I’ve been a chocolate fiend for as long as I can remember. My obsession started with Snickers, then digressed to Caramelos (oy!), made a right turn at peanut butter cups, and has finally arrived at the basics – good old dark chocolate.
I enjoy dark chocolate most evenings and love trying new vegan brands. But I’d been wanting to make my own for a while now, especially since procuring cacao butter for these glorious cheesecakes.
Plus, I knew I could make it refined-sugar free and load it up with my favorite toppings.
Verdict: So good. So easy. At this point I’m basically operating a chocolate factory out of my apartment.
Making chocolate at home starts with just 3 ingredients:
Cacao butter
Cacao or cocoa powder
Maple syrup
That’s really all you need for a good base, at which point you can add vanilla extract to enhance the flavor, sea salt bring out the sweetness, and roasted almonds (or other toppings) for extra crunch.
I have no idea why I waited so long to make chocolate at home. It’s:
Decadent
Perfectly sweet
Melt-in-your-mouth creamy
Quick + easy
& Super satisfying
The threshold to make chocolate at home is super low as well! You don’t need fancy molds, thermometers, or equipment; just a whisk, a bowl, and a baking sheet.
This chocolate makes an excellent healthier dessert, and would be especially ideal for entertaining. When your friends find out you know how to make your own chocolate, they’ll never leave your house.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s super helpful for us and other readers. And don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers!
DIY Dark Chocolate Almond Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup cacao butter* (I like this brand*)
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup (amount depending on preferred sweetness)
- 1 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds*
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Melt cacao butter in a double boiler or in a glass mixing bowl set over a small saucepan with 1 inch of water over medium heat. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in a mixing bowl until completely liquid.
- Once melted, remove from heat and add maple syrup and whisk to combine. When the mixture is completely fluid with no separation, add cacao or cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed – I found 1/3 cup to be perfect (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Pour the chocolate into candy molds (if you have them), mini paper cupcake liners, or simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the chocolate on top. Top with roasted almonds and sprinkle of salt.
- Set in the refrigerator or freezer to harden for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once completely solid, break or cut into pieces/bars. These can be kept at room temperature for serving. But for best freshness, store chocolate in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or the freezer for 1-2 months.
Notes
*If your almonds are raw, roast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F (176 C) for 8-12 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly golden brown.
*The link above to the cacao butter is an amazon link that gives us a small commission if you choose to make a purchase.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Jay says
Help – I made this recipe and it tastes amazing – but it became very thick and I had to dollop it into teh tray and spread it flat!! What did I do wrong!
Hi Jay, hmm, it sounds like perhaps it needed more cacao butter or maple syrup?
Jay says
You are very right. I made it again and reduced the powder and it turned out perfectly!! Thank you :+)
So glad it turned out well the second time =)
Alicia says
Made this for the 1st time today and it turned out absolutely delicious! I substituted maple syrup with honey.
I do have one issue, it’s quite oily and melts very easily in my hands, so eating it is very messy. Any ideas how to resolve this? What is causing this problem? Too much cocoa butter?
Hi Alicia! Thanks for sharing your experience! The cacao butter does melt very easily, unfortunately it’s part of the deal with from scratch chocolate, unless you are tempering it or adding stabilizers it is fairly melty.
Alicia says
I had another go at making this chocolate after finding out about tempering. I basically followed all the steps in this recipe but I used the seeding temper method to melt the cocoa butter, which basically involved not letting it heat up above 50 degrees and then letting it cool to 28 degrees while stirring. This made a significant improvement to the appearance of the chocolate, gave it a nice snap when breaking, it was more stable and definitely not as melty and messy when touched. SO TASTY!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Alicia!
Joyce says
Hi! I love this recipe! It has ruined me for all store bought chocolate now. I love that it has cocoa butter – not butter – and maple syrup – which is healthier than plain sugar. I usually swap out the vanilla extract for peppermint because I like it more (and it’s very Christmasy!). Even though it is cuter to pour into mini cupcake molds, the most fun way for me is to pour it out onto a cookie sheet and spread it out with a silicone spatula to an even thickness. I triple the amount of almonds recommended, and probably double the salt. Then I wrap up small packages of broken off pieces with parchment paper cut to size and tie up with twine. They make great hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, etc. My go-to!
