Valentine’s day is long gone… however, that doesn’t mean that your chocolate cravings are gone too right? Chocolate can be truly your best friend – you rely on it when you are blue…. you like to indulge in it when you are happy ….and when you are bored, chocolate always comes to your rescue! In recent months I have been trying to cut down my intake of chocolate (and the associated sugar) by cutting down on the quantity – I would have half of a Lindt truffle instead of a whole one or add nuts and dry fruits and make my choco-coco balls to make me feel less guilty.! Recently however having begun to incorporate coconut oil in my baking (in addition to my cooking), making a chocolate bar using coconut oil had been on my mind for a while now.
This past weekend on a lazy afternoon when we were once again ‘snow trapped’ in the house and I started to get my usual ‘chocolate pangs’, I finally had the opportunity and decided to experiment using coconut oil. I just went about throwing things together and ‘voilà’ pretty soon I had this incredible chocolate bar with just 4 basic ingredients – cocoa powder, coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla and then additional toppings of coconut and dried fruits and nuts! What a beauty! I can now actually indulge in my cravings guilt-free.!!! No sugar, no butter, no chemicals, no added additives whatsoever! And you want to know the best part – no baking or cooking needed! Just mix everything together by hand! No kidding! Pure Bliss! Actually that’s what I should name them – ‘Pure Bliss, Feel Good’ Chocolate to drown away all your sorrows and worries 🙂
I am bringing these guilt free chocolate bars for all my blogger friends at Fiesta Friday too. Since gals lust love chocolate! 🙂
Guilt free chocolate… All the yes! 🙂
yes isn’t that wonderful! That reminds me I need to make the next batch!
Chocolate without guilt? Sign me up!:) These chocolate bars look delicious. I like to have a piece of chocolate every day after lunch. This would be perfect! Thank you, Indu!
yes Shari that is my problem too but these bars with coconut oil are just perfect! This recipe makes a dark slightly bitter chocolate bar and if you like it less bitter I would add a li’l less cocoa. Do lmk how you make out 🙂
Your title pulled me in. Chocolate and healthy. Definitely yes. A big fat Yes 🙂 Pinning this recipe.
thanks yes do lmk how you like it. As for me I am close to finishing my first batch! 🙂
This bar sounds delicious to me! I love the light coconut flavor that coconut oil adds, and I can’t give up chocolate so this would be a great swap.
yes you are absolutely right Julie – this has a light coconut flavor and it is so delicious with the nuts and coconut in it.
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
Gorgeous Indu, but pray tell what is cocoa pow? Also what is the deal with coconut oil these days? Sometimes they say it’s great, and other times, not so great….just like ghee. I’d love to make these, but will have to buy the coconut oil.
Loretta, sorry that is cocoa powder – regular unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa. And what can I tell you about coconut? It is all good! – coconut and coconut oil has always been used in kerala cuisine but in the 80’s and 90’s the tycoons who wanted to sell synthetic products like vegetable oil etc started bad mouthing coconut oil. But thankfully now slowly everyone is realizing the benefits of coconut oil and coconut. Coconut oil is healthy for you since it is natural, plant based plus it has good fats and it can also help in losing weight. coconut also has good fats even though it is saturated fat but it does not lead to high cholesterol as was believed before. It can actually help by increasing the good cholesterol (HDL). I have written a post on coconut and coconut oil last year. i will share the link with you. thanks for asking! By the same token, ghee is also actually a better option than any of the synthetic oils like canola or vegetable.
Here’s the link to my post on coconut
https://cook2nourish.com/2013/11/30/the-truth-about-coconut-oil/
They look good Indu 🙂
thanks Elaine – yes they are perfect when you have a chocolate craving!
I’m sure they are! (Although I would make them without the cocoa as I don’t eat chocolate!! I think they’d still be lovely though x)
Wow there sure is a lot of coconut flavor in your bars and healthy just makes them better. Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday Indu 🙂
You are welcome Judi! They are so tasty too !And thanks for co-hosting FF again this week! 🙂
Poor you being trapped in the house because of the snow. But lucky us as you are bringing these little delicacies to the party. 🙂
The remind me a bit of hedgehog from Australia. However, those are made with sweetened condensed milk. So your version appears to be much more healthy. 🙂
Happy Fiesta Friday.
thanks Tina! Yes these are definitely healthy! And I hear that you are enjoying in some warm sun! So lucky! I have had enough of the winter! 🙁
Yes, I am… 🙂 Glad that I am but sorry for you guys. Apparently winter returned in Germany as well. I hope it will be gone once we get home. 🙂
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