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    Home » Recipes » Low Sugar Desserts

    Easy Homemade Chocolate Bars (Just FIVE Ingredients!)

    Published: Oct 31, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 42 Comments

    Jump to Recipe  ↓

    It's so easy to make your own homemade chocolate bars and so much healthier than store-bought versions. It takes just FIVE simple ingredients and about 30 minutes of (mostly hands-off) time!

    Stack of four chocolate bars with chocolate pieces sprinkled around.

    Happy Halloween! What better way to celebrate the holiday than with some chocolate?!

    Have you ever made your own chocolate bars?

    With food prices up, it's good to be able to know how to make your own food from scratch. That, of course, includes chocolate bars!

    This really is the best treat, and I love that I can control the amount of sugar I use. These are actually quite addictive! I catch myself nibbling on them throughout a day when I have a batch.

    This is an easy recipe, in that you simply stir everything together, pour it into a chocolate mold, and let it chill until solid.

    Some homemade chocolate recipes call for a double boiler, but my method is more of a 'need it now' kind of deal.

    Hand holding a large piece of chocolate.

    Ingredients needed

    Coconut oil - This is what creates the solid texture of the bar. The downside to coconut oil is that it will melt quickly at room temperature. To remedy this, you could substitute cocoa butter in its place.

    Cocoa powder - This gives the bar its chocolate taste! You can also use cacao powder, if you like.

    Maple syrup - A runny honey could also be used, though I prefer maple syrup for sweetness.

    Sea salt - Salt really brings out all the flavors, so don't skip it! I actually like to add a few dashes to create a kind of salty dark chocolate taste.

    Vanilla extract - This is optional, but it adds a lovely flavor to the bar.

    Top down view of a stack of chocolate bars on a sheet of parchment paper.

    How to make a homemade chocolate bar

    Whisk all of the ingredients together.

    White bowl of dark brown liquid with a whisk in it.

    Pour the mixture into chocolate mold(s) of your choice.

    Chocolate mold filled with chocolate 'batter' on a tan tray.

    Freeze until solid.

    Two whole chocolate bars on a white plate.

    See the video below the recipe card for full details and instructions!

    Chocolate bar flavors

    The base recipe can be made your own by adding some of the following ingredients:

    -Mint extract (my fave!),

    -Goji berries,

    -Nuts/seeds,

    -Dried fruit and/or coconut

    I also have a Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar on the blog that may interest you, NO sugar!

    A great option that I have yet to try is to add some healthier rice cereal for a kind of Nestle crunch bar!

    Small stack of chocolate bars on a parchment paper-lined plate.

    Tips and tricks

    You can lower the sugar by substituting 8 drops of liquid stevia in place of two tablespoons of the maple syrup. You could also make it totally sugar-free by doubling that amount and eliminating the sweetener altogether. I like to mix a natural sweetener with stevia for best taste.

    Be aware that the less maple syrup you add, the 'crisper' the bar will be.

    Be sure your ingredients are all at room temperature when you begin. Coconut oil will clump if mixed with anything cold.

    If you're looking for a chocolate bar that will hold together better at room temperature, try substituting melted cocoa butter for the coconut oil.

    I like using these chocolate bar molds. You could also make small chocolate 'cups' using silicone muffin cups or just pour the mixture into some type of small-ish Tupperware container(s).

    Other chocolate recipes

    No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

    Any Butter Chocolate Cups

    Stack of four chocolate bars with chocolate pieces sprinkled around.
    Print Recipe
    4.57 from 16 votes

    Easy Homemade Chocolate Bars (Just FIVE Ingredients!)

    Only five ingredients needed to make your own delicious and healthy chocolate bars!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Chill Time:30 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Dairy-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free
    Servings: 12 pieces
    Calories: 104kcal
    Author: Lauren Goslin

    Equipment

    Chocolate Bar Molds

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup cacao or cocoa powder
    • ½ cup coconut oil melted
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt

    Instructions

    • Begin with room temperature ingredients.
    • Whisk everything until smooth and creamy.
    • Spoon mixture into chocolate molds of your choice.
    • Freeze until solid.
    • Break apart and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    WW Points: 6

    Nutrition

    Sugar: 4g | Fiber: 1.1g | Calories: 104kcal | Fat: 9.6g | Protein: 0.7g | Carbohydrates: 6.4g

    If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!

