Raw Chocolates made with Coconut Oil and Essential Oils

    I heard about people making raw chocolate and being a chocolate lover myself I had to learn how to make it.  There are many studies about the health benefits of chocolate, so for the best health eat raw chocolate!  There have been studies done on the health benefits of coconut oil which you can learn about on the Coconut Research Center website. There are so coconut oil

here at Herbs First for five years - shipping is only $10.00 for up to 4 gallons of oil!

  





 1 cup cold pressed virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw cacao butter
12 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons agave or 2 teaspoons stevia

Put a cup of coconut oil in a 4 cup glass measuring cup.  Add the tablespoon of raw cacao butter on top of the coconut oil, I have found that it melts much quicker when it is grated. You can make it without the cacao butter, but I find that it gives it a richer taste with it.  Get a large bowl of hot water and put the glass measuring cup into the hot water - be sure not to get any water into the oil.  I let it sit on the counter for about half an hour to melt. 

    When the oils are melted add the other ingredients, I like to use stevia, but the agave syrup would make more chocolate!  Stir completely with a whisk and then pour into your molds and add your add-ins to them.  Place them in the freezer for 30 minutes and then pop them out of the mold.  Keep them either frozen or refrigerated because coconut oil has a low melting point.    Pictured I show almonds, I love nuts!  Dried tart cherries, yum, chocolate covered cherries!  And my favorite coconut.  I now pour some of the liquid chocolate into a bowl and add the coconut to a very thick consistency.  I then spoon it onto a wax paper covered pan and freeze it. A coconut lover’s delight!  The first photo at the top shows a coconut chocolate done as this way.    

  Another favorite is mint and orange flavored chocolate.  Be careful not to add too much peppermint essential oil or it is too strong.  I’ll pour out 1/2 cup of liquid chocolate and add 3 to 4 drops of peppermint essential oil to the mixture.  Same thing with the orange essential oil, start with 3 to 4 drops taste and add more if it needs more flavor.  Which essential oils would you use to flavor chocolates?  I love these flavored chocolates, very tasty!

   My husband does not like dark chocolate, so I decided to experiment making milk chocolate with coconut milk.  I use the full fat organic Thai coconut milk - I add a good 2 - 3 tablespoons to the chocolate mixture and it makes a mellower chocolate that he enjoys.  The photo of the three chocolates at the top are the milk chocolate, with coconut, peppermint and almonds.  We are loving these healthy treats at our house! 

   We went to a wedding reception a few weeks ago where they had muffin tin sized servings of MnM’s. They didn’t interest me, but my husband grabbed them. He popped a few in his mouth and turned to me and said, “yuck, your chocolates taste much better”! Yay, I have a raw chocolate convert in the house!

You can order coconut oil and essentail oils online or call in your order at 801-228-1901