Chocolate Bars Recipe
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This chocolate bars recipe is the perfect sweet treat to stash in your freezer for sweet tooth emergencies!
Chocolate doesn’t have to be unhealthy. While you still want to enjoy it in moderation (hello calories!), chocolate is actually perfectly healthy stuff!
What makes it unhealthy? Everything that gets added to it. So instead of buying chocolate bars at the store that are totally unhealthy and bad for you, here’s how to make them easily at home with far healthier ingredients!
And yes, these make great gifts for special occasions!
About The Ingredients
Unsweetened chocolate – Choose your chocolate carefully. The higher the cocoa content the healthier it will be! (Dark chocolate anyone?)
Coconut oil – Use virgin oil that is hard at room temperature. This is a critical ingredient for your bars getting hard enough in the fridge or freezer to actually become a bar instead of liquid chocolate.
Granular sweetener – I used xylitol because it’s easier on my blood sugar. But any granular sweetener will work here. Try Sucanat, coconut sugar, or even monk fruit!
Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but any fine salt will do the trick here.
Chocolate Bar Flavorings
If you want to add flavoring to your chocolate bars, here are some suggestions. Use one or all!
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts will work well here!)
How To Make This Chocolate Bars Recipe
In a small slow cooker (you can use a double boiler too), melt your chocolate on low, stirring once or twice as it melts.
When melted, stir in the coconut oil and melt fully.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour the chocolate into chocolate bar molds and set in the fridge. Once they are a little solid, you can move them to the freezer if you need them to harden faster.
Remove from mold and keep in the fridge or freezer at all times.
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Chocolate Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Chocolate bar molds OR a small cookie sheet with sides
Ingredients
- 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1¼ cup granular sweetener
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- In a small slow cooker (you can use a double boiler too), melt your chocolate on low, stirring once or twice as it melts.
- When melted, stir in the coconut oil and melt fully.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the chocolate into chocolate bar molds and set in the fridge. Once they are a little solid, you can move them to the freezer if you need them to harden faster.
- Remove from mold and keep in the fridge or freezer at all times.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted 8/5/12.
Made these tonight and snuck a taste (or two) before they were fully hardened. Oh my, these are good!! I am out of cayenne but will definitely add that next time too. Yum! Now, to not eat the whole batch!!!
Natalie – I thought that would be my problem too! But the good news is, a little goes a long way. They are very satisfying, so 1 bar is generally enough.
I am assuming that I need to heat this while mixing. Is this correct? Can’t wait to whip these up tonight. I need a chocolate fix!
Darlene – Correct. Keep the heat low.
Thank you! I tried these, and OH my goodness! Love this! Now… self control. self control. self control. haha!
Darlene – Haha!!! Ya, but thankfully they are rich enough that a little will go a long way. Enjoy!!
Someone added oats- how much and how did you add it? That sounds really yummy!
I don’t really like coconut, but I think I’d have to make an exception for these. 🙂
I’ve never used coconut oil. Do I measure it cold and then heat it while I whisk the ingredients together or can I liquify the oil first??
Sonja – Either way. 🙂
I LOVE your recipes! I make at least one per week, and have shared your website with all my friends! I have lost 40 pounds by switching to a clean eating lifestyle, and slowly but surely I am converting them all to clean eating! Thank you!
I had a question about this recipe. My friend and I made fudge with coconut oil and it was awful! Just tasted like oily coconut. Is there something else you could sub for the coconut oil? I love Hershey’s bars, and its been hard to give them up!
Susan – Not on this one. You need an oil that will solidify. I suppose you could try butter, but I have no idea how that would work out. I have to say though that these do not taste like oily coconut. At least not to me!
Can I use wax paper instead of parchment paper? Also if I want to add peanut butter how much?
Jennifer – You could, but wax paper is not the healthiest way to go. The wax particles get into your food. I wouldn’t add peanut butter to the bars themselves. I would just spread some on after they have been frozen. That, or layer the chocolate with peanut butter in muffin papers to make peanut butter cups.
Thank you!
Jennifer – My pleasure!
I made these today and they are good but very rich and more like fudge. Is that how they are suppose to be?
Jennifer – Yes, they are very rich. A little goes a long way.
I just made this recipe as their is an allergy to tree nuts in our home so I avoid them all and used with butter. They smell delicious and in the liquid form it is heaven. Cannot wait until it hardens some to let you know the final outcome. So far though they are amazing!! thank you for all of these wonderful recipes!!
Nikki – Thanks! But if you have a tree nut allergy, wouldn’t that also include coconuts? Just curious. Don’t want anybody to get sick!
Yes, We avoided them and used Butter instead of coconut oil. They taste amazing! EVERYONE in the home cannot get enough.
Nikki – Oh good!!! Glad to hear the butter worked! 😀
Do you taste the chili powder? Do you have to use it?
Christiane – No, you don’t have to use it. It gives them a little spice, which in hindsight, I would not do again. But they were good!
I mixed carob powder & olive oil, for a lovely texture. Then I tried to add vanilla extract. Then it started to get rough & lumpy. Added honey but it doesn’t seem to blend. I scooped them into the mold anyway, Hoping it set later in the chiller. Will try another round later with only 1 tsp of vanilla extract & a pinch of salt.
Elaine – It could be the carob. I’ve never tried it with carob. Try adding the vanilla after the honey and cutting it in half. Maybe that will help. Let me know how it goes!
I’ve a girlfriend who loves chocolates. Who doesn’t, but after taking chocolates, she’ll release very stinky human gas. Hence I’m trying to use carob as a substitute. But the cocoa is not that strong & the vco is a bit strong. Any suggestions?
Elaine – Maybe try adding some extracts?
What’s the difference between essence & extract? Does chocolate/cocoa extract contain traces of cocoa?
Elaine – An essence is usually chemically derived and would not be considered clean. Opt for extracts that are pure. (no added sugars or flavorings)
Due to some health reasons I have to avoid any kind of sugar subsitue. My doctor also forbid to eat fruit sugar or any other sweetener since all that feeds the Candida albicans. Basicly I can just eat vegteables and meat and stuff like that. So I am searching for alternatives. Do you think this recepy would work with any sweetener at all or would it taste too bitter?
Gwen – It would be pretty darn bitter. Have you asked about stevia? Stevia is not a sugar at all and may allow you to have something at least moderately sweet. It’s worth asking your doctor about!
Yes, stevia is allowed. Thanks! I’m gonna try this recipy then. 🙂
Gwen – Great! I hope you enjoy it! Just be aware of the conversion between sugars and stevia. Stevia requires much less!!