all

Tis the season to eat CHOCOLATE COVERED APPLES AND PEARS! And other wonderful candies made by Rachel Dunn. Rachel Dunn Chocolates is a relatively unknown chocolate company located just down the street (Detroit Ave) from the Concord Costco in an unassuming industrial building. They make delicious chocolate confections which, in my opinion, are equal in quality to Godiva and superior in taste to better known chocolatiers such as Mrs. Sees, Harry and David, or Rocky Mountain. They are most famous for their GIANT chocolate covered apples, and they also recently introduced chocolate covered pears. Their product range most closely resembles Harry and David's and includes chocolate covered marshmallows, brittle, and popcorn. They also make giant chocolate santas and pure chocolate bowls (see photo) which remind me of the scene in the original Willy Wonka where Gene Wilder bites into the tea-cup after taking a sip! Their store offers samples of most everything they make - including the apples and pears - so if you are in the area you truly owe it to yourself to stop by and give them a try! You will not be disappointed. We usually only patronize Rachel Dunn during Christmas when we buy their apples as presents (to others and ourselves). This trip we also picked up a pound of fudge (among the best I have ever tried), candied orange peals, and chocolate covered marshmallows. They seem to have broadened their product range, and I think we will have to shop there on a year-round basis! Note: Some of the other reviewers have noted bruised fruit. Fruit with skin such as apples and pears will sometimes be bruised or over-ripe inside without any obvious sign outside. This is a risk, but I would not wholly blame Rachel Dunn for these imperfections. They will replace the imperfect fruit if you bring it to their attention. read more

See all

Rachel Dunn Chocolate Factory is every child trapped in an adult person's body's dream. My review goes out to the experience I had this past mother's day weekend. It makes for a great activity to do with friends, your significant other, family, and maybe even your coworkers. You can find discounted rates on Groupon and Living Social. For only $25, you get the opportunity to learn how to make chocolate aesthetically pleasing. Using already made Rachel Dunn dark, white, and milk chocolate, with a tray of soft caramel centers, peppermint patty, marzipan, nuts, and a scoop of peanut butter (just to name a few), you're taken on a 2 hour long journey of making your own chocolate. Well, not actually making the chocolate from scratch but decorating and patiently adding your own creative touch. The day starts off with a few disclaimers and safety speeches given by the workers, and then you can get your apron and hair caps from the pantry. I was proud of myself after we finished the class, and the chocolate itself is so delicious. read more

See all

Rachael Dunn's chocolate workshop is tons of fun. The class size is a lot larger than I have imagined. You have an entire factory floor filled of people but everything is well organized. Workshop was taught by Rachael Dunn herself. Instructions were clear and there are staff around to give you extra help if needed. The chocolate workshop covers basically technique in working with chocolate. If you are interested in learning about tempering, there is a different class that covers the technical details. You will leave with a delicious box of chocolate at the end of the class and a digital recipe book. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

First of all, I am a chocolate lover and I even eat raw, fermented cacao beans. I received The Big Apple as a gift one day ago and was anxious to try it. I carefully sliced it in half from stem to bottom and was shocked to see the apple was deeply bruised. I can't imagine why they don't examine each apple carefully before they perform the labor-intensive procedure of coating it with expensive chocolate, caramel and nuts. I would have been extremely embarrassed to cut open this apple live in front of my guests! On the positive side, the bits of apple that weren't bruised tasted fine and the chocolate-caramel-nut coating was pretty good. I posted a picture of the "rotten apple". Update Dec. 26, 2009. The original Dec 9 post had a one-star rating. I am giving them a four-star rating based these new events: I went to the store last week and described the severe internal browning in the first apple. The saIesperson, Naomi, told me to take one of the shelf as a free replacement. With new apple in hand, I showed her the picture of the original "rotten apple" on my digital camera, but I probably did not need to do it. She said browning happens sometimes and they gladly replace it. I put the new apple in the refrigerator, hoping it would hold up for a week until Christmas. After our Christmas feast, I sliced the new apple in privacy (obviously!) and was pleasantly surprised that there were no brown spots. After week in cold storage, however, the almonds lost their crispness that I enjoyed in the first apple. The apple was still delicious, crunchy and sweet. Last week, I received a second Big Apple as a gift. I decided it had to go the fruitcake route and I passed it on to a friend who was warned about potential browning and the no-question replacement policy. What have I learned? 1. The apples can exhibit internal browning. http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Produce/Disorders/apple/pdapintern.shtml 2. If you are not satisfied, you can drive back to the store and get a replacement. Grab a digital picture in case you need proof. 3. Big Apples can keep for a week, but the almonds won't be crunchy. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - I was sorry to find this bruised apple when I cut it open. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

