The first post in this new year 2020 is one of my recent favorites – Homemade Dark Chocolate. Let us start off this year with some sweet but also healthy, alright?! Making chocolate at home has been my interest point ever since I started food blogging. I have three different versions of homemade chocolate and this one is the best one yet, ‘cos it uses Cocoa Butter!
The first time I made homemade chocolate I used coconut oil, the only alternative to the cocoa butter. It turned out good, but there is one problem – it tastes like coconut no matter how much vanilla is added. Also, the chocolate must be kept in the fridge else it melts. You know what makes chocolate, chocolate? Cocoa Butter. It makes it creamy, rich and chocolaty. The best part – the homemade dark chocolate need not to stored in the fridge and it stays solid, snaps beautifully even at room temperature.
After searching for cocoa butter for years, I found it in a store recently and it wasn’t too overpriced. I picked it up (overexcitedly, yes) and made different versions of homemade dark chocolate. It turned to be the best homemade chocolate I ever made! Now why would you have to make chocolate at home when you can pick something up packaged? The dark chocolate made at home is preservative-free, chemical-free and you can control the amount of sweetness. I made some really bitter dark chocolate and it was guilt-free indulgence.
If you are like me and love bitter dark chocolate, you should definitely try out this homemade dark chocolate. It is worthy enough to buy that pack organic cocoa butter. This recipe uses very few ingredients. There are just three mandatory ingredients -
Cocoa Butter Cocoa Powder (use Dutch Processed Cocoa for best results) Honey (as much or as little as you like) You can additionally add in other ingredients like - Nuts & Dry Fruits Sea Salt Caramel Peanut Butter
How to make Homemade Dark Chocolate
📖 Recipe
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Homemade Dark Chocolate
Prepare a double boiler by heating water in a pot. Place a glass bowl on top of it in such a way that it doesn’t come in contact with the water directly.
Add grated/finely chopped cocoa butter into the glass bowl. It helps melt it faster and evenly.
Keep whisking the cocoa butter until it is completely liquid. Remove it from heat.
Let the cocoa butter mixture cool down for a couple of minutes.
Sieve in the cocoa powder.
Whisk it well making sure there are no lumps.
Now add the honey. Whisk the mixture as fast and quick as you can for a couple of minutes. The mixture will seize and can split if not whisked properly.
The mixture should be silky smooth.
Pour the mixture into silicone chocolate moulds. I found that the chocolate blooms well in silicon, rather than in plastic.
If you are using dry fruits and nuts, add them in and cover up with some more chocolate mixture.
Put them in the freezer for 20 mins or in the fridge for an hour. The chocolate can be unmoulded very easily.
Store the chocolate in an air tight container in fridge for longer shelf life. The chocolate stays well at room temperature if it not too humid.
Recipe Notes
Any type of filling can be used in the chocolate as per preference. Adjust the amount of honey as per sweet preference. You can add a pinch of sea salt to bring out the sweetness.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
