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Dairy Free Raw Chocolate
You may have noticed I’m a bit of a chocolate addict – good chocolate, that is, not the cheap ‘chocolate-flavoured’ stuff – I love REAL chocolate, with cacao butter and 70% organic cocoa and natural sweeteners. As I mentioned in my first post about making my own chocolate, I really try and avoid refined sugar, dairy and soy, and they are in most chocolates, even a lot of the ‘healthy’ ones. So I started making my own. They were okay, but not quite the right texture.
Then I found this gluten-free, dairy-free recipe for Raw Chocolate made with cacao butter and raw cacao. I played around with the recipe, and this is what I came up with. It’s very simple, and you can add in whatever additions you like to make all sorts of delicious variations! You can use more or less sweetener and cacao to taste. I like mine really dark, so just reduce the cacao if you don’t want quite so much of a dark taste.
If you’re making chocolate in your Thermomix, make sure your bowl, blades, lid and lid seal are REALLY dry before you begin – water and chocolate don’t mix!
Dairy Free Raw Chocolate
Ingredients
Scale
- 200g raw cacao butter
- 50–60g raw cacao powder (or to taste)
- 100g raw honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or natural extract
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Thermomix Method
Chop cacao butter roughly with a knife on a chopping board, to approx. 1-2cm cubes. Place cacao butter into mixing bowl. Mill 20 sec/speed 8.
Melt cacao butter for 10 mins/37°/speed 2, scraping down sides of bowl with spatula towards end of cooking time to ensure all the cacao butter is melted.
Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and continue cooking 10 mins/37°/speed 1.
Mix chocolate 10 sec/speed 5 to blend honey or syrup in, then pour into lined dish or chocolate moulds or onto a tray for a thin chocolate bark.
Place in the freezer immediately to set, as it will separate if you set it at room temperature.
Conventional Method:
Chop cacao butter roughly with a knife on a chopping board, to approx. 1-2cm cubes. Place in a heavy-based saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring.
Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and continue to warm over low heat, stirring, until ingredients are melted and combined.
Pour into lined dish or chocolate moulds or onto a tray for a thin chocolate bark.
Place in the freezer immediately to set, as it will separate if you set it at room temperature.
Notes
- You can use other sweeteners, whatever you prefer, to your own taste. Just be aware that if you use a ‘sugar’ like Rapadura or coconut sugar, you may find that it separates. (If this happens, stir in 30g coconut cream until mixture comes together.)
- You can replace half the cacao butter with cold pressed coconut oil if you want to make a cheaper chocolate – but just be aware that it will melt really easily and needs to be kept in the freezer.
Additions
If you’d like nuts or fruit in your chocolate, sprinkle them over the lined tray or in the chocolate molds, then pour chocolate over the top. Place in the freezer to set.
Here’s some ideas for additions:
– activated nuts (soaked then dehydrated), or roasted: hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts
– raw cacao nibs
– sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat, made into little chocolate buckwheat ‘cakes’
– dried fruit: cherries, blueberries, apricots, ginger, cranberries
– pretzels (chocolate drizzled over salty gf pretzels is delish!)
– a mixture of above fillings!
You can also stir into the chocolate:
– shredded coconut
– spices: cinnamon, chilli, cardamom, ginger…
– edible essential oils: peppermint, orange, lemon, cinnamon… just a few drops
Swirl through the chocolate:
– nut butter (or pour a little chocolate into a mold, let it set, add a dab of nut butter, then pour chocolate over to fill molds; or fill with chocolate hazelnut spread )
– sunflower seed butter
Ice Magic
Here’s one more thing you can make with your fresh batch of chocolate!
Mix 100g of the chocolate with 50g of coconut oil, add a little more honey or maple syrup if you think it needs it, and melt 2 mins/37C/speed 2, or melt in a saucepan over low heat. Pour into a jar and keep it in the pantry, and you have instant ‘Ice Magic’ for whenever you want it!
It hardens immediately when you pour it over ice cream or sorbet, and the kids love it. Ok, so do the adults.
(If it’s cold weather and it hardens in the pantry, just set the jar into a bowl of boiling water to melt it before using.)
