Best Ever DIY (Vegan) Chocolate Bars
These wholesome and all-natural chocolate bars are a revelation. I can’t believe how good they taste and how easy they are to make. Just 6 ingredients plus your favourite flavours and that’s it! They’re perfect as a snack and also make a lovely, elegant dessert when cut into pieces on a plate or board with some fresh fruit. The great thing about making these chocolate bars yourself (apart from knowing what’s in them) is that you can add any combination and quantity of fruit and nuts that you like. And for me, that is a lot of nuts as I feel there are never enough! These are a great postnatal snack when you need an energy boost. If you’re making them for a new mother, you could add extra goodies like bee pollen on top. They make a beautiful gift wrapped in some foil and recycled wrapping paper.
INGREDIENTS:
100 g (1/2 cup) coconut oil
50 g (1/2 cup) cacao powder
45 g (1/4 cup) maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
Flavours:
Mandarin and roasted hazelnuts
1 Tbs mandarin zest
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
Goji, roasted pepitas and coconut
1/2 cup goji berries
2 Tbs shaved coconut
2 Tbs roasted pepitas
METHOD:
Grease a small or medium rectangular shaped tin (like a bread tin) and then line with baking paper. Melt the coconut oil in a pan on low heat and when just melted remove it from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder until well combined and syrupy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and whisk again until mixed through and velvety. It’s worth doing this for an extra couple of minutes to ensure everything is very well combined, as this will prevent white bits of coconut oil poking through the chocolate once it’s set. I don’t really mind this marbling but it looks nicer when it’s all smooth.
Arrange your fruit and nuts at the bottom of the tin, reserving about a tablespoons worth of each. Pour the chocolate over the top so they’re all covered and then sprinkle the extra fruit and nuts on top. Place the chocolate in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
Once the chocolate is set, it’s time to dig in!
Notes:
These chocolate bars need to be stored in the fridge as coconut oil starts to soften at room temperature.
This recipe also works well in chocolate moulds.