Chocolate (df, gf, soy-free)

I love experimenting in the kitchen and chocolate was on the bucket list of my experiments! Chocolate definitely makes my life happier. Getting my toddler to help with this project was fun too (minus all the clothes I had to wash after) – so, do not make my mistakes and buy your child an apron!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of cocoa butter
  • 5 Tbsp of raw honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. You can use any silicone mold you have. The key is not to pour the hot mix into them. So, wait till chocolate reaches warm or room temperature. I used different ones for one (Walmart and Amazon carry a number of fun ones:)
  2. Use a double boiler method to melt cocoa butter. I only use the microwave when I need to heat up a lavender neck wrap:)
  3. In the first pan add 2-3 inches of hot water and set the small dish with chopped cocoa butter inside of it into the hot water. Mix once in a while, but it should not take longer than 7-10 minutes to melt the cocoa butter into liquid.
  4. Take off the melted cocoa butter off the heat and if adding raw honey, wait for the cocoa butter to cool off a bit. Then mix in cocoa powder and raw honey into warm cocoa butter.
  5. Whisk until there are no clumps.
  6. You can add more sweetener if needed. Then the chocolate will be more on a dark side. You can also add more cocoa powder for a more bitter taste. I experimented with different options and liked dark chocolate more.
  7. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the silicone molds (no need to grease them!) and put the molds into the fridge.
  8. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed ๐Ÿ™‚ in moderation ๐Ÿ™‚

It is hard to find soy-free chocolate at the stores because most of the brands have soy lecithin in them. Unfortunately, some children and adults are sensitive to soy. When I find soy-free chocolate, I understand how expensive it is too! It is definitely a treat if one cannot tolerate even such minute amounts of soy as in soy-lecithin!

Also, most chocolate bars are produced on the equipment that is processing dairy, gluten, and tree nuts. With an epidemic of food allergies to gluten, dairy, peanuts, and tree nuts it is good to have a reliable alternative to store-bought chocolate!

Have you struggled with soy-sensitivity or allergy? What was the most challenging and which foods did you have to be very careful with?

What about gluten? Share your thoughts and tips!