How to Make Homemade Dark Chocolate Bars with Only Three Ingredients

Enjoy delicious homemade dark chocolate bars naturally sweetened with maple syrup with no refined sugar added. Super easy to customize! Learn how to make healthy chocolate bars with this step-by-step guide.

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a stack of dark chocolate bars.

Chocolate is one of my favorite indulgences. Luckily, dark chocolate is a healthier choice as far as treats go. Like these Chocolate Crunch Cups or these Chocolate Coconut Macaroons. How about an adult beverage to go along with it like this silky-rich Rumchata Hot Chocolate? Yum! Check out all of our Chocolate Recipes for inspiration.

Remember friends, dark chocolate has a healthy nutrition profile. the calories in this treat are nutritionally dense with minerals like magnesium and potassium. Great for after a workout because they help your muscles relax. Nice!

a stack of dark chocolate bars.

Ingredients And Supplies:

This recipe has a short ingredient list which I love. You only need three ingredients for the BEST dark chocolate bars.

  • cacao butter wafers – using the wafers makes everything so much easier. Just measure and go.
  • cocoa powder
  • maple syrup
ingredients laid out in measuring cups.

Chocolate bar making supplies:

  • cutting board and knife
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • small saucepan
  • candy mold
  • small spatula

This is by far my fav chocolate bar mold. I find some are too shallow if you want to add any extras like nuts etc.

a silicone candy bar mold.

How To Make Homemade Dark Chocolate

First things first, I don’t use a double boiler. I know, I know. Most instructions you read for homemade chocolate usually involve some kind of double boiler action which is when you set a bowl over a pot of boiling water and melt your cocoa butter that way. I toss mine right in the pan over medium-low heat and go for it. I find the texture is always perfect so why make more dishes?

Using the wafers makes life so easy! No chopping up chunks of the butter and even melting.

cacao wafers in a saucepan.

It takes less than five minutes for the wafers to melt.

cacao butter melting a saucepan.

Next, stir in the cocoa powder. You want to stir it really well and break up any clumps.

cacao powder being dumped into a saucepan.

Follow this by the maple syrup and keep stirring until the chocolate mixture is smooth as silk.

a spatula stirring a chocolate mixture in a saucepan.

Finally, pour the mixture into the mold. This is where you would add any extras if you wanted to customize the chocolate bar. I did half plain and half with rice crispies for this batch.

a chocolate bar mold with a chocolate mixture inside.

Tap the mold on the counter a few times to get out any air bubbles then pop the mold into the freezer to set.

A useful tip is to put the candy mold on a small cutting board before pouring the chocolate mixture in. This makes it so much easier to transfer it to the freezer by making it stable and flat.

Serving Suggestions and Substitutions

  • This is best stored in the fridge in a sealed container. It will definitely soften at room temperature.
  • Substitute honey as a sweetener. I prefer a liquid sweetener to something like granular cane sugar. Stevia is another sugar-free substitution.
  • You can substitute coconut oil for the cacao butter but it melts much quicker at room temp and isn’t quite as rich.
  • Instead of cocoa powder try raw cacao powder from cacao beans.
  • Add a teaspoon of vanilla – I prefer pure vanilla extract or even fresh from the bean if you’re feeling fancy. The taste of the real vanilla bean is incomparable.
  • Anything crunchy is always amazing – nuts for instance like pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. Rice crispies are another great way to add crunch.
  • Another fav addition is essential oils like peppermint, orange, or lavender. Be sure to use quality food-grade essential oil products only!
ingredients laid out in measuring cups.

More Healthy Chocolate Recipes

a stack of dark chocolate bars.

If you’ve tried my homemade dark chocolate bars, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!

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a stack of dark chocolate bars.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Bars

Sharon Rhodes
You can make delicious homemade dark chocolate bars naturally sweetened with maple syrup with no refined sugar added, great for kids and adults alike. Learn how to make homemade chocolate bars with this step-by-step guide.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chill 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 204 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the cacao butter wafers in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
  • Add the cacao powder and stir really well, making sure to get rid of any clumps.
  • Pour in the maple syrup and stir until the mixture is silky smooth.
  • Pour evenly into a silicone chocolate mold with 6 wells.
  • Place the filled mold into the freezer for 1 hour to set fully.
  • Pop the dark chocolate bars out of the molds and enjoy. Store in the fridge in a sealed container.
  • See below for extras and variations.

Notes

Serving Suggestions and Substitutions

  • This is best stored in the fridge in a sealed container. It will definitely soften at room temperature
  • Substitute honey as a sweetener. I prefer a liquid sweetener to something like granular cane sugarStevia is another sugar-free substitution.
  • You can substitute coconut oil for the cacao butter but it melts much quicker at room temp and isn’t quite as rich.
  • Instead of cocoa powder try raw cacao powder from cacao beans.
  • Add a teaspoon of vanilla – I prefer pure vanilla extract or even fresh from the bean if you’re feeling fancy. The taste of the real vanilla bean is incomparable.
  • Anything crunchy is always amazing – nuts for instance like pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. Rice crispies are another great way to add crunch.
  • Another fav addition is essential oils like peppermint, orange, or lavender. Be sure to use quality food-grade essential oil products only!

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 11mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
Keyword dark chocolate bars, homemade dark chocolate
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11 Comments

    1. Hey Sharon! Yes, this base recipe is both gluten-free and dairy-free. 🙂 Add-ins like nuts are also good gluten and dairy-free options. Enjoy!

  1. 5 stars
    I had no idea it was so easy to make a chocolate bar from scratch at home! These turned out so creamy and were perfectly sweet, I’ll definitely be making them again soon!

5 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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