Vegan Cacao Chocolates

Vegan chocolate heaven!

Dark chocolate and coconut…two of my favorite things. I always love trying new homemade vegan chocolate treats that are made local from Whole Foods or picking out the best new vegan dark chocolate bars with the highest concentration of cacao. A good friend of mine and celebrity chef stopped by my place last week to show me how to make the most devine little dark chocolate morsels. And the best part is that it’s easier to make than any other vegan dessert I’ve tried. 

What you’ll need:

• Two packs of cacao butter (1.8 oz packs)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 oz. cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Small handful of dried coconut
• Small handful of cacao nibs

Melt the cacao butter completely and add 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Make sure you remove it from the heat immediately after it melts. A super important trick is to not let one drop of water in the melted butter mix. This could lead to cracking in your chocolates.

Add the raw cacao powder and stir until blended.

Fill up your chocolate mold halfway with the chocolate mix. Add sprinklings of coconut and cacao nibs in the middle and pour more chocolate on top. If you’re into fruit flavored chocolates, try some dried raspberries or strawberries!

These little cacao nibs are super rich in antioxidants. Cacao is also an excellent source of dietary fiber and is one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium along with other essential minerals. So yes, these little chocolate bars you just made are actually good for you! The nibs are great for adding an awesome crunchy texture!

Refrigerate the chocolates for at least one hour until hardened. Pop ’em out and enjoy!