    Shared with: Full Plate Thursday

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    Filed Under: Low Sugar Desserts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacquie Harris

      November 06, 2022 at 12:34 pm

      Love this!
      Can I substitute grand marnier or another liqueur for the maple syrup?
      If so, would the proportion be the same?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 06, 2022 at 12:54 pm

        Thanks, Jacquie! I'm not certain what that is, is it syrup-like in texture? If so, that should be okay.

        Reply
    2. Yami

      September 03, 2018 at 3:24 am

      Os there a way to temper it and if yes, how?

      Reply
    3. lisa

      October 07, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Hey looks tasty, simple & healthy. Thank you. Can please tell me , would this work using Extra virgin olive oil?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        October 08, 2017 at 11:17 am

        I actually have tried it with olive oil, and it worked pretty well. It definitely has an olive oil taste and doesn't harden quite like coconut oil though, so beware of those two points.

        Reply
    4. Clarissa

      September 30, 2017 at 4:14 pm

      I have regular honey and vegetable oil is that ok for this recipe??

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 30, 2017 at 5:46 pm

        Hi Clarissa,

        Vegetable oil won't work here, as you need the oil to solidify. Butter would work, if you have that. The honey should work, as long as it's runny in consistency.

        Reply
    5. Donna

      February 14, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Lauren, I've made your recipe before in the past. It's been a while and thought I would make some today. Well I used carob which I know is fine...but once I added the maple syrup, the carob and coconut oil were already combined, the whole thing got clumpy6and quite gross. This has never happened before. Do u have any ideas as to why? I melted the coconut oil poured tat over carob stirred that then added MS and vanilla. Was so sad. Coconut oil was still warm from melting if that matters or not. Ty!!!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        February 16, 2017 at 6:26 pm

        Hi Donna,
        Sorry for the delay, I've had that happen as well. I'm not entirely certain what causes it. If none of your ingredients are cold (thus seizing up the coconut oil), then I would just add a bit more oil to see if that helps. I hope your ingredients weren't wasted!

        Reply
    6. Claudia

      September 09, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      milk chocolate please

      Reply
    7. Angela

      November 26, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Amazing recipe! Super tasty! Better than the store bought stuff IMO. thx!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 27, 2015 at 1:49 pm

        Thanks Angela!

        Reply
    8. donna

      May 09, 2015 at 6:20 am

      Hi...the original recipe is completely different than the recipe at the end of your post? Am I missing something? Coconut butter vs oil abd far less sweeteners etc. Thx for clarifying.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        May 09, 2015 at 11:56 am

        Hi Donna, I'm not sure what you are referring to by 'original recipe'?...

        Reply
      • Lauren

        May 09, 2015 at 12:00 pm

        If you're meaning where I adapted it from, my version is different than that one. That is from a different blog, and I made changes based on my personal preferences.

        Reply
    9. Holly

      April 21, 2015 at 2:33 pm

      I just made a similar recipe you had posted in March of 2013, but now I can't find it on your website. When I made it, I wondered if you had meant to put 3 T. of honey because 3 tsp. just wasn't enough. (see the recipe of yours I posted below). Anyway, using cocoa butter was a brilliant idea! Thank you for introducing me to that! I love making treats & things with coconut oil, but wish that it didn't melt at room temperature when I try to send it in my kids' lunches, etc. I am definitely going to use more cocoa butter from now on! Yippee!!

      5-Ingredient Chocolate Candy

      Print
      Prep time
      5 mins
      Total time
      5 mins

      Author: Lauren Goslin
      Serves: 4
      Ingredients
      ¼ c. cocoa butter, melted (coconut oil will work as well)
      3 t. honey, warmed a bit to be mixed easier
      1/16 t. sea salt
      ½ t. vanilla extract
      4 T. cocoa powder

      Instructions
      Mix everything together in a small bowl until well combined.
      Pour into molds or onto a wax paper-lined plate.
      Freeze or refrigerate until hardened.
      Enjoy!
      The secret ingredient to homemade chocolate (I believe) is cocoa butter. While you can accomplish the task with coconut oil, it really isn’t the same. Cocoa butter adds that extra hit of chocolate and it doesn’t melt at room temperature!
      It all starts with 5 ingredients…

      Reply
    10. Christy Toleman

      October 02, 2014 at 9:21 am

      Lauren, I made these chocolates and used dark chocolate powder and they came out great. I did have one issue I had a question about. After freezing them and taking them out of the molds, the maple syrup had separated in some, not all, of the candies. Do you know why this may have happened? Do I need to mix better? Please let me know.
      I just came on to your website a few weeks ago and I have tried 3 recipes and they all taste AMAZING.. Thank you for the recipes.