Love that idea! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Joyce!
Joyce says
Thank you! And one more question: Is the 1 cup cacao butter measured before or after it is melted? Its volume seemed to be reduced after melted. I kept adding a bit as it was melting because it didn’t seem to get any closer to the full one cup. I finally gave up and was just under one cup when I started mixing things in. I didn’t notice any difference, but I would like it to taste the best possible! Thank you.
Hi Joyce, we measured before melting. Glad to hear it works both ways!
Joyce says
Thank you so much! That’s how I used to do it until I could only find the cocoa butter in bigger chunks rather than in wafers at the stores I usually frequent. But I always keep mine in the freezer, so I wasn’t able to check if they would have melted faster. And now they’re all gone! Funny how that happens …
Ah, yes! The chunks are more difficult to measure precisely than the wafers. If you have a kitchen scale, measuring by weight would be another option.
candice says
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make and the whole family enjoyed. Roasting the almonds were next level! They complimented the bark so nicely! I purchased the cacao butter you recommended and used 1/2 of maple syrup.
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Candice. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
domi says
HIIIIII.
WONDERFUL RECIPE.
how could i replace the syrup? i cannot use any syrup in my diet..
thank you so much!
Hi Domi, perhaps sweeten with a pinch of stevia? We haven’t tried it though and can’t guarantee results. Let us know if you give it a try!
Lindee says
OMG! This turned out fabulous!
I added an additional ½ cup of slivered almonds for more crunch. Mixed both almonds inTo the chocolate before spreading out on the parchment. Used a full ½ cup maple syrup.
The salt on top gives it that WOW taste.
This is a keeper easy dessert recipe!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Lindee! xo
Bella says
I’m really confused regarding the butter used in this recipe. Is it cacao or cocoa? It is listed in several places but it’s inconsistent. Thanks!
Hi Bella, sorry for the confusion! Either should work, but typically food-grade varieties are referred to as cacao butter.
Bella says
Thank you and wow thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Your recipes photography are amazing. In fact, your seeded bread recipe was what got me started on home made bread making!
Aw, thanks so much, Bella! xo
Jen says
Hey! I’m new to using coconut butter as I bought by accident instead of coconut oil. Think I could sub the cocoa butter for coconut butter in this recipe? I love coconut chocolate and don’t usually buy cocoa butter. I’m curious what you think?
Hi Jen, it won’t be as smooth and melty, but might be okay? Let us know if you try it!
Chrissy says
I don’t bake or cook much, but tried this recipes and it took me four times to get it right. For some reason it turned into a ball of chocolate dough, but on the fourth try….Oh my!
I just turned the heat down and went slower..added pecans, chopped dried cranberries, and sea salt.
The best bar’s ever!!!!
Way to be persistent, Chrissy! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Ashley says
Mine did the same thing – looked and tasted like brownie dough. Delicious but not what I was going for. I used a spatula to scoop it onto the baking sheet/parchment paper and used the back of the spatula to spread and flatten as best I could. Pressed the almonds into the top and sprinkled salt on top. Definitely delicious – oh my goodness, so so good! – but don’t think it turned out as intended. Going to try again today :)
Marie says
The link to the cocoa butter shows a price of 52.00, is that what you actually use?
Thanks for letting us know! We’ve updated the link to the one we have been preferring recently.
Nancy says
Could I substitute the cacao butter (or coconut oil) using almond oil?
We don’t think that would work, unfortunately. Cacao butter has a very unique texture that gives chocolate its creaminess.
Mtbwags says
We made a second batch, adding dried cherries—delicious!?
If I wanted to temper this, would I need to make the basic chocolate, let it harden and then follow the tempering process, adding fruit and nuts at the end?
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
We’re so glad you enjoyed. Unfortunately, we’re not experts on tempering so we can’t really offer any advice there. Let us know if you find anything out!
Mtbwags says
My son made this for me as a Christmas gift-it was amazing! The flavor is just right and I love that nice snap! We’re already planning add-ons for the next batch?
Aw, how kind! We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
suny says
Just wondering if the 1 cup cocoa butter that is called for in the recipe is in solid form or after it’s already melted…I want to make this but I want to make sure it turn out right as well! THX in advance
Solid form. Hope that helps!
