Dairy-Free Raspberry Chocolates

Isn’t it strange how different each family member can be? I mean, we share a lot of the same DNA, yet God makes each of us unique.

I’m thinking today of allergies and food sensitivities.

My eldest and youngest kids have to stay away from gluten and dairy. I need to stay away from sugar and carbs (boo!) and my husband and middle child can pretty much eat whatever they want.

Often my food-sensitive kids have to watch the rest of the family eat yummy things while they chew on a piece of celery (or some other form of torture). They’re very gracious about it, but I always feel bad for them.

I have tried in the past to make them treats. I use gluten free flour and coconut oil instead of butter. Then, I throw in some chocolate chips and my daughter has to remind me that she can’t have even the small amount of dairy found in chocolate. Mom fail!

Then, I ran across this British recipe for dairy-free chocolate. I was thrilled to see that it didn’t contain any ingredients that would cause my kids any trouble. I tweaked the recipe and converted the grams and came up with this lovely alternative to store bought chocolate. Bonus: I had all the ingredients in my pantry (plus, a raspberry bush in my backyard).

DAIRY-FREE RASPBERRY CHOCOLATES

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup melted coconut oil
5 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon honey (optional, but yummy)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Raspberries – about 24

INSTRUCTIONS:

Stir all ingredients (except the raspberries) together until smooth. Fill the bottom of an ice cube tray (or chocolate molds) with a spoonful of the chocolate mixture in each section. Place two raspberries on top of the chocolate.

As you can see, my granddaughter had a ball spooning the chocolate into the tray.

Cover the raspberries with more chocolate.

Freeze until firm. Then, store the chocolates in the fridge.

These are even yummier after a few days. The raspberries turn into a cordial-like consistency and the chocolate remains firm. So good!

Once you have this recipe for the dairy-free chocolate, you can go wild. Instead of raspberries, use: nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, candied orange peel, blueberries or cherries.

Change up the ice cube tray for fancy candy molds.

Pour the chocolate onto parchment paper and make chocolate bark instead.

Trust me, your kids with food sensitivities will thank you!