If you came to Dahlonega for fudge, you have three counters within a short walk of the Gold Museum: The Dahlonega Fudge Factory on North Park Street, Kilwins Dahlonega on the south side of the Square and Paul Thomas Chocolates on the north side. This is not a ranking. We do not judge taste. We compare the three on facts each one publishes, checked Oct 19, 2026, so you can pick by what matters to you: watching it made, tasting first, a flavor you want, shipping a box home or simply who is open.
The comparison table
| The Dahlonega Fudge Factory | Kilwins Dahlonega | Paul Thomas Chocolates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 8 N Park St, at North Park and Main | 40 Public Square S | 102 Public Square North |
| Who runs it (as published) | Second-generation candy shop, open since 1982 | Franchise store | Family-owned chocolate shop |
| Fudge named on its own pages | More than 15 varieties of cream and butter fudge | Mackinac Island Fudge | Cacao Fudge, chocolate covered (online catalog) |
| Made in store | Hand-dipped chocolates and confections made by the shop | Fudge made in the store, cooked in copper kettles and cooled on marble tables | About 90% of what it sells made on location, in small batches |
| Free samples | Free fudge samples every day (Visitors Bureau) | Samples of fudge and ice cream on request | Not stated on the pages we checked |
| Shipping | Mail orders, one-pound minimum; chocolates ship only Nov 1 to Feb 28 (tentative) | Not stated on the store page | Online catalog on its own site |
| Hours (own site) | Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Sun-Thu noon to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat noon to 9 p.m. | Mon-Thu 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun 12:30 to 8 p.m. |
The Dahlonega Fudge Factory
The Fudge Factory calls itself a second-generation candy shop, open since 1982, at the corner of North Park Street and Main, per its own site. It says it makes hand-dipped chocolates, Southern confections and more than 15 varieties of cream and butter fudge. Flavors named on its page include Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl, Tiger Butter and Butter Brickle, plus seasonal Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Crunch.
The fudge is not the only thing in the case. The shop names Dahlonega Nuggets, Pecan Pralines, Peanut Butter Cups, Cloud 9 Pretzels and Divinity among its items, and in fall and winter it sells caramel-dipped apples made with apples from Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge.
On samples, the Visitors Bureau’s Chocolate Crawl page says the Fudge Factory offers free fudge samples every day.
On shipping, the shop is specific. Mail orders have a one-pound minimum, and it ships its chocolate products only between November 1 and February 28 (dates it calls tentative) because of heat during shipping. Chocolates are sold in the store year-round. If you want a box sent home in summer, call first: (706) 864-3988.
The Dahlonega Fudge Factory ships its chocolate products only between November 1 and February 28 (tentative dates), though chocolates are sold in the store year-round. (Fudge Factory, checked Oct 19, 2026)
Kilwins Dahlonega
Kilwins is the counter where you can watch the process. Its store page says it makes its Mackinac Island Fudge in the store, cooked in copper kettles and cooled on marble tables. It also dips caramel apples in caramel made in the store and scoops Original Recipe Ice Cream in fresh waffle cones.
Kilwins invites you to taste before you buy: its page says it is always happy to offer complimentary samples, so just ask a team member for a taste of the fudge or the ice cream. Other items its page names include TUTTLES Nut Caramels.
The store page does not describe shipping. For large orders, party favors, gift baskets and corporate gifts, it asks you to contact the Dahlonega store directly and as early as possible: (706) 203-3100. Some directories still show an older number; that one is from its own page.
Kilwins Dahlonega makes its Mackinac Island Fudge in the store, cooked in copper kettles and cooled on marble tables, and offers free samples of fudge and ice cream on request. (Kilwins, checked Oct 19, 2026)
Paul Thomas Chocolates
Paul Thomas is a chocolatier first. Its own site describes a family-owned shop that handcrafts chocolates in small batches and says about 90% of what it sells is made on location, including soft caramels cooked in a copper kettle. Its online catalog lists Cacao Fudge (chocolate covered), alongside Almond Butter Crunch toffee, Black Cherry Truffles, Blood Orange Caramels and Chocolate Covered Pretzels. The catalog is its online selection; what is in the case on a given day may differ.
Paul Thomas lists the longest Friday and Saturday hours of the three: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, per its contact page. It is also the earliest to open on weekdays, at 10 a.m.
How to choose without a ranking
- Want to see fudge made? Kilwins publishes the copper kettles and marble tables.
- Want to taste first? Kilwins offers samples on request, and the Visitors Bureau says the Fudge Factory offers free samples every day.
- Want a long flavor list? The Fudge Factory names the most fudge varieties.
- Want chocolate-covered fudge or truffles? Paul Thomas lists Cacao Fudge and truffles.