KAREN Petty says
I’m not a fan of dark chocolate. Do you have a recipe for milk chocolate bars?
Not yet! But thanks for the request, Karen!
sharon says
Great recipe. It was very easy to follow and it came out great. I used 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Thanks!
Matt says
I see your recipe calls for COCOA butter. Will there be a noticeable difference in the end product if I use CACAO butter instead?
Thanks!
Another reader used half coconut oil and half cacao butter and had success, so let us know how you make out if you try using just cacao butter. We haven’t tried it and can’t say for sure how it would go.
sharon says
I used Cacao butter and Cacao powder.. worked perfectly.
Amy Cronin says
Thank you for this post. I have been doing keto since Thanksgiving, and find that $4 for a sugar free/Maltitol free candy bar is a little steep for my budget! I used this recipe as a guide and substituted Vitafiber syrup for the maple syrup with great success. I also added 1/2 t. of stevia glycerite to increase the sweetness. Half a recipe made 3 candy bars, each netting approximately 8g of carbs. This is a game changer! Happy New Year!
Llga says
Can this be made with a few drops of Stevia instead of maple syrup? Will it be too thick?
Hi! We haven’t tried using stevia and can’t say for sure how it would turn out here.. if you experiment with the recipe, let us know how it goes!
Lisa says
I’m using liquid allulose. I’ve made this recipe many many many times with maple syrup. I’m keto now tho!
Holly Shelowitz says
I made them exactly as your recipe instructed and it’s the best chocolate I’ve ever made!! Thank you so much!!
Alesha says
Can I use cacao nibs in this recipe in place of cacao powder? I’m excited to make this, thanks for posting!!!
I actually tried that and found it VERY difficult to grind them into a fine enough powder. I wouldn’t recommend it!
Anthony Gregory says
Hi, I’ve been using this recipe and it’s awesome btw…. quick question as I normally leave these treats in a jar in the fridge but if leave these out at room temp they are incredibly soft and basically start melting the moment your fingers tough, is this intended or does this require a tempering?
It doesn’t require tempering and can be kept at room temperature for serving. But for best freshness, store chocolate in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or the freezer for 1-2 months.
Sharlyn says
This recipe is a lifesaver for us. We both love chocolate and can rarely find a healthy version in the store. This is so simple to make and even more enjoyable than any boughten chocolate.
I have put hempseed, raw pumpkinseed and organic craisins, almonds and raisins on top at times and all are satisfying and healthy.
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!!!
Yum! Great additions, Sharlyn :D
Jennifer says
I saw that someone asked this above, but it wasn’t answered.. I’m about to find out the hard way.. is the cocoa butter measured melted or in chunks? Thanks!
It’s measured BEFORE melting, so it’s measured in chunks.
Victoria Grego says
Thank you for your response and the method to calculate but Im not sure I understand the last step of your calculations?
Using the original recipe this is how the calculations work out according to your response.
C. butter218g+Maple Syrup 80g+Cocoa powder 96g+ Almonds 56g= 450g / 12 servings =37g per serving
80ml of maple syrup contains 64g of sugars/ 12 servings = 5.3
5.3/37= 14% of sugars so then the cacao would have to be 86%
But I wasn’t sure we should include the weight of the almonds, so if you subtract 56g of the almonds then total weight 394g/12 servings =33 g per serving
5.3/33 = 16% of sugars so then the cacao would have to be 84%
So my questions, where do you get the 70-75%?
( Because theres a big difference in taste as the cacao % goes up)
I just want to understand the method of calculation because I weigh all my ingredients when making this recipe. After making this recipe several times, I have adjusted some of the measurements to my personal liking and wanted to know how to calculate the cacao % based on my own weighted measurements.
thank you again for your response,
Victoria
Ha! You’re way better at math than us ;D Your calculation appears more accurate. Just based on the equation I did a rough estimate, but yours seems more on point.
Victoria Grego says
By chance would you know how to calculate the cacao percentage for this recipe?
I make this chocolate all the time and everybody loves it but everybody always asking me if I know the cacao %. My friends and family know the the higher cacao percentage the better the health benefits.
So I usually do half the recipe:
cacao butter 104g, cocoa powder 48g, Maple Syrup 100g and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Is there anyway you could help me figure out the cacao percentage?
