How to Cook with Chocolate the Healthy Way

Discover healthy ways to cook with chocolate! Learn how to incorporate dark chocolate into nutritious recipes, from beverages to baked goods, while maintaining flavor and health benefits with these cooking tips and recipes.

Remember the days when you had to hide your love affair with chocolate? Those days are long past, thanks to a growing body of research that points out health benefits of one of our most favorite foods. Now we understand that chocolate doesn’t have to be overly indulgent or unhealthy! In fact, chocolate can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your meals. Whether you’re looking to add a rich touch to your smoothies or create a guilt-free dessert, cooking with dark chocolate is the key to enjoying its many health benefits. In this guide, I’ll show you how to cook with chocolate the healthy way, featuring cooking tips and recipes that keep your taste buds happy and your body fueled with nutrients for optimal health.

A handful of cacao beans—the source of dark chocolate.

Chocolate Health Benefits

Recognizing chocolate as a healthful food is nothing new. The ancient Mayans considered this plant food as medicine for numerous ailments. They ground the beans (cacao beans pictured above) of the Theobroma cacao tree to concoct a bitter beverage. What the Mayans didn’t know is that chocolate and cocoa products contain polyphenols, beneficial compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine. Flavonoids, the types of polyphenols found in cocoa products, are particularly potent antioxidant compounds, and make up over 10 percent of the weight of cocoa powder. Chocolate also contains plant sterols, B vitamins, magnesium, copper and potassium.

This is what cacao looks like right off the tree!

More and more research supports eating small portions of dark chocolate or cocoa products for heart health benefits. Studies have linked it with helping to prevent blood clots, improve insulin resistance, support healthy blood vessel function; and lower blood pressure, inflammation and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. A Harvard study investigated data from a cohort of almost 32,000 women over eight years, finding that moderate habitual chocolate intake was associated with a lower rate of heart failure hospitalization or death.

A small amount of dark chocolate is linked with health benefits.

Of course, it’s important to remember that chocolate is a calorie-dense food and should be enjoyed in moderation. Today’s standard chocolate confections are typically a processed mix of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sugar, emulsifiers, and milk that may minimize its potential health benefits. Instead, look for dark chocolate with higher cacao levels to gain benefits. Learn more about how to enjoy the health benefits of dark chocolate here.

Today I’m sharing my top 5 tips for enjoying chocolate in healthy and delicious ways that will allow you to reap the advantages of this delectable ingredient.

Top 5 Ways to Use Chocolate

1. Add Chocolate Love to Your Morning

Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast? A handful of dark chocolate chips gives crunchy whole grain waffles, such as these Coconut Cherry Dark Chocolate Waffles, a sweet twist and boosts the antioxidant power of your morning meal. You can also stir cocoa powder into your morning coffee or smoothie.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates and Walnuts

2. Bake Up Yummy Chocolate Treats

Fold dark chocolate chips or cocoa powder into cookies, brownies, biscotti, and bars. Start with this twist on a childhood favorite cookie made even better! Bake up some cookies that are lower in added sugars, like these delicious Indio Date, Walnut, and Dark Chocolate Cookies. The natural sweetness of dates pairs amazingly with the slightly bitter dark chocolate, making these cookies the perfect afternoon pick-me up.

3. Whip Up an Energizing Trail Mix

Combining the health benefits of dark chocolate with other fabulous nuts, seeds, and fruits makes for the ideal on-the-go snack. Create your own custom dark chocolate trail mix with this recipe here. You can also use that trail mix in your favorite recipes, such as trail mix oatmeal.

4. Mix Together Veggie-Packed Dark Chocolate Muffins

Who knew chocolate and zucchini could be a match made in heaven? Stir dark chocolate into a variety of muffin mixes, starting with my favorite Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. These delectable muffins are full of healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds, making them a perfect post-workout snack or anytime treat. And don’t stop there! Try cocoa powder or dark chocolate chips in carrot, banana, and pumpkin muffins.

5. Use Cocoa Powder in Savory Dishes

Cocoa powder is a rich source of dark chocolate polyphenols that can help boost your heart health in savory dishes, too. For example, cocoa powder adds a rich savory flavor to this Tofu Mole recipe from my book California Vegan. It can also be stirred into chilis, stews, and soups.