Comments 133
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Hi Jo,
I have tried this twice now, following all steps as said.
Still have the problem that when pouring the rapadura seems to be at the bottom.
Despite grinding fine etc…will now use honey instead, would it be the 100g honey for 100g rapadura roughly?
Thank you, Insa
Yes Insa, I use honey now as I find it mixes in better. It’s really to taste – 100g is fine, I actually use about 50g myself.
Hi Jo, Can I use the Changing Habits cacao wafers in this instead? Thank you. Lauren
Yes, it will be very dark though!! Check Cyndi’s website for recipes – she has an e-book.
Yum yum!! For those of us who don’t have a super fab thermie, is there anotjer way to make this?
Double-boiler?
I tried the tip of melting the rapadura at the start and ended up with a caramel sludge that almost broke the blades. Ended up putting the whole recipe in the bin 🙁 I’ll be sticking to grainy chocolate next time.
Oh dear! Ok, have a read through the above comments for ideas on what to do if it’s grainy.
Haven’t read all of the posted comments, but my first batch, made with rapadura, is grainy, despite having milled it til it was quite smooth. Any ideas? Barbara
Whiz it back up, remelt, and add about 30g coconut cream, stir it in and try setting again in the fridge. 🙂
Jo, am trying to stay off fructose at the moment – could you sweeten this with rice malt syrup?
Yep, sure can!
Hi Jo the Rapadura didn’t melt. I’ve just put the heat up to 50, not sure what else to do?
if this doesnt’ work what can I do with the mix, can I add coconut flour and make a cake? whaa I have no idea what I can do.
I ordered everything online from loving earth but brought the Rapadura from town yesterday from the health food shop. I have never brought this before it seems damp like brown sugar is that right?
thanks
Cathy
If it has split, try adding 30g coconut cream and gently mixing until it comes together again. It will be a slightly softer chocolate, but it tastes great! Just store it in the freezer to keep it ‘crisp’. If its already set, pop it back in and blend up, add cream and remelt and mix. Pour it over nuts or dried berries or coconut and any splitting or graininess won’t be noticed. 🙂
I take this into work when I need to bribe people
Hi Jo. I don’t have a Thermonix so if I wanted to make this recipe, do you have any ideas how I would go about it? Thanks.
Just thought you might be interested to know you can also buy cacao butter from soap suppliers, often cheaper if you buy bulk. There’s a website where you can buy a kilo of pure, unrefined organic cacao butter for $30 (plus postage). https://www.n-essentials.com.au/ShoppingCart.asp?
Hi Jo. Is it possible to try this chocolate recipe without Thermomix? I don’t have one and would love to make the chocolate for my Christmas gifts.
Thank in advance
Hi Jo, we made your chocolate recipe yesterday and it went well except I had to up the temp a bit to melt the Swerve (replacement for hi carb sugar/sweetener). It tastes just like Lindt only totally natural. Awesome!!
Hi Jo,
Thank you for all your amazing work. I have changing habits cacao wafers & am just wondering if I can use these instead of cacao powder?
Thanks so much
Hi Jo,
I don’t have a Thermomix but tried the basic recipe with honey but found that the honey separated out of the chocolate. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Dave
This is definetly the best clean chocolate reciepe I’ve made to date!!! It set beautifully and didn’t melt as soon as I got it out of the fridge! I did a double batch and made coconut roughs with some of it by roasting the coconut first and mixing it with this chocolate, then I made ferrero rockers with some of the other chocolate by roasting then chopping some hazelnuts and mixing it through- amazing!!!
Hello
I made this chocolate using maple syrup as the sweetener
and chai seeds. Just beautiful : melts in your mouth. I will try to temper it next time. I also made it without a termie : easy.
Thank you for this recipe
Irena
Oh my goodness. Just made this… It’s in the freezer now. Rocky road awaits my df kids and unsuspecting relies… All the signs are GOOD. Baby wearing got the home made chocolate done in no time… Thank you so much for this and all your recipes!!
I would love to use stevia in the recipe but am new to using it. Any ideas on how much would work? Thank you!
