With just four ingredients, this delicious and healthy homemade chocolate is made without artificial ingredients or refined sugars. Perfect for a sweet hit, but much better for you.
This lovely homemade chocolate is also surprisingly easy to make. Raw cacao powder, vanilla and brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Stirred through gently heated coconut oil and set. Easy!
Dairy and nut free, it’s safe for those with allergies and is a much healthier choice when that chocolate craving hits. It also makes a great Easter treat to avoid chocolate overload!
You can choose to eat it on its own without any added flavours, or add one of these four healthy fillings; crunchy rice bubbles or puffed quinoa, sweet strawberry, salted caramel or coconut. I’ve included recipes for all four below. Or you can even add your own twist- peppermint oil, shredded coconut, dried fruit, toasted hazelnuts.
When I was creating the strawberry filling for these chocolates, I was searching high and low for dried strawberries, but couldn’t find any. However, I ended up finding the most delicious freeze dried strawberries in Woolworths. The brand is called Frisp and they are packed full of flavour. These strawberries made the most luxurious filling.
One of my favourite chocolates is a Bounty bar. So it was a lot of fun making a creamy coconut filling to match. It tastes so similar to the original, but without all of the sugars and other additives.
The salted caramel filling is a variation of my caramel cookie dough bliss balls. Try these if you love caramel!
The chocolate flavour is lovely and intense, but you can reduce the amount of cacao (or cocoa) for a less intense flavour.
Cacao or cocoa?
Raw cacao is a healthier choice, as it contains more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is made by cold pressing un-roasted cacao beans which keeps the living enzymes.
Cocoa is raw cacao that has been roasted at very high temperatures which reduces the antioxidants, enzymes and other nutrients.
It all comes down to taste and what you prefer. Either makes a lovely, chocolatey treat. If you prefer the extra health benefits, cacao is the way to go.
You can use any chocolate moulds for this chocolate. Slightly bigger moulds will allow you to fit and enclose the filling easily. These healthy homemade chocolates are best stored in the fridge or freezer until required. The coconut oil becomes soft at room temperature, so is best kept cold until ready to eat.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 2/3 cup raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 tbs brown rice syrup
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING
- 30g freeze dried strawberries
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 tsp brown rice syrup
- 2 tbs dried cranberries (optional)
- FOR THE COCONUT FILLING
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 2 tbs brown rice syrup
- 1-2 tbs coconut oil
- 2 tbs vanilla bean paste
- FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL FILLING
- 6 medjool dates
- 1 tbs brown rice syrup
- 1 heaped teaspoon tahini
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- FOR THE CRISPY RICE FILLING
- Rice Bubbles or puffed quinoa
Instructions
In a saucepan over low heat, combine all of the chocolate ingredients and stir until the coconut oil has melted and the mixture is smooth. Don’t overheat or boil.
If you are making plain chocolate with no filling, pour the chocolate into your chosen chocolate moulds and place into the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until set.
If you are making chocolate with one of the below fillings, pour the chocolate mix into the moulds until HALF FULL. Set the remaining chocolate mixture aside. (The rest of the chocolate will be poured over the top once the filling has been added.)
Place the half filled moulds into the fridge or freezer until the chocolate has set. Then add small spoonfuls of the filling and pour the rest of the chocolate over the top of the filling to cover. You may need to gently re-heat the chocolate if it has set slightly.
Refrigerate until set and enjoy!
For the strawberry filling;
Combine the strawberries, coconut oil, brown rice syrup and cranberries (optional) into a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Add spoonfuls to the chocolate and allow to set.
For the coconut filling;
Combine the dessicated coconut, brown rice syrup, oil and vanilla into a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Add the shredded coconut and blitz until combined, but still textured. Add spoonfuls to the chocolate mixture and allow to set.
For the salted caramel filling;
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add spoonfuls to the chocolate mixture and allow to set.
For the rice crisp filling;
Simply sprinkle Rice Bubbles or puffed quinoa over the top of the set chocolate and then pour more chocolate over the top.
For other delicious and healthy Easter recipes and inspiration, see my collection of Healthy Easter Dessert Ideas here.
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