Homemade Cocoa Butter Chocolate
Wholesome and delicious, for kids and grown-ups alike, with no additives! Homemade cocoa butter chocolate will lift everyone's spirits on even the gloomiest day. And while you make it, your kitchen will fill with the heavenly aroma of cocoa!
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make homemade chocolate from cocoa butter? You need just three ingredients: cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. The cocoa butter should have the distinctive scent of cacao and a slightly creamy color. Unlike dairy butter, it won't melt at room temperature. Sift the cocoa powder through a strainer.
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Step 2:
Choose natural cocoa powder with no additives and at least 15% fat, one that tastes like dark chocolate — quality cocoa is what gives such a rich chocolate flavor. Ordinary supermarket cocoa drink mix won't work, since it's usually sweetened and defatted. Instead of cocoa powder you can use grated cacao in caplets or in a block (chop a block into small pieces first so it melts faster).
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Step 3:
Your equipment must be dry, or the chocolate can seize. Melt the cocoa butter and cocoa powder in a small bowl over a water bath (double boiler). Never melt chocolate over direct heat — it can't handle overheating; cocoa butter starts to melt at just 100°F (38°C).
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Step 4:
Then add the powdered sugar. To sweeten, you can use the same amount of honey (it should be runny), simple syrup, or cane sugar instead. Feel free to experiment with the sweetness — the flavor will change a bit each time. After adding the sugar, cook the chocolate over the water bath for a good while, about 30 minutes, stirring slowly.
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Step 5:
The long cooking is what lets the powdered sugar dissolve completely. The finished chocolate is fairly fluid. At this point you can stir in add-ins like raisins, nuts, sesame seeds, candied fruit, cinnamon, or dried fruit.
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Step 6:
Pour the finished chocolate into molds and refrigerate to set. Silicone molds are ideal — no greasing needed, and the set chocolate pops right out.
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Step 7:
Your homemade cocoa butter chocolate is ready! Turn it out of the molds and enjoy.
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Step 8:
I made mine in small molds; in this form it's perfect for decorating desserts and baked goods! Enjoy!
- Note: this homemade chocolate isn't meant for long storage — plan to eat it within a few days.
- If you want true snappy chocolate that doesn't melt in your hands, has no bloom (white coating), shines, and keeps for months, you'll need to temper it. Tempering can be done over a water bath or in a slow cooker, but it's a fussy, exacting process that doesn't always work the first time, so I won't cover it here — look it up online and follow the instructions if you'd like to try. Just keep in mind: this recipe won't give you "store-bought chocolate."
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Cocoa powder - 374 kcal/100g
- Powdered sugar - 374 kcal/100g
- Cocoa butter - 884 kcal/100g