Did you ever end up trying to use stevia? Am thinking there’s be a loss of flowy liquid and wonder if it would still work… please let me know if you had success!
Too much honey for me, but otherwise delicious! I’ll try rice malt syrup next time and maybe use a bit less. By far the best homemade chocolate I’ve come across. Thanks!
I sprinkled some River Murray salt flakes first before I poured over the mix because I love Lindt’s salted dark choc.
Funny, my tastes have totally changed since I first wrote this recipe, and now I find even 30g of honey in this a bit much!! Just adjust to taste 🙂
Hi Jo- have you tried with no honey at all or would this be too full on?? I make my bark with it’s of roasted almonds (amazing!!) but my dr wants me to go without even a little bit of raw honey for awhile. I just can’t go cold turkey on this amazing chocolate! Thank you for much for such a fabulous recipe x
★★★★★
You can make it without honey, but I’d add some almond butter or coconut butter to the chocolate to make it milder and creamier!
Hi is there a way to do this without a thermomix,I would love to try it but don’t own a thermomix.
Hi Chenoa, You would need to gently melt the cacao butter in a double boiler, stirring most of the time! Once the Cacao butter is melted then you could add the other ingredients that it lists. Make sure you use a liquid sweetener though – honey works well too. Make sure you stir/whisk well while it is in the double boiler once you have added the other ingredients.
Hey Jo!
Thanx for this and much more great recipes. They all look fantastic and I can’t wait to try them.
Today I started with your raw chocolate with my Thermomix. I used maple sirup. It all mixed up very well. I took it in the freezer and now I’m wondering, how long I have to leave it there? And how (long) can I storage the chocolate?
Thanx for your help!
Sounds good, Alex! The chocolate should only take about 30 minutes to set when first made. Once cut up and storing in the freezer it would last months- unfortunately I don’t know the exact time as we usually gobble ours up in the first week! 🙂
Hi Jo,
Just found your raw chocholate recipie. Not sure about the mixing method or whether your just melting the cocoa butter or are you actually simmering it in a pot. .Are you beating it with electric beaters while its cooking in a pot?
Thanks
Peita
Hi there – if you don’t have a thermomix then use a double boiler and stir slowly while the cacao butter is melting. And yes- If you don’t have a thermomix, you will have to use electric beaters for the mixing part.
hey Jo could you use an electric mixer aka a mix master for the mixing part and like a blender or food processor like a nutribullet for the milling part ? i don’t have a thermo mix
You can just cook it in a double boiler on the stovetop, or even on really low heat in a saucepan – just whisk to combine. 🙂
My absolute favourite:). Made it a few times:). I thrown in all sorts of roasted nuts and gojiberroes… Yum, yet today I sprinkled it with Popped amaranth:). Yum… I also drizzled a little amount over some ricethins and put them in the fridge… Wow… They are delicious:-)
Thanks for your amazing recipes:)
Thanks for the chocolate recipe, Jo. Just a question – what roughly do you think the saturated fat content would be in your recipe?
Great recipe thank you . How do you store it please ?
Just in the fridge or freezer 🙂
Hi Jo,
I made this last night and it is delicious with some mixed nuts!
Just wondering if it would be ok to use as a melted chocolate substitute in recipes after already cooking a plain batch? I.e in cakes or to coat Bliss Balls in 🙂
Hi, you can although it’s thinner than bought chocolate when melted, so maybe wait til it cools a little then dip. 🙂
Hi there just wondering how long you can store it for before having to eat it.? Is there am expiration time?
Thanka
You can just freeze it for months, it won’t go off. 🙂
Hi Jo, I made one batch of this and was perfect and delicious! …but my second batch is stuck in the molds 🙁 any tips to get them out?! X x
I use silicon molds and they just pop out no problem!
Hi Jo, I made this the other day and OMG it was amazing!! The only thing was I couldn’t find Raw Cacao Butter anywhere. I ended up buying Raw organic coconut chocolate butter (loving earth) instead and I used that but I just wonder if that is actually the correct ingredient?
