Raw chocolate is so easy and fast to make!! Cacao is an incredible super food: it has 40 times the antioxidant quantity than blueberries do, it’s an excellent source of magnesium and iron, it’s full of calcium, a great mood elevator and anti-depressant, and so much more. So eating chocolate is actually Healthy!…BUT this is if you eat dark chocolate, meaning no added sugar to it, which nowadays is pretty hard to find. Cacao is actually a bitter food, that is why so much sugar is added in common supermarket coco products. But making your own chocolate is so satisfying and fun to do, you can add different toppings and make it look pretty, perfect as a homemade gift to give to someone.

I used a silicone mold to make the bite sized chocolates, but you can also spread it on a board lined with parchment paper and it will work fine too.

To find the ingredients go to a health food store and try to go for the high quality ones. Always keep in mind that the outcome of your recipes will depend almost entirely on the quality of the raw ingredients.

CACAO INFO GUIDE:

• first of all “cacao” refers to raw and much less processed than cocoa, while “cocoa” is the term used to refer to the heated form of cacao;
• the cacao fruit tree produces cacao pods which are cracked open to release cacao beans;
• Cacao butter is the fattiest part of the fruit and is the inside of a single cacao bean; it’s white in color and has a rich buttery texture. the butter is removed and what is left of the bean is used to make other cacao products;
• Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been chopped into edible pieces;
• Cacao paste comes from cacao nibs that have been slowly heated and melted into a bark. Because low heat is used in this process, cacao paste retains its natural properties and is naturally about 55% cacao butter (this is why it’s solid at room temperature just like the butter);
• Cacao powder is made by applying a cold-processing process to the cacao bean, so that most of the butter is removed. This is why when preparing chocolates, you will have to add cacao butter to the powder.

•INGREDIENTS•
→125 gr cacao butter
→80 gr cacao powder
→2 tbsp maple syrup*
→1/2 tsp vanilla
→1 tsp maca (optional)
→pinch of salt
Toppings: cacao nibs, nuts, nutmeg, etc.
*maple syrup can be replaced by honey but be mindful that honey usually has a more intense/strong flavor changing the final outcome.

Chop the cacao butter, add to a bowl, and melt on top of a pot of simmering water. Stir well and be careful to not overheat the butter. Once melted move bowl away from heat, add the cacao powder, the maple syrup, vanilla, pinch of salt, maca (if using), and stir well until smooth. Pour in silicone molds or on top of a board lined with parchment paper. Add your toppings immediately before it sets. I added some nuts, nutmeg and cacao nibs. But you can also do some cinnamon, ginger powder, goji berries, dried flower petals…
Put in the freezer to fasten the set time (it only takes 5 minutes). Store in the fridge if your house has a warm temperature.