Thank you so much, I would like to stay around 60% cacao or higher, if I can and will adjust the sugars accordingly but wasn’t sure how to figure that out.
Victoria Grego
Hmm, we weren’t sure on that. But it seems some experts suggest you divide the serving size in grams by the grams of sugar in that serving, and that gives you the rough cacao content. So with one serving of this bar being about 37 grams with 5 grams of sugar (calculated with 80 ml maple syrup), that would mean it’s about 70-75% cacao. Hope that helps!
Melanie Dinkle says
Does this chocolate melt at room temperature? Does it need to stay refrigerated until use?
These can be kept at room temperature for serving. But for best freshness, store chocolate in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or the freezer for 1-2 months.
Jen says
This recipe is awesome, (I did it without the almonds), but when I freeze it the agave or raw honey (I’ve tried both) separate. So I’ll get normal pieces of chocolate and then syrup stuck in the center that had ruined some of the chocolate. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong? Thanks!
Mafalda says
Dana, don’t you want also to try “milk” chocolate and white chocolate bars? Yes?! Yes?! :)
I like where your heads at Mafalda ;) We’ll add them to the suggestion list!
Hope says
I made this last night using all ingredients including broken pretzels instead of almonds, refrigerated overnight and it came out a tootsieroll consistsncy. Tasted great tho.
Kanushree says
Can Normal butter be used instead of coconut oil or Cocoa butter? Please clarify.
Laurel says
Oh sweet Mother of Mercy. Six months on a SIBO diet and decided to see what would happen with a bit of chocolate. Cacao butter, maple syrup, unprocessed cocoa powder with some black cocoa to make up the weight and just a pinch of espresso powder. I totally forgot to add the vanilla but I did wait for it to get to 92 deg before pouring it over some toasted macadamia nuts. Oh my goodness gracious me.
My face broke out, it never does that. You know what? Totally worth it! I know what I’ll be fixing myself this Christmas with the 4 lbs of cacao butter just ordered.
Marvelous. Thank you.
victoria says
I tried your recipe, substituting honey for the maple syrup and placed it on a baking sheet like you suggested but after refrigerating for 1 hour the chocolate never got hard enough to break into pieces. I tried putting it into the freezer but still no success. The taste of the chocolate is good but the texture is wrong. Soft and bendable but hard enough to break into pieces. What do you suggest?
JH says
I love this recipe! I changed it up a bit and used Trader Joe’s freeze dried rasbpberies and blueberries instead of roasted almonds to give it a bit of a crunch. I also used agave instead of maple syrup and the texture was fine. I can’t believe how easy it was to make chocolate. Thank you!
Lyn says
I was so looking forward to making the dark chocolate bark…I followed the recipe to the letter and it didn’t turn out….soooo disappointed.
When I added the cocoa powder to the liquified cocoa butter and maple syrup it turned into a hard mass….nothing would make it liquid enough to pour.
Mary says
Hi Dana,
I tried this recipe last night, and I had the same problem, when I added the cocoa powder to the liquid cocoa butter and maple syrup, it turned into a hard mass:((
What do you think is the reason?
Thank you!
If you add too much maple syrup sometimes it can seize the mixture because fats and liquids don’t mix. I’ve found that starting small and working your way up is best!
T says
Can you freeze these?
Yeah!
Tom says
The recipe worked perfectly! The only question I have is that the chocolate was a little slick. It set perfectly but it was just a little oily. Did I use to much cocoa butter?
mrskia says
made this and it was scrumptious. i will be making it again very soon. thank you for the creative recipe!
Stephanie says
Hi! I made this the other night and it was delicious so I ate quite a few chunks of it. Maybe a little less than a quarter of the recipe. I’m guessing it was because I used raw cacao powder which I’ve never consumed that large an amount of in one sitting, and I got really really jittery and had a headache and trouble sleeping…all of these symptoms lasted for the next ~ 24 hours then went away. My husband had far less than I did and didn’t experience this. My mom and I are pretty sensitive to caffeine so I figure it’s the cacao since it’s a stimulant — just curious, has any one else experienced this baking with raw cacao? Does it happen if you use processed cocoa, and does it still taste as good with regular cocoa? I want to try again with processed cocoa because this recipe was soo delicious and tasted way healthier than store bought dark chocolate, but I don’t want to suffer the unpleasant reactions to the cacao again! (I am assuming that’s what it was after googling and it seems other people have a similar reaction to cacao?) Thanks!
