Chocolate covered coffee beans are a rich, sweet, and savory pick-me-up dessert that are easy and quick to make
It's Recipe ReDux time and this month's theme is chocolate pairings: Does your chocolate need a friend? This month's posting will be after Valentine's Day, so you may have a bit of extra chocolate around. What's your favorite chocolate match? Be it traditional peanut butter or something more exotic like cayenne + chocolate. Show us your favorite healthy chocolate combo recipe.
I've been on a crazy chocoalte making kick after making those Spicy Sweet Chocolate Covered Strawberries a few weeks ago. Cayenne pepper and cinnamon are basically chocolates new neighbor. Not a fleeting new bestie, but someone that moves in next door and you enjoy a few nights a month together drinking wine and eating cheese.
Ok maybe I've gone too far with the comparison on how I think that chocolate + cayenne pepper + cinnamon is the greatest thing ever, but I really like it.
So I decided to take another angle when working on this month's Recipe ReDux topic of chocolate pairings. Coffee and chocolate. They go so well together. I love adding coffee in things like brownies. It always adds that little extra something that makes all the difference in the world.
I'm not dying to make a pan of brownies and have them sitting in my apartment so I tried to come up with a chocolate and coffee recipe that would be something I could enjoy everyday.
Brainstorming ensued and chocolate covered coffee beans came to my mind. This is weird because chocolate covered coffee beans are something I just don't think about very often. I like coffee and all but not really. I like tea much better.
However, when I do have chocolate covered coffee beans within my reach, it's hard to stop me from just having a few and I remember why I don't keep them around all the time.
After deciding I wanted to make chocolate covered coffee beans or something similar, I remember my easy peasy Peanut Chocolate Clusters. Maybe I could make something similar to that with coffee beans...
Long story short long, I did and they're delicious. Fun fact: they are rich and slightly bitter in a delicious way. The benefit of this is that I'm not going to eat the whole batch in one sitting.
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You start by melting coconut oil then stir in maple syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon. Then stir in the coffee beans and drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.
Pop in the fridge or freezer and once they've hardened, they're ready to enjoy {about 15-30 minutes}. They taste best fresh from the cold, so keep them in the fridge.
They are a fun little afternoon pick-me-up dessert -- a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, a touch of bitterness, and a touch of caffeine.
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup coffee beans
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil and stir in maple syrup. Stir in cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt until completely combined. Stir in coffee beans.
- Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Put in the fridge or freezer until hardened {about 15-30 minutes}. Enjoy!
Meme
Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose says
I love chocolate covered coffee beans- never thought of making them at home! I also like that you said yours are a tad bitter, which will save me from eating the whole batch in one sitting 🙂
Meme says
I know right?! It's so nice that I don't eat an entire batch since that defeats the whole "healthier" purpose of these 😉
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
Haven't seen you in a while, I hope all is well. Just like Lauren, I love chocolate covered coffee beans but have never thought of making them at home. These look awesome, thanks for the inspiration!
Meme says
Ah you are too kind -- thanks for checking on me Sonali! Unfortunately, my "real job" has taken over my blogging time. I'm easing back in this week 😉 xxoo