In my healthy vegan and plant-based recipe, I'll show you How to Make Raw Vegan Chocolate Sauce using only 3 clean, real food ingredients and no chocolate chips. It's ready in less than 5 minutes and can be enjoyed on top of vegan desserts like ice cream granola bars, cheesecakes, energy balls and more!
Real Vegan Method™ Recipe
This recipe is part of the Real Vegan Method™...a simple step-by-step way to move beyond processed vegan foods and become a confident Real Food Vegan.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Table of Contents
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- Ready in Under 5 Minutes - No Cooking or Pot Needed!
- A Versatile Plant-Based Staple Recipe
- Made With Only 3 Clean, Real Food Ingredients - No Chocolate Chips!
The Method Behind All My Recipes
If you love clean, real food vegan recipes like this one, you'll love the method behind them.
The Real Vegan Method™ 14-Day Reset helps you:
- Move beyond processed vegan substitutes
- Cook with clean, real food ingredients
- Make plant-based eating simple + consistent
All my recipes - including this one- are based on the Real Vegan Method™.
Ready In Under 5 Minutes
Once you see how easy it is to make a clean chocolate sauce, you'll want to keep a batch on hand at all times!
This recipe needs only one bowl and 5 minutes of your time to make a batch for all your plant-based desserts.
Simply add all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and stir until it's smooth!
A Versatile Plant-Based Staple Recipe
This is my go-to vegan chocolate sauce recipe, and I use it for so many desserts.
Some of my favorite ways to use it are:
- Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raw Hemp Seed Bars with Cacao Drizzle
- Gluten-Free Vegan Cacao Drizzle Holiday Popcorn
- Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pecan Pie Bars
- Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Split Mousse
It's easy to make in advance and stores well either in your pantry or in the refrigerator so you'll always have some ready at a moment's notice!
Made With Only 3 Clean, Real Food Ingredients
Chocolate sauce is the perfect addition to so many vegan desserts, but store-bought chocolate syrup can contain a long list of unhealthy ingredients like these:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Cocoa, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Vanillin, Artificial Flavor.
You don't have to settle for a highly processed chocolate syrup made with GMO ingredients, refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and artificial flavors when you can make homemade chocolate syrup.
My easy recipe needs only 3 real food ingredients such as raw cacao powder, maple syrup, and coconut oil.
This healthy plant-based chocolate sauce is raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, paleo-friendly, keto-friendly (with sweetener substitution) and contains no refined sugar!
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Ingredients
Here are the clean, real food ingredients I used to make this recipe. Try to use organic if possible.
- Cacao Powder
- Maple Syrup
- Coconut Oil
That's it! My No-Cook Chocolate Sauce is super easy to make!
How To Make This Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Here's how to make this recipe and I'll show you how with step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Gather the Ingredients + Melt the Coconut Oil:
Firstly, after you gather the ingredients, you'll need to melt the coconut oil before making the recipe.
The coconut oil should be "liquid" or "melted" and have the appearance and consistency of water.
I melt my coconut oil either in a small saucepan on the stovetop on the lowest heat or place it in a bowl inside another bowl of hot water.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients Together:
Secondly, add the three ingredients together and stir until it's well combined.
It should have a smooth consistency and a shiny appearance.
Step 4: Store the Chocolate Sauce:
Lastly, you can make the chocolate sauce in advance and store it so it will be ready at a moment's notice, or store any leftovers.
Store it in an air-free BPA-free container (I like to use a small glass mason jar) in either the pantry, cabinet or refrigerator.
If you store it in the refrigerator, you'll need to let the coconut oil liquefy again before using it. Just run the container under warm water and then stir before using it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
No! That's the great thing about my recipe is there is no cooking or pots needed!
Just add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk or stir everything together.
That's it!
No! My recipe does not need milk, regular or non-dairy, so it does not need to be refrigerated.
Yes! You can make a smooth and creamy chocolate sauce without using milk-chocolate chips or dairy.
My no-cook vegan chocolate sauce recipe uses only 3 ingredients: organic raw cacao powder, organic coconut oil, and organic maple syrup.
