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Learn how to make vegan chocolate bars at home with just 5 simple ingredients! It is easy to make and doesn’t contain anything funky. Perfect for kids and adults alike!
It’s that time of the year again, chocolate season! The wheater has finally cooled down to where chocolate won’t melt all over your hands in minutes. That means we are going to make (and eat) all of the chocolate we can from now until the end of winter. To help get the party started, we are making some chocolate today…from scratch! That’s right, homemade vegan chocolate bars 🙂
These chocolate bars are simple to make and only require 5 ingredients: cacao butter, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. You can also add additional ingredients as desired (nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, etc), our favorite is roasted macadamia nuts.
The most important ingredient here is cacao butter. If you’re unsure of what cacao butter is, it’s the pure oil derived from the cacao bean. It’s loaded with those “healthy fats” that we all know and love. We’re talking omegas, baby!
We used cacao butter from Sunfood, which is the best around. The cacao beans Sunfood sources are non-GMO and certified organic which is always a good thing! Also, no chemicals or solvents are ever used in the process, so you can rest assured knowing you’re enjoying the cleanest cacao butter around.
All you have to do is melt the cacao butter in a double boiler until it becomes liquid, then sift in the cacao powder and whisk in the remaining ingredients. We popped ours into chocolate molds but it is completely optional. If you want to skip these, you can line a baking sheet (or a container of your choice) with parchment paper instead. There is more info in the notes of the recipe. Sprinkle any additional ingredients on top, and then pop the warm mixture into the refrigerator or freezer for about 10-15 minutes to set.
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
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Homemade Vegan Chocolate Bars (5-Ingredients)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 full-sized chocolate bars
Description
Learn how to make vegan chocolate bars at home with just 5 simple ingredients! It is easy to make and doesn’t contain anything funky. Perfect for kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Sunfood raw cacao butter
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup Sunfood cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: Big pinch of Sunfood Pink Himalayan salt
Add-ins, such as
- 1/4 roasted nuts (we like macadamia nuts or almonds)
- Cacao nibs
- Freeze-dried fruit
Instructions
- Prepare your chocolate molds or a small baking tray. We used these chocolate molds for the recipe, but you can also use a baking sheet or a pan of choice if you do not mind the chocolate in a different shape. Simply line a baking sheet (or dish) of choice with parchment paper. It is ideal for the dish to be very narrow as it will result in a better thickness. Set aside.
- Prepare a double boiler: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and place either a fitted glass (or ceramic) bowl or another smaller pot over the water. The key here is to make sure that water does not get into the bowl or pot. Add the cacao butter and allow it to slowly melt, mixing often. Once the cacao butter has melted remove the upper bowl or pot and set it onto a pot holder on the counter.
- Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift in the cacao powder. Whisk again until uniform and smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the molds or the lined baking tray. Smooth it out with a spatula and sprinkle any additional ingredients on top. We added roasted macadamia nuts to ours.
- Pop the molds or tray mixture into the freezer overnight to set.
Notes
- Be sure to fully clean the chocolate molds. Since they are silicone, dust and other small things can stick to it, and you don’t want those in your chocolate!
- For best result, we like to store out chocolate in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag,
- It will last several weeks in the refrigerator (and even longer in the freezer).
- To roast macadamia nuts: place them on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 350F for 7-10 minutes, mixing halfway through. Check on them often during the last 5 minutes as they can burn easily!
- We used these chocolate molds for the recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack, Halloween
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-free
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Do these taste like milk chocolate or more like dark chocolate
It’s dark chocolate!
I must say, I absolutely adore this recipe! I recently tried it, and it turned out to be a true delight. The addition of vanilla extract and sea salt adds a delightful depth of flavor. I appreciate how versatile this recipe is, allowing for adjustments to suit personal taste preferences. On another note, I’m also a huge fan of vegan desserts, particularly the Vegan chocolate lava cake. It’s incredible how you managed to create such a delectable treat without any animal products. Thank you for sharing this mouthwatering recipe!
Thank you for this recipe. The chocolates were awesome. I used this mould for making chocolates.
Really liked how they turned out.
Absolutely love this recipe, I’ve used it a few times. It’s so quick and easy and tastes amazing. I altered the amount of maple syrup and salt I added to personal taste and also a little hint of cinnamon. Thank you! 🙂 I tried golden syrup in this recipe once and I wouldn’t recommend that but agave syrup was okay to use. Maple syrup is the best though.
Just made this recipe – delicious!
This is an amazing simple adaptable recipe. I have made several types of chocolates including peanut butter cups. I even use less maple syrup and it still turns out great. Thank you for letting me have healthier sweets.
This worked great.. I not only made a lovely chocolate bar, I also made peanut butter cups. It was nice not to have it melt instantly when out of the freezer.
Hi, I’m wondering if you can replace the cocoa butter with coconut oil? Thanks 🙂
Hi Angela! I have note tested this with coconut oil but I have seen this recipe https://mamainstincts.com/coconut-oil-chocolate-bars/ which did so with similar measurements and it works!
Brilliant recipe, thanks a lot! I tried it today for the first time, and the chocolate bars turned out delicious. I used roasted almonds and rough himalayan salt for “topping”, but now that I know that it works I have a dozen things i want to try!
Just one question that came to mind though, can I change the recipe somehow to make it “milkier” chocolate instead?
I am a big fan of chocolate. I didn’t even know that it was so easy to make vegan chocolate at home. Thank you for such an easy recipe!
Can this chocolate be used for baking?
We haven’t tested it, but it should work!
Is there a difference.between cocoa powder and cacao powder?
They’re similar. Cacao is just the raw version, but they can be used interchangeably.
Thank u best recepie ever ❤❤
Hi! Can i use this to break up and put in chocolate chip cookies?
absolutely!
I have worked through your recipe.
I’m left with a thick chocalate not liquid…is this how it should be?many thanks
Oh no! It should be like melted chocolate. I am thinking maybe water made it’s way into the double boiler? That may cause it to seize up.
Perfection and my 5 year old loves it. Instead of syrup we added agave. ????????????
Thanks for the recipe. I am from India and it’s difficult to find cocoa butter while cocoa power is available at any baking store. Please suggest any alternative to cocoa butter, but a vegan one.
Unfortunately cocoa butter is an essential ingredient in chocolate.
Thank you for the recipe! Quick Q: When you say 1/2 cup plus tablespoon of cocoa butter do you mean melted or not melted?
Not yet melted 🙂
Wow, an oil free candy bar that’s perfect for Halloween or Valentine’s Day? SIGN ME UP! I’d add in rose petals, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, and large chunks of sea salt in my chocolate bar!
Omg rose petals?! I never would have thought, that sounds amazing!
chocolate is always a good idea:D