Enjoy two generations of handcrafted sweetness from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from our family to yours!

In 1996 Elam and his wife Arlene, known as “Fern,” began selling homemade chocolates and candies at a farmers market. They were carrying on a family tradition, offering popular treats Fern’s parents had been making locally for years.

In 2012 Elam and Arlene—who make up the “E&A” in E&A Candies—expanded. They took over the family wholesale business and opened a store in the charming Lancaster County town of Intercourse, PA that’s always stocked with a delightful selection of chocolates and candies, attracting people of all ages. 

“There’s something here for everyone,” says Fern of the spacious E&A Candies store. “Older folks can travel down memory lane, and there’s plenty for kids and teenagers, including candy trending on social media.” There are new and novel offerings created by E&A on-site—such as tie-dyed chocolates, or caramel-covered crushed pretzels dusted with sea salt. Nostalgic candy, including retro favorites from the 70s and 80s like Nerds and Razzles, can be found at the store, along with E&A handmade classics like clear toy candy—and the creamiest fudge you’ll ever taste!

Carrying on the family tradition, Elam and Fern’s children grew up helping out in the store, and E&A Candies continues to innovate tasty new twists on candies and chocolate treats.

“We enjoy working together,” says Fern of the family business, “and I love to watch Elam come up with all of these great ideas. He’s a visionary and so creative.” If you stop by, ask about new releases, like eye-catching molded chocolates deliciously swirled with golden-hued peanut butter and milky chocolate.

Decades after the family business began, its handcrafted chocolates and candies can be found at farmers markets and retail stores in 6 states. The sweet origins and meticulous attention to detail carry on at E&A Candies, along with the sense of fun that such tasty delights inspire. “It’s a lot of fun to have kids come in and ooh and ahh,” shares Fern, “and see adults come in and happily revisit their childhood. That’s what we’re all about.”

Visit E&A Candies at their store in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, and at the Dutch Village Farmers Market in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Candy doesn’t get much more classic than clear toy. A traditional confectionery that originated in Germany, England and Scotland, clear toy candy can be traced in the U.S. as far back as 1750 in Philadelphia.

These days clear toy candy, which is made in small batches, can be hard to find.

But E&A Candies makes plenty of these colorful sweet treats. We use a special blend of sugar and water, which is heated to the perfect (top secret) temperature and poured into intricate molds, creating hundreds of fun shapes including trains, flip flops, Santas, rocking horses and more!

DID YOU KNOW? E&A Candies makes over 90,000 clear toy lollipops during the holiday season?!

We take creamy chocolate wafers and melt them down to create smooth, shiny chocolate for our molds. Building these beautifully-shaped chocolates takes some talent, as the temperature and humidity have to be carefully controlled and the molds have to be rotated so that the chocolate forms evenly. Some of our molded chocolates are even painted by hand before the rest of the chocolate is poured. We’re proud to use no automation in this process, and to do things the old-fashioned way... by hand.

Choose your favorite chocolates from hundreds of different shapes and sizes from ballerinas and ducks to dinosaurs and airplanes! We’ve become quite famous for our 3ft. bunny mold, made with 18-20lbs of chocolate! The crafting of this one takes extra talent, but it is sure to put a huge smile on anyone’s face. Visit our store to see this delicious indulgence in person.

It’s no secret. Our fudge is known as the creamiest and softest around. We make sure this is the case by creaming it for an extra long time.

We pride ourselves on offering an array of classic and unique fudge flavors that are custom to E&A Candies. Throughout the year, we offer more than 50 flavors to happy customers. There are traditional favorites, like chocolate and peanut butter. And more exotic offerings—everything from salted vanilla caramel and mango coconut, to huckleberry, maple bacon and crème brûlée. We even make shoofly fudge, as a nod to our Pennsylvania Dutch roots.

Our fudge should be left at room temperature to maintain its consistency, and it has a shelf-life of 4-6 weeks (if it lasts that long without being eaten!)

An all-natural treat with a satisfying crunch. E&A Candies offers maple-coated nuts created with high-quality maple syrup.

Pouring high-quality, golden maple syrup over pecans, almonds and walnuts creates an old-fashioned, caramelized flavor that is sure to become a fast favorite.

This all-natural snack is delicious over salads, stirred into oatmeal, tossed into snack mixes or enjoyed on its own. Available September to January.

 

Grab a free taste of our fudge, nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, cappuccino, butterscotch, and honey roasted peanut butter) and old-fashioned candies.

Relive the flavors of your childhood and pass them along to the next generation by browsing our true candy classics, like peanut brittle, horehound drops, butter toasted nuts, French burnt peanuts, coconut macaroons, fresh cotton-candy (made on-site,) and more.

Doesn’t everything taste better covered in chocolate? We think so!

At A&E Candies, we elevate everyday favorites to tasty new heights. Pretzels. Rice Krispie treats. Ritz crackers. Oreos. Marshmallows. And more. These edibles are transformed with high-quality Wilbur Chocolate, caramel and other sweet and savory ingredients.

A top seller is our Sea Salt Caramel Turtles. Try this tantalizing combination of caramel and crushed pretzels, coated with either dark chocolate or milk chocolate, and sprinkled with sea salt. Yum!

Enjoy Lancaster-County made honey (Apiary brand from Strasburg,) jellies, peaches, applesauce, red beets, pickles, relishes, and more--our canned goods are the perfect way to enjoy the unforgettable flavors of farm-fresh, handcrafted treats all year-round. We also offer locally-made snacks, including Zerbe’s homemade potato chips, homemade popcorn, salted sesame sticks, a variety of dried fruits, and chips & salsa.