I Made 100% Cocoa Chocolate – and It Was as Bitter as Hell! But It Was Worth It!

It started with an idea: could I make chocolate healthier? Chocolate is already healthy in many ways, but what if I could remove the sugar entirely, without substituting it with any artificial flavors? This was the beginning of my journey. It all started when I found cocoa nibs on Amazon. I was adding them raw to my cereal. They smelled fantastic, just like perfect pure chocolate. Nothing smells as good. They even smelled sweet. But they were anything but.

To grind the cocoa nibs into a fine powder the blender didn’t need to be professional. I used a cheap smoothie maker that ground the nibs to a fine dust and began to release some of the oils from the nibs. But it wasn’t liquid enough to pour just yet. Professionals use machines that grind the nibs until they're liquid, but I did this using no special equipment to prove anyone can make their own healthy and pure chocolate.

So, why even bother with such bitter chocolate?

For diabetics, chocolate might have been one of the reasons we got here in the first place. But that flavor isn’t just a luxury confectionery. Cocoa, in its purest form, is actually a powerhouse of antioxidants. It’s like the superhero of foods, but without the cape. The real kicker? It’s bitter – as bitter as that one friend who can’t let go of their high school breakup. However, if you can push past the intense flavor, you’ll be treating your body to a whole host of health benefits.

After grinding the cocoa nibs in my blender for what felt like an eternity (pro tip: your blender may overheat before you finish), I ended up with a fine but somewhat sticky powder. It didn’t quite reach that dreamy, smooth, melted chocolate consistency we all know and love. No worries, I thought – the real challenge lies ahead: facing the taste.

Professional chocolatiers would have specialized equipment at this stage, but I was just using simple home tools. I heated the ground cocoa nib powder over a double boiler, adding nothing but pure vanilla essence (because I like living on the edge). The aroma? Divine. The taste? Well, it's not for everyone. Without sugar, the chocolate is difficult to describe. It has a real chocolate taste that lingers. It’s fresh, but you can’t eat a lot. Yet, it is satisfying. It has a real snap and crunch. The smell, though, you can’t get that out of your head—it’s amazing. The lingering taste feels like you’ve eaten the finest chocolate in the world, and you forget the need for sugar.

You can do it without sugar, but if you’re not brave, add sugar to taste (small amounts as we’re cutting sugar out) in the double boiler and mix properly. You can add erythritol or similar for flavor too, but I am also avoiding artificial sweeteners and other natural alternatives. But you don’t have to be that brave.

Here's the result—this is what 100% pure cocoa chocolate looks like:

But hey, before you think this was all for nothing, let me tell you something about appreciating the raw. The body actually craves purity sometimes (even if the tongue protests), and after a while, the bitterness becomes... character-building.