Do you have 5 minutes for chocolate?
There is such thing as easy, healthy, delicious chocolate! Guess what else? It's actually good for you and your kids (no sugar crash!) π
I got so many people asking me about chocolates recently! With Easter, chocolates and treats were hopping out of the woodwork everywhere!
I had forgotten it was Easter since I'm half way across the world from my family but it got me thinking... how could I help them this year?
Instead of buying all the boxed stuff from the store that has a lot of not good for you ingredients what if I could share an easy recipe to satisfy the fix?! One people will actually have the time to try! ;)
A little background on why I make my own:
When I was little, I was what my mom called a weird kid. I wanted dark chocolate like my aunt who was turned onto healthy foods and taught me about the black chocolate she preferred to the normal sugary milk filled stuff I was used to.
See, unfortunately for my wonderful auntie, she had been diagnosed with cancer and so being the smart cookie she was, changed a lot of her every day life... including food choices! Amazing role model am I right? Guess what? My aunt is a survivor and I am a firm believer a big part of that is because of this kind of thing right here: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
Chocolate comes from a pod. It is a plant when it starts its journey here in the world but somehow gets smothered in milk and sugars and random lab ingredients along the way. How sad is that?
Now there are versions upon versions of the various candies that normally frequent the stores worldwide and the original plant is harder to find! I'm talking about the chocolate bunnies, the colorful eggs filled with all kinds of liquidy-ness, and even those smashable chocolate things that taste that oranges.
A lot of artificial gets mixed up with the plant making it, no longer so good for us. But if we take it back to basics and make our own, it's not only better for us, but in my opinion much better tasting!
I'm sure I don't need to tell you more so remind you, none of that is very good for us!
So, instead of me lecturing and us going down this huge nutritional rabbit hole, why don't I just skip to the good stuff and offer you a solution? :)
What you need: CREATIVITY!
- Peanut butter (check the ingredients, ideally you want peanuts and sea salt, that's it!)
- Coconut Oil
- Maple Syrup
- Raw cacao powder (or melted dark chocolate- make sure there are no nasty ingredients in it!)
I use raw cacao powder because it is raw and pure from the plant. There is nothing added to it and therefore it's bitter so sweetness is essential to add to it! - Coconut Milk (I make my own but again, check the ingredients, a lot of weird stuff gets added to keep it fresh!)
- Vanilla
- Sea Salt
- Cinnamon (optional)
- Cupcake/cake/ice tray (so many kitchen items will work, even just a container!)
What to do: (I made these in 5 minutes. I did it so fast that I didn't take step-by-step like usual but you'll be OK, I promise!)
I'm not going to give you measurements here because that's not how this chocolate works! It's your own creativity that will cause the most delicious treats to be tasted by you!
- Why not let the kids make their own?
It's really easy and really fast if you don't have much time!
- If you need help: Start with about 1 cup of cacao and work from there, adding in coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla and cinnamon by taste!
I start with the chocolate and add about the same amount in liquid (ex: 1/2 cup coco milk, 1/2 cup cocon oil) then add about 1/4 cup peanut butter and judge the maple syrup based on how sweet it is as well as how thick the mixture is.
You want it to be pourable, but not too liquidy! (Though even if it is liquid, it will still work so it's not a problem and you need'nt worry!)
Pour the mixture into your containers and put in the freezer until they set.
Take them out when you are ready to eat, let them thaw a bit on the counter or dig right in and treat them like an icecream!
THAT IS IT!
Now you have your own chocolate that you can feel good about serving to your family!
How great is that?
In the end, I bet you save money because with the ingredients needed you could make so many chocolates you wouldn't know what to do with them all anddd you can make them again and again! =D
A lot of HEART was put into this post for you so if you like it, I accept upvotes for my services! <3
I truly believe we can heal ourselves through food and it is my mission in life to create and inspire delicious, mouth watering creations that are beneficial and packed full of plant based goodies to fuel our bodies, minds and lives! π
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Until next time!
Sending you love through food, travel, inspiration and epic storytime!
XO,
Beautiful, beautiful! I just made a chocolate dish this morning...can't wait to share it with you. I find chocolate just makes one happy. I am so glad you are posting these ideas so everyone can learn how much easier, cheaper and HEALTHIER these chocolate treats are! Fantastic post! Blessings to you!
Maybe that's why I'm so much happier than I used to be.... because I eat chocolate all of the time! ;)
I can't wait to see your recipe and hope that it comes with a review from the MR! ;)
Hey there, great recipes, I too have been making chocolate this week and am so impressed with its deliciousness I wonder why I didn't try it years ago! Now I can give my family and friends treats without poisoning them with that evil sugar, hooray!!!
I have finally got round to sending you some interview questions in Chat by the way. Whenever you get time is fine! x
Oh wow, you mean to say that after all of the SCC challenges, this is your first whack at trying your own chocolate? I am actually super shocked by this, knowing you! I'm really excited to hear how it turns out for you <3
It actually makes me squeam inside knowing that so many kids are being stuffed full of poison every holiday. -_- Especially whenever we can put an end to it by making our own! Hopefully more momma's like you start getting on board <3
Ohhhh awesome, I am just in transit over the next couple of days for my joyous visa run buttt I will try to check them out/answer them/play around with them on the plane :)
No hurry, just when you get chance is fine :-) My folks are visiting until Wednesday, and then I'll no doubt have so many things to catch up afterwards, so take your time!
Yeah, I know it seems funny I never made my own chocolate before, but I really don't eat many sweet things and tend to snack on seeds and nuts rather than choc treats! But I made some for my parents' visit as my Mum has a sweet tooth and I'm hoping to switch her over to sugar free alternatives.
