Homemade Chocolate Chips

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a few years but I was avoiding chocolate for a while. I've come back to chocolate in small amounts using only made-from-scratch recipes. Which brought me to publish this recipe for homemade chocolate chips.

You'll be amazed on how quick and easy this recipe is. With just a few ingredients you'll have a batch of chocolate chips to use for ice cream, cookies, cake, muffins, cupcakes, toppings, or just for snacking.

Cacao butter and cocoa butter are the same thing. Both come from the cocoa beans. I've shifted from processed cocoa to cacao butter and cacao powder. They're both from the cocoa bean, but cacao is cold pressed and remains raw, while cocoa is processed with heat so it changes and is no longer in a raw state. Cacao powder is slightly bitter in taste and cocoa a bit sweeter. You can absolutely use cocoa powder with this recipe if you prefer, either works with this recipe.

These chips stay solid at room temperature (about 68 degrees F) but do start to soften at warmer temperatures or if you hold them in your hand. You can reduce the amount of maple syrup to keep solid at slightly warmer temps. If you're in a warm climate or the weather is warm, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. I store them in the freezer so they last a long time, retain their shape while being mixed in batters and ice cream, and they taste good cold.

Another option is to use an unsweetened chocolate bar or unsweetened chocolate pieces in place of the cacao butter and cacao. I recommend reading the ingredients label carefully if you need to avoid common allergens such as milk, soy, and nuts.

Note: I haven't tested this recipe with granulated sweeteners yet, but I'm guessing it will work by dissolving the granulated sugar in the warmed cacao butter until it's all melted. Enjoy!