I wanted to make my own chocolates — but I seemed hell-bent on finding every way there was to fail at it. Maple sugar, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, too much fluid. Nothing worked well: they seize, they get grainy. All sorts of ick. And I know there are cocoa butter and cocoa powder recipes out there, but in my opinion, the taste is great but the mouthfeel is just wrong.
But these babies? They're pretty marvelous, if I do say so myself.
It’s so amazing to me how my body responds to cane sugar, even a small amount. I have some, I want more. I have more, I want more! But these chocolates are different. I can have one — or, alright, two — of these chocolates and I can say, "Oh, that was tasty." And I’m done.
Allergy-Friendly Vegan Chocolates
Recipe by Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD
Ingredients
2 ounces 99% or 100% cocoa mass
1/2 ounce cocoa butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup, room temp
1 dropper-full vanilla stevia
1/8 teaspoon ground vanilla beans
Optional add-ins: chopped nuts, nut butters (such as macadamia butter, hazelnut butter, Brazil nut butter), unsweetened cherries, toasted coconut flakes
Directions
- In a heavy glass bowl, microwave the cocoa mass and cocoa butter for 90 seconds. Or, use a double-boiler.
- Microwave the maple syrup for 10 seconds, or have it at room temp.
- Once the chocolates are thoroughly melted, quickly add the maple syrup and mix thoroughly. Add in stevia and ground vanilla beans.
- Allow to cool down for a few minutes, stirring every 30 sec.
- Pour chocolate into a mold and layer the chocolate with add ins.
- Allow to cool completely. This will take a few hours. This is the only hard step! Best of luck.