A couple weeks ago there was a lady in the checkout queue in front of me and my little boy, and after she paid she turned around and handed us a packet of Jelly Babies, and said it was a treat for my son as he'd been giving her lovely smiles... I didn't have the heart to tell her I wouldn't give him Jelly Babies if it was the last food item in the plantet, as it was a nice gesture, but on the other hand she clearly doesn't equate sugar with poison. Scary how quick people are to stuff children full of these things :-(
Aww that's lovely, I hope you have a wonderful time with them :) I am just getting back home and promise I will check out my messages and get those answers back to you as soon as I am caught up :)
I'd love to know how Mum thinks of them- you'll have to let me know if she notices ;)
It's sad that what was perceived to be a nice gesture in effect is poisoning... I don't know what that candy is but I can only imagine and it makes me cringe. Not good for growing children that is for sure. I dream of a day where candies and treats aren't full of toxins. It's up to us to keep pushing the message and demanding the change <3
Absolutely, yes, if ever I get the opportunity to have some kind of shop/cafe/whatever I will be making healthy alternatives to candy treats and snacks! I think people would be amazed that you can enjoy these things even without sugar. My Mum loved the chocolates, I was thrilled! She said she actually prefers them to her usual Cadbury's chocolates, and said she had no idea you could make choc without sugar or milk!
I opened this tab and never responded. That is just terrible and I'm so sorry. I haven't been online very much lately as I've been trying to get my garden going while I have the wonderful weather here :)
I think it would be amazing if you could start one! I'm in the works of possibly doing something similar myself and seems like @amy-goodrich and @moonunit are also in the midst of projects. Steemit vegans are on the loose and taking over ;)
I'm so happy to hear your mum liked them, that's no surprise since you were behind them but half the battle to getting people to kick nasty sugar to the curb ;)
I didn't know you had green fingers Heart, that's great! I wish I did, but I know very little. Where we live isn't very good growing ground as it's full of rocks (the most rocky you've ever seen!) and very poor soil too. And then there's all the coastal storms that blow your polytunnels and greenhouses to bits (or up trees which is what happened to our last one!) But we'll be moving this year, not sure where to yet, lots of ideas up in the air.
Yes, I'm aware Amy has been busy, and I must pop by @moonunit's blog for a wee nosey what he's been up to! So if you're thinking of a similar project, does that mean you've found a place to settle down in at last? Or will you still travel around? Your lifestyle really fascinates me... I admire the way you live I really do!
I have all the ingredients for this! Totally going to try π
Yay! Personally because I am a peanut butter fanatic I love adding it in but I never used to when I first started! Experiment though and see what you like best :)
This is all I ever need!! Love to make my own chocolate!!
I know right?! I can't imagine buying storebought stuff! Well, sometimes they do have good ingredient chocolates if you're looking in the right places nowadays so I do find myself looking from time to time to see if they truly are good or not ;)
Yes sometimes I actually find raw, organic, sugar free vegan chocolate!! I love it, but most of the time I make my own as it is way cheaper;)
You're right, even if it is found it's usually crazy expensive to buy =D
These look so good. I have always been a dark chocolate lover too. It's the best one. Definitely when homemade. though dark belgian choclate is pretty good!
I love home made chocolate! Thanks for sharing this @heart-to-heart.
Isn't it the best? I'm working on my sister who eats things straight from the box but if I were around, I'm sure I could convert her to these ;)
Chocolate lovers πβ€π
Yes! I am a huge chocolate lover as I am sure you will see on my blog ;)
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TrufflePigWowwww awesome thanks trufflepig :) I really appreciate you appreciating this post =D
wow very nice post master @heart-to-heart
I have meresteem dab upvote this post, so I do not miss a very good infirmation for health and food.
good post master @heart-to-heart
I love cacao mixed with peanut butter.............I don't even add any coconut oil, just coconut water or, even filtered water works. One of the best and easiest snacks. Super delicious Sweetie, well done πΈππΈ
I hear you! Sometimes the easiest ways are just as delicious as the 3 hour cakes, aren't they? ;) I think chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven :)
Hi!! I've never seen your posts before, but @littlenewthings said to say hey to you, because we're both in Bali! I met up with a lot of people in #teammalaysia when I was in KL a couple of weeks ago.
I LOVE the desserts you made! Especially with that typical Bali flower in it. Not sure what that flower is called...but it's everywhere. It even fell into my smoothie bowl once! haha free gift, yay! Anyway, nice to meet ya!
Hey @nomadicsoul- nice to meet you =D I missed the #teammalaysia meet up when I was in KL since I only ever go in and go quickly but I got the chance to meet @littlenewthings luckily!
That flower is called frangipani :) I love it! I have a couple of trees at my house with different colors! They find their way into my food pictures all of the time!
=D
It's really fun to meet a fellow Steemian here in Bali :) Thanks for reaching out to me! Hopefully sometime we can meet! <3
Yay thanks for telling me what it's called! I have them where I'm staying, too! Are you in Canggu or Ubud? Or somewhere else?
Hey @nomadicsoul you found @heart-to-heart post! yay!
You gals are making me want to take a short trip to Bali LOL....
("dying" here without a vacay outside Malaysia...)
Hey @littlenewthings thanks for linking us up :)
Most welcome!
I got to try this when I am home with my mom. My dad loves chocolate but he is more on the sweet side while my mom has come to accustom to love the dark chocolates as I do.
Maybe I can check out from the Hive and see if there are raw cacao powder and get all the ingredients ready before trying this out with my mom.
Question: If you want the chocolate to try to stay in our tropical temperature (in case I want to pack it as a gift) which ingredient should I concentrate to make sure it stays set a little longer without relying on the fridge?