Homemade Raw Chocolate Bark

21/12/2022

Homemade Raw Chocolate Bark is my FAAAVORITE sweets to make. I’m obsessed with raw chocolate, especially homemade! I also love making food look pretty so making pretty chocolate barks is pretty much heaven to me 😌

Chocolate barks are easy to make and you can make sooo many different variations! They are also a perfect homemade food gift, so if you’re looking for a sweet gift for your special chocolate-loving person, here’s a good idea 😏

I have previously written a blog post on How to Make Raw Chocolate, but since then I have learned how to temper chocolate, yay! That’s why it was time for a new post. This updated blog post works as a super simple guide on how to temper raw chocolate at home and I hope it will be helpful to you.

Let’s get straight into it!!

Firstly, what’s the difference between Tempered vs. Non-tempered chocolate?

In a nutshell, tempering chocolate means altering the temperature of the chocolate in order to stabilize it. This process creates beautifully glossy, and “snappy” chocolate.

Tempered chocolate is more visually & texturally appealing thanks to its shiny finish and crunchy consistency. Well-tempered chocolate snaps when you break it and doesn’t melt in your hands even if you store it at room temperate.

Non-tempered chocolate doesn’t have a shiny finish like tempered chocolate, instead, it has a dull and matte appearance. It’s also more prone to melting in your hands! Non-tempered chocolate is great for ganaches, mousses, and other delicious baking recipes where it’s a part of a batter/dough (like brownies and cakes)!

If you want to make the prettiest chocolate barks, try tempering the chocolate!! It’s actually a fun process where you get to see how the chocolate reacts to the different temperatures + You’ll also get to feel like a true food scientist with your thermometer 😎🍫

Ps. Don’t be upset if you don’t succeed in it the first time. It took me at least 15 times until I got it right 😀 Plus you can totally make these barks without tempering the chocolate!

What you need for the bark

Thermometer – I purchased mine a couple of years ago, and I can’t remember the brand! It wasn’t super expensive, and you can definitely find accurate thermometers that cost under 20 USD. Check them at Amazon or any kitchen appliance stores.

Silicone mold or baking tray – My all-time favorite silicone molds are from the Italian brand Silikomart. Their products are made half an hour away from Venice, Italy and they use high-quality silicone that can handle temperatures from -60 Celsius (-76 Fahrenheit) to +230 celsius (446 Fahrenheit). They are also dishwasher friendly and come in multiple beautiful shapes and sizes!

These are another favorite of mine, and they are more inexpensive. I have bought all of my molds from Amazon, but you can find these at any baking supply store! Ps. You can also make the chocolate bark in a baking tray lined with parchment paper! This way it will have a more rustic look and feel to it 🙂

Good quality raw cocoa powder – The best results are guaranteed when you use organic and unsweetened raw cacao powder! You can find them at your local grocery store, health store, or Amazon.

Cocoa butter – Cocoa butter can be found in well-equipped grocery stores, natural food/health stores, Amazon, or baking supply stores. Ahh, the smell of cocoa butter is possibly one of the most addicting smells ever 🤤

Desired toppings and flavorings – This is THE best part – getting creative with all kinds of toppings!! I went for a super simple combo of freeze-dried strawberries and hazelnuts, but you can add whatever your heart desires. I listed some of my favorite topping ideas down below if you want to get some inspo 🙂

Metal bowl & spatula – You could use a glass bowl, but glass takes longer to cool & makes the tempering process a bit harder

HOMEMADE RAW CHOCOLATE BARK RECIPE

Time to make 30 min + 1 h setting

Makes 12 pieces or 1 chocolate bark

Ingredients

50 gr or 1,8 oz cacao butter
25 gr or 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1,5-2 tablespoons of liquid sweetener like maple syrup, agave, or coconut nectar
Pinch of flaky salt (I love Maldon)
Handful of hazelnuts
Freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

Finely chop your cacao butter and melt it by using a double boiler method (and a metal bowl). Be sure that none of the water gets into your bowl at any time! If you want to temper your chocolate, we need to melt it to 46 celsius or 114 Fahrenheit. Use a digital thermometer and remove the chocolate from the double broiler before the temperature reaches 46 celsius or 114 Fahrenheit.
Mix the raw cacao powder into your cacao butter. Add your preferred sweetener, and a pinch of salt. If you’re using extracts, oils, or spices, add them to the mixture now. Let your chocolate cool to 27 celsius or 80 Fahrenheit. You can place your bowl into the fridge for a few minutes to quicken the cooling process.
Once your chocolate has cooled to 27 celsius or 80 Fahrenheit, we need to heat it up (last time :D) again. This time around we need to up the temperature to 31 celsius or 87 Fahrenheit. Now your chocolate is tempered and after it cools, it should be all snappy, shiny, and beautiful!
You can now pour the chocolate into a baking tray that’s been lined with parchment paper. You can also use silicone mold like this. Add desired toppings, place the chocolate into your fridge, and let it completely set.

Topping ideas for Raw Chocolate Bark

Freeze-dried berries
Freeze-dried berry/nut powder
Whole/chopped nuts; almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts…
Nut butter, like almond butter, peanut butter, or hazelnut butter
Dried or candied orange or lemon peel
Seeds; chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds…
Dried fruits & berries; mulberries, cranberries, raisins, papaya, prunes… literally endless options 😍
Desiccated coconut or toasted coconut shavings
Crushed (gluten-free) pretzels or gingerbread cookies for Christmassy chocolate barks
Matcha powder, maca powder, licorice root powder, bee pollen
Cacao nibs
Puffed quinoa
Fresh or dried red chili
Sea salt flakes

Homemade Raw Chocolate Bark as a Gift

Chocolate barks are super fun to make and they make the perfect gift for anyone who loves chocolate (so basically anyone, right??) Wrap it up in a food-grade cellophane bag and tie it with jute twine to make it look Christmassy <3