Cashew & Chocolate Spread

Who doesn’t love a good chocolate spread? It works on anything…toast, pancakes, waffles, etc. Well, this weekend I decided that I wanted to make my own chocolate spread and it went very easy. Just a little tweaks here and there depending on your own taste and you’re up for a guilt-free chocolate spread (well…as long as you don’t overindulge!).  

I’m using cashews in this recipe along with some organic coconut oil (I use the one by Mantra. Note that this is not a sponsored post. It’s just the one I normally use) and I was a bit worried about the taste of this combination but it actually turned out great! That’s why I always say that Cooking is an Adventure. Try it once (in small doses to avoid wastage) and you may end up with the delicious thing ever. Of course, if you don’t like coconut oil, any vegetable oil with a mild flavor will do…just avoid olive oil.

You’ll notice that I did not give exact measurements of the ingredients (except for the cashews and cocoa). That’s because it really depends on your taste. If you want a thick spread you need less oil and if you prefer it to be more runny, you’ll need more. The same goes for sugar – it’s all up to you. Taste at each step before altering.

But don’t worry, I will tell you exactly how much I actually used to make mine.

Anyways, enough banter; let’s get started!!

Ingredients

• 160 g Cashews
• 4 -6 teaspoons powdered sugar (I used 4 because I wanted just the slight bit of sweetness)
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5-10 teaspoons coconut oil (7 gave me just the consistency I wanted)

Preparation

1. If you’re using raw cashews, roast them in a pan over a medium heat on your stove for some 15 minutes. It helps to release the natural oils form the nuts. If your cashews are already roasted, you can skip this step.

2. Put your roasted cashews in a food processor or a grinder and pulse. I used my own grinder as its super powerful but the internet advises to use a food processor

3. Keep pulsing and the cashews will start releasing their oils and turn into a paste. Stop your grinder and add the coconut oil, teaspoon by teaspoon before pulsing between each addition. To reach my consistency (as in the picture) I added 4 teaspoons of oil at this stage.

4. Now add the cocoa powder and pulse again. You’ll notice that cocoa powder may suck up some of the moisture, so you may want to add some oil again until you reach the desired consistency. I added two teaspoons.

5. Add your sugar, teaspoon by teaspoon and pulse. Once you reach the desired sweetness, you’re almost done. I used 4 teaspoons. Once you’re satisfied with the taste, make the necessary alterations if needed and pulse. Want it darker? Add more cocoa powder. Thinner? A little bit of oil. I added 1 teaspoon of oil and gave it a final pulse.

6. Pour your chocolate spread in an airtight jar and store for up to 3 weeks. It’s not necessary to store in the fridge.

If you’re looking for other spread recipes, you can check out my peanut butter recipe which is super easy or my coconut butter recipe.