Kakawa Chocolate House is on Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe. ChocolateSmith and Whoo's Donuts are on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe. We visited Kakawa Chocolate House, ChocolateSmith and Whoo's Donuts in September 2026 and took the photos in this story. ChocolateSmith and Whoo's Donuts are next door to each other in the same building at 851 Cerrillos Road.
1. Kakawa Chocolate House, for drinking chocolate
Kakawa (ka-KA-wa) is an Olmec word, meaning cacao or chocolate. Kakawa Chocolate House calls itself a specialty chocolate company located in the high desert town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kakawa says its passion is authentic and historic drinking chocolate elixirs.
Kakawa's historic drinking chocolate elixirs include Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican, Mayan and Aztec drinking chocolates. Kakawa's elixirs also include 1600's European, Colonial American and Colonial Mexican drinking chocolates. Kakawa says its elixirs are representative of these historic recipes and span the time period 1000 BC to the mid-1900s AD.
Kakawa states its mission is to re-introduce you to chocolate. Kakawa says it draws on chocolate's long history, re-creating original Mesoamerican and Colonial chocolate recipes and using them to inspire new creations. Kakawa's chocolatiers create truffles, drinking chocolate elixirs, agave caramels, solid dark chocolates and homemade ice cream. Kakawa's chocolatiers work exclusively in small batches.
Kakawa's contemporary truffle flavors include Pomegranate, Cherry-Chili, Prickly Pear and Mescal. Kakawa's signature truffle is Goat Cheese & Sage. Kakawa also offers classic European-style truffles, such as Classic French Dark and Raspberry Hazelnut, plus seasonal specialties, including dairy-free and vegan options.
Kakawa says its staff are as passionate about the history and anthropology of chocolate as the chocolatiers themselves. Kakawa says it supports sustainability, fair trade, local farming and culinary daring.
Our photo from September 8, 2026 shows the Kakawa Chocolate House on Paseo de Peralta: a tan adobe building with a turquoise trimmed porch, a hanging sign and red chile ristras by the door.
The Kakawa Chocolate House flagship is at 1050 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501. The Kakawa flagship is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. Kakawa Chocolate House San Mateo is at 851 West San Mateo Road, Suite 7, Santa Fe. Kakawa San Mateo is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and closed Sunday.
2. ChocolateSmith, for chile chocolate and barks
ChocolateSmith makes gourmet dark chocolate by hand in Santa Fe, New Mexico. ChocolateSmith describes its chocolate as a bittersweet blend of dark chocolate and premium fresh, local and organic ingredients. ChocolateSmith says its gourmet dark chocolate is hand-dipped in its Santa Fe shop.
ChocolateSmith's sweets are completely handmade in small batches, and the shop even hand roasts nuts and other embellishments in-house. ChocolateSmith's shelves are brimming with caramels, chile chocolates, barks and more. ChocolateSmith's chocolates include Signature Giftboxes, Craft Chocolates and Caramels, Barks, Dipped Fruits and Nuts, Mendiants and Weatherproof Waxed Patés.
ChocolateSmith features local New Mexico ingredients, including organic pecans, green chile and red chile pistachios, all grown in the state. ChocolateSmith's organic pecans come from de Valle Organic Pecans in Mesilla, New Mexico. ChocolateSmith's green chile pistachios come from McGinns Pistachio Tree Ranch and its red chile pistachios from Heart of the Desert, both in Alamagordo, New Mexico.
Inside ChocolateSmith, a glass case of chocolates sits in the middle of the shop, with shelves of boxed chocolates along the walls.
ChocolateSmith is at 851 Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, phone (505) 473-2111.
3. Whoo's Donuts, for blue corn donuts
Whoo's Donuts are made from scratch daily in Santa Fe, New Mexico, using a full list of only clean ingredients. The range runs from classic favorites like raised glaze and Boston crème to modern classics like pistachio cake with white chocolate lemon ganache.
Whoo's says its most popular donut is the blue corn blueberry lavender. Whoo's uses blue corn from Santa Ana Pueblo Mill, a certified organic Tamaya blend.
Whoo's regular donuts include Green Chile Apple Fritter, Orange Cardamom Cream, Maple Bacon and Lemon Pistachio. Whoo's regular donuts also include Blue Corn Maple Pecan, Red Chile Bacon Toffee and Chocolate Galaxy. Whoo's seasonal donuts include Apple Cider, Dulce de leche, Mexican Chocolate, Pear Ginger Fritter and Raspberry Chipotle Blue Corn.
Whoo's lists what it leaves out: no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no preservatives, no trans fats and no hydrogenated oils. Whoo's uses local dairy, eggs and nuts. At Whoo's you can enjoy coffee or a breakfast burrito too.
Whoo's is now making artisan pizzas and wings and serving local beer on tap. Whoo's pizza crusts use 72-hour sourdough fermentation. The Whoo's Donuts counter has a turquoise wall, a large wooden sunburst, a wall clock and a pastry case.
Whoo's Donuts is at 851 Cerrillos Road, Suite B, Santa Fe, NM 87505, phone 505.629.1678. Whoo's Donuts serves donuts Sunday through Wednesday from 7 AM to 2 PM. Whoo's Donuts serves donuts Thursday through Saturday from 7 AM to 7 PM. Whoo's pizza service runs Thursday through Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM.
How to plan a sweet crawl
ChocolateSmith (851 A) and Whoo's Donuts (851 B) are next door to each other in the same building at 851 Cerrillos Road.
Kakawa's chocolates are preservative free, so they tend to melt easily. Due to the delicate nature of its preservative-free, artisanal chocolates, Kakawa is unable to ship internationally.