Last May when I flew to Miami for the BlogHer Food conference, I started craving chocolate chip cookies. Something about traveling triggers that craving (don’t ask me why!), so during my layover in Houston, I wandered around the terminal looking for a bakery or sandwich shop that offered treats.
I stumbled upon a stall not too far from my departure gate and walked up to the counter to ask the server whether any of their jumbo chocolate chip cookies were soft and chewy. In my world, that’s exactly how they should be—not crisp, crunchy, or stale!
Because the individual cookies were firmly wrapped in plastic, she kindly prodded each one for me before handing over the one that felt the softest. After giving her my money, I happily strolled down the walkway back to the gate to slowly enjoy my treat while waiting for the plane to arrive.
While I nibbled, I wondered about how chocolate chips were made. There were hundreds (okay, not really, but it looked like it!) of miniature ones studded throughout the cookie, but I completely forgot about that thought until my friend Lee posted her recipe for DIY vegan chocolate chips a few weeks ago. That inspired me to try making my own, so today I’m share how to make Homemade Dark Chocolate Chips!
I wanted to come up with a really easy recipe, so I narrowed this down to just 2 ingredients: unsweetened chocolate and sweetener. In order to make these healthier than store-bought, it’s really important to start with 100% unsweetened baking chocolate. The only ingredient on the label should be “chocolate.” Both Baker’s and Ghirardelli sell 4-ounce bars, and I love and use both of them.
For the sweetener, I chose Truvia. It’s my favorite sugar-free sweetener and one I always stock in my pantry. However, its crystalline form doesn’t quite dissolve, so these chocolate chips are slightly more grainy that store-bought. If you prefer a smoother chocolate, try powdered Stevia or agave instead.
So all you need to do is melt the chocolate, stir in the sweetener, and pipe little dots using a zip-topped bag with the corner snipped off. You want the chocolate to still be warm when you start piping. As it cools, the ensuing chocolate chips will began to have what looks like a light brown coating dusted on them. That’s okay! Those chips will still taste the same; they just look a little different.
When you first start piping, the chocolate chips won’t hold their tips. They’ll look more like dots or round blobs. Once you’ve piped about half of the chocolate, take a toothpick (or just use the tip of your finger!) and lightly touched the center of the dot; then lift up. This reforms the iconic tip, but it’s totally optional. If you don’t care how they look, then leave them as dots!
Of course, I had to test out how these Homemade Dark Chocolate Chips actually worked in cookies… Which was incredibly hard because I just wanted to eat them all. But I managed to save enough, so stayed tuned!
| Homemade Two-Ingredient Chocolate Chips | | Print |
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp (5g) Truvia
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Stir for at least 2 minutes. If the chocolate is still not completely melted, microwave on HIGH for 5 seconds; then stir for another 2 minutes. Continue until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the Truvia.
- Microwave the chocolate mixture on HIGH for 6 seconds. Spoon it into a small zip-topped bag. Snip off one corner, and pipe dots onto the prepared parchment paper. After piping about half of the chocolate mixture, gently touch a toothpick (or your clean, dry fingertip) into the center of each dot, and lift it up to create the iconic point. Continue with the remaining chocolate. Let the chocolate chips harden completely before transferring them to an airtight container.
For the unsweetened baking chocolate, I recommend Ghirardelli or Baker’s bars.
If the chocolate hardens in the zip-topped bag before your finish, let it completely cool. Peel open the bag, and roughly chop the cooled chocolate to make chocolate “chunks.”
Powdered Stevia may be substituted in place of the Truvia for a smoother, less grainy texture. Agave may work as well, although I haven’t tested it myself.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, sugar-free}
More chocolate chip recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ DIY Vegan Chocolate Chips by Fit Foodie Finds
♥ Homemade Chocolate Chips by Whole New Mom
♥ Homemade Chocolate Chips by All Day I Dream About Food
is the sweetener mandatory? Will it still taste ok without it?
It depends! If you know you like the taste of 100% unsweetened chocolate, then it’s fine to omit. If you find that 100% unsweetened chocolate is too bitter for your tastes, then I’d recommend using some type of sweetener. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these chocolate chips!
can I replace the sweetener with sugar,Willits come out fine?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Oye! If you have confectioners’ style (powdered) sugar, I think that would be the best sugar to try because it will yield a slightly smoother texture. Otherwise, regular granulated sugar should be fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these chocolate chips if you try making them!