We have included our very own homemade raw chocolate recipe for you to experiment with below. Making your own raw chocolate at home is incredibly easy, really fun and a much healthier alternative to shop bought chocolate which can be laced with refined sugars.
You can play around by adding a whole range of exciting flavours- lucuma, coconut, goji berries, nuts, banana, chilli, salt, cacao nibs and fruit powders -part of the fun is experimenting with different flavours and additions. I personally love to add cacao nibs and desiccated coconut- the nibs add an incredible crunch to the chocolates!
Ingredients:
120g raw cacao butter (broken up or grated)
6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons agave syrup (taste and add slightly more for a sweet tooth!)
Optional extras: desiccated coconut, lucuma powder, goji berries, chilli flakes, nuts, banana powder, mulberries, ginger powder, cacao nibs, sea salt, blueberry powder, beetroot powder, goldenberries, matcha – I encourage you to have a play around- you will be pleasantly surprised and very energised by the end of it!
(if you would like to add cacao nibs then wait until the cacao mixture has cooled slightly so the nibs stay crunchy and don’t melt!)
Method:
- Heat the cacao butter in a heatproof/ pyrex bowl in a saucepan(or bain-marie if you have one) of simmering water until melted. Be careful not to overheat the butter by ensuring the water is simmering and not boiling (if you have a food thermometer you can check it is below 45C).
- Add the cacao powder and mix well, take the bowl off the heat.
- Add the agave syrup or other sweeteners of your choosing (coconut palm sugar also works really well) and mix well!
- Add the nuts/ fruit/ fruit powder and mix well. If the flavour additions are solid rather than powder there is also the option to add these to the bottom of the tray/ ice tray then pour the chocolate mixture over the top.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a tray and spread evenly, or use an ice tray or chocolate mould if you have one!
- Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours, you will know the chocolate is ready when it has solidified. It will also remain solid at room temperature once you’ve taken the chocolates out but you may prefer to keep them in the fridge anyway.
- Enjoy!