Hi Jo,
When you say add all other ingredients does this include the honey? It’s just in the next point you say speed 5 to mix in honey?
Thanks,
Kristina
You add all the ingredients including honey – in the next step you just make sure the honey has blended in as sometimes it sinks to the bottom! Mix it up a bit on speed 4 if needed.
Hi Jo how do u keep these? I followed the recipe can they be kept on the bench or wud u recommend in the fridge? Thanks
I keep them in the freezer! Fridge is ok too 🙂
Hello Jo, how did these go when you travelled to the UK. Did they melt too quickly? I am travelling soon and looking for snacks to take.
Hi Jo,
Just made a (yet another ) yummy batch of your chocolate.
Would it be possible to make coconut cream/milk in thermie in order to use up all that delicious chocolate? I hate watching it go down the sink lol.
I have shredded coconut – what quantities would I use?
Georgie
Yes! I add some cashew milk at the end (about a cup) then mix and warm 3 mins/80C/speed 4; then whiz it up at speed 7 a few seconds to make hot chocolate!
Just a handful or two of shredded coconut is fine – whatever you like!
Hi Jo, I made this today and end result could not be ‘poured’ into molds as it was really glug-ey. Is this how it’s meant to be or should it be runny and smooth? Just wondering what may have happened, I have a thermie and followed the directions above. Thanks!
It may have separated, was the bowl super dry? To get it back together heat and mix on 37 degrees/speed 3 while drizzling in a couple of tbsp coconut cream.
It works best with a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey 🙂
Hi Jo – could I make a chocolate ganache from the chocolate?
Yes!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. Perfect every time! I add almonds to my moulds.
My only issue is I can’t eat just one piece, I keep going back for more. 🙂
Hi – has anyone tried making chocolate in the Thermie using Xylitol?
Thanks 🙂
Did hou find a way to use xylitol in this recipe in the end?
My bowl was totally dry etc when I started and I followed all of the steps but it is not mixing together at all =/ I have gloopy chocolatey stuff in melted cacao butter. Currently an expensive mess ='(
I saw advice above about adding coconut cream – but I loathe coconut. Any other advice please?
Hi Melissa, so sorry I missed your comment! You can use a Tbsp or so of regular dairy cream or cashew cream – if it doesn’t come back together, tip into a tray and set in the freezer until firm, then chop it up and reblend. It sometimes separates if it’s too hot.
Hi Jo, Thank you for this beautiful recipe,
Just a quick question! how long will its last out of the fridge if I parcel them up for gifts ?
Thanks again
Hi Jo!
Loved your presentation in Perth last week – and the chocolate was amazing!
I’m keen to make it now, but I eat keto and don’t want to add any sweetener. Would deleting the sweetener affect the consistency too much? If I added about 50g coconut cream instead would that work or would it make it melt too easily?
Thanks!
Just attempted this with RMS instead of honey and the RMS Just sunk to the bottom of the mix on the tray and hasn’t mixed in….tips please?
Mix really well before pouring out, and place in freezer to set so it sets quickly and doesn’t separate!
Amazing! Delicious! Another winner. Thanks Jo!
★★★★★
Hi Jo,
What sweetener can I use to make this keto friendly?
You could use xylitol (milled finely), but I prefer just to really reduce the honey as I stick to whole food sweeteners. 🙂
Hi Jo,
I’m planning on using this recipe to make Easter chocolate for my kids. Is there a way to make it closer to milk chocolate? Would adding in something like cashew butter or coconut milk powder work? I’ve been looking online for a vegan milk choc recipe but none of them use cacao/cocoa butter and so I don’t think they’ll be chocolatey enough..
Hi Bernadette, adding nut butter to raw chocolate makes it a lot creamier and more like a milk chocolate. The recipe for Nutty Chocolate in our Life Changing Food book and app is really delicious and turns out very like milk chocolate – have you tried that recipe?
Thanks for your reply! No, I haven’t tried that recipe. Does it set like regular chocolate?
Hi Bernadette. Yes, this chocolate does set like regular chocolate but keep it in a fridge or freezer because it melts more easily that the regular chocolate:-). Enjoy:-)