How To Make Dark Chocolate
I topped this batch with pistachios, pecans, and rose petals – making it an ideal treat for Valentine’s Day 💕 Feel free to vary the toppings.
Course: dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy dessert, refined sugar-free
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 41kcal
double boiler
baking sheet
parchment paper
- 4 ounces cocoa butter wafers, such as Mountain Rose Herbs brand or Navitas brand
- 2 ounces raw cacao powder
- 1 pinch Himalayan sea salt
- 3 pitted Medjool dates, minced
- 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup, preferably grade B
For toppings
- 1/3 cup raw nuts/seeds (such as pistachios, pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds), chop larger nuts in half or thirds.
- 1/4 cup dried rose petals, such as Mountain Rose Herbs brand, optional
To make the dark chocolate
Melt the cocoa wafers slowly in a double boiler (uncovered), stirring often with a soft spatula. Remove from heat when almost all of the wafers are melted (they will continue to melt off-heat).
Stir in the cacao powder. Add the sea salt, dates, and maple syrup. Continue to stir and break up the minced dates with the spatula; they will partially melt into the chocolate. Stir until the mixture has cooled down to about 80ºF.
Slowly pour the chocolate mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a soft spatula, help it form into a rectangle that's approximately 12-inches by 10-inches.
Evenly sprinkle with the toppings, then refrigerate.
Don't attempt to cut the bark until it is well hardened.Slide the parchment with chocolate bark onto a cutting board. Using a chef's knife, cut it into 20 pieces that are each about 2-inches by 3-inches.Keep the bark refrigerated in an air tight storage container.
- Do not get any water or moisture into the cocoa butter or chocolate mixture. Even a drop of water may negatively effect the consistency and make it gritty.
- Be sure your pan is completely dry before you add the cocoa butter wafers.
- Use a dry spatula.
- Don't boil the water so hard in your double boiler that steam escapes; the moisture could get into the cocoa butter.
- FYI chocolate doesn't like to be temperature shocked. So for instance, don't put hot chocolate in a cold water bath or in the freezer.
- I estimate that this chocolate is about 75% cacao. I find that it is flavorful, but not very sweet. It also isn't bitter. If you prefer a sweeter chocolate, add an extra Tablespoon of maple syrup.
- You can substitute raw honey for the maple syrup if you prefer.
Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg