Valentine's day is around the corner, but who needs an excuse to make chocolate...or eat it? Especially if that chocolate is not only delicious, but good for you. Yep, it's true. This is a chocolate this is really good for you. It is so filled with many health benefits, you can eat a piece everyday! AND you can easily make it in your own kitchen using only 5 ingredients! Yes,it is that easy. Let's get started with what you will need.
HOMEMADE COCONUT OIL CHOCOLATE
Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder (not dutch processed)
1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid state)
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey*
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or other flavor extract
Combine cocoa powder and salt. Mix coconut oil, vanilla & maple syrup in a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout. Whisk the ingredients until well combined. Add the cocoa powder to the oil mixture and stir until a consistent texture is achieved. Next, pour your liquid chocolate into flexible silicon molds. NO MOLDS? NO PROBLEM. You have several options.
Substitutes for silicon molds.
* Muffin tins. (If using regular sized muffin pans, fill to 1/4. Mini muffins fill to 2/3)
* Ice cube trays
* Parchment lined glass 8x8 baking dish (you will cut the chocolate with a knife)
 |
| Line muffin tins with parchment rounds for ease of removal |
Once your molds are poured, place them in the fridge to harden. About 20 minutes. Remove chocolate from the mold and enjoy. If you are not using flexible silicon molds, you may need to dip the bottom of your muffin tins or ice-cube trays in warm water to loosen the chocolate. This will make it easier for removal.
 |
| Organic Cocoa Powder |
 |
| Mmm chocolate. |
 |
| Cocoa Powder, pinch of salt, coconut oil, maple syrup &vanilla. |
|
|
 |
| Poured chocolate into silicon molds |
 |
| Removal is quick and easy |
The chocolates should be stored in an air-tight container, in temperatures below 70 degrees or they will melt.
Once you have made the basic recipe you can branch out. Here are other variations to the recipe:
* peppermint or orange oil (3-5 drops)
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
* 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts or dried fruit
* USING RAW HONEY INSTEAD OF MAPLE SYRUP
Coconut oil liquefies at temperatures above 76 degrees. When the coconut oil is liquid, it is difficult to get the honey to combine. ( I won't bore you with the chemistry behind this) As a result, the honey settles to the bottom and when you pour your mixture into your chocolate molds, the first few chocolates will be bitter and the last few will be very sweet. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT CAN'T BE DONE.
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS:
1. Add the honey and the liquid coconut oil into a suitable container and blend with an immersion blender. Blend until completely combined. Continue with the next step of the recipe.
OR
2. Pour your coconut oil into a glass measuring cup. Place the cup into the fridge or freezer to partially solidify. You want it to thicken not completely harden. Add the honey to the thickened oil. Mix until well combined. (It should be the consistency of cake frosting or peanut butter.) Once it is mixed, add the cocoa powder and salt. The texture will be too thick to pour, but the honey will be well combined. Now you can place the mixture in the oven, under very low heat until it begins to melt enough so it is pour-able. Stir in your flavor of choice and pour into your molds.
 |
| Cool coconut oil in fridge to thicken |
 |
| Stir to test thickness |
 |
| Mix honey and coconut oil |
 |
| Mixing honey and coconut oil with immersion blender |
This may sound a bit complicated, but it is really quite simple. Many have tried making coconut oil chocolate, with various outcomes. These extra steps allow you to trouble-shoot any problems. This chocolate tastes so good and has so many health benefits I want it to be easy for you to make a batch under any conditions.
What makes this chocolate SO good for you?
COCOA POWDER
Especially organic, and not dutch processed contains a high amount of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are compounds plants make to prevent their cells from premature destruction from heat, light, air, moisture and time. Consuming antioxidants also has the same protective effect on our own cells. Thus cocoa can prevent premature aging and protect against disease. Cocoa contains 40x more antioxidants than the super-fruit blueberries.
The polyphenols in cocoa are cardio-protective. They help reduce our blood cells from clumping and help reduce arteriosclerosis. (hardening of the arteries.)No heart drug has the benefits cocoa does.
Cocoa also enhances the production of various feel-good chemicals in the brain, notably serotonin and dopamine. So yes, it is a natural anti-depressant and will elevate your mood.
The consumption of cocoa has been shown to be effective in improving insulin resistance and glucose metabolism.
Cocoa has demonstrated beneficial effects in inhibiting the growth of cancer
cells without effecting the growth of normal healthy cells.
Cocoa is one of the highest plant based sources of magnesium, which is a mineral that many are lacking. Magnesium plays an important role in muscle relaxation, which is why it helps with constipation and leg cramps. Magnesium also helps convert glucose into energy enabling your brain to work with laser-sharp clarity and focus.
Dutch processed cocoa has been treated to be less bitter but this process also decreases many of the antioxidants in the cocoa. So be sure to avoid dutch processed. Also organic cocoa has many more health benefits as it too contains more of the above mentioned antioxidants and minerals but also does not contain any pesticides or harmful chemicals. Also many non-organic cocoa contains GMOs.
COCONUT OIL
Is a great metabolism booster. It also is antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial so it will help your immune system fight off infections of these kind. Coconut oil is very good for those with candida overgrowth.
Although coconut oil is high in saturated fat, most are medium chain fatty acids (MCFA)which are digested differently than long chain fatty acids. MCFA go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are
used as a quick source of energy or turned into a ketones
which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and
Alzheimer’s.
MCFAs also increase our energy and do not get stored as fat.
Coconut oil is also the only food on the planet other than mother's breast milk that contains lauric acid- a potent pathogen fighting substance.
The way coconut oil is digested it can also curb hunger and sugar cravings.
Coconut oil has also been found to improve your cholesterol numbers by raising HDL cholesterol.
HONEY & MAPLE SYRUP
Both are sweeteners that have a low impact on your blood sugar levels.
Raw honey has many medicinal properties. For example is it one of the world's best cough suppressants and if the honey is harvested local to your area, it may decrease seasonal allergies.
Honey has many antibacterial properties and may destroy the oral bacteria that leads to bad breath.
Maple syrup contains many beneficial minerals like manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. It is also rich in antioxidants and helps boost immunity.
NEED I SAY MORE?
This homemade coconut oil chocolate CAN be eaten daily! EnJoy!
