Ingredients for Bean to Bar

Making your own chocolate takes more than cocoa: here you will find bean to bar ingredients that let you control the texture, sweetness and flavour of your bars. From cocoa butter and roller-dried whole milk powder to vanilla powder from Madagascar, this is everything that goes into the melangeur alongside the nibs.

Which ingredient does what?

Cocoa butter for melt and flow

Cocoa nibs already bring their own cocoa butter. An extra portion makes the mass more fluid, the chocolate meltier and thin bars easier to pour. The 250 g cocoa butter is enough for your first batches, while the 2.5 kg organic cocoa butter pays off if you make chocolate regularly.

Soy lecithin as an emulsifier

Soy lecithin (50 g) is an emulsifier: a small amount thins the mass so it pours and tempers more easily. Many bean to bar makers deliberately leave it out, so try both versions and compare.

Whole milk powder for milk chocolate

For milk chocolate, add roller-dried whole milk powder. It gives creaminess and a gentle caramel note.

Sugars and flavours with character

Unrefined sugars give your chocolate its own signature: muscovado sugar (200 g) tastes boldly of molasses, coconut blossom sugar (210 g) is rounder and caramel-like. Morga malt extract (250 g), a malt powder, adds a malty, slightly caramel-like note, and Madagascar vanilla powder (20 g) rounds things off. For crunch, stir cocoa nibs (100 g) into the tempered chocolate at the end.

Tips from our workshop

Add sugar and milk powder gradually while the melangeur is running so the mass does not get too thick. Keep ingredients and equipment completely dry: a few drops of water are enough to make chocolate seize. Write down every recipe so you can repeat a successful bar. You will find the melangeur under bean to bar equipment. If you would rather start without your own cocoa mass, work with ready-made couverture chocolate.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need more than nibs and sugar for dark chocolate?

No. A classic dark bean to bar chocolate is often made from nothing but nibs and sugar. Cocoa butter and lecithin are the finishing touches for texture and handling.

Where can I get suitable nibs?

In cocoa beans and nibs you will find beans and nibs from several origins, and the full range under Bean to Bar.

Can I try it with guidance?

Yes. In the Bean to Bar course in Adliswil you make your own chocolate from bean to bar.