For a girl who is decidedly not into Valentine’s Day, I bet you’re already confused. Well, me too. Let’s blame my overflowing sentimentality these days – I’ve realized motherhood can do a real number on your sappy side – but one of the few times I’ve been out of the house alone in the last few months I found a heart-shaped chocolate mold at the dollar store and didn’t even think twice about it. Nope.
I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Rolos. No wait, rawlos. A major childhood throwback made over into the healthiest chocolates I could possibly invent. I had done the nut buttercup thing, but hadn’t tackled caramel before, so this seemed as good a time as any. Coincidentally, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. Not that I care.
If you haven’t ventured into raw chocolate making before, you are going to want to marry me (I’m taken). It’s so easy and so versatile, plus actually healthy. Healing fats, nutritious sweeteners and antioxidant-rich cacao are all that these little chocolate-caramel bombs are made of. No schwaggy unpronounceables. No weird waxes or emulsifiers or artificial flavours and colours. If you really care about your valentine, this year make them something that will love them as much as you do!
Like I said, I was aiming for a Rolo thing and I am very happy with the results. The chocolate of course, is out of this world. Dark and rich and so intense. The caramel inside was the question mark, but it turned out perfectly: creamy and sweet and just runny enough. I added some salt to the caramel to make these a little more to my taste, but you can leave it out if you like. I almost feel embarrassed calling this a recipe because it really is that simple, but you’re into that eh?
If you can’t get your hands on cacao butter, just use coconut oil in its place. They won’t have the exact same melt-in-your-mouth quality, but it will certainly work in a pinch. And please make sure that your coconut oil is flavour-neutral (i.e. that is does not taste like coconut), otherwise you’re going to end up with some very tropical-tasting candies, my friend.
Valentine Rawlos
Makes 15, 8ml chocolates
Ingredients:
Raw Chocolate
¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil, melted
1 ½ Tbsp. / 20g cacao butter, melted
2 ½ Tbsp. raw honey (or maple syrup)
4 ½ Tbsp. / 30g raw cacao powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Caramel
¼ cup / 55g pitted dates (soak dates in warm water if they are firm, then drain)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
sea salt to taste
Directions:
1. In a double boiler or heatproof bowl over a simmering saucepan of water, melt cacao butter and coconut oil. Remove from heat and whisk in honey until incorporated. Sift in cacao powder and salt (to avoid lumps) and whisk to combine until smooth.
2. In each chocolate mold, spoon in some of the liquid chocolate. Tilt the mold so that it coats the sides. Place in the freezer to set for about 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor blend dates and maple syrup until smooth. Add as much salt as desired, blend and taste.
4. Remove the chocolates from the freezer. Spoon a little of the caramel into each mold on top of the set chocolate. Spoon remaining liquid chocolate over top, covering the caramel completely. Place back it the freezer to set. Wait until the chocolate is totally firm before taking it out of the mold, at least 1 hour. Remove from mold and place chocolates in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for one month (or store them in the mold and remove just before serving). Do not store chocolates at room temperature for more than 1 hour.
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or not this year, I hope you give yourself the chance to make these treats for yourself or someone you love.
Chocolatey hugs,
Sarah B
I made these last weekend and they were delicious! Thank you for the recipe. The date/maple syrup really makes a great caramel substitute. Next time, I will cut back a bit on the amount of honey – they were a bit too sweet for me overall.
Hi Sarah, just followed your recipe for these chocolates. They were delicious but all the maple syrup went to the bottom. What do you think I did wrong? Has this ever happened anyone else?
Hi Sarah,
I cant wait to try these. One question.
I can see you allow substitution of cacao butter for coconut oilt, so I assume I can do it the other way around i.e all cacao butter?
If so, what I cannot tell is how much cacao butter to use instead of the coconut oil? The mix of measures is confusing me. I will have to melt enough cacao butter to replace the 60ml ¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil? Do you know how many grams of solid cacao butter it would be to replace ¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil?
Many thanks
Amanda
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Please tell me where you purchased those adorable wooden spoons! Thank you
Hi Sarah,
What is the different between normal butter and cacao butter?
Thanks
Maya
Are you serious?
This are so definitely on my “to-make”-list now. I am doing the 2013 Whole Living detox diet and I’m hoping to turn around my diet for good (including making things that I can indulge in that are healthier than what you can get in a Norwegian super market.)
This looks waaaaayyy too delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe 😉
That’s impressive! beautiful pictures!
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Sarah, these were totally delicious. The chocolate alone is an awesome medium for nuts, crystallised ginger etc.
