Lately, I have been experimenting with making a variety of vegan chocolate from coconut oil. It is simply ah-mazing! It’s also my favorite way to incorporate coconut oil into my diet. Despite the fact that coconut oil is a saturated fat with high in calorie content, the body metabolizes it differently than animal fats and there is evidence that it provides a host of health benefits such as reduced inflammation, faster metabolism, curbed hunger and improved blood cholesterol. And don’t even get me started on how amazing it is for your skin and hair. Personally, I’m sold!
Anyhow back to chocolate. The basic ingredients for vegan chocolate are coconut oil, cocoa powder, agave nectar, Stevia and a bit of salt. For this recipe I added a bit of chili powder to give it a little kick. The chocolate is solid at room temperature and hardens instantly when it comes into contact with cold things, sort of like magic shell ice cream topping. It’s super easy to make and really fun to eat.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: About 5
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen berry mix
1/3 cup coconut oil
3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1-2 tablespoons agave/coconut nectar/maple syrup (or honey if you’re not opposed to that)
The tiniest sprinkle of powdered Stevia (1/8 teaspoon or less)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
A dash of sea salt
The tiniest splash of vanilla extract (optional)
Photo by Mulin Xiong
Directions:
1. Melt the coconut oil in a microwave safe container, 20 seconds at a time. Don’t just nuke it, it can ruin the texture.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
2. Add the cocoa.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
3. Mix in the agave, vanilla, sea salt, chili and Stevia. DO NOT overdo it with the Stevia right off the bat.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
4. Taste it to make sure the balance is right. If there is too much Stevia, it’s going to taste sickeningly sweet; not enough salt and it’s also going to taste too sweet. It all depends on your taste.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
5. Get out a pretty plate and start dipping your frozen berries into the chocolate mixture.
6. Watch in awe as the chocolate hardens on the strawberry. Truly a beautiful thing.
Photo by Mulin Xiong