With the increased availability of Fair Trade and ethically sourced cocoa products, it isn’t hard to find excellent chocolates these days—but if you’re anything like me, you just have to try making a batch yourself. With such a variety of ingredient options and applications, how could I not? Luckily the basic recipe isn’t difficult, and it pairs well with a variety of fillings.

Like most crafts, the secret to success is trial and error and I’ve found a good chocolate comes from finding the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients and making sure the ingredients are fully dissolved and well blended. Every variation upon your last successful batch will require some fine tuning to get it just right, so put on some music, enlist the help of a little one, and see what you can create.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars

Makes 30 – 40 bars/balls

Chocolate

Ingredients

• 2 oz. (1/3 cup or about 25 wafers) organic raw cocoa butter wafers
• 1/2 oz. (1 Tbsp.) organic coconut oil
• 2 oz. (2 Tbsp.) organic honey (or other sugar)
• 5 oz. (1/2 cup) organic cacao powder, roasted

Directions

1. Using a double boiler, bring the water temperature up to at least 105° F, but no higher than 160° F (120° F is my sweet spot). 
2. Melt cocoa butter, coconut oil, and honey together and mix until thoroughly blended. 
3. Add the cacao powder slowly, stirring until smooth. 
4. Cool and hold at about 105° F (liquid state) until you are ready to pour.

Almond Coconut Filling

Ingredients

• 6 oz. (9 Tbsp.) organic almond butter (or peanut butter)
• 3 oz. (3 Tbsp.) organic honey (or other sugar)                                   
• 4.5 oz. (8 Tbsp.) organic coconut flakes 
• Sea salt, organic cinnamon powder, organic roasted cacao nibs for toppings (optional)                                    

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together almond butter, honey, and coconut flakes (also any additional powders/ingredients—see ideas below) until uniform.
2. Cover bowl and place mixture in the fridge until cool and firm.
3. Once cool, slowly pour the chocolate over the filling. If you are making balls, skip to step 5.
4. If you are making bars, cut into desired sizes. 
5. For balls, use a spoon to scoop some of the mixture, and roll into balls to desired size. Drizzle chocolate mixture over the balls, or dip them into chocolate mixture.
6. While the chocolate is still warm (optional), sprinkle on coconut flakes, cinnamon, or whatever else you want to top off your treats with. See ideas below.
7. Place in the fridge for about one hour to cool and harden. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

• You can make a firmer chocolate by substituting the coconut oil for more cacao butter or by just adding another tablespoon or two of cacao powder or other herbal powder, like maca or kava kava, which will give it a richer flavor.

Additional fillings:

• Hemp seeds 
• Kava kava powder
• Acerola berry powder
• Camu camu powder
• Amla powder
• Green powders
• Cacao nibs
• Goji Berries
• Guarana seed powder
• Rosehip powder
• Schisandra berry powder
• Mushroom powders

Additional toppings:

• Berry powders
• Chili powders
• Rose powder
• Lavender
• Rose petals
• Cacao nibs
• Vanilla powder
• Cinnamon
• Nuts
• Culinary salts

Want to Impress Your Guests With an IRRESISTIBLE Dessert?

Try This Rustic Vanilla and Spiced Apple Galette!

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