Cacao nibs are nutty and earthy with a hint of really dark, unsweetened chocolatey flavor. It may have a slight bitterness to it. It’s easy to add to recipes and so delicious! Here are a few favorite ways to incorporate cacao nibs.
A Single-Ingredient Food
Cacao nibs or cacao paste takes the rich superfood of chocolate, with all the benefits that chocolate has but without all the added extras. They are the broken up cacao beans before they have been ground smooth and made into chocolate. This can then be added to recipes or substituted for a healthier version of many recipes. By using this single-ingredient product, you will have the freedom to add sweetener or dairy or grains etc. according to your own taste preferences or dietary needs. I’ll be honest, before I moved to Ecuador I had heard about the health benefits of cacao nibs, even bought a small bag, but then I had no idea what to do with it. But I’ve learned a few things, and it’s fun to try, because, honestly, with cacao, I just don’t think you can go completely wrong.
And just as a note, I also mentioned cacao paste. This is just the ground nibs. We make our own here but you may also find it for sale. It can be used much the same as baking chocolate squares in a recipe and also makes delicious dipping chocolate or hot chocolate if you just add the desired amounts of sugar and milk.
Cacao Trees
Where we are living in Ecuador’s Amazon, there are many cacao orchards around us and we even have a few trees here at the Yachana Lodge! It’s so fun to keep an eye on the cacao pods until they are ready, eat the fruit, save the seeds, ferment them, dry them and toast and shell them! It’s a bit of a process, but I tell you all about it, with a tour with Douglas McMeekin at a local cacao business. Cacao nibs are a yummy, healthy treat that are fun to add to lots of different foods, especially baked goods!
How to Use Cacao Nibs
- Add cacao nib pieces as a final mix-in to cookies! Especially chocolate chip cookies. I’ve used them in place of chocolate chips completely, but you may miss the smooth sweetness of chocolate chips. Try substituting half the chocolate chips for cacao nibs for a good balance, or simply add them in addition to add a nutty richness to your favorite chocolate chip cookies or, in my mind it’s even better in an edible cookie dough! (My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe as well as an edible cookie dough recipe is found at the end of this post!)
- Add cacao nibs to brownie or cake batter. Remember, these won’t melt like chocolate chips, it’s more like adding chocolate-y nutty crunch. But it gives a yummy rich chocolate flavor that will totally enhance your baked goods.
- Add cacao nibs to sourdough! While you are trying out different mix-ins to your sourdough loaves, don’t forget the bag of cacao nibs in your pantry! They make a great addition to any sweet sourdough loaf!
- Make your own trail mix. You know how the chocolate chips or m&m’s are the favorite part of so many trail mixes, but they still have so many added ingredients as well as melt in your hand or when left in the car or in your backpack while hiking? Try adding cacao nibs instead! They go great with dried fruits or nuts of all kinds for a healthy, yummy snack on the go- and they won’t melt!
- Add cacao nibs to yogurt parfaits, smoothies, oatmeal. The possibilities are endless.
Enjoy! And I’d love to hear how you like to use cacao nibs!
