5 from 3 ratings

This easy small batch dark chocolate recipe is creamy and delicious, sweetened naturally with only honey or maple syrup. Once you learn how to make chocolate at home, you may not want to go back to store bought again!

Three bars of homemade dark chocolate on parchment paper with a blue and tan checkered napkin.

"I have tried your dark chocolate recipe, and I must say, "Wow!" It not only tastes amazing but also reminds me of my favorite organic super dark chocolate. Now, I have the option to make it at home when I don't have time to buy one. Thank you!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Claudia, One Happy Dish reader

I love making chocolate bars right in my own kitchen. It's just so satisfying to know exactly what ingredients went into them and that they haven't been sitting on a shelf in wrappers for who knows how long. Plus, they really are SO delicious. Trust me when I say that you probably won't want to go back to store-bought after you try this recipe. As DIY chocolate recipes go, this is one of the easiest with no prior experience required.

Pro tip: Keep in mind that this easy chocolate recipe is untempered, meaning that it doesn't include the more complicated process of cooling and reheating the chocolate at specific temperatures to stabilize the sugar crystals. But while this chocolate melts a little more easily at room temperature and doesn't have the same "snap" as a store-bought bar, it's every bit as delicious. 🙂

🌿 Ingredients

Cacao powder, cacao butter, vanilla extract and raw honey on a brown wood table.

The ingredients for this recipe are very minimal, with the two key ingredients being cacao powder and cacao butter (affiliate links). Most larger natural foods stores sell them, but you can also order them online. Also, free free to substitute unsweetened cocoa powder for the raw cacao powder, and maple syrup instead of honey to make vegan chocolate. Some optional add-ins include:

chopped almonds, cashews or peanuts
chopped dried cranberries

See recipe card below for exact quantities.

⚙️ Equipment recommendation

The main item you'll need to make your own chocolate is a silicone chocolate bar mold (affiliate link.) But if you don't have a mold, you can simply line a shallow baking dish with some parchment paper to make one large chocolate sheet, and then break it into pieces once it's cooled.

A double boiler (affiliate link) is helpful for melting the chocolate if you have one, but you could also just use a stainless steel bowl over a pot instead.

📝 Instructions

Chopped almonds and dried cranberries with a sharp knife on a purple cutting board. — Finely chop your favorite nuts, dried fruits or other add-ins if you'd like to add any.

Chocolate bar mold partially filled with chopped almonds, dried cranberries and sea salt. — Place your add-ins into one or more sections of a chocolate mold.

Cocoa butter chunks in a black plastic measuring cup on a brown wood table. — Chop any large chunks of cacao butter into smaller ones before you measure it.

Cocoa butter melting in a stainless steel bowl. — Melt the cacao butter completely and then remove from the heat.

Melted cocoa butter and honey in a stainless steel bowl. — Use a whisk to mix in the honey.

Freshly made melted dark chocolate in a stainless steel mixing bowl with a whisk. — Add the cacao powder and salt, and whisk everything again until smooth.

Freshly made chocolate poured into a chocolate bar mold on a brown wood table. — Pour the melted mixture evenly among the mold sections.

🥧 Serving suggestions

I love to simply keep these chocolate bars on hand in the fridge for when I just want a quick bite of something sweet. If you have any left over though, you can use your homemade chocolate in other recipes such as this chocolate bark or these chocolate covered raspberries.

You could also melt and use it as chocolate sauce, or use this 2-minute chocolate sauce recipe for an even faster sauce.

🍳 Recipe

Three bars of homemade dark chocolate on parchment paper.

Homemade Dark Chocolate (Small Batch)

Allison Campbell

5 from 3 ratings

Learn how to make delicious homemade dark chocolate in a small batch using simple ingredients. Easy, customizable, and perfect for beginners.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings: 6 (3 small bars)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European

Calories: 225

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

½ cup cacao butter (see notes)
⅓ cup raw honey or maple syrup for vegan (see notes)
½ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch sea salt

Optional add-ins:

chopped almonds, cashews or peanuts
chopped dried cranberries

Equipment

chocolate bar mold (see notes)
double boiler optional; you can also use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan (see notes)
cutting board
chef's knife for chopping any add-ins

Method

Finely chop any optional add-ins if you'd like to add them to your chocolate bars, and place them in one or more sections of a chocolate bar mold.
chopped almonds, cashews or peanuts, chopped dried cranberries
Place the cacao butter in a double boiler and start warming it using about an inch of water in the bottom of the boiler over medium heat. Continue to heat the cacao butter slowly until it just melts, and then remove the top of the double boiler to a heat safe surface or cooling rack.
½ cup cacao butter
Whisk in the honey followed by the cacao powder and salt until the mixture is smooth. Take a taste of your melted chocolate to test the flavor; add a little more honey, if desired, to reach your preferred sweetness.
⅓ cup raw honey, ½ cup cacao powder, pinch sea salt
Place your chocolate mold onto a cutting board to keep it flat as it chills, and then carefully pour the melted chocolate evenly among the mold sections until the chocolate is level with the top surface of the mold. If you have any leftover chocolate, you can line any size container with parchment paper and add the rest of the chocolate to that to cool.
Carefully transfer the chocolate bar mold to the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes to solidify (keep it on the cutting board for easy transfer.)
Remove the chocolate bars from the mold by slowly pulling the sides of the mold away, and then store your bars in the fridge in an airtight container for best results. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 3gSugar: 16gVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Chocolate bar mold: If you don't have a mold, you can simply line a shallow baking dish with some parchment paper to make one large chocolate sheet, and then break it into pieces once it's cooled.

Double boiler: If you don't have a double boiler, just place a stainless steel mixing bowl over a saucepan with an inch of water in it, and heat to medium. When you remove the bowl, be careful as you lift it off the saucepan so that the steam below doesn't burn you; try to lift it off towards you rather than off to one side.

Cacao butter: If your cacao butter is in large chunks rather than mostly smaller pieces, chop the large chunks into smaller ones first before you measure it, for better accuracy.

Sweetness: You can experiment with using slightly less honey or maple syrup if you like your dark chocolate more on the bitter rather than semi sweet side (I'd recommend ¼ cup to start). If it's not sweet enough when you do a taste test just add a little more and keep mixing and testing.

Storage: Homemade chocolate bars will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. I don't recommend storing homemade chocolate at room temperature especially in warmer climates, as it does melt easily once it's warmed.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd absolutely love for you to !