Homemade Protein Chocolate

Chocolate . . . Do I really need to say more??  I love chocolate, but I have found that chocolate bars just aren't what they were when I was a kid.  I swear that the chocolate itself just tastes and feels different.

It is actually really easy to make chocolate at home, although it takes some time to get used to it when you are used to the store bought goods.  However, I have found that the more that I eat my own, the less I buy other chocolate.  Not that I won't indulge in a good bar of dark chocolate now and then.  Mmmmm, chocolate!

Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa butter

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup chocolate protein powder*

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside, or use candy molds, if desired.

2. Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of boiling water.

3. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

4. Pour onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet or into the candy molds and refrigerate for half an hour to an hour, until firm.

5. Cut or break the chocolate up or pop out of the molds.

*Note: You can mix any proportion of protein powder and cacao powder, but I have found that the protein powder adds a lot of sweetness so, if you prefer dark chocolate, you will want to reduce the amount of syrup you use.

I have made this with all protein powder and no cacao powder, but I found it very sweet.  As I prefer dark chocolate, I like to add in the cacao powder.  It also has a different consistency, but it is still tasty!