Homemade (Unprocessed) Chocolate Syrup

Homemade chocolate syrup.  Made with 4 real ingredients:  maple syrup, water, cocoa powder and vanilla.

It's very easy to make at home.  Just whisk the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat and then pour through a sieve (if desired) into a jar.   

The sieve filters out any tiny bits of unincorporated cocoa powder.

And this jar of syrup keeps for weeks in the fridge.  But I bet it won't last that long!  To make chocolate milk, just scoop out a spoonful and stir it into a glass of milk (hot or cold).  It's also delicious as an ice cream topping.  This morning I added a tiny spoonful to my cup of coffee.  And on painfully long afternoons I can sometimes be found eating it straight off of the spoon. 

I'll be honest:  maple syrup is not my favorite taste.  But it isn't too terribly strong in this syrup.  (You could substitute honey.) The chocolate overpowers it nicely.  There are alternatives to maple syrup and honey, but none are what I consider to be unprocessed (agave nectar, Karo syrup...they've all been "messed with" to a certain degree.  Booooo.)

You could also make this syrup by dissolving cane sugar into hot water in the saucepan and then proceed with whisking in the cocoa powder and vanilla.  Again...cane sugar has been processed, but it's not "as bad" as regular white sugar.  It's a great place to start if you want to wean yourself and your family into a "real food" lifestyle.

Time for the test.  These children, who are used to having rich, chocolatey Ovaltine (and until recently, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup) stirred into their milk are skeptical of any non-processed, homemade "alternatives" I offer. 

("We aren't trying it, Mommy!")

But I coaxed them into it.  Matthew loved it. 

 "Yuck!" Timothy says.

His palate is adjusting to unprocessed, unrefined foods.  It's been a tough transition for him.  He cries in deep dissappointment when we're at the grocery store and I will no longer buy fruit snacks and iced sugar cookies from the bakery department.

Matthew raises a fist in triumph, "Yay!  That leaves more for me!"  He's so sympathetic.  

I'm certain Timothy will come around in time.  Especially since this is now the only option for having chocolate milk in our home.   (I'm such a meanie!)

Printable Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Makes about 2.5 cups

1 cup pure maple syrup

1.5 cups water

1.75 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, mix together the syrup and water.  Bring mixture to a simmer.  Whisk in the cocoa powder, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking until very well incorporated.  Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in the vanilla.  

Set a fine-mesh sieve over the mouth of a large jar.  Pour the chocolate mixture through the sieve into the jar, using a spatula to encourage the thick syrup to pass through the sieve.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe from here.