Vegan Chocolate Recipe: 4 Ingredients & Sugar-Free

This easy vegan chocolate bar recipe uses chopped dates, coconut oil, cacao and maple syrup. You can also customize yours with extra nuts, dried rose, sea salt, and more.

Instead of struggling to scan ingredients at the grocery store to find vegan dark chocolate or creamy dairy-free options, make this simple yet decadent vegan chocolate recipe at home. This chocolate is also on the healthier side because it uses dates, cacao, and no refined sugar. 

This recipe was made using a cacao brick, which required grating the cacao block into smaller pieces. While you can use a cacao brick, it is also possible to find organic and fair-trade cacao powder at organic food stores and even at many conventional stores. 

There are a few suggestions for ingredients you can add to the recipe to customize the vegan chocolate. Additional ingredients such as tahini and vanilla extract/paste should be mixed in with the chocolate batter. Extra “solid” ingredients such as nuts, rose petals, and coconut flakes can be sprinkled on top of the chocolate bars near the end. 

You will also need parchment paper – or a parchment paper alternative – and a rolling pin to achieve a chocolate bar shape at the end. 

Read on to learn how to make rich, vegan chocolate. 

Vegan Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup cacao powder, sifted  
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted 
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup or agave (can also use honey for non-vegan option)
• 1 cup medjool dates, chopped

Optional ingredients:

• Organic dried rose petals, whole or ground
• Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pistachios, chopped
• Dash of vanilla paste or extract
• 1 tbsp. tahini 
• Coconut flakes
• Sea salt, to sprinkle on top 

Materials:

• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin

Step 1: Mix Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together sifted cacao powder, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and dates. Mix gently until the mixture turns into a soft paste with a fudge-like consistency. If it’s too thick, even it out with more melted coconut oil or maple syrup. If too thin, add more cacao powder. If you want to add tahini or vanilla, you can do so at this stage. 

Step 2: Roll Out and Add Toppings

Scoop about half of the cacao date mixture onto a piece of parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over the mixture, then roll it out with the rolling pin until the fudge is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Unfold the parchment paper layer, then sprinkle sea salt, nuts, rose petals, or coconut flakes on top of the cacao mixture if desired. Scoop the rest of the cacao mixture on top and fold the parchment paper back over. Roll the cacao mixture out again until the top layer is even and flat (though it will not be perfect). 

Step 3: Serve and Store

You can eat your vegan chocolate bar as it is, or transfer it to the freezer (still covered with parchment paper) and let it sit for about half an hour. To serve, cut bars into squares. The longer the bars sit at room temperature, the softer they will become. You can store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Read more:

• Can You Freeze Chocolate? What You Need to Know
• Chocolate Snowball Cookies That are Vegan & Delicious
• Why Drink Fair Trade Coffee? Facts, Myths, and Brands

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Tags: Desserts Food Guide Recipes Vegan