Melissa says
Hi Stephanie, I experienced this before when I ate this or a different homemade chocolate that I have made. I just have to eat a little at a time. I’m sensitive to caffeine and assumed that’s what it was. Take care!
Sierra says
Can’t wait to try this! The almonds will make the dark chocolate good. But I was wondering, could you do this with cashew or any whole nut milk to make milk chocolate bars? Or would that mess up the recipe/in the oven? I don’t personally care much for dark choc and am curious about this before I find out myself lol.
Aparna says
Hi
I tried making the chocolate bars with your suggested recipie of cocoa butter , maple syrup and cocoa powder…. but the txture of tbe bars turned out like a chocolate fudge… don’t know what went wrong ?
..
Hi Aparna, I would suggest freezing it until it’s solid all the way through!
Aparna says
Thanks for the reply but I had kept it for 6 hrs tried a piece and then kept in the freezer till next day afternoon so in total abt 20 hrs …. that is d reason I wrote to u
Brittany says
Thank you so much for this recipe!!
I used vanilla and sea salt but instead of roasted almonds I used shredded coconut….and omg! Amazing.
My partner says its some of the best chocolate he’s ever had…and in comparison to normal chocolate its healthy too!
We don’t have huge sweet teeth so I only used a little less than 1/3 and it still came out fine!
Next time I make it i’m going to add some peppermint essential oils * drools*
Thanks again!
Eric says
This recipe is flawed. One container of the cocoa butter is 500g. It contains about 8-10 cups. So, it is not possible to have one cup weigh 218g. Tried it by weight measurements, but still not a good consistency. Mycryo isn’t better for savory cooking.
Constance Finch says
I googled it and yes, 1US cup of cocoa butter weighs 218 grams. Can’t wait to try it!
pradeep says
HI Dana
Thank you for that, looks delicious …..any ideas on how to make the individual chocolate covered almonds ? those are my favorite mid afternoon office snack !
thanks again !
pradeep
Yeah! Just add the roasted or raw almonds to a bowl and pour over the chocolate. Toss to coat, then lift with a fork to remove excess chocolate and let set on a parchment-lined baking sheet!
plasterer bristol says
Ive never tried making this myself before. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
Simon
Lynn says
How about using coconut butter instead of oil?
Jody says
I have had great luck with coconut oil. I do not heat it at all. I just use the back of a spoon and keep stirring the coconut oil and cocoa powder until it’s creamy. (and I use unfiltered/unprocessed honey instead of maple syrup). I’ve added pure vanilla, orange juice & zest, berries, nuts, raisins and organic peanut butter or almond butter. The possiblities are endless! It keeps best in the freezer. Hope this helps.
Jody says
Should have said cacao powder.
Afaf says
Help please!! I used brown sugar and melted it with the cocoa butter first (the sugar wasn’t completely melted ) then added the cocoa powder. Once I added the cocoa powder it started to bubble and gather like tiny crystals/nods that never melt!! I even put it in the blender but it didn’t work!! Ahh the smell is great and delicious but the bar is a mess and failed.
Lourdes says
hi!
Im using cocoa butter that comes already cut in round shapes. The recipe calls for 1 cup cocoa butter, melted or unmelted?
Thank you!
becca says
Hi,
How long can we keep this chocolate in the fridge?
Sang says
Hi!! Your recipe sounds amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it! I was wondering how long we can keep it before it expires… Do we have to eat it right away?
Thank you!
Choco Lover says
I would like to add almonds, raisins and pistachios to the dark chocolate. If they are raw, how much time should I bake each of these in the oven?
Cindy B says
I’m so happy to find this recipe! I am making this for gifts for clients….maybe 40 people. Trying to figure out how much cocoa butter to order. How much does this actually make? I’m going to spread it on a baking sheet and break into squares. What size sheet did you use and what are the approximate dimensions of the resulting chocolate “slab?” Thank you and Happy Holidays. You saved my life with this recipe.
