What are cocoa nibs and how can you add them to your daily recipes? Cocoa nibs are chocolate. Perhaps even the healthiest form of chocolate because they are 100% cocoa. Why? Cocoa nibs are small pieces of cocoa beans with their shells removed. The shell removal happens in a step in the chocolate-making process called “winnowing.”
Did you know that chocolate is a “superfood”? It has one of the highest sources of magnesium of all foods, provides calcium, and has higher antioxidants per gram than goji berries, red wine or pomegranates! Check out this article for more health facts about cacao.
When you enjoy cocoa nibs without added sugar, you’re basically enjoying chocolate in its purest form. You can also enjoy cocoa nibs on top of craft chocolate bars.
Check out our list of chocolate bars topped with cocoa nibs and eight ideas for how to use cocoa nibs in your recipes.
1. put cocoa nibs in your smoothie (or on top of your smoothie bowl)
2. Add them to your favorite trail mix
3. use cocoa nibs as a new ice cream topping
4. sprinkle them on top of yogurt
5. mix cocoa nibs into granola
6. try a new recipe: make brownies or cookies with them
7. Try cocoa nibs in your pasta sauce!
8. enjoy a craft chocolate bar topped with nibs
Ready to make a new recipe with cocoa nibs?
Perhaps try these cocoa nibs from Marou Chocolate. To learn more about Marou Chocolate, a Vietnam-based chocolate company, check out the video below and/or read our article on Marou.
For a craft chocolate bar topped with nibs, we might suggest one of the bars, below.
We’ve haven’t had a chance to try all of these brands yet, but we do love Dick Taylor’s bars and are excited to try the rest very soon.
- {Award-Winning} Fu Wan Taiwan 62% Nibs
- {Award-Winning} Hogarth 66% Manuka Honey & Cacao Nibs
- Escazu Chocolates Roasted Cocoa 65% Nibs
- Raaka Maple & Nibs 75% Unroasted Dark Chocolate
- Atypic Heart of Pacific 88% with Nibs
- Dick Taylor Brown Butter 73% with Nibs & Sea Salt (yum!)
Lastly, we enjoyed the video below from CraftChocolateTV with Manoa Chocolate. They have even more ideas on how to use cocoa nibs, like making cocoa nib tea!
Be sure to practice food safety with cocoa nibs (and in general), and note that nothing on this post is making any health claims. When you change your daily routine, please consult your doctor or accredited medical professional.
Hope that these ideas provided some recipe inspiration! Let us know how you enjoyed cocoa nibs – post a comment below!
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