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DC Sweets and Treats to Pick Up for Valentine’s Day Instead of Chocolate

Georgetown Cupcakes can be picked up in Georgetown and Bethesda.

Fact: There are real humans on the planet who don’t like chocolate. You may even know one of them. While you take a minute to let this sink in, browse the list below of Valentine’s Day sweets and treats that even those on a chocolate strike may enjoy.


District Doughnut

Fried dough caked in sugar and drizzled with icing amounts to plenty of sugar for your sweetheart. Send them a half-dozen doughnuts in flavors such as Apple Cider, Chai Tea Creme Brulee, Fluffernutter, and Snickerdoodle. Doughnuts are $15 for a half dozen, $18 for a dozen mini doughnuts, and $27 for a full dozen. Doughnuts are available for pickup at 749 8th St., SE.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Select their XOX Valentine’s Day special box or select your own flavor and decorations for a dozen delicious cupcakes. Opt for flavors such as strawberry, red velvet, or coconut to avoid chocolate, then select toppings of candy hearts or letters to spell out a love note of your own. Cupcakes are $42 for a dozen, and gluten free, vegan, and sugar free options are all available. Pick up is available at 3015 M St., NW.

Captain Cookie & the Milkman

Soft and chewy cookies are always a crowd-pleaser, especially when they come in flavors like snickerdoodle, ginger molasses, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin. A baker’s dozen is $13. Order your delivery of chocolate-chip free cookies online, or pick them up at the Foggy Bottom storefront at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

Macaron Bee

Cute, colorful, and not overly sugary-sweet, these French treats–in flavors such as key lime, blood orange, pink champagne and rose–are easy to eat by the sleeve. They’re made from almond flour, so they’re naturally gluten free, and dairy free options are available. Order five for $11.25 or a dozen for $25 for pickup at Macaron Bee’s Georgetown storefront, 3261 Prospect St., NW.

Georgetown Cupcakes

The classic DC cupcake company has non-chocolate flavors aplenty, including strawberry, red velvet swirl, and strawberry cheesecake for the month of February. Pick some flavors toped with candy hearts and pink-tinted icing to make it feel fitting for the holiday, or order one of their $35 Valentine’s Day dozen boxes for pickup at their Georgetown (3301 M St., NW) or Bethesda (4834 Bethesda Ave.) stores.

Pie Sisters

Who says pies have to be reduced to Thanksgiving dinner? Pie Sister’s cute pie cuppies are cupcake-sized desserts that are $3.75 each, with a 10 percent discount for ordering a dozen. They come in a number of fruity flavors, including cherry, apple, lemon meringue, and banana cream, and they can be picked up from the Pie Sisters’ Georgetown store at 3423 M St., NW.

Republic Kolache

The Texas-Czech pastries filled with sweet, fruity fillings have started a bit of a kolache craze in Washington, but you don’t have to worry about waiting in a huge line: order a dozen sweet pastries for $30 online, then pick them up at American Ice Co., 917 V St. NW, on Saturdays between 10 AM and 1 PM.

Associate Editor

Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.