Cacao Nib Brownies Worth Making

Updated: Aug 27, 2020

If you are a chocolate fanatic and haven’t read Cacao Magazine, I highly recommend you check it out. It covers all facets of this heavenly food item and the chocolate industry itself. I find myself learning something new and intriguing with every post.

In a recent post they discussed the increase in “baking fever” as the world is looking for activities to do from home. They also shared some great looking recipes. While they all sounded fantastic, there was one that caught my eye since I had all the ingredients on hand – Cacao Nib Brownies (click here for the link to the recipe).

I did make a couple of modifications, the primary being that I used Pâte de cacao cru 100% from Rrraw’s “Cook It Rrraw” range to make my chocolate mixture. Rrraw is a truly unique French chocolatier as they do not roast the cacao beans before removing the shell and grinding the beans. It is as raw as you’ll get when it comes to chocolate.

I like baking with good 100% cacao (NOT baker’s chocolate off the grocery store shelf) as I enjoy the complexity of flavor that the chocolate imparts in the item. But then again that shouldn’t come as a surprise given that it is consistent with the title of my book and blog “In Pursuit if Purity,” ha. However, because of my particular preference, I don’t end up baking chocolate items much unless I receive enough extra 100% cacao bar donations.

I also used Olive and Sinclair’s bourbon barrel aged cacao nibs. Since I’ve been rationing what I have left of them, I didn’t use the 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp the recipe called for. I used about 1/8 of a cup and it seemed to not only cover the brownies well, it provided the right amount of texture and flavor.

Although I love chocolate, I’ve never been much of a brownie fan. I must not have a “brownie palate” because I find some of the brownies from well known bakeries to be too dry and crumbly, too chewy that it has the texture of cookie dough (another substance that I’m not a fan of), or much too oily.

However, my husband and I agree that this recipe is a keeper! The brownies turned out incredibly moist but not doughy, and extremely flavorful, all that I’ve dreamed a brownie should be. In fact, the brownies were so amazing that my husband asked me to make them for him for Father’s Day. This time I made them with one of his all time favorite chocolates – Debauve & Gallais’s 99% Cacao Bar. This was absolute chocolate bliss!

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think and fill me in on any modifications you make to enhance the flavor profile. I am excited to hear how creative you get with this recipe!