Dairy Free Homemade Chocolate Chips

     Have you ever wanted to bake something with chocolate chips in it and looked in the pantry to find out you didn't have any?  I have and it's so frustrating!  A couple weeks ago, I found out that C could no longer have dairy.  All the chocolate chips we had in the house had milk in them.   I decided to experiment with different dairy-free recipes I have seen on-line.

  The first one I tried was from Whole New Mom.  Her recipe called for agave nectar as the sweetener.  I did not have agave, but I used sugar instead.  The chocolate was bitter(too much cocoa powder) and crunchy(sugar did not dissolve).    Overall, I liked the concept of making my own chocolate so I kept this recipe in my mind.

    The second recipe I tried was from Heavenly Homemakers.  I absolutely love her site.  This recipe wasn't bitter, like the recipe above, but  it wasn't chocolaty enough.    She uses butter, but the recipe says you can also use coconut oil so I did.  I'm not sure, but I think the butter would taste much better, but I was looking for a dairy free version so butter was not an option. ( I did try a batch with dairy free butter and it was not a success).  She used sucanet for her sweetener and it made the chocolate crunchy.

   After testing those recipes out and making chocolate several times, I decided to combine the best of the 2 recipes to make my own adapted version of homemade chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• Coconut Oil (I use Trader Joes)
• Cocoa Powder
• Vanilla
• Agave Nectar

1.  Melt 1 cup of Coconut Oil in a saucepan on low heat.

2.  Once melted, remove Coconut oil from heat and stir in 1/2  cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and agave nectar to taste.  I usually add 6-8 Tablespoons of agave.  The more you add, the softer the chocolate is.  (It doesn't set up as well).  Taste the chocolate to decide if you need more.  But I would rather have it be a little softer and taste delicious. 

3.  Pour the chocolate in a small pan.  I use a 9 x 9 round cake pan because that's what I have.  Place in refrigerator or freezer to set.  

4.  After 1 hour, it should be set. (I usually don't wait longer than 20 minutes).  Take it out and cut into small chunks.

 So yummy!  I could eat the whole bowl full.

 You could also serve it in individual glasses for a special treat.

 C approved!  That's saying a lot when it comes to eating dairy and wheat free.

This chocolate is delicious.  Go in the kitchen and make some right now!  C did not like the first 2 recipes I made, but she loves my adapted version!  It takes 5 minutes to make and that is all.  You can eat it plain, add it in baked oatmeal, or add it in granola.   It is easy to make and delicious. 

Please note:  These are different from the chocolate chips at the store; they are pure and soft.  When baked, they melt.  If you put them  in the right dish, they make a delicious, yummy recipe.  If you are making these you are most likely looking for a healthier, gluten and dairy-free, or homemade chocolate chip recipe.  Please keep that in mind and enjoy.


Thanks for stopping by!

Shawna

I"m linking to: Blissful and Domestic, One Artsy Mama, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Clean and Scentsible, Thirty Handmade Days, made in a day, At The Picket Fence, cute everything, I Heart Nap Time, Tatertots and Jello, Skip to My Lou, a bowl full of lemons, under the table and dreaming, Creations by Kara