The Best Cookies and Candies Made in Tennessee

Tourists of Nashville are always looking for gifts to bring back to friends and family. We are proud Tennesseans here at Tommy’s Tours and are happy to promote locally made products as often as we can! As a result, we’ve compiled a list of the sweetest treats available that are worth commemorating your trip. Whether you are a local or just in town for an amazing vacation, here are some of our favorite candies and cookies whose roots started right here in Tennessee.

Christie Cookies

If you are looking for a delicious, quality cookie, you can’t get better than Christie Cookie. Founder, Christie Hauck, decided to quit his day job to create the best cookie on the market. The result is a gourmet cookie handcrafted with the finest ingredients. For the past thirty years, the company has been maintaining the integrity of their product by eliminating added preservatives and refusing to take shortcuts. Each batch is hand measured and made from chocolate chips that are produced from sustainably farmed cocoa beans. Their headquarters is located in Downtown Nashville, near Germantown, but you can buy their products in many local shops in the area.

Goo Goo Cluster

The Goo Goo Cluster is a staple for Tennesseans and originated in 1912 by the Standard Candy Company. A Goo Goo is a round mound of caramel, marshmallow nougat, fresh roasted peanuts engulfed in real milk chocolate. The resulting product was the first for much of the candy industry; the first to ditch the rectangular shape, and the first to consist of more than one principal ingredient. Regarding the unique name, different versions are floating around, but many agree that is references a baby’s first words and the company wanting to create an opportunity for the good people to “ask for it from birth.”

MoonPie

Granted, the conception of the MoonPie came from a Kentuckian, but it was the production facility in Chattanooga that made it a household name. The story of the MoonPie starts with a traveling salesperson and coal miner. The coal miner is looking for a snack “as big as the moon” that he takes with him to work. The result was a layered graham, marshmallow, and chocolate “pie.” The concept was taken to the Chattanooga Bakery who was at the time producing around one hundred different items but saw a lot of potential when they came across the MoonPie. They were right, and within ten years the factory was boxing up hundreds every day. Since then, the MoonPie has grown up with the nation and started including additional flavors like vanilla and banana.

Olive & Sinclair

A newbie on the list, Olive & Sinclair started in Nashville back in the fall of 2014. They pride themselves on combining different techniques to create their unique chocolate offerings. Their flavors are rooted in southern tradition while using modern European methods to produce their artisan products. The popularity of the chocolate grew so rapidly; they relocated their factory to Fatherland Street in East Nashville. They provide tours daily for guests to experience the process of creating beautiful and indulgent chocolate. The best part is the taste testing! Click to learn more.

Grab your treats and then come spend the day with us at Tommy’s Tours! We’d love to show you around!