You must try this vegan and sugar free chilli chocolates recipe from The Balanced Kitchen!
You will need: Silicone moulds
Ingredients
Option 1 – coconut oil Coconut Oil gives a creamier texture and tends to melt more easily in warmer weather if left at room temp. Cheapest option and easy to prepare.
- 100 g coconut oil
- 25 g raw cacao powder
- 1.5 tbsp xylitol – powdered xylitol ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 pinch chilli powder
Option 2 – 100% dark chocolate 100% dark chocolate is becoming more widely available in supermarkets and shops. This recipe is mid-price, of the three options, is easy to prepare and gives a nice, hard consistency for finished chocolates.
- 100 g 100% dark chocolate
- 1.5 tbsp xylitol – powdered xylitol ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 pinch chilli powder
Option 3 – cacao butter
Cacao butter is more expensive and harder to source (health shop or buy online) but can be kept in the freezer and melted down as needed. Best bought in button-sized pieces for ease of using the quantity needed. Gives a harder consistency than coconut oil for the chocolates once prepared.
- 100 g cacao butter
- 25 g dark cocoa powder
- 1.5 tbsp xylitol – powdered xylitol ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 pinch chilli powder
Method
1. For all options, begin by melting the Coconut Oil / Dark Chocolate / Cacao Butter in a bain-marie (place a bowl over the top of a pan which has two inches of water in it. Heat the water over a medium heat until the ingredients have melted, stirring continuously. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. 2. Once the coconut oil/dark chocolate/cacao butter has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the heat. Place the bowl on a heat proof surface and stir in the raw cacao or dark cocoa powder (NB: you do not need to add chocolate to the 100% dark chocolate option). 3. Next, add the powdered xylitol and a pinch of chilli powder and stir until combined. 4. Place the chocolate silicon mould on to a moveable flat surface (a baking tray or chopping board works well). 5. Sprinkle a small amount of orange zest into each mould. 6. Now spoon the chocolate mixture on top until each mould is full. 7. Leave to set in the fridge for a few hours before removing each chocolate from its mould and storing in a suitable airtight container. 8. It is best to eat these within 4 days of making them (not that they will last that long) as the chocolate can start to crystallise after then.