Just order a small quantity. This makes a small baking sheet’s worth.
Cocoswan says
Made this chocolate goodness yesterday my new favorite. I added craisins and used walnuts instead of almonds.
Yoli says
Hello I’ve made this before but you my own healthy sweeteners mixed and powdered. it seems the sweetener never melted or something. The chocolate was grainy and when you chew it, it seems to have a crunch. Any ideas?
Thanks
It’s probably the powdered sweeteners. I’d stick with maple syrup if you can!
I used Trader Joe’s!
Vicky says
I tried making chocolate like this but it’s always very starchy and dry, tastes ok but the textures not as good as chocolate from the shops.
Haricha says
In the freezer >.< hope it turns out much better than the coconut oil version. Thanks :D
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
I may never buy chocolate again……..
chi says
Hey! Do you have to roast the nuts or can they be raw?
They can be raw, I just prefer them roasted.
Anna says
Hello! I love your blog.
I have some questions about this recipe.
If I don’t have cocoa butter and coconut oil, what can I use? And, can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Thank you very much!
Tracey G says
Hi Dana, do you think I can use cane syrup instead of maple? I have some homemade cane syrup in the pantry.
I think so! Give it a try and let me know if it works!
Sue says
So easy and soooooo good! Loved this.
birdy says
Oh, hello almonds.
I have a tip to share, too: when using coconut oil, it should be just melted, barely warm, and definitely not hot. Let it cool if you need to, before adding the other ingredients. That should take care of the separating… experience speaking ;)
But yeah, if you can find cocoa butter… just, wow.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Cristina | Nature's Drive says
Chocolate and almonds…. could there be a better combo?! Love that you can make this at home with such simple ingredients! Thanks for the great recipe :)
johny says
Look so delicious. Yummy.
Laura says
Wow – I would never have thought to make this sort fo thing rather than buying it, but I did and I loved it! thank you (or not, as I’ll probably put on a little weight if I keep scoffing it!)
Sasha says
I’m confused about the cocoa butter. Should I be looking for food-grade cocoa butter? The link is to raw organic cocoa butter for the body?
The one I linked to is food-grade! See the comments – lots of people used it to make desserts with.
Sasha says
Ahhh–thank you.
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
THIS IS AMAZING. I mean, I didn’t even know this was possible. Dana, you are a genius in an apron.
ha! Thanks Sarah! xoxo
Allie B says
Two of my all time favorite things! Chocolate & almonds! Great post. Xo
Gluten Free Babe says
I am SO EXCITED to make this. I have been making a lot of chocolate lately with a combination of cocoa butter and coconut oil. Sometimes I do all coconut oil. I’m excited to try it with all cocoa butter!
I can also answer a lot of these questions as I now consider myself a chocoate/coconut oil expert :)
When you use Coconut Oil – in whatever quantity – small or large – the chocolate must be kept in the fridge or frozen. Especially if you have a warm environment. If your home is cold – maybe it won’t melt. But coconut oil is liquid at 72 degrees – so keep it in the freezer and you won’t have an oily mess and things won’t separate! I hope this helps everyone. I have a great recipe for raw chocolate with the coconut oil I am posting next week on my blog. I love to include it for it’s health benefits and coconut flavor.
Thx again Dana for a super exciting recipe and great photos. I will post a photo on Instagram for you after I make it!
Please do! And thanks for the tips!
Cassie says
So YUMMY! Dark chocolate and almonds are my kryptonite!
Jess says
I’m intrigued. Chocolate at home isn’t something I ever would have thought to attempt, but you’re selling me on it! Think of all the possibilities for toppings – yum!
I know right? My mind is already spinning. Hope you love it, Jess! So nice to hear from you!
lynn says
In place of cocoa butter
I don’t think so…
lynn says
Can i use almond butter?
In place of almonds?
Julie D says
Hi there! I have cacao nibs that I haven’t been able to find ANY use for so far, any chance I could use them as a sub for cacao butter in this recipe somehow? Or for the cocoa powder?
Thanks!!
I actually tried that and found it VERY difficult to grind them into a fine enough powder. I wouldn’t recommend it!
Bella B says
It looks amazing! I think I could eat way too much of this.