      Reply
    11. JoCo

      September 27, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      Just made this tonight to go on top of banana ice cream and black bean brownies. I like the idea of using it as a syrup. Before freezing, it has a wonderful consistency and putting it on the cold ice cream make it almost like those chocolate shells I used to have as a kid. I love healthy nostalgia.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 28, 2014 at 2:38 pm

        Wow, that all sounds amazing! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Amber

      September 25, 2014 at 10:13 am

      Wow, I never knew this was easy to make! I like how you can control the sugar content in this recipe, but I was wondering if there is a way to control the fat content? The fat content is too high to my liking for a snack.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 25, 2014 at 5:17 pm

        Sorry Amber, I don't know!

        Reply
    13. Joana

      September 19, 2014 at 9:12 am

      Thank you 🙂 I'll see how it goes with coconut oil! Best wishes!

      Reply
    14. Joana

      September 19, 2014 at 8:47 am

      Hi Lauren,
      I've just put the mixture in the freezer! While I'm waiting to taste I have one question: this time i did the recipe with coconut oil but as I'm not a big fan of it could you tell me if this recipe could work with olive oil? And would it be the same quantity?
      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 19, 2014 at 9:07 am

        Unfortunately not, as the coconut oil is what solidifies and holds everything together. You can try cocoa butter or regular butter though (same quantity)! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Chantelle

      September 16, 2014 at 11:21 pm

      Seriously, why do I ever buy expensive organic chocolate bars when I know its this easy to make and sooooo much better! Thanks for the reminder Lauren, good to have a stash in the back of the freezer.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 17, 2014 at 8:58 am

        You're welcome Chantelle, they are the best! 🙂

        Reply
    16. Marfigs

      September 16, 2014 at 3:11 am

      Yum! I love making my own chocolate but usually keep it basic - this looks uber tasty though! This may be random but have you ever added other liquids such as coffee to yours? Every time I add something water-based, even some extracts, the chocolate immediately goes funny and hard - very bitter! Have you experienced this before/know what I can do to get my coffee-flavoured choc on without disaster?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 16, 2014 at 9:09 am

        Hi Margaux,

        I think what you're referring to is 'seizing', and yes, I've had some trouble in the past. If you want to add coffee, you might be better off adding the grounds, as opposed to the actual liquid. Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
        • Marfigs

          September 16, 2014 at 11:42 pm

          Thank you! I'll definitely try that 😀

          Reply
    17. Claudia @Breakfast Drama Queen

      September 15, 2014 at 5:37 am

      This looks so good! I've never thought of making my own chocolate - great idea!!

      Reply
    18. Carla

      September 12, 2014 at 4:11 pm

      I added dried fruit and coconut to what I made and it was great. Thank you

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 12, 2014 at 4:59 pm

        That's great Carla, I'm happy you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    19. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

      September 11, 2014 at 10:31 am

      I have made chocolate in a similar way to this before but didn't using maple syrup!! Will be trying your delicious and simple recipe tonight! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 11, 2014 at 5:50 pm

        I hope you like it Ceara! 🙂

        Reply
        • Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

          September 12, 2014 at 5:59 am

          Ended up making these this morning Lauren and I love them! I halved the recipe and it was just enough for my heart shaped chocolate molds 🙂 I added in some unsweetened coconut as well - LOVE!

          Reply
          • Lauren

            September 12, 2014 at 7:48 am

            That's great Ceara! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂

            Reply
    20. Sara

      September 09, 2014 at 9:00 pm

      This very recipe fueled the writing of my entire dissertation. The power of this stuff knows no bounds! 😉

      Reply
    21. Gabby @ the veggie nook

      September 09, 2014 at 6:31 pm

      I am a fan of making my own chocolate as well- so much better because then you can make all of your own custom flavours 🙂

      Reply
    22. Mary

      September 09, 2014 at 3:51 pm

      Yumm!!! I've never made my own chocolate but had a suspicion it wouldn't be too hard. I (obviously) will be trying it now!

      Reply
    23. Mike @TheIronYou

      September 08, 2014 at 1:06 pm

      Is it really that easy? I never thought you could make chocolate without cocoa butter.
      i'm so going to give this a try tonight.
      Thanks for the recipe and (as usual) loving the video!

      Reply
    24. Cyndy

      September 08, 2014 at 11:35 am

      Can I use carob powder instead of chocolate?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 08, 2014 at 2:50 pm

        Sure! You might even be able to reduce the sweetener in that case, as carob is 'sweeter' than cocoa. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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