Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Raw Chocolate Hearts

by

Valentine’s Day has never been of much amusement for me.

Don’t get me wrong,

I love all the holiday-themed foods and crafts of hearts & cupids just like anyone…

But that is usually the extent as to how far my love goes for the holiday.

Raw Chocolate Hearts - Fork & Beans

Maybe it was all those bitter years of loneliness

that damaged this upcoming holiday’s reputation with myself.

I am giggling writing that.

In all fairness, it’s just that I didn’t understand why I needed one day to say “I love you.”

In fact, growing up in my household,

saying those words were {still are} a requirement for everything.

Greeting each other.

At the end of a phone conversation.

Leaving for school.

Coming home from school.

Saying good-bye.

And it was {still is} followed in this progression:

Hug, “I love you,” “I love you too,” side of the cheek hug, kiss in the air.

Not doing that is like taking oxygen away from my lungs…

{now that I think about it, it’s probably just my OCD}

It’s to the point though, that if you do not say “I love you” after saying good-bye on the phone,

the other person will call you back, yelling,

“I SAID, ‘I LOVE YOU!’ NOW SAY IT BACK!!!”

I love my family.

Raw Chocolate Hearts - Fork & Beans

These hearts are a work in progress. They stand as a good foundation to work from.

Raw Chocolate Hearts Recipe

Adapted from Sarma Melngailis’s Living Raw Food book

gluten, dairy, refined sugar free, raw

makes 30 hearts

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tb raw cocoa powder (if you don’t have this, you can always use the regular cocoa powder)
  • 2 Tb maple syrup
  • dash of vanilla extract (optional)
  • heart candy mold

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Using a spoon, gently add chocolate mix into heart candy mold.
  3. Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

Raw Chocolate Hearts - Fork & Beans

So while you are planning your Valentine’s gift, meal, event for that special someone,

don’t forget to tell them that you love them right this moment.

You can even throw in a side cheek hug in there if you like.

And if they don’t say it back,

yell at them.

A tried and true method for forcing out an “I love you.”

Fact.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am allergic to anything coconut! A lot of raw and paleo is made with coconut any substitution for that

    • Hmmmm, if it’s coconut oil just for cooking then I would recommend using a good olive oil. But when it comes to this recipe, the reason for the coconut oil is because of its creamy flavor and it solidies nicely when cold. You know, you could mess around with this recipe and maybe use cashews as the base instead and use a little bit of olive oil? Now you have my wheels turning…

    • Hi Julie! Are you referring to the coconut oil? If so, this is really the only oil to use because of how it hardens when it chills, allowing the chocolate to also harden 🙂

    • Well…you could use melted cocoa butter instead of coconut oil! But of course it’s more expensive and not so easily available… 😉

    • THat’s a great idea, Sadie! I think it just might be doable however you would have to let the mix sit a little in order for it to solidfy {maybe}?? Now you have me curious! If you try it out, let me know please–I would love to hear the results 🙂

  5. Can’t wait to make this recipe tomorrow! I have all the ingredients ready to go 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, and giving me the go ahead to repost it on my blog once I am done. Loving all your recipes and you have become one of my go-to blogs for all things good! Keep up the beautiful writing and recipes! <3 K x

    • They definitely are a foundation to start with. I haven’t made them since but if you find a way to spruce them up even more so, I would love to hear what you do!

  7. oh so sweet shiny little hearts… I use a similar recipe for a fail-safe chocolate sauce, and I freeze it for my own raw chocolate chips… oh YUM. I’ve actually tried a version subbing in some tahini/nut butter for about 1/2 of the coconut oil amount, and you get an almost truffle-like texture when it freezes. Yip, truffle is GOOD.

  8. This post is so cute! You were lucky to grow up in such an openly loving family. It sounds a lot like my family. I remember an ex-boyfriend being mystified by how many “I love you’s” were bandied about at my house. He remarked, “I wouldn’t be surprised if your family hugged and said ‘I love you’ before you left to go to the bathroom!”

    • Sometimes one need reassurance upon making a trip to the loo! What a hater… ha.
      I guess I should also add here that as “I love you” addicted as we are, we are also a very sarcastic family that likes to beat each other up. Especially with my dad. Him saying “I love you” is as about as affectionate as he gets. I absolutely adore that about him though 🙂

    • Hi Amber! Thank you for the comment. I had no idea how easy making homemade raw chocolate could be either. I have been biten by the raw bug and plan on using your blog as one of my guides 🙂

  11. I am so accustomed to saying “I Love You” to my family and friends that I am afraid I will say it to a client or business contact… if I have not already. 😉

    Jason and I have this weird thing, we don’t say “I love you TOO…” just… I love you. I don’t even recall why… the “too” just sounded weird to us. but WE are weird, so… and for some reason, even though we say appreciate each other CONSTANTLY, we both LOVE Valentines Day…

    • You two are romantics at heart–I love that! I wish I lived nearby so I could witness the two of you get lovey dovey and then I would make barfing noises, all the while secretly loving it 🙂

  12. there you go again with some perfect and pretty treats!
    hmm my family is currently a bit like that…… dad was the ” i am the man of the house, i m not going to show any emotion or say sweet things” while we were growing up.. though we all knew he would send the invisible hugs to us everyday.. but now, since the last 6-7 yrs, he shows a lot more emotion.. he keeps saying sweet things to mom… he hugs us and says i love you too now.. mom has always been the sweet huggable person.. she keeps getting even more huggable every year.. now i am missing her.. 🙁
    she is like 4 ft 9 inches tall..:) but she still can envelope everyone in a big love filled bear hug!