If you have allergies, do NOT sign up for this class. If you aren't allergic to anything, then go with the other reviews, it's probably not a one star for you- although it's not a small class experience. It's a crowd experience. I was told over the phone that they could make something I wasn't allergic to on the day I went. If I'd known there were going to be 100 other people there, I would have known that probably wasn't going to happen. I expected a smaller c;lass. As it was, as soon as I arrived, I knew I was going to have a problem, as I was allergic to everything on the tray except the strawberries. And I found out I'd been given incorrect information over the phone. It was a long drive for nothing, and I had the hassle of getting my Groupon returned- you have to deal with Groupon on that, the folks here can't help you. Thank goodness my friend and I drove separately so she could stay and I could go. That said, the people are nice, but you don't want the hassle. SO- if you've got allergies, don't do this- unless you have someone else you can give the stuff to. Here's a description of what I saw- huge room, maybe 100 people, long tables with personal trays- on the trays were 2 cream centers (maybe vanilla and orange?), a marshmallow, 2 strawberries and a graham cracker (one). There are bowls of jimmies and bowls of chocolate, looked like white and milk, for every 4 stations or so (quick look, don't hold me to that, there may be more sharing involved). There's a giant screen in the room, and you seem to take your instruction from that. Hair nets and aprons are provided. You have to leave your purse in the hall outside of the door to the chocolate room, so if you're paranoid about leaving your purse, lock it in your trunk. When you try to find this place, go past Costco, and you'll see it ON the street- it's not down one of the side streets. It's on a corner. I made the mistake of thinking it was down one of the side streets, so I'd like to save you that waste of time. read more

I have not had the opportunity to visit Rachel Dunn Chocolates. A lovely friend from work gifted me a chocolate covered apple, which I appreciated very much. I'm not the biggest fan of caramel apples or candied fruit in general, but it was such a sweet gesture, literally. I prefer chocolate with chocolate, and fruit with fruit. The two don't go so well together in my opinion, so I'm somewhat biased. The Baby Apple is covered in caramel, chocolate and nuts. It was wrapped in clear plastic and done up with a red ribbon. If this is the 'baby' version, I don't even want to know how big the 'Giant' one is. After cutting the apple into wedges, a lot of the chocolate & nut coating separated from the apple. The apple wedges revealed a pretty fresh-looking apple. I wonder if the chocolate coating slows down the fruit's oxidation process. I still don't love the fruit & candy/chocolate combination, but I liked eating the chocolate chunks and apple wedges separately. Apparently they offer chocolate making classes. Perhaps I would change my mind if I took a class one day. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - The Baby Apple - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

Rachel Dunn Chocolates offers a really fun and hands-on chocolate making class. It's more like slathering ooey gooey chocolate on top of a variety of confections - strawberries, nougats, peppermint patties, etc. instead of making the chocolate per se, but it's still very enjoyable. You get to take home a cute assortment of what you make afterward. Rachel herself teaches the class and is obviously very knowledgeable and skilled at what she does. You can also tell she has a true passion for the art and science of chocolate making, which makes the class even more fun. The 2 hours went by more quickly than I thought! A great date idea, and also fun to do with friends/family. If you find an online deal it's definitely worth it. The chocolates sold in the shop are pretty yummy too. I tried the peanut brittle and a dark chocolate. High quality and beautifully packaged, so they make nice gifts. Apparently they are famous for their chocolate apples (looked huge) and Ebirds (peppermint patties), but sadly I did not get to try either. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - The chocolate assortment we made and got to take home after the chocolate making class. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

I was soooo not ready for the amount of fun I was going to have here!!! I only came because of the Groupon or Living Social voucher for the hour and a half chocolate making class that my best friend wanted company for. ANNNNDDD I'm so glad that I came! Let me start off that the price to do this chocolate making class even without the voucher is well worth it! As I was there I was just thinking of the other ten million friends I want to bring here the next time I come (and this is coming from a person who drove all the way from San Jose)! They offer several chocolate workshops and have plenty of time slots to work for everyone's schedule. I really expected this class to be a mediocre chocolate making class (like a lecture type college cooking class). It was NOTHING like that! You got to really hands on make all different types of chocolate right there inside the actual chocolate factory! You learn so much at this place! And the best part of it was that Rachel Dunn is the actual person who taught that class. And she is just the most entertaining positive energy person ever!! This review could really go on and on forever about everything that I did there! A whole essay of a Yelp review! hahaha! I will just repeat what I said before that this place is well worth checking out! The staff is beyond awesome, organized and helpful! The chocolate is to die for!!! Rachel Dunn's chocolate really brought my expectations for chocolate to a whole other level! You get to bring home the full on printed recipes of everything you made there! You get to bring tons home (the pictures speak for themselves)! I will be back again for sure! Especially I found out that you don't make the same items every time! I want to learn more!! read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - My artwork :) - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

