Recipe: Homemade Chocolates (Allergy-Friendly)

This homemade chocolate recipe has a rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s a cross between a chocolate bar and fudge. Inspired by the popular Honey Mama’s natural chocolate bars, these chocolate delights really highlight the pure chocolate taste and are balanced by the natural sweetness of honey. These bars can easily be made vegan by swapping in maple syrup for the honey; see the details in our ‘swaps’ section below.
We kept our Homemade Chocolates classic and straightforward, but feel free to get creative with the add-ins that appeal to you. Make a batch of this chocolate and cut it into pieces to store in the fridge or freezer to have at the ready whenever a desire for something sweet hits!
Homemade Chocolates (Allergy-Friendly)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Optional add-ins: chopped dates, chopped nuts, freeze-dried raspberries, pepitas, or pumpkin seeds
Directions:
- In a small mixing bowl, sift measured cacao/cocoa powder (sifting helps to break up any clumps for easy mixing).
- Add tahini, melted coconut oil, honey, and salt. Gently stir with a spoon or small spatula to combine into a thick paste.
- If the tahini is thick, the mixture of these ingredients may require thinning with a little more coconut oil (1-2 tsp). If the tahini had a thinner consistency, more cacao/cocoa powder (2-3 tsp) would help to thicken the mixture slightly. It doesn’t need to be firm, but a set, tacky dough texture is ideal.
- Spread mixture onto a parchment-lined tray or baking sheet. Top with another layer of parchment paper and use fingers or hand to press evenly into 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.
- Chill to firm up for 20-30 minutes and then slice into squares (pieces will soften the longer they are at room temperature).
- To store: Layer pieces onto parchment paper-lined storage container, and if stacking, use parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Pieces will soften within a few minutes out of the refrigerator, which provides a more fudge-like texture. To enjoy while firm/set, eat chilled.
Swaps:
- For the tahini: If not nut-free, 2 Tbsp thin/runny almond butter
- For the honey: 2-2.5 Tbsp maple syrup (less is needed because of the thinner consistency)