- Shipping a gift? The Fudge Factory publishes its rules and its Nov 1 to Feb 28 chocolate window. Ask the others directly.
- Early or late? Paul Thomas opens first on weekdays and Saturday. On Sunday the Fudge Factory opens first, at 11 a.m. All three list 9 p.m. closings on Friday and Saturday.
The three sit close together, so you do not have to choose just one. Our Sweet Walk Planner puts them in walking order, and fudge, chocolate and candy adds the Dahlonega General Store, which stocks old-fashioned candy and roasts peanuts daily. If you are here in March, the Chocolate Crawl brings all three into one weekend.
Fudge
The Dahlonega Fudge Factory
Second-generation candy shop at the corner of North Park and Main, open since 1982, making hand-dipped chocolates, Southern confections and more than 15 varieties of cream and butter fudge, plus caramel-dipped apples in fall and winter.
- On its own menu: Dahlonega Nuggets · Pecan Pralines · Peanut Butter Cups · Cloud 9 Pretzels · Divinity
- Mon–Thu 11 am–8 pm · Fri–Sat 11 am–9 pm · Sun 11 am–8 pm (as published)
- 8 N Park St, Dahlonega, GA 30533
- (706) 864-3988
Source: dahlonegafudgefactory.com, checked Oct 19, 2026
Fudge
Kilwins Dahlonega
Franchise chocolate, fudge and ice cream shop just off the square that makes Mackinac Island Fudge in the store on marble tables, dips caramel apples in made-in-store caramel and scoops Original Recipe Ice Cream in fresh waffle cones.
- On its own menu: Mackinac Island Fudge · Caramel Apples · TUTTLE™ Nut Caramels · New Orleans Praline Pecan · Sorbetto
- Its own menu marks: dairy-free options
- Mon–Thu 12 pm–8 pm · Fri–Sat 12 pm–9 pm · Sun 12 pm–8 pm (as published)
- 40 Public Square S, Dahlonega, GA 30533
- (706) 203-3100
Source: kilwins.com, checked Oct 19, 2026
Chocolate
Paul Thomas Chocolates
Family-owned chocolate shop on the square that handcrafts its chocolates in small batches and says about 90% of what it sells is made on location, including soft caramels cooked in a copper kettle.
- On its own menu: Almond Butter Crunch – Toffee · Black Cherry Truffles · Blood Orange Caramels · Cacao Fudge • Chocolate Covered · Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Mon–Thu 10 am–8 pm · Fri–Sat 9 am–9 pm · Sun 12:30 pm–8 pm (as published)
- 102 Public Square North, Dahlonega, GA 30533
- (706) 864-6333
Source: paulthomaschocolates.com, checked Oct 19, 2026
About these hours
All hours above are as listed on each shop’s own site, checked Oct 19, 2026. The Fudge Factory’s page also still shows an older “Winter Store Hours: Daily 11-7” block under its “New Store Hours” banner, and the Dahlonega DDA directory lists different hours for all three. We used each shop’s own site. None of the three publishes December or holiday hours online, so call ahead in the holiday season.
Questions people ask
Which Dahlonega fudge shop makes fudge in the store?
Kilwins Dahlonega says on its store page that it makes its Mackinac Island Fudge in the store, cooked in copper kettles and cooled on marble tables. The Dahlonega Fudge Factory describes making its own cream and butter fudge, and Paul Thomas Chocolates says about 90% of what it sells is made on location.
Source: Kilwins, checked Oct 19, 2026
Can I get free fudge samples in Dahlonega?
The Visitors Bureau's Chocolate Crawl page says The Dahlonega Fudge Factory offers free fudge samples every day, and Kilwins says to ask a team member for a taste of its fudge or ice cream.
Source: Visitors Bureau, checked Oct 19, 2026
Can The Dahlonega Fudge Factory ship chocolate in summer?
No. Its site says it ships its chocolate products only between November 1 and February 28 (tentative dates) because of heat during shipping, though chocolates are sold in the store year-round. Mail orders have a one-pound minimum.
Source: Fudge Factory, checked Oct 19, 2026
What fudge flavors does The Dahlonega Fudge Factory list?
Its site names more than 15 varieties of cream and butter fudge, including Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl, Tiger Butter and Butter Brickle, plus seasonal Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Crunch.
Source: Fudge Factory, checked Oct 19, 2026
Which fudge counter on the Square opens earliest?
Paul Thomas Chocolates lists 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday on its own site, earlier than the Fudge Factory (11 a.m.) and Kilwins (noon). On Sunday Paul Thomas opens at 12:30 p.m.
Source: Paul Thomas Chocolates, checked Oct 19, 2026
Written by the Dahlonega Bakery Guide Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact against its source before it publishes.
