Homemade Paleo Chocolate Chunks

I have been making variations on homemade chocolate for quite a while now.  From coconut oil to bacon fat freezer chocolate, I love experimenting with ways to replicate the beloved chocolate bar.  Regardless of how much of a savory-foods lover I have become, chocolate is something I will always love.  However, most all (except Lily's stevia sweetened) chocolate chips are packed with cane sugar, something I stopped eating many years ago due to it giving me headaches. There are many great vegan and raw chocolate bars out there that use coconut sugar or maple syrup (such as "Not Your Sugar Mamas"), however, sugar of any type is something I have to stay away from. Therefore, being able to make my own variations with stevia or chicory root, is something I have enjoyed as a special treat every few months.  One of the reasons that I 90% of the time avoid chocolate, is that cocoa is extremely high in phytic acid, a compound very irritating to those with an already compromised GI track.  Another reason is that sugar substitutes all tend to have hidden secrets.  Besides usually being packaged with added fillers and ingredients, seemingly healthy sweeteners such as xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and even stevia, have all been shown to mess with hormone balance, insulin sensitivity, metabolic function (and thus weight gain), protein synthesis, and gut bacteria.  Due to these side effects, I usually try limit my intake of substitutes (much like regular sugar) to special occasions or treats like today's homemade chocolate. 

Today's recipe uses maple sugar, which I personally love to get from a local provider, "Fabyan Sugar Shack." However, as noted above, you can truly use any sugar or substitute that fits into your diet. Though I cut the chocolate up into chunks for baking, the variations of what you do with this recipe are pretty much endless.  With only 3 ingredients and 4 basic steps, this homemade variety is any chocolate-lover's dream.  Raw cocoa butter can be a bit pricey depending on where you get it.  However, most places are simply giving you a truly good-quality product, making it completely work it for those unable to eat cane-sugar filled chocolate products.  Besides the taste, my favorite thing about making today's recipe is that the entire house ends up smelling like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. 

Homemade Chocolate Chunks 

(Print Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cocoa butter
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• Pinch of salt

Process

• Chop cocoa butter in like size cubes and place in a heat proof bowl, big enough to fit over a small pot.

• In a small pot filled with 1-2 inches of water, heat on high until a full boil and then lower to low.
• Place cocoa butter filled bowl over the pot and let the cocoa butter slowly melt *Make sure the water does not come to a boil.

• Stir occasionally, taking off the heat once mostly all the cocoa butter is melted *The rest will melt simply due to the hot, already melted cocoa butter.
• Once fully melted, pour cocoa butter back into your measuring cup to get the exact measurement. *It should be 1 cup.

• Next, whisk is maple sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
• Pour chocolate into a glass pie plate and place into the freezer to fully harden. *This will take around 1 hour.

• Once hardened, lightly tap the chocolate out of the pie plate onto a cutting board, using a knife to cut chocolate into desired shapes. *I cut mine into chocolate chip-like chunks.

• Store in plastic bag or a glass jar in freezer, fridge, or pantry. *The chocolate will only melt under extreme heat such as in an oven, not room temperature like coconut oil. 

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1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."