Just wondering from a nutritional point of view, your thoughts on reducing the quantity of coconut oil and increasing the cocoa butter? I found the chocolate melted very easily at room temperature and thought changing the ratio could help.
I use a delicious coconut-flavoured oil so am always happy to use it in baking…or just a glob on a spoon works for me too 🙂
Thanks again for being so inspirational x
I made them twice already and shared them last week for Valentine’s Day. They are so fun to make and are truly DIVINE! Thank you again Sarah, I HEART you!!!
When you say flavor neutral coconut oil are you referring to refined rather than unrefined? Would you say one is more ideal nutritionally? I’ve been cooking and baking with coconut oil more recently and therefore trying to inform myself of it as well. Thanks! These are too cute. I really look forward to trying them.
These were just scrummy! Made them for all the family and we all loved them. So easy to make. I doubled the recipe to make loads for the freezer! My husband is now constantly rummaging around in the freezer for his “Rawlo” fix! Thank you again for another fabulous recipe Sarah xx
nice & very good
I made these for my husband – they are divine!
The chocolate was so flavoursome; I am going to make them sans caramel next time for a chocolate fix.
thanks for the recipe
i, too, was determined to make use of raw chocolate this feb. 14, and was surprised at its intensity. i made a smoothie for 3 and am now looking for other ideas, thanks for sharing.
Just delicious! I am definitely going to make this again and again!
Hi Sarah,
I have just made these and got them out of the freezer, I have already had four, they were so yummy! I had to quickly put them in the fridge so that there were some left for my family to try 🙂 . They were quick and easy to make, I made them with maple syrup instead of honey and had left over chocolate, which I used to make chocolate macadamia nuts.
Jx
I made these and they are so amazing! Everyone that tasted them could taste the love:) I just made a second batch and put cashew butter filling in a few, almond butter in a few, and strawberry jam in a few….excited to see how those turn out. Every recipe I have tried of your’s is absolutely delish, thank you for the inspiration. ~Aloha from Maui
So simple, so damn delicious and addictive! I just made these for a belated valentines day dessert with the girls! I made one batch using your recipe and one without fructose by using rice malt syrup instead of honey or maple & dates for a friend who is has candida. Perfect for sugar free friends! I also used Tinderbox Cacao Maca Chai powder to give it a real vibrant flavour. It worked out better than expected! Thanks Sarah you legend x
I loooved making this recipe, quick, easy and delicious, how can it get better than this? Thank you for sharing 🙂
How gorgeous are these! I’ve been thinking about trying to make some raw chocolates. I live completely sugar-free, though. It’s going to be quite the experiment with stevia : )
They are incredible beautiful! This will be the next recipe I’ll try! I did put them already on my to do list. You are amazing Sarah xx
Thank you Sarah for this recipe.
In the past week I have made FOUR batches of these beautiful soft centered chocolates. My friends think I’m amazing!
xxx
Yay! I am glad you picked up this adorable heart mold!!
I am so excited about these. I just made them and they are sitting in my freezer waiting to set. I cannot wait to be able to eat them. Thank you for continuing to share delicious wholesome food that lets me feel good about eating it and have fun while making it. You keep inspiring me to keep trying new things in the kitchen. Thank you so much for all that you do! Much love on this mushy valentines day!
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They look absolutely delicious but would love to know which coconut oil you would suggest? The one I have is very coconutty and I want to find a flavour neutral brand. Thanks so much for the great, inspirational recipes.
I’m not going to lie; these were so good that my husband and I have eaten almost all of them. I had meant to share them with my girlfriends coming over tomorrow….might have to bust out more in the morning. I think do yourself a favour and make LOTS!
I took these to a valentine’s candy swap and they were the surprise hit! Everyone loved the smooth texture and delicious flavor and surprised to hear they are healthy!
Hi Sarah,
We must have been on the same frequency, because I made these just this morning for my husband for Valentine’s Day! And after I finished, I read your post. So funny! I used regular dark chocolate and added some almond bitter to the date caramel. Very hard not to eat the caramel before the chocolate were filled… Yummy!
Thanks again for your great recipes,
Hanna
SO IS THIS HOW THEY GET THE CARAMEL IN THE CARAMILK BAR? hahah
This looks delish, will defs be trying soon!
Always wondered about a healthy “caramel” that had natural sugars…well done Sarah! I’ll be giving this a go!
I went to 2 grocery stores and my co-op today – have all the ingredient except no one carries cacao butter. Substitution suggestion? Thanks!
The post mentions that you can just add coconut oil in place of cocoa butter. Ghee would make a good substitute as well.