Lisa H says
Hi Dana, I tried this recipe and don’t know what went wrong, but the maple syrup separated in the freezer and did not freeze. I did have to use coconut oil instead of cocoa butter, but followed your directions and it turned into a sloppy mess! The oil and cacao solidified, but the maple syrup stayed soupy on the bottom…still tasted good, though, just had to lean over the sink to eat a bite!?
So odd! Sorry about that. I have no idea why that happened. Did you whisk it vigorously? I didn’t test it with 100% coconut oil, but rather a mix of coconut oil and cocoa butter and MUCH preferred the all cocoa butter chocolate. If you’re able to get your hands on some cocoa butter, I’d highly recommend it!
Thunderbuns says
Yumm!! I love making my own chocolate bars. Almonds are right up there with cashews as top favorites. Yours look so good!!
JOAN GILLAND says
Hi Dana: I live in central Fl, and it’s hot now. If I order the cocoa butter online, do you think it would melt in transit. Thanks.. Joan
You may want to ask the distributor about that. I’m not sure! It does take quite a bit of heat to melt it, so I’d be surprised if it wouldn’t survive the transit!
Emily @ robust recipes says
So cool! I’ve always wondered about making my own chocolate but always been intimidared. Now I have an easy recipe to try soon. Thanks! :)
Hannah says
This is awesome! So simple and easy to make, I alreadyhad all the ingredients in my pantry!
I tried to make this earlier today and after I took it out of the freezer I tried to break it apart and the syrup was stuck to the bottom and still liquid and sticky. The chocolate had solidified just fine, though. Does that always happen? Do you have to leave it in the freezer longer? (I had it in there for about 30 mins though) Or does it happen while you’re mixing it? Does the heat from the melted coconut oil separate the two?
Despite that, it still tastes great, though!
I would say try and freeze it longer until completely firm. I’d also highly recommend trying it this recipe with the recommended cocoa butter, because the coconut oil imparted an oily texture and taste to me that wasn’t as pleasing on the palette.
kate says
i have made this with half coconut oil and half cacao butter…..it worked great. i find that cacao butter sort of makes my stomach feel strange. i think it is an intense fat. the coconut oil seems to mellow it out.
Victoria grego says
I️ love this recipe and receive a lot of compliments from friends and family. Recently someone asked me if I knew the cacao %, you wouldn’t happen to know the answer or how to figure it out.
Thank you
Hannah Elizabeth says
I imagine being a professional, real-life Willy Wonka would be pretty awesome… I’d eagerly be your patron!! ;) Sign me up for the next tour of the Minimalist Baker Chocolate Factory (or just to “taste test” chocolate delights like this one)! :P I seriously am a huge fan of your recipes, but your sweet treats especially blow my mind…so creative and delicious!
Stasja says
This post has seriously triggered some chocolate cravings! It just looks like perfection, dark chocolate and almonds, I’m sold!
Abby says
Oh, these bars look delicious! OBSESSED.
Kate says
Yessss Minimalist Baker never lets me down! A while ago I found cocoa butter in my local supermarket, got really excited, bought cute heart-shaped chocolate moulds and then promptly got too intimidated to try it. I’m definitely going to try your recipe! I wonder if i could get a dollop of date caramel in the middle of my little chocolate moulds?
Annabelle says
Definitely! I’ve tried it a few years ago when I was first starting to experiment with chocolate and it was so good! :)
DO IT! Let me know how it goes, Kate! xo
Sydney | Modern Granola says
This looks and sounds divine. How irresistible would this be with coconut flakes sprinkled on top?! Chocolate is life, so you are definitely speaking my language.
Happy Saturday!
xx Sydney
Oh man. SMART!
Samantha @ThePlantedVegan says
What a perfect dessert/treat! They look so delicious, and easy to make!
Sammie says
Wow! This looks amazing!!! i can’t wait to make it!!
Kathryn - The Scratch Artist says
Haha! I have been following the same chocolate trajectory. My evenings consist of 86% chocolate with homemade peanut butter smeared on. Speaking of which, what time is it?? Too early for my late night snack? This is my life. Waiting for my chocolate and peanut butter dessert :-)
Samina @ The Cupcake Confession says
This is such a fabulous recipe! Nothing better than making your very own chocolate bar at home with some of the best ingredients! <3