Hey chocolate lovers and chocoholics, I am so glad I am not the only one who is really into chocolate enough to make my own. As a chocolate lover, chocolate is always my first choice when it comes to dessert. I never have to think twice if I have to choose between chocolate or vanilla. But, consuming too much chocolate can be sickening from the added sugar and finding the right chocolate that hits the spot can be tricky. I love dark chocolate, and it is quite hard to find the perfect dark chocolate on the shelf. They are either too bitter, too dry or just too dull. And of course, not mentioning finding a clean label and with few ingredients, it is pretty much impossible.
Surprisingly, and not surprisingly, making your own chocolate is quite easy! And I am going to show you how you can make your own chocolate right at home. It contains only three ingredients and will just take you 5 minutes to mix everything together! This chocolate recipe is raw, paleo friendly, vegan-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free!
Why should you make your own chocolate and ditch commercial chocolate?
Most commercial chocolate is loaded with junks, and high-quality chocolate can be expensive.
Sugar:
Sugar is often added into dark chocolate to balance the bitter taste. However, some brands go overboard. It is rare to find a dark chocolate that doesn't have added sugar. If you are buying chocolate, choose a brand that doesn't have a high amount of sugar. This means sugar should be the last ingredient on the list.
Emulsifiers:
Many stores brought chocolates contains an emulsifier to keep the cocoa and cocoa butter from separating and help blend flavors. However, lecithin isn't absolutely necessary to make chocolate. A common emulsifier used is lecithin.
Milk:
High-quality dark chocolate shouldn't have any milk added to it unless it is milk fat. Milk fat often used to add moisture. But just like emulsifiers, milk fat is not required to make dark chocolate.
Trans Fat:
If you are a dark chocolate lover like me, avoid any dark chocolate that contains trans fat. Although it is less frequent to add trans fat to chocolate, manufacturers sometimes add it to improve shelf life and consistency. Sneaky, sneaky!
Flavoring:
Dark chocolate is often flavored with flavoring agents, spices, and oils to improve its taste. When you buy it in the store, it is hard to tell if those ingredients are natural or artificial. If you want dark flavored chocolate, choose one that is organic. That way, you can be sure the flavors are not artificial.
How to make your own chocolate:
Making your own chocolate is super easy and quick!
Ingredients:
Organic Coconut Oil ( If you are not into coconut, I wouldn't recommend you use coconut oil because it will give the chocolate a coconut flavor and aroma. Instead you can try this recipe with ghee butter.)
Organic Cacao Powder (Not cocoa and there is a difference. Cacao is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.)
Maple Syrup (Can be substituted with raw sugar, honey, agave)
These ingredients are very easy to find at any grocery store or specialty store. If you consume chocolate quite often and you love to share, I highly recommend that you purchase these items at a club store like Costco.
The below recipe is a general guideline, and I highly recommend that you play around with it based on your individual taste. If you like dark chocolate, add more cacao powder. If you want sweeter chocolate, add more sweetener.
Health benefit of coconut oil:
In this recipe, I used coconut oil because it offers many fantastic health benefits! Includes:
- Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats (medium chain triglycerides). These fats can boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy.
- Coconut oil can increase fat burning. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase calories burned over 24 hours by as much as 5%. Think about that! Eating chocolate while burning calories!
- The fatty acids in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This could potentially help to prevent infections.
- The fatty acids in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite, which may lead to reduced body weight over the long term.
- The MCTs in coconut oil can increase the blood concentration of ketone bodies, which can help reduce seizures in epileptic children.
- A few studies have shown that coconut oil can raise blood levels of HDL cholesterol, which is linked to improved metabolic health and a lower risk of heart disease.
- Coconut oil's fat content is easily converted into energy, and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. It helps boost energy, endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.
How to choose the right coconut oil?
- Look for virgin, extra virgin or unrefined because it is less processed.
- Look for cold pressed. This generally means that a mechanical method of pressing out the oil is used but without the use of any outside heat source.
- Look for organic and fair trade when possible.
- Look for glass jar instead of plastic! Support say no to plastic to help with the environment, and in case you have to introduce head to your coconut oil, glass is better than plastic.
Because this recipe contains coconut oil, note that there will be saturated fat. While it is debatable whether saturated fat in coconut oil it is good for you or not, coconut oil offers many health benefits to your overall health. Remember unlike animal fat, coconut oil or any plant-based oil provide more than just fats. They contain antioxidants and other significant components!
Ways you can enjoy this chocolate sauce:
You can use this chocolate sauce for pretty much anything. You can make chocolate bars, chocolate covered strawberry, chocolate covered pretzel, drizzle on your nice cream (it will harden within a minute and will give your nice cream a new texture), add into your brownies, cookies, be creative!
Storage:
While coconut oil is stable at room temperature, I will let you determine whether you think the chocolate will melt in the environment you are in. During the summertime, you keep it in your fridge or freezer.
For chocolate bars, if you want something softer texture like a truffle, put it in the fridge. If you want hard chocolate, put it in the freezer. Personally, I prefer the freezer.
If you are unsure if your chocolate would melt in room template, an easy way to determine is to look at your coconut oil on the counter! Is it solid or is it liquid?
Toppings for a chocolate bar:
There are thousands of combo of toppings that you can use from nuts to fruits. Click here to check out my recommendations from Amazon.
How to Make Chocolate
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Cook Time
Serving Size
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Coconut oil If you don't like the coconut, feel free to substitute!
(Ghee butter Ghee butter is a great substitute if you are not into coconut)
1/2 Cup Cacao powder If you like thicker consistency, feel free to add more cacao
2-4 Tablespoon Maple Syrup If you like bitter chocolate, start with 2 tablespoon.
Instructions
- Mix cacao, coconut oil and maple syrup in a bowl.
- Pour into your mold, a sheet or glass pan.
- Put in the freezer or fridge for 15-30 minutes. Then it is ready to be served!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @organicallyblissful on Instagram or hashtag it #organicallyblissful
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