  14. Want.

    My family is the same way too. I’ve probably come close to telling customers “I love you” when I hang up the phone. I don’t think I’ve ever done it though. Yet. I’m for sure going to do it now.

    I love you <3

  16. Valentine’s Day isn’t something I have ever been very interested in celebrating. But I love all the candy recipes that come out this time of year!

    • I do too! How can you not, you know? I’m a sucker for everyday foods/things shaped into cute themes. Glad to know you are the same 🙂

  17. You & your Family must be the exact replica of my NH Family – we are the same EXACT way, it would never cross my mind to not say I love you to anyone of my family members, on the phone, in person, out in public or via e-mail 🙂 We are a very lovey group of people

    My line on Valentines Day is ” Justin and I show each other we love one another everyday, why do we need just one day to show our love” then they all throw things at me for being so mushy

    Your hearts are uber cute – yep just broke out uber, which kinda sounds like goober – maybe you should make some raw goobers – remember those!? Okay now I am rambling 🙂

    • Do I remember Goobers??? Is it chocolate in candy form? Then I remember it! 🙂 In fact, along the lines of talking about goobers, this was a term of endearment my father would call me all of the time. That, and dork and moron. Despite our need to tell each other that we love each other, we are very sarcastic and abusive to one another (a typical greet after an I love you would be followed by a punch in the arm). Hmmm, does that sound dysfunctional or what???

      • not as bad as being called Brillo by your Dad becuase of your crazy curly hair when you were a pre-teen resembled a brillo pad – it was although said with tons of love 🙂

        we are a hockey family so razzing and name calling comes natural to us

        • Okay…I too, had hair just like that! God bless the Brazilian Blowout, otherwise I would still have “furry” hair as it was lovingly referred to. I love how you say it was said with tons of love. HAHA.

  18. I love homemade chocolate with coconut oil!!! These little hearts are precious and perfect looking 🙂
    Our family is the exact same way about “I love you’s”…and greeting cards for that matter… I get a couple for every occassion, I’m sure I’ll receive 2 Vday cards from each of my parents 🙂 I love my family too!

    • Aaaaawww, that is so cute about the cards of Valentine’s Day!!
      It’s funny because other than that “I love you” tradition certain members of my family are not affectionate, particularly the men really. So on my cards, I usually get some mean comment written on it <–total bipolar family, which makes me love them even more 🙂 Yay for families…

  19. For months I’ve been (lazily) slopping together some coconut oil, cacao powder and powdered sucanat to satisfy my chocolate craving – which was hardly satisfying becuase I had to cut that shit out of a pan. And now you have these perfectly bite-sized pieces which I will obviously need to make. Today. But there’s one problem, I don’t have a heart shaped chocolate mold – be a sweetie and tell me where to find one? 😉

    • Oh now you want me to tell you my secrets eh? The other day you were having a hissy about me *not* telling you. You are so confusing!
      I got mine at Michael’s and it was only $2. Not bad of a deal, right? Does Denver have a Michael’s anywhere close by you? Or a Joann’s?

  20. Ok. Question. This is a similar recipe that I use to make chocolate bars, candies, chips, etc., but when I make mine, it’s thick and gloppy and pasty an dull looking. Yours (and others I’ve seen) are shiny and pretty. Is your mixture thick or pourable? Curious.

  21. And If I could spell that would have been friend not some weird combination of that and fiend, although…

  22. You are absolutely DETERMINED to get me out of bed and back into the kitchen, aren’t you? Must be why you’re my freind. <3 <3 <3

  23. You made me laugh with this post Cara. We are also very ‘I Love You’ liberal. 🙂
    And, oh yes! I want these! Now if only all the cool moulds you have in the US were readily available (and when found, not 4 times the price) here in Oz. Sigh! I shall persevere with my candy mould hunt.
    In fact, if you could just post that plate of hearts to me…. I’ll email my address? 😉

    • You guys don’t have a craft store over there that sells cheapo molds?? (mine literally cost $2) There has got to be somewhere like that! I am determined for you now… Sending you a puddled mess of raw chocolate via mail 🙂

  24. omigosh, cara. ANOTHER similarity! my family and i are the same way- we say “i love you” greeting each other, saying goodbye, at the end of a phone call. (if it’s my dad, during every day conversation..) and dayv and i are the same way now, too. when he leaves for work in the morning at 5:30 am and i’m still in bed, kiss and “i love you”. if one of us is running out of the house to go anywhere, kiss and “i love you”. going to bed every night. at the end of a phone call.

    anyway, that was pretty specific. but! i agree, it is SO important to let the ones you know all the time how much you love them. i think it’s one of the most important things you can do. all you need is love..am i right? haha..

    and i love your raw treat! they are so easy to make- i have to make them <3

    • Greg and I have adapted this habit as well–his is definitely not that way so I had to convert him (which was rather easy, if I do say so myself). Twinsies again 🙂 Where is the eerie music when you need it cued?? xo

      • i had to convert my husband, too! my family sounds exactly the same. and i can’t wait to make these delicious chocolates!

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