Okay, I already know what you’re thinking. Homemade chocolate chips? Why would I make something that is so easy to buy? I thought the same thing before I found reasons to make my own. It started with an intolerance to dairy that developed after I was pregnant with my first son. I found non-dairy chocolate chips at a local natural grocery store but, they were double the price of the semi sweet ones I used to get at Trader Joes. It was then that I started doing research and came across some recipes for chocolate chips and thought it would be great to make them sugar free. Another perk about making your own is using all cacao products as opposed to coco. I love adding cacao powder to my hot drinks and smoothies. Cacao, according to the ORAC scale, is the highest antioxidant food that we know of! Anti-cancer and beauty power, yes please! I love finding new ways to add it to my foods.

I soon came across a recipe by Forest and Fauna that captured exactly what I wanted to create. I tried this recipe and loved how they turned out. I love the flavor the maple sugar gives it and the soft texture of the chips from the cacao butter and coconut oil. I give Forest and Fauna full credit but, thought I’d share my spin on their recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs Cacao butter
• 2 Tbs Coconut oil
• 5 Tbs Cacao powder
• 3 Tbs Maple sugar

How To

In a medium sauce pan bring about 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Place cacao butter and coconut oil in glass cup and place in sauce pan. Keep glass cup in sauce pan till cacao butter and coconut oil have melted. Once melted mix in cacao powder and maple sugar until completely combined. I first tried using coconut sugar but, that was a mistake because it doesn’t completely dissintergrate. Forest and Fauna had the brilliant idea to let chocolate mixture cool in a silicone trivet, which also works as a mold. Spread chocolate evenly over trivet and place in freezer for about an hour. Since I use coconut oil the mixture is on the softer side, letting it freeze for longer is better. Turn trivet over and work out chocolate chips into a bowl for storage. Store in fridge. Yum Yum Yum!