Easy homemade dark chocolate – only five ingredients!
In case anyone actually needs another reason to reach for some chocolate…..
Five Reasons to Eat More Dark Chocolate
You know, for health…
- It’s basically brain food
The cocoa found in chocolate helps increase blood flow to the brain which leads to faster reaction time, better problem solving skills, and improved attention span. Not only that, but increased blood flow to the brain also improves short term memory and decreases mental decline in seniors. - It helps protect against heart disease
The flavonoids in chocolate help increase blood flow to the heart as well which helps to prevent blood clots and hardening of the arteries. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate a few times a week has been shown to lower blood pressure. - Younger looking skin
Quality dark chocolate, not the sugary kind, is full of antioxidants that have anti-aging benefits to the skin. Not only that, but the same flavonoids that increase blood flow to the heart and brain also increase blood flow to the skin giving off a healthy glow. - It’s a “joy stimulant”Cocoa boosts levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain which leads to improved mood. So when you’re feeling down and you’re craving something sweet it’s likely the boost in serotonin that your body is really craving.
- It helps you stress less
Chocolate is a great source of magnesium which has been dubbed “the original chill pill”. Getting more magnesium through diet leads to better sleep contributing to improved resilience to stress. Another study found: when test subjects who considered themselves to be highly stressed people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two week had a significant drop in stress hormones.
Keep in mind that these health benefits relate to quality dark chocolate – at least more than 70% cocoa. Conventional chocolate bars filled with lots of sugar and additives don’t have the same benefits and are likely to cause more problems than anything else.
How to make homemade chocolate with Coconut Oil
Making homemade dark chocolate is probably easier than you think. It’s made with only 5 ingredients: cocoa powder (or cacao), coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and sea salt. All you need is about 5 minutes of melting and whisking plus thirty minutes in the freezer and you’re good to go.
If you follow this recipe as is you’ll end up with about 72% dark chocolate, but feel free to customise to your taste adding an extra tablespoon or so of honey. I never used to be a fan of dark chocolate but over time I learned to love it as my eating habits changed and I ate less sugar.
Spruce It Up
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the flavours to make your own special chocolate bar. A few ideas to get you started:
- ground ginger
- orange zest or orange extract
- chili flakes
- chopped nuts
If you enjoy this recipe make sure you check out my recipe for homemade chocolate with cocoa butter!
Homemade Dark Chocolate
Easy homemade dark chocolate - only five ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup | 105 g coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons | 85 grams honey or more for taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup | 118 g unprocessed 100% cocoa powder or cacao powder
Instructions
- In a small pot over a low heat: melt the coconut oil.
- Stir in the honey, vanilla (or your preferred flavourings) and salt.
- Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the cocoa powder and mix until it's dissolved into the chocolate mixture. You should have a smooth, lump free chocolate sauce.
- Pour the chocolate into silicone moulds or a lined baking pan and transfer to the freezer for at least 30 minutes or in the fridge for at least an hour. Once they've hardened pop them out of the moulds and enjoy.
Notes
- You can also use cocoa butter in place of the coconut oil for a creamier chocolate.
- Use maple syrup or agave for a vegan friendly chocolate. Use maple syrup for low FODMAP.
- Keep chocolate stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Don't pack the cocoa powder into a measuring cup - lightly scoop it into the cup until filled.
Carl Burgess says
I made this recipe and it is great, used Gharedelli cocoa. It must be hot enough to pour into molds.
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Carl – so glad you enjoyed it!
Rui Teixeira says
Hi! the flavour is very nice, but I think There’s something wrong with some of my ingredients. The coconut oil melts ok, the honey, vanilla and salt too, but when I add the cocoa the mixture turns very thick and I cannot even into the molds. It doesn’t turn into the smooth and creamy mixture that I could drop into the molds.
The quantities are right, I’ve tried it twice and same result.
any idea?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Rui! How did you measure your cocoa powder? I have found that cocoa powder tends to be one of the most unpredictable ingredients weigh out when using measuring cups. If too much cocoa powder gets packed into a measuring cup it can easily be enough to dry out a recipe. If you don’t already I recommend using a kitchen scale for the most accurate amount.
Samantha says
This happened to me and it turned out I had the heat up too high and I let the ingredients simmer for a bit. I found that its best to have it on low heat for as long as it takes to melt the coconut oil and stir in the other ingredients. I only stir for 20-30 seconds after adding the other ingredients then I immediately remove it from the heat and stir in the cocoa. I haven’t had a problem since I started doing this.
Adva says
can i use this chocolate to make things and melt it?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Adva! I don’t think this chocolate would work well in recipes that involve too much manipulation. I have used this chocolate as a layer in my no bake millionaires. Because it’s a no bake recipe and the chocolate sits on top it works well: https://www.asaucykitchen.com/paleo-millionaires-shortbread/
That being said, this chocolate has a low melting point which can make it difficult to work with.
Gloria says
Can I use this chocolate to coat handmade candies?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Gloria! Do you mean like using this chocolate to dip truffles and things in to? If so – then yes, absolutely! Just keep in mind that the melting point for this chocolate is around room temperature so you’ll need to keep your candies and things in the fridge. You also won’t be able to use this chocolate in things that get cooked -it wouldn’t work as chocolate chips in cookies for example.
Hope that helps!
Zulma says
Nice chocolate! The honey gives it a smoothe and delicate texter and flavor.
Just one problem. I have made it various times and can’t figure out why the honey separates from the chocolate. It goes to the bottom.
What am I doing wrong?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Zulma! I’ve come into this problem before and I *think* it usually happens because honey is hygroscopic (meaning it attracts moisture/water). When this happens in something like chocolate, it can break the emulsion and settle at the bottom.
I’ve also noticed that the type of cocoa powder I used can sometimes result in chocolate with honey/maple settled at the bottom. It might be worth checking what type of cocoa powder you’re using (dutch processed, cacao or unprocessed) and trying a different type next time to see if it helps.
Alexandria says
Hi Sarah! The recipe turned out lovely! I added crushed roasted almonds, pistachios and dried cranberries. It was delightful. My only question is if there is something to add to the cooking method that would make the chocolate come out harder? While I love the flavor, I like the chocolate to have more of a crunch to the break. Any tips? Thanks.
Sarah Nevins says
Oooh, those additions sound absolutely divine!
As for your question – I don’t think that it’s possible that chocolate made from coconut oil like this will ever achieve that traditional chocolate snap. My understanding is that it’s because there’s simply too much fat in the oil and it’s melting point is too low for it ever to get to that right temperature.
You might be able to get homemade chocolate using cocoa butter to snap (I’ve got a recipe for that here), but I’m not too sure to be honest. If it were to work, you would need to apply a tempering method to do this. I’ll leave a link here for a post that explains it in much better detail than I can: https://handletheheat.com/temper-chocolate/
I hope that helps!
Nicole says
Super easy recipe. My chocolate turned out wonderful.
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Nicole! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Austine says
Help needed.. my coconut oil is liquefied version. After I heat it up , I add in the vanilla essence and immediately the mixture “explode”. Wonder what went wrong.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Austine! My best guess is that it sounds like your mixture might have been too hot which caused the vanilla to immediately heat up and start steaming. I would recommend for next time that you work on a much lower temperature.
Carolina says
Very easy to make, and very good. Thank you!!
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks so much Carolina!
Angela Elliott says
Perfect! Easy and delicious.
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks so much Angela!