<<Please explain “healthy chocolate” :o) Thanks!<<
I know, it seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But here’s the recipe and you’ll quickly see why I call it healthy chocolate.
Healthy Chocolate
- 1/2 c. raw cacao powder
- 1/4 c. extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/8 – 1/4 c. honey
Melt the oil and then add the other ingredients, making sure powder is fully mixed in. Pour into molds – you can use an ice cube tray, or pour in a thin layer into a pan. (If you make it too thick, it’s hard to break into pieces.) Freeze, then cut/break into pieces. When I make this I give the kids pieces for a snack or even as part of breakfast. As I said in the coconut oil post, it’s an easy way to get coconut oil into them.
I’ve made several variations – the first one was with cacao powder and the smaller amount of honey called for. This was excellent if you like bittersweet chocolate, but the kids didn’t think it was sweet enough. When I made the next batch with cacao, I used the higher amount of honey called for and they liked it alot. Then I ran out of cacao powder and experimented with using carob powder (which is naturally sweet and doesn’t have the bitterness of cacao) and the higher amount of honey. But they said it was too sweet, so next time I use carob I’ll have to use a smaller amount. Then I tried using cocoa powder and used powdered stevia instead of honey, but the stevia was clunked up and so I took it out since it wasn’t dissolving in the heated mixture like I expected it to, but it left an aftertaste behind- no one liked that at all. They really don’t like the taste of stevia. Next time I’m going to use 1/4 c. of honey with cocoa powder; I think it should be the right balance since I think cocoa and cacao have the same flavor, but I’ll see!
Avivah
so looking forward to making this!
Hi Avivah
what is the difference between cocoa powder and cacao powder? Can you buy it in a regular store or do you get it from a health food store.
Thanks
Debbie
Cacao powder is made from raw cacao nibs – it’s called cocoa after it’s been more processed. You can buy it in a health food store.
Even better is to use carob instead of cacao. FWIW, Sally Fallon recommends not eating any cacao. I’ve read that she says it contains theobromine and phenethylamine which have physiological effects on the body, and have a particularly negative affect on the adrenals. There’s a great recipe called “carob chews” in Nourishing Traditions. Very similar to what you made, especially if you skip the nuts which I sometimes do, since nuts take so long and are expensive…
Great comment, Emily! I believe cocoa/cacao also have phytic acid. I tend to take the approach that a small amount of things like cocoa can be used without compromising a diet that is overall healthy, so even though I’m aware cocoa isn’t ideal, I don’t mind using it sometimes.
BTW, I figured out how to make this chocolate solid at room temperature — use cocoa butter instead of coconut oil. You can make it a little softer but still stable out of the fridge by mixing oil with cocoa butter too.