My recipe is easy to store since it doesn't contain dairy or ingredients that would go bad, so it does not need refrigeration.
However, if you did store it in the refrigerator, it would become almost solid because the coconut oil in the recipe will turn into a solid once refrigerated.
If you choose to store it in the refrigerator and the sauce hardens, just leave it out on the counter at room temperature until it softens enough to stir it.
I like to store mine in an air-tight glass mason jar in the pantry until I'm ready to use it.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions to Make Vegan Chocolate Sauce:
Here are some expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Coconut Oil. If you don't care for the taste or smell of coconut oil, you can use organic unrefined coconut oil which has zero coconut taste or smell.
Maple Syrup. You can substitute with your favorite liquid sweetener.
- Lectin-Free: substitute with organic date nectar
- Keto: substitute with a sugar-free liquid sweetener
Raw Cacao. I only use organic 100% raw cacao, but you can also use regular cocoa powder if you prefer.
Storage. If you aren't familiar with using coconut oil, it's helpful to understand how to handle it depending on its consistency.
- Liquid State: When coconut oil is heated over 75 degrees, it becomes a liquid. This would be ideal when using it as a "drizzle" or to dip a cookie or bar in.
- Solid State: When coconut oil is frozen (in the freezer) or chilled (in the refrigerator), it becomes a solid. This would be ideal when using it as a chocolate topping over energy balls or a layer on a no-bake dessert.
Struggling To Eat Vegan Without Relying on Processed Ingredients?
If you rely on packaged vegan food and ingredients or feel overwhelmed trying to eat healthier, this recipe shows how easy real food vegan meals can be...without sacrificing flavor or comfort.
Ready to Learn How Easy It Is to Enjoy Real Food Vegan Meals?
My Real Vegan Method™ app gives you daily guidance, simple swaps, and step-by-step support to help you become a real food vegan...one small habit at a time!
How To Make Vegan No-Cook Chocolate Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup organic raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup organic maple syrup
- ¼ cup organic coconut oil (melted/liquid)
Instructions
Prepare the coconut oil:
- Before beginning, the coconut oil will need to be melted/liquid.
- You can add it to a small saucepan and melt it on lowest heat or place the coconut oil in a small bowl placed in hot water to melt it. It should have the appearance and consistency of water.
Prepare the chocolate sauce:
- Add all ingredients for the chocolate sauce, including the melted coconut oil, to a small bowl and stir it together until it's creamy and smooth.
- Store it in an air-tight BPA-free container in a pantry or cabinet. If you store it in the refrigerator, it will harden but once you liquefy the coconut oil again, it will be ready to use. Just stir it until it's creamy and smooth again.
Recipe Notes
- Keto: Use a sugar-free liquid sweetener
- *Lectin-Free: Use organic date nectar
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
More Healthy Vegan Chocolate Recipes
- Chocolate Fudge Tarts
- Chocolate Avocado Frosting
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Truffles
- or my Real Food Vegan™ 14-Day Meal Plan Program with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Neen B says
Perfect!
I had all of the ingredients and made it right away!
Thank you because I have changed my diet drastically and his allows me to indulge, and still be healthy!
Karielyn Tillman says
Hi there Neen! I'm so glad to hear you liked my homemade chocolate recipe! Making traditional S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) foods homemade and from scratch gives you control over the type of ingredients that are used which makes them healthier and easier to enjoy. Thank you for trying out my recipe and for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it...I sincerely appreciate it! Karielyn 🙂
Sarah Torre says
Perfection! I loved it and so did my husband and one of my sons. (My other two sons thought it was okay… they are used to junk chocolate like at Halloween. I’m working on them though!)
Deborah Cheffer says
I add unsweetened shredded coconut, protein powder, cacao nibs, and organic peanut butter. Then scooping small blobs on parchment to freeze. Now I have clean yummy stuff for my occasional treat.
Karielyn Tillman says
Hi there Deborah! I love to hear about the creative way you used my healthy chocolate sauce...especially the peanut butter!
I'm so happy to know you enjoyed it and appreciate you taking the time to let me know! 🙂