Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies: These candies are served cold right out of the freezer or chilled from the fridge; they melt in your mouth with an intensely REAL chocolate taste. The coconut oil makes them very satisfying with crushed organic candy canes for texture and a touch of raw honey to satisfy your sweet tooth.
My Mom has been serving these candies around the holidays and as a special treat for years; they are so delicious, easy to make, and keep forever in the freezer. I started making them for our kids when our daughter turned one as a way to give her a treat while nourishing her body with coconut oil, a bit of raw honey, and raw cacao. It is an understatement to say that our kids love these candies and, as a Mom, I have no guilt in letting them have one each day.
I mentioned above that this recipe calls for cacao …. not cocoa. Wait?! Are you wondering if I forgot to spell check? That is certainly what I thought a few years ago when I was first exposed to cacao. However, cacao is actually a thing and it is pretty different than cocoa:
- Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter).
- Cocoa looks like the real deal but it’s not the same. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Roasting changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean which reduces the enzyme content and lowers the overall nutritional value.
You can buy organic raw cacao in bulk from Amazon (it is the cheapest place I have found so far; let me know if you have found cheaper!).
The coconut oil I use is Nutiva Organic Cold Pressed Unrefined Coconut Oil. I buy 72 oz at a time (buying in bulk lowers the cost per ounce!) and the cheapest retailer I have found so far for this particular product is also Amazon.
Raw honey can be found locally at Farmer’s Markets and organic granola-ish (is that a word?) stores. Here in Washington, Costco is also carrying raw honey from Washington state. However, one of my personal favorite places to buy honey is from a bulk non-GMO, organic, online company called Azure Standard. You can by as little or as much (up to 5 gallons at a time) raw honey as you want. Check out this blog post (coming soon!) on Azure Standard to learn what we buy from them, how to order from them for the first time, and how they help us afford to feed our families 100% organic non-GMO without going over budget.
And lastly … you will want to get a few silicone molds. I generally do NOT use silicone in my kitchen except for these candies since they are nearly room temperature when poured into the molds and then frozen, so the concern about plastic leaching into the food is minimal. I was in a hurry and bought my molds at Hobby Lobby.
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies go well with a small glass of kombucha in the afternoon. You can start learning how to make your own Kombucha. And if you don’t live nearby a friend who can give you a Kombucha SCOBY then you can purchase an organic Kombucha SCOBY.
What makes these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies nutrient dense?
- Organic Virgin Coconut Oil:a source of healthy fats that supports the digestive tract, offers a mental boost, supports both the hormone and immune systems(1)
- Raw Cacao Powder: thought to be the highest source of antioxidants and magnesium of all foods, making it an excellent choice for your heart, skin, blood pressure, and even your stress levels.(2)
- Raw Honey: a good source of antioxidants, has antibacterial & antifungal properties, filled with phytonutrients, help for digestive issues and soothes a sore throat. (3) It is best to purchase raw honey locally.
The beautiful photos are credited to my Mom for this post. Enjoy!! -Rashele, BSN, RN, CEN
Don’t forget to pin these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies to your favorite Pinterest board for later!
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies
These candies are served cold right out of the freezer or chilled from the fridge; they melt in your mouth with an intensely REAL chocolate taste. The coconut oil makes them very satisfying with crushed organic candy canes for texture and a touch of raw honey to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 large organic candy canes
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups raw cacao powder or substitute cocoa or carob
Instructions
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Carefully melt coconut oil in medium saucepan over low heat.
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Stir in honey. Turn off heat.
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Add remaining ingredients and whisk gently to combine.
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Work quickly after whisking to pour into silicone molds, stirring occasionally in between pouring the mixture into the candy molds. Ensure that the honey and oil do not separate (or there will be candies that are bitter and some that are too sweet).
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Freeze one hour. Pop candies out of molds and store in the fridge or freezer. Serve cold.
Recipe Notes
If you are wondering why it is necessary to make 50 of these at a time ... here is my attempt to convince you:
- The less dishes the better
- Batch cooking saves time
- They keep forever in the freezer
- Its chocolate. Period.
♥ Rashele
Tools used to make this recipe (click on picture to learn more):
Candy Molds: Not essential but their inexpensive and make the candies really pretty!
Don’t forget to pin these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candies to your favorite Pinterest board for later!
References:
- Mama, Katie – Wellness. “Coconut Oil: 101 Uses, Benefits, & Why You Should Use it | Wellness Mama.” Wellness Mama®, 30 Nov. 2017, wellnessmama.com/5734/coconut-oil/.
- McClees, Heather . “Cacao vs. Cocoa: What You Need to Know.” One Green Planet, 15 May 2017, www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/cacao-vs-cocoa-what-you-need-to-know/.
- Pletcher, Peggy. “The Top 6 Raw Honey Benefits.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 19Feb.2015, www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/top-raw-honey-benefits.
Hi Ladies, I saw the Super Fudge Bars on Amanda’s FB page and just found this wonderful blog. Yay! At the bottom of the page it’s awesome that you show a list of tools used for the Choc Cocunut Candy recipe – maybe include a photo of your silicon candy molds too. I’ve used chopped cranberries and candied ginger too (if you ever see a lower sugar version let me know, I have used the bulk ginger at sprouts and GinGin candies). I love using the larger square silicone trays from BedBath & Beyond for freezing extra greens from the garden – spinach, kale, chard etc. steamed, pureed and then frozen for smoothies.
I recently took a class on fermenting food, I like the idea but it all tastes so salty to me. I’m assuming that ‘rinsing’ the veggies would remove the beneficial fermentation – ?
Oh, I forgot to ask my question about the tools – when do you use the bowl on the left (shown with two dark grip handles)? Seems like you pour right from the saucepan after whisking (so one with a pour spout on one side would be very helpful).
Teresa,
Thank you so much for your comments and questions! The bowl on the left with two dark grip handles is a double broiler. It is nice to use so that one can ensure the coconut oil and raw honey are not overheated (which would ruin the nutrients in them); however, you are correct that it is much easier to pour if you just use a saucepan with a spout. I think that low heat, careful watching, and a saucepan with a spout would work just fine.
Rashele
Teresa,
Thank you so much for the suggestion! I will add a photo and link for the silicon molds on the Choc Coconut Candies 🙂 I will have to ask my Mom if she has ever tried candied ginger in the Super Fudge but it sounds wonderful and might be really great for pregnant mama’s. I haven’t tried this brand of dried ginger but a quick search showed that it has a little less sugar, no added flavors, and has good reviews, check it out on Amazon here (affiliate link).
Wonderful idea about freezing extra greens and herbs! My Mom, Shelly, is quite the gardener and I really want to learn.
As far as the fermenting goes we haven’t had a problem with our ferments tasting overly salty. And the store-bought ferments we have tried that are good brands (e.g. Oregon Brineworks) have more of a sour taste than salty taste. I added a link for the Oregon Brineworks for you but it is kind of expensive from Amazon. We buy ours through Azure Standard or find it at a local store. Do you mind sharing how you are doing your ferments and perhaps we help troubleshoot or point you to a few resources that have helped us?
Rashele