I decided to start making chocolate from scratch so that I can control the type and amount of sweetener in the chocolate. It has been a real challenge to make this but I was able to make an 84% dark chocolate using raw organic honey, cacao butter, raw cacao powder and vanilla. The chocolate does not melt at room temperature, it has a sheen and snaps. The real challenge with making this was the fact that I used honey instead of powder sugar. Honey contains water which makes chocolate seize. Another important factor in making this chocolate is that it has to be tempered. This is the process that produces a smooth, crisp and shiny chocolate.
I have experimented making this chocolate also with coconut sugar. I was able to get the same result with this but it also had a grainy consistence to it. However it tasted really good…
Next, I will try roasting my own cacao beans and really making chocolate from the very first steps.
- 2.5 tbs cacao butter
- 3.5 tbs raw cacao powder
- 1 tbs raw honey
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- melt the cacao butter over a double boiler until it reaches 122°F/50°C
- add the cacao powder, honey and vanilla and mix until all combined and the mixture reaches 122°F/50°C
- pour the chocolate mixture on a marble slab (I used a glass cutting board)
- with a flexible plastic scraper or palette knife, spread the chocolate thinly, then scoop it up before spreading it again. Repeat the sequence, keeping the chocolate constantly on the move for about 10 minutes
- test to see if you are done tempering by dropping a little of the chocolate onto the side of the marble and if it sets very quickly that you have finish tempering the chocolate and are ready to pour the mixture into molds.
- let it cool at room temperature for a few hours
This recipe makes 4 oz of chocolate. If you decide to make a bigger batch you will need to temper it slightly different by first pouring only ¾ of the melted chocolate onto the marble, tempering it until it reaches 82°F/28°C, then stirring the remaining chocolate. With the addition of of the hot chocolate, the temperature should now be 90°F/32°C, making the chocolate ready for use.
Posted in: chocolates / truffles, Desserts
I love the 84% chocolate recipe. I wondered if you have ever used honey powder. I find it doesn’t have the grainy texture, but have no idea how much to use. YUM!! Can’t wait to try.
I have not tried using honey powder but I have read that it contains around 70% honey solids and 30% glucose and the chocolate does not turn out great… I will need to test it
Is Tbs supposed to be teaspoon or tablespoon. I have not ever seen tbs used as an abbreviation.
tbs = tablespoon
tsp = teaspoon
The honey is listed as 1 tbs tsp raw honey so is it one tablespoon and one teaspoon both?
it is 1 tbs of honey. Sorry, I corrected the post…
If your tempering the chocolate by spreading on marble slab…..how can you tell what the temp is 28 deg if its out of the pan ? Perhaps it’s a dumb question
As you temper the chocolate the temperature will drop and the chocolate will harden. It is best to use a thermometer during the tempering process as well, since it is a good indication your chocolate is tempering correctly.
Hi,
This looks amazingly good. I’ll try it for sure. Just wondering if it is 1 tbs or 1tsp of raw honey??
Thank you
It is 1 tbs of honey. Sorry I corrected the post…
Where can you find pure coco butter?…
This is the cacao butter I usually get:
I’m a little confused… For step 3, isn’t the chocolate already on the marble slab from step 2?
Also, is there anything special you need to do to stop the chocolate seizing when you add the honey? I’ve tried making chocolate with these ingredients before (but with rice malt syrup instead of honey) and I think it seized. It seemed kind of grainy. I didn’t temper it, but that happens after you add the honey, right? It resulted in a chewy chocolate.
Jo, just put a little drop of the chocolate on the side of the marble and see if it hardens. It’s hard to temper to chocolate correctly to be honest, especially when using honey as sweetener and it takes some practice. My chocolate did not seize. Try to use a good quality raw honey that is harder in consistency if you can find it. I use this one:
You can skip the tempering all together and just place the chocolate in the fridge to harden. It might just not hold its shape as well at room temperature. Also, I have now been experimenting using powdered vanilla and I will post a review soon. Please keep me posted and let me know how it goes for you.
Try and powder your coconut sugar in the blender and your chocolate will not be grainy. I do this using erythritol for a diabetic friend and it turns out creamy when I blend the grainy erythritol in the blender until it is powdered.
Thanks Dona. I’ve been meaning to try it with erythritol.
This might be a dumb question but how is it 84% chocolate? I love grainy chocolate which indicates it’s minimally processed. I just started buying chocolates from Chocosol (out of Toronto) and their chocolates are grainy and super delicious.
I like to use B grade maple syrup instead of the honey and I have not yet bought cacao butter yet so so far what I use instead is coconut oil, sometimes I add in extra goodies along with the cacao powder too like lucuma and maca powder…also nuts and coconut butter made from shredded coconut are an awesome combo!
Will this work with cocoa powder as well? Or does it have to be cacao? And thanks for all these awesome recipes!
Erica, you could substitute for cocoa powder, but keep in mind that cocoa powder is usually processed. I recommend raw cacao powder and this is the one I use:
Here is a chart I posted on my Facebook wall comparing the two:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=242842085855388&l=7477ea871c