Paleo Homemade Chocolate (Refined Sugar Free)
What kind of blogger posts a homemade chocolate recipe the week AFTER Valentine’s day?
THIS GIRL.
I posted a tutorial for making this paleo homemade chocolate on my Instagram Stories the week before Valentine’s. But a lot of people were very curious so I decided to photo document the process and turn it into a full blog post!
And besides, chocolate is loved by most people all year round, right?
RHETORICAL QUESTION. It obviously is π
Homemade chocolate is actually ridiculously simple to make
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve become pretty obsessed with making (and eating) this chocolate. It’s so easy! Who knew??
The two main ingredients you need are cacao butter and unsweetened cacao powder.
This forms the base of the chocolate, and then you can add in some additional ingredients to flavor/texturize.
Cacao vs Cocoa – not a typo
Cacao and cocoa come from the same source: the cacao bean.
Cacao (butter and powder) are less processed than cocoa, which is heated at high temperatures. The high temps mean cocoa loses a little of its health benefits.
So that’s why I go with cacao, but you can use them interchangeably in recipes, including this one! π
Let’s get our Willy Wonka on and make some chocolate already
Step 1: Gently melt your cacao butter in a pot over low heat. Your kitchen will smell amazing. You’re welcome.
Step 2: Stir in your cacao powder. (I used to sift it first, but found that step to be unnecessary. It melts right in with no clumps.)
Now we flavor!
I wanted to keep this chocolate dairy free, so I cut through the natural bitterness of the cacao using creamy cashew butter π I’ve also made the chocolate using sunflower seed butter and LOVED it.
Peanut butter, almond butter, or any nut butter should work here. Look for one without sugar to keep it refined-sugar free!
I also added some vanilla extract and SALT. All capitals on the SALT because I think adding salt to chocolate is very important.
Why? It makes the flavor of the chocolate pop and brings out the natural sweetness from the sweetener you’ll be adding in…
Sweetening the chocolate
To sweeten the chocolate, I use a combination of maple syrup and monk fruit or stevia exract.
If you prefer, you can use all maple syrup. Just keep in mind that the more maple syrup you add, the softer the chocolate will be at room temperature.
You can also leave the maple syrup out and just sweeten just with monk fruit or stevia, for a lower-sugar option.
Other sweet options:
I experimented with using coconut sugar and found that it doesn’t completely dissolve, leaving the chocolate with a bit of a grainy texture.
At first I was like, “nah grainy chocolate isn’t what I’m going for.” BUT THEN, the more I ate it, the more I liked it!
Sort of a “Crunch Bar” effect.
Honey is another option, although I’m not a huge fan of honey and chocolate as a flavor pair.
Try experimenting to see what you love the most!
T is for Texture
If you like a little crunch to your chocolate bar, add in some chopped nuts (I used almonds here) and unsweetened shredded coconut.
It’s got the Almond Joy vibes, which I’m into.
(If you go with texture adders, these ingredients go straight into your mold, just before you pour the chocolate over. The picture below is plain chocolate without the almonds and coconut.)
Pouring that silky smooth chocolate
After you mix all of the ingredients up together, you just need to pour it into a mold and allow it to harden in the fridge or freezer.
Is that adorable chocolate bar mold up there required? No, but look how adorable it is! π«
You can pour your chocolate into any mold you have, or just into a small glass container. It’s not as cute, but just as delicious.
Next: the longest 15-20 minutes of your life
All that’s left is the hardest part: letting the chocolate cool in the fridge or freezer.
I stick mine in the freezer and it usually takes 15-20 minutes to completely harden.
From there, you just pop the chocolate out of the mold! I store mine in a tupperware container in the fridge or freezer, although it will be solid at room temperature. (Just a little softer.)
You can wrap with parchment paper if you want to get fancy (or take a pic for insta π)
Speaking of Instagram, tag me on there if you make this chocolate! I die for those pictures β€
Paleo Homemade Chocolate (Refined Sugar Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cacao butter
- Just shy 1/2 cup cacao powder (unsweetened)*
- 1.5-2 tablespoons unsweetened cashew butter, sun butter, or other nut butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional, leave out for lower sugar option)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Good pinch of salt (or a few grinds if using a salt grinder)*
- Monk fruit or stevia extract to taste
Optional crunchy add-ins
- Chopped almonds
- unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Melt the cacao butter over low heat until it's liquid (you can also just microwave until it's liquid)
- Remove from heat and add in remaining ingredients, stirring until everything is creamy and well combined.
- Taste and adjust by adding more sweetener/salt.
- If adding nuts and coconut, sprinkle them into the molds first.
- Pour the chocolate into the molds and cool in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from molds and store in a tupperware container in the fridge, freezer, or counter top.
Notes
-Use closer to 1/2 cup cacao powder if you like a deep, dark chocolate.
-The amount of salt you need will depend on the salt content of your nut butter. Add a little bit at a time until you get it just how you like it.
10 responses to “Paleo Homemade Chocolate (Refined Sugar Free)”
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So much education! Love this post and recipe.
Thanks so much π
Hi Allyson! Biggest mistake is looking through your gorgeous chocolate post being hungry haha. All I can think about is this amazing homemade chocolate slab! Off to the shop to stock up on cacao butter and make this dream come true. Thank you so much for a super recipe honey, will definitely be making it soon xx
haha I know what you mean! Wish I had some right now π
Any chance you know how many grams of cacoa butter you used?
Hi Jen ππΌ I donβt know about grams, but itβs just a one to one ratio of cacao butter to cacao powder if that helps!
Thank you Allyson, for posting a recipe that wasnβt made with coconut oil. I donβt have a problem with coconut oil except that the taste over powers the chocolate. I really like it with nut butter. I tried it with almond butter but I will try it with cashew butter in the future. And I will add different things to it. I love being able to eat chocolate again. Iβm allergic to soy and even if you find chocolate that doesnβt have soy in it itβs usually always processed in a facility that processes soy and peanuts. And that is a huge problem for me. I really appreciate this thank you so much and I made it and itβs very yummy
That’s great to hear I’m glad you liked it! I agree about the coconut oil, and I also don’t like the way it melts so fast when you hold it π the cacao butter holds up much better.
Tried this 2 times and both times it seized, the cacao butter to powder doesn’t seem right – it’s too dry. I grated my butter and measured out a half cup but I’m thinking it’s too fine. Grams would be a more useful measure.
Hey Tracy, I’m really sorry it didn’t work out for you – I make it all the time and have never had the issue. Are you using raw cacao powder rather than standard cocoa powder? Also, you may want to try the double boiler method to heat the cacao butter and the cacao powder, maybe your pan got too hot and caused the issue. You could also reduce the amount of cacao powder if you think that’s the issue. Hope that helps π