Vegan Chocolate Macadamia Bars

Turned vegan but miss chocolate desserts? Try this vegan/dairy-free dark chocolate bar recipe! Made with cacao powder, this chocolate bar is the best you will have! 

Satisfy your chocolate cravings in just 10 minutes and that too using basic pantry staples!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Earth Echo Foods. The opinions and texts are all mine.

Fan of chocolates

Don't be surprised if I say that I was not! Growing up, I was one of those kids who never liked chocolate. I would get a lot of flak for it from my friends though. 

But I think I got that from my dad. He didn't enjoy chocolate the way my mom and brother did. So ever since I was a kid, chocolate never tempted me. 

This changed after I met KR. He of course devours everything chocolate. I slowly have begun to enjoy it, especially dark chocolate.

Blissful cacao

I always wanted to make dark chocolate bars for him! Finally, the opportunity has arrived, thanks to Earth Echo Foods. 

They sent me their hamper which consisted of cacao powder, a milk frother, a beautiful ceramic mug, and a recipe book.

When thinking of what recipe to create using their high-quality cacao powder, Chocolate bars were the first thing that came to my mind.

This healthy chocolate is 100% Organic and contains no Sugar or Dairy. What I also loved about Earth Foods as a company is how invested they are in keeping our planet first.

Their mission and vision revolve around mother earth. Earth Echo Foods Cacao Bliss can be used in multiple ways in the kitchen.

You can add it to your daily smoothie, make energy balls, or use it in any recipe that calls for cocoa powder. 

If you order from their website directly, Cookilicious readers will get an exclusive 15% discount! Click here to avail of that offer. 

You can easily order for them via Amazon or from their website directly. They are also available at leading grocery stores like Walmart. 

Cacao vs cocoa

This is a very popular query. People are often confused between the two. Are they the same or different?

Both are similar yet there is a distinct difference between cacao powder and cocoa powder. Besides just the spelling, here are some key differences:

• Cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature. Cacao is considered to be the purest form of chocolate because it is raw and less processed.
• Cacao has higher antioxidant content than cocoa products. It is also one of the best sources of antioxidants, iron, fiber, and magnesium.
• Cacao also has a stronger and slightly more bitter flavor when compared with cocoa powder. 

They can be used interchangeably though. However, cacao powder is a better and smarter choice. 

Why make it

While no one needs a reason to make chocolate, here are some if you still need a little bit of coaxing:

• dairy-free/vegan dark chocolate bar recipe
• Made with cacao chocolate
• made with basic pantry essentials
• a no-cook dessert
• safe for involving kids to make it
• loved by all across ages

Raw Cacao powder - Using the right and good quality cacao powder is very essential to this recipe. I have used Cacao Bliss from Earth Echo Foods. 

I have used cacao powder in the Vegan Chocolate Coconut Ice cream recipe as well.

Maple syrup gives this dark chocolate a mildly sweet flavor.

Vegan milk and butter - I have used oat milk and raw cacao butter here. You can either buy ready cacao butter or quickly make it at home.

Oil - I have used pumpkin seed oil in this recipe. But you can also use coconut, avocado, or olive oil. 

Macadamia nuts - Toast and roughly chop them before using. Roasting the nuts gives it a nice aroma and crunchy flavor. 

Vanilla extract and sea salt complete this dessert. You can also use Himalayan pink salt/regular salt instead of sea salt.

1. In a mixing bowl, add cacao powder.
2. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract.
3. Followed by milk. Use milk at room temperature.
4. Add cacao butter. If also adding nut butter, then add at this point.

5. Next, add the pumpkin seed oil and sea salt. Mix it all together till it's smooth using a whisk.
6. Roast and roughly chop the macadamia nuts. Add them to this bowl.
7. Mix the nuts into the chocolate batter.
8. Immediately pour the batter into chocolate bar molds. Ensure that it's spread evenly. Tap a bit to release air bubbles if any. Freeze for 2 hours. Then carefully de-mold.

Serving suggestions 🍽

While one does not need a serving idea for these vegan/dairy-free dark chocolate bars, there are still some innovative ways to serve them. You can simply have it as is or serve it with hot milk. 

This vegan chocolate dessert is great for midnight snacking, serving on date nights, or as an after-school snack.  You can also enjoy this when craving something sweet or chocolate!

Instead of making it plain, there are many ways you can customize these vegan/dairy-free dark chocolate bars to your needs and occasion.

Top recipe tips 💭

Cacao or cocoa butter will help set the chocolate bars. It's a key ingredient here. Do not skip it. However, any nut butter cannot be used as a substitute.

In place of vanilla extract, you can use other flavoring agents like hazelnut, orange, or even almond extract.

If you don't have chocolate bar molds, use any molds available to you. However, you can find these bar molds on Amazon and even at Joann's/Micheal's in their baking aisle. 

Recipe FAQs 📖

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