THIS CLASS IS AWSOME!!!!! Wow you HAVE to try Rachel Dunn's chocolate class. Fun for all ages but if your under 18 you need an adult. We had about 40 to 50 people in our class. Rules before you come: NO cologne or perfume, NO jewelry, NO nail polish and please wear closed toe shoes :) simple enough. Oh yes and arrive 30 minutes early don't forget! From the beginning pulling up, parking can get confusing. If you looking at the building you want to pull in right on the left side of the building and park behind the gym in the back alley (not a far walk to Rachel Dunn's what so ever!) it is around the winter holidays so her building is lit up with Christmas lights and ribbon so it feels extra magical ;) as soon as we got in you give your waiver (EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE YOUR WAIVER SO MAKE SURE YOU PRINT IT OUT AND SIGN IT BEFORE YOU COME) to the front desk lady who is very sweet and you go into the pantry put on your apron and hair net. My boyfriend had to wear a special hair net around his beard lol then off to wash your hands. After that you wait in the chocolate shop admiring all they have to offer yum everything from the famous BIG apple which is huge, to the 24 karat gold chocolate. Let's not forget the chocolate bowls that are hand crafted and out of a fairytale! A chocolate fairytale that is :)! 5 minutes before your class starts is orientation. NO pictures and NO licking fingers. Unfortunately NO eating until it's over but don't you worried you get EVERYTHING to try after the class but we will get more to that later. There IS a place for purses and jackets ladies and you are able to see it during the entire class, for those who have the fancy shmancy purses like myself you want to keep a close eye lol! So that's it really and on you go into the factory !!! So excited everyone gets as we line up and walked in. After setting my purse down we all line up around longggg tables with one truffle Infront of us as we all gloved up (there are ladies walking around helping everyone throughout this whole class they are so dear and I couldn't thank them enough) After everyone settled down Rachel and her husband mike came to greet us. They give us a little background of how they met and you can tell they are just so In love and the really enjoy what they do together and she also told us her kids work there too I love it! Next they show us a slide show of Rachel's accomplishments she is an outstanding entrepreneur and has been on QVC numerous times also has worked with Rosie O'donald and many more achievements. It was nice they showed us that video I enjoyed it. Next if finally time to make chocolates ! We worked with sprinkles and dark white and milk chocolate. She shows you how to decorate and coat each chocolate one by one. It goes author fast because you share your chocolate dipping cup with four people next to you. I'm not going to talk about the chocolates we made because I think every class is different but it is so much fun and she teaches you a lot along the way of taste of chocolates, how much you need to keep your chocolate moving and tips for at home. We all had so much fun everyone was laughing and getting super messy but it's ok just wipe it on your apron because as they said WE ARNT DOING LAUNDRY WOOHOO lol At the end of the class Rachel gave her tray away to a little girl who's birthday it was so sweet! And also sang happy birthday to everyone in the crowd we had 3 birthdays. We all took off our gloves and headed back into the chocolate shop each of us lined up and they wrapped our chocolates so nicely! As we made our way to where we started there were samples EVERYWHERE Carmel corn and white chocolate marshmallows, peanut brittle and even THE BIG APPLE! It was AWSOME and I will be back and tell plenty of people about this hidden gem ! Thank you so much for making a wonderful night. read more

See all

I really enjoyed this workshop! Professional, very well instructed, and just a lot of fun. I appreciate their global involvement in bettering the lives and practices of producers of cacao. Get your Groupon and go! I went with my grown daughter and a friend. There were a few children maybe 12 years old and up who looked to be having a ball. There were lots of men there, too - the universal appeal of chocolate! You dip and decorate a wide variety of candy centers, make a chocolate peanut butter cup to die for, even make a chocolate lollipop. You will leave with more than your money's worth of chocolate Their shop is very generous with their samples. You can try everything. I plan on going back for the chocolate tempering class. All-in-all, I left feeling that these people truly love what they do, want to share it with the community, and honor and respect all those who have helped them along their way. Just an all around great experience! Two thumbs up. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

