Call it an occupational hazard, but I’ve come to accept that Christmas begins sometime around late August now.
One minute you’re optimistically ordering an Aperol in the rain; the next you’re ankle-deep in cinnamon-scented supermarket displays, gazing at a wall of mince pies with expiry dates well before December. The seasonal shift takes no prisoners, but there is one glittering exception to my annual Scrooge spiral: the chocolate advent calendar.
There’s something undeniably joyful about eating chocolate before breakfast under the flimsy pretext of tradition. It’s a small act of festive rebellion, usually carried out half-asleep and in pyjamas, and I, for one, fully endorse it.
In fact, I consider it a civic duty to road-test the year's most decadent calendars. Someone has to determine whether it’s worth spending £15 on a supermarket option or splurging £80 on an artisanal, hand-painted praline a day (spoiler: sometimes it absolutely is).
This is the golden era of the luxury advent calendar, and chocolate makers have gone full Versailles. Think single-origin ganaches, boozy truffles, sky-high cocoa percentages, and packaging worthy of an LFW runway.
So, whether you’re buying for a loved one, a child with an unrefined palate, or simply treating yourself because it’s been a long year and frankly, you deserve it, here are the best chocolate advent calendars worth counting down with this Christmas.
Shop now
Fortnum's Pop Up Milk Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Filled to the brim with vintage charm and, of course, plenty of milk chocolate, this latest pop-up advent design from Fortnum’s is sure to delight every day until Christmas morning.
Buy now £26.95, F&M
Fortnum's Chocolate Truffle Selection Advent Calendar, 250g
There's bound to be a chocolate-lover on your Christmas list who deserves a special treat. Give them a taste of the finer things with Fortnums' chocolate truffle selection advent calendar, packed with tastebud-igniting flavours: think salted caramel, Milk chocolate Marc de Champagne truffles and milk chocolate raspberry truffles. Outrageously indulgent.
Buy now £40.00, F&M
Melt Log Cabin Advent Calendar
Inspired by Ralph Lauren’s Colorado lodge, this indulgent advent from Melt is as luxurious as it gets. Behind each door is a series of fresh, handmade chocolates including gingerbread caramel, cinnamon and oat cup, speculoos praline, and so much more.
Buy now £79.99, Melt
The Grand Advent Calendar
One of Hotel Chocolat’s more decadent Christmas offerings (and that’s saying something), The Grand Advent Calendar features 24 generously-sized treats ranging from solid chocolate slabs and chocolate-filled cracker decorations to 50ml servings of velvetised cream with vodka.
Buy now £80.00, Hotel Chocolat
Venchi Chocolate Advent Calendar
A towering delight, luxury chocolatier Venchi’s 2025 advent houses premium flavours behind every door. Plus, thanks to the drawer design, the calendar is reusable.
Buy now £57.99, Selfridges
Montezuma's Organic Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar
With 25 windows to take you all the way to Christmas Day, there's no better way to start each December morning than by nibbling one of Montezuma's milk chocolate treats.
Buy now £18.00, Ocado
Cadbury Heroes Christmas Advent-ure Calendar
Classic Cadbury Heroes are a Christmas staple. Sorry, we don’t make the rules. This advent calendar is sure to be a December crowd-pleaser thanks to favourites such as Twirls, Eclairs and Wispas.
Buy now £10.89, Amazon
Milkybar White Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Cheap, cheerful and always delicious, a Milkybar white chocolate advent calendar is a fan-favourite for a reason. The bite-size pieces are perfect for sweet-toothed little ones.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
Celebrations Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Let’s be real, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a box of Celebrations. We love the fact that with this beloved advent, you get a different chocolatey surprise every day until Christmas morning. We’ve got our fingers crossed for extra Maltesers Teasers.
Buy now £6.00, Ocado
Baci Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Baci chocolate is a sorely underrated advent option to enjoy this Christmas. Like Nutella in solid form, each chocolate is delightfully hazelnutty and goes wonderfully with a morning brew.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Gloriously smooth and moreish Galaxy chocolate is always a winner among the kiddos over the festive period. Treat them to their all-time favourite for a classic Christmas countdown this year.
Buy now £2.50, Amazon
NOMO Premium Advent
Whether you’re into plant-based chocolate by choice or by dietary requirement, NOMO is a fan-favourite for a reason. This delicious plant-powered advent calendar contains a selection of NOMO’s most delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free and palm oil-free flavours as well as a full-size caramel bar.
Buy now £22.50, Amazon
Reese's Advent Calendar
The peanut butter-filled American delight is officially available in advent calendar form, giving us Reese’s obsessives an excuse to enjoy a chocolatey cup every day in December. The selection includes both milk and white chocolate cups.
Buy now £5.50, Ocado
M&S Where’s Wally Advent Calendar
A chocolatey advent but make it an optical illusion. M&S has decided to make finding those precious dates even harder with this ingenious Where’s Wally calendar which is filled with 24 festive milk chocolate shapes.
Buy now £2.75, Ocado
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Advent Calendar
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme chocolate is a classic white chocolate filled with mouth-watering cookie crumbles. We love the festive polar bear on the front of this value-for-money option.
Buy now £5.50, Ocado
Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar
You simply can’t go wrong with a classic Cadbury’s advent calendar. Weighing in at a whopping 340g, you’re certainly getting bang for your buck with this delicious box of treats. You’ll be more chocolate than human come Christmas.
Buy now £10.00, Cadbury
Kinder Bueno Advent Calendar
That’s right, the irresistible chocolate hazelnut and wafer-coated treat has been wrapped up, especially for Christmas. With a 50/50 mixture of white and milk chocolate Kinder Bueno minis, there’s always a 100 per cent chance of pure chocolatey bliss.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
Lindt Teddy 3D chocolate advent calendar 310g
Who says the classic Lindt teddy advent calendar is just for kids? We, for one, would adore being greeted by this teddy's smiling face every morning as we count down to Christmas. The sumptuous, creamy chocolates hidden within also help.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