You are officially my hero. This is the best recipe I’ve seen in a long, long time, cannot wait to make them!
Oh my! I made these soon after I read this post…you’re absolutely right, they are so EASY to make and magically delicious. My boyfriend says they taste like a professional made them, not sure what that means but I’ll take it as a compliment! Thanks for the great recipe.
Raw cacao vs. regular old cocoa powder. How are they different? Thanks!
These look so yummy! Wish I had a cute mold to make them in.
Rolos used to be my mom’s favorite candy. I bet she would love this version!
hi sarah, i shifted my perspective on valentine’s day some years back. now my family honors this day of LOVE (in the broadest sense of the word) by meditating on peace and wisdom, doing something special anonymously for someone in need a la Amélie and making a sweet chocolate treat. these hearts will be PERFECT! thank you so much for this beautiful and healthful inspiration.
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I’m just stoked to make my own chocolate! Can I use cocoa butter and cocoa powder if I’m not concerned with it being raw?
Yum! Can’t wait to try these, thanks for sharing.
maple syrup and dates for the caramel…umm..ehem..err…i have a crush on you. this is the first time i have seen your blog and i am very twitterpated over this recipe. my friend shell and i are having a hot date this week to make these. game on!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am a recovering sugar addict going on my second month completely free of refined sugars. I am LOVING the way I feel and would never turn back to the mood swings and energy slumps that accompanied the buckets of sugar I was consuming, but with all the valentine’s chocolates floating around it’s hard not to crave a little something sweet. Plus, it’s incredibly satisfying to make your own candy. I’m definitely going to try these!
Wow, this really does looks simple! It makes me want to run out and buy a candy mold stat!
Such shiny chocolates! What about the temperature? I never feel comfortable with chocolate because of the curve temperature!
Thanks for the recipe!! Take care!
These look incredible and I agree, motherhood brings all that sentiment and sap right to the surface. I was quite overwhelmed with it when my daughter was born 2 years ago
My grandmother used to keep Rolos in a tiny cabinet in her breakfront. Every visit, my sisters and I would sneak over to the cabinet and grab a few Rolos and run away as if the grown-ups didn’t see us. Thanks for the recipe!
These look incredible! I read somewhere that neutral flavour coconut oil has none of the benefits of coconutty coconut oil as it’s more refined…have I read wrong?
These look absolutely amazing. It would be so unlike me to make desserts for Valentines which is why I’m going to do this. I think this is perfect and will go over very well. Sweet!
These look so great! Can’t wait to make these.
Could I make them without the coconut oil and replace it with cocoa butter? And why is it important to not store these more than an hour at room temperature?
Thank you 🙂 <3
Hi Thalia – the chocolates will get really soft at room temperature! It’s best to keep the cold.
Thanks! This is even healthier than my current favorite homemade candy which is just melted dark chocolate over sprouted almonds and raisins, and a dramatic improvement over my candy bar indulgences. I love how the raisins are essentially like caramel. I’ll have to give your’s a try soon to feel even better about my daily dose of chocolate.
Good. FREAKINGGRIEF. Dying.
Oh my… these look divine! Can’t wait to try!
Sarah, you beauty. Thank you so much for these. I’m going to brave the Canadian snow today and get me a mould so that I can get started right away.
In the meantime, I was wondering if you could help a lady out. The winters here are so long that I’m running out of cozy warm beverages to keep things interesting. Any chance I could talk you into concocting a healthy version of hot coconut (bubble) tea for us? I enjoy it from time to time but can’t turn my brain off when it comes to dealing with the sugar and ‘synthethic’ powdery contents. But, oh, wouldn’t it be so yummy and comforting and warming to have the Sarah B. spin on it? Pretty please? 🙂
Hi Chiara!
Ooooh! I love this idea! I’ll try to make it as soon as I can 🙂
Uhhh LOVE you!
You always answer my taste buds!!
Happy Valentines sweet one! xxxxx
Wonderful! I am not into Valentine’s day either. In fact, my boyfriend and I have spent maybe 2 out of the six years we have been together doing something together on Valentine’s day. But these chocolates must be amazing, I don’t have cacao butter at home, the rest is already ready to be used for this recipe.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the recipe, I have just made them, they are in the freezer now!
The only problem I had was the chocolate seemed too thick, I added a bit more of the oil, butter & maple syrup but it was till too thick, it has worked I think but looked a lot thicker than yours. If I make them again should I try it using a bit less cacao powder?
Thanks
Anne-Marie
Hi Anne-Marie,
You can really make the raw chocolate to your taste. Make sure the runny-ness is there but that it also tastes good! Then you should be fine. Play around with the amounts until you have what you’re looking for. Enjoy!
