Amazing Raw Chocolate Recipe
If you haven’t ever made homemade raw chocolate, today might be your big day! I’ve got an easy raw chocolate recipe that tastes amazing AND is good for you.
Too good to be true, right? Nope, this is for real.
Raw chocolate is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and is a delicious superfood. When combined with other healthy ingredients, there is so much benefit to eating raw chocolate.
At the same time, when you add a ton of sugar and combine chocolate with unhealthy ingredients, you cancel out the potential benefits and it can become unhealthy.
Use this chocolate recipe and it may just transform the way you view chocolate.
Chocolate is not just an unhealthy addiction food as it’s so often thought to be a vice or something we shouldn’t be eating. It’s the refined sugar and other not-so-nutritious ingredients add to it that make chocolate unhealthy.
Although, I’m not convinced that even the healthy version isn’t addictive, because I’m absolutely hooked!
In case you need permission: Your body may actually be craving something it needs and you can start to eat this raw chocolate, completely guilt-free!
Let raw chocolate replace other sugary, preservative-filled treats. This amazing superfood may help to curb other cravings which often are the result of the nutritional void we create by eating a western diet.
As with any food, it’s good to be aware of how you feel when you eat certain foods. It’s important to make note of which foods work for your individual body and which don’t. Although there are “healthy” guidelines, the foods that are healthy for you are the ones that really make you feel good, boost your energy, and allow you to enjoy your life the most.
Ingredients
Raw Cacao
Cacao is a powerful superfood with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Cacao aids in digestion, improved circulation, and cardiovascular health. It’s also a good source of copper and manganese.
Coconut Oil
This recipe contains as much coconut oil as it does cacao powder. Coconut oil has many benefits and is great for reducing inflammation.
It’s good for your heart health and will help boost energy levels. Coconut oil also supports healthy weight loss, helps to improve cognitive function, and boosts immunity.
Coconut oil contains healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides which are easily digested and converted into energy making it a great fuel source.
It’s also a powerful anti-microbial, making it a great food for those with imbalances in their gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for your immune system, mind, and body to function properly.
Butter
Yes, butter! Butter is an important ingredient in this recipe and can be a great addition for many to a gut healing protocol. Not to mention it tastes incredible.
Organic, grass-fed butter contains healthy doses of short and medium-chain fatty acids that support a healthy microbiome and help to reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is at the root of most chronic diseases, so anything that tastes good and reduces inflammation are things I want to include in my diet.
Butter supports healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Butter also contains important vitamins including vitamins A, K, and E. Grass-fed butter is notably higher in nutrients and vitamins than regular butter due to a healthier diet for grass-fed cows.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another health-promoting ingredient in this chocolate recipe. It aids in digestion, helps to improve circulation, and supports healthy blood sugar levels and heart health.
These are the main ingredients in this chocolate recipe, but I also include maple syrup, stevia, pure vanilla, and sea salt which all have their unique benefits as well.
A Note On Sweeteners
Stevia is a low glycemic sweetener, which I add to minimize the amount of maple syrup needed. You could increase the amount of stevia and omit the maple syrup, but be aware and don’t use too much as stevia has a very distinct taste that many people don’t like.
You can also increase the amount of maple syrup and omit the stevia, which I’m sure would be delicious. If you’re working on healing your gut, I’d recommend keeping a low glycemic index and balancing the maple syrup with stevia.
Raw Chocolate Recipe
This recipe is super simple to make!
Melt the butter and coconut oil on low heat. Add all ingredients (except almonds or other extras) to a bowl and stir until well combined.
Melt the butter and coconut oil on low heat. Add all ingredients (except almonds or other extras) to a bowl and stir until well combined.
Add in almonds or other extras that are being mixed into the chocolate and pour into a parchment-lined container to harden in the freezer. If you are adding toppings, then add them after the mix has started to harden slightly (but before it’s all the way hard).
Once the chocolate has hardened, remove from the freezer and chop into whatever size chunks you want.
Once the chocolate has hardened, remove from the freezer and chop into whatever size chunks you want.
That’s literally it.
Variations
There are many variations and possibilities for this recipe.
If you are lactose or casein (in dairy) intolerant, you can try subbing the butter for grass-fed ghee. You can also replace the butter with extra coconut oil or simply omit it altogether. This chocolate recipe is flexible and turns out good both ways.
Here are a few of my favorite variations
Salted Almond Raw Chocolate
Stir in a 1/4 cup of chopped raw almonds and lightly sprinkle high-quality coarsely ground sea salt to the top of the chocolate after about 5 minutes when the chocolate starts to set in the freezer.
I don’t recommend adding it into the mix because it will be liquidy enough that the salt will sink to the bottom and concentrate. I’ve done this before and too much salt will ruin your chocolate.
You can also decrease the vanilla slightly and add a 1/4 teaspoon of pure almond extract to this recipe. Sometimes I make the almond chocolate recipe without the salt and just do chopped almonds with the mix of vanilla and almond extract. Yum!
Spiced Raw Chocolate
Increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add 1/8 of a teaspoon of nutmeg to get a lovely spiced chocolate.
Peppermint chocolate
Add a little peppermint extract to the recipe.
Have fun with it, get crazy, and experiment with all kinds of flavors, nuts seeds, nut butters, and dried fruits. I often enjoy my chocolate with a little almond milk, a fresh cup of ginger tea, or a nice glass of organic red wine. Yum.
I hope you have found new hope if you’re a chocolate lover!
This amazing and tasty treat is actually good for you if it’s made with gut-friendly ingredients and a little love. So, it’s time to make some chocolate and enjoy it … guilt-free.
If you enjoyed this post (and are hooked on making raw chocolate like I am), sign up for my email list on the form below for more valuable and practical gut health tips and recipes so you don’t miss out on any great gut-healing info.
Raw Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw cacao powder
- 1 cup Virgin coconut oil melted on low
- 1/4 cup Butter melted on low
- 1 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 3 TBL Pure maple syrup plus more to taste
- 7 drops Stevia liquid
- 1/8 tsp Sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter and coconut oil on low heat.
- Add all ingredients (except almonds or other chunky extras) to a bowl and stir until really well combined. Make sure salt is dissolved.
- Add any extras that are going into the chocolate mix (almonds, other nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc.)
- If you're adding toppings, add them after the mix has started to harden slightly so they don't sink to the bottom.
- Pour into a parchment-lined container. The thickness of your chocolate will depend on the size of your container. I often use two smaller containers and can make a couple of different flavors this way. You can also choose to use a small or large muffin tin with muffin cups instead of parchment.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, remove from the freezer and chop into your favorite size chunks.