Two weeks ago I attended one of Rachel's chocolate making classes. I learned how to temper chocolate, how to coat truffles, made coconut basket to put truffles in, made a candy flower pot (super cute!) and got inspired to make hand made confections at home. Rachel is passionate @ her chocolate and i believe that she puts a little bit of love into each piece. My all time fav dessert is her Ebird cookie which is crispy, minty and coated w a high quality dark chocolate. You can't stop at one. In fact, 15 years ago I would buy these cookies by the case! You have to try her chocolates. You will go back for more. I promise. I'm a huge fan. You will be too! read more

See all

Really enjoyed the chocolate workshop. It was led by Rachel with great energy and enthusiasm. She demonstrated the technique for each different piece, then waited while the class members dipped their own pieces. The class was extremely well organized, with assistants delivering more pots of chocolate and centers for dipping at exactly the right time. The assistants were also available to help you if needed. We dipped almond covered toffee, raspberry creams, mint creams, marshmallows, tuxedo strawberries, peanut butter cups, chocolate truffles, and sea salt caramels. We also made bird's nests and flower pots. Everyone was given recipes for the caramel, toffee, cream, etc. centers if you want to make them at home. The only thing I think could be improved is the check-in process. Maybe they could have everybody entered ahead of time into some type of computer software so they would not have to find each person's sheet of paper and re-check to see if everything is complete. It would help speed things up. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - Chocolates we made - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

Formerly Grand Avenue, and owned now by the original owner who sold the company and then returned to buy it back. The name has changed, but the products and packaging are the same. I posted a picture of the small apple, that was $11.95, and a little bit larger than a store bought Fuji apple. It is more than enough for two people once generously dipped in caramel, chocolate and nuts. The large apple was $21.95 and of "OMG" proportions, weighing in at 2-3 lbs. They also have a new, chocolate/caramel covered pear that was very good at sampling. read more

Dunn Family Chocolates - Concord - The Small Apple, the large one is at least 2x this size. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Concord, California

Freakin' awesome! I bought DH a chocolate workshop for his birthday and we had a marvelous time. We're crafty people and huge chocolate lovers...we couldn't stop talking about it since we got back! I bought the vouchers from Travel Zoo and they were $25/person. I was hesitant because many companies were offering promotions because they sucked. However, this workshop was so well run that I would have gladly paid $50/person for it. Also, the delicious chocolates that you make must be worth at least $25. They use Guittard couverture, which is extremely tasty in itself. LOVE that stuff! We learned a lot from the class, including how to make dipped chocolates, peanut butter cups, fancy designs for the tops of chocolates, and how to use chocolate transfer sheets. This is the intro class...it does NOT cover tempering chocolate in detail. They sell the supplies and you get a 10% discount. The shop also has a bunch of pre-made chocolates for sale. Their fudge is heavenly! I recommend getting there about 20 min early, so you can park, walk to the site, and check in. We parked on the street about a block away. The classes are large and take place in the actual chocolate factory. Don't wear open toed shoes. Rachel is an awesome teacher. She explains things clearly and happily answers questions. There's a large screen showing her hand movements, so you can follow along. So easy and fun. You're standing the whole time, but it goes by quickly...we didn't even notice that 2 hours had passed. There is a communal shelf to store your purses, but I suggest not bringing that if you can. There's a waiver form...if you e-mail or fax it to them before your workshop, they have it on file and it makes the check-in process a lot faster. Overall, an amazing and delicious experience. Highly recommended! read more

See all

One of the best workshops I have EVER attended. I cannot thank Naomi and the rest of the staff for making my friend's bachelorette party the best ever. Michael Dunn does an amazing job of taking you through a variety of different candies. He goes through the tempering process, how the chocolate shop came to be... all in 90 minutes. The best thing other than learning how to make chocolate covered nougats, caramels and strawberries is the taste testing afterwards. Anything in the store you can sample.. it is like a high quality Willy Wonka where you can sample what your hearts desire. My favorites were the pumpkin seed praline brittle, chocolate covered marshmallows, taffy... and the apples.... oh... and the e-birds.. who am I kidding.. it was all delicious. Thank you thank you thank you!! PS. Parking can be a pain so I recommend getting there 30-40 minutes before the workshop. The lot is small and is near a towing/ car repair place. The cross fit center in the same strip won't allow you to park in their spaces. read more

My hubby and I recently went to a chocolate making class here and had an absolute blast. The owners and the staff are so passionate about chocolate and incredibly welcoming. The class was surprisingly large (~40 people) and since it was the Friday before Easter, we made easter themed chocolates. Learned a lot about the different techniques used to make the different chocolates and loved getting to try all of the chocolate too afterwards. I was honestly surprised by how much I loved their chocolate - I have had some excellent chocolate from other chocolate shops and this ranks as one of the best. read more