These are adorable! Not gonna like, I’m not sure how you didn’t just eat the cacao butter. Love the addition of the coconut oil! x
I just made these this morning right after I read your post – heaven! Thanks for the constant inspiration!
Marlise
Genius recipe. My mom will be so delighted when I present her with these on Valentine’s Day. I totally understand how motherhood pulls at the heartstrings. I cried watching a mom tell the story of supporting her three daughters at the Winter Olympics (fellow Canadians of course) last night. Before baby (BB) it took a lot for me to cry.
Neeeeed to make! And to be honest, I’m a little intruiged by using flavoured coconut oil – raw coconut chocolates doesn’t sound bad to me 😛
Holy cacau! These look incredible. Must try!
Wow! Just what I wanted to make in this moment! Thank you for this gorgeous recipe as always Sarah!
The rawlos are too cute! Love how simple the recipe is too.
A raw version of Rolos? You are beyond brilliant. I always love your recipes!
Hoooray! What gorgeous little food sculptures. Best of all – I already have all of the ingredients at home. Time to finish my breakfast and get baking!
Soooo tempting! Homemade superfood chocolate is the best. Gorgeous photo!
So impressive! Made your raw brownies and life-changing bread recently. It’s hard to stop eating them….
This looks amazing! I too have never been a valentines girl, but it is a good excuse to make desserts. And there is something to be said about everyone sharing the collective intention of love for a day. Can’t wait to try this out! ❤️
I am drooling here Sarah!!! We must be in the same “chocolaty wavelength” because I just made a batch of “Raw Rocher” for my girlfriend b-day dinner party last night and raw truffles for us tonight. Now I’ll have to try making a batch of your heart shape Rawlos, which look pretty dainty and delish! Love your pics as always.
The heart shape is adorable! Can’t wait to play with both the chocolate and caramel in other recipes! xo
Oh my goodness these look seriously too delish. Can’t wait to make em!
xo, Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
Hi! I was wondering what brand of cacao butter you use? I have found it hard to find pure cacao butter. It always seems to have added ingredients, like the Artisana brand. Thanks!
I was wondering how you got them into those perfect heart shapes until I saw the mold pan on the bottom! I’m thinking I need one of those for truffles! And these look amazing.
Wow, you’ve stolen my hear with this recipe, Sarah. For the cacao butter portion of the recipe is it alright to use cacao butter that is sold for skin care? As long as it’s JUST cacao butter?
HI Lisa – for sure! It’s fine as long as it’s 100% pure. I use the cacao butter on my skin too – but it goes into my food first 😉
I wouldn’t be so sure! It’s not always edible! Not the same thing.
LisaAnnn, the cacao butter I buy is sold in the skin care aisle but says FOOD GRADE on the label. I’d say, check the label! 🙂
Hi Sarah,
I have been playing around with your chocolate recipe for a few weeks- THANK YOU! I have made nut and jam butter cups, bars and truffles! I’m thinking about how I can make the chocolate so that it can travel. I need to bring to friends and co-workers. Any ideas on how to alter it while still maintaining its amazing texture?
Many thanks for this and all your other recipes and posts!
Julia
Hi Julia,
You’ll find that with any raw chocolate, it’s going to be rather unstable in warm temperatures. I think the best thing to do is keep it in a cooler, maybe even with an ice pack for travelling, then stick it in the fridge or freezer when you arrive at your destination.
Wow. What great timing, I just finished a mug of your super haute chocolate and I was thinking about what other raw cacao treats I could make. This will be happening as soon as I can find some moulds.
Drool. Drool. Drool. I’ll be making these verrrry soon.
Oh my gosh, those look amazing! I had such fantastic results with your nut butter cups, I can’t wait to try these! Thanks Sarah, x
These truly look perfect! I love the homemade raw chocolate.
Wow Sarah! These look amazing and simple. Will definitely be giving these a go for V day 🙂
You were right, I think I want to marry you! (I’m taken too, haha).
Should the coconut oil be flavor neutral for the recipe as is or only if it is used to replace the cocoa butter as well? I haven’t noticed flavor neutral coconut oil at my local co-op; is there a specific brand you like that can be ordered off the Internet? Thanks Sarah!
Laura
Hi Laura,
I always use flavour-neutral coconut oil in any application, as I don’t want everything I cook tasting like coconut! The best thing to do is ask an employee at your local health food store about which products do not have a taste.
So excited to try these! I was seriously running out of cool things to do on Valentine’s Day, but I think I’ll end up keeping these for myself. Yum!