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Raw cacao butter comes in several different forms. You can find it in one solid block form, in random-sized chunks, or preformed discs. But to use in recipes, it needs to be in liquid form. To speed up the melt time, we need to break it down into smaller pieces. In the past, I always used my raw cacao butter grater (ok, really a cheese grater but I bought it for cacao butter since I don’t eat cheese. hehe)
Herein lies the problem…. and it might not only be my problem… whenever I go to grate some static electricity causes the cacao butter shreds to jump outside of the bowl. Anytime I place my hands near it; the shreds jump further and further. Making it a real chore for me to prepare melted cacao butter.
I use to work in a pharmacy where I compounded creams and medication. And I had the same problem back then whenever I tried to pack the capsulation machine. The powders jumped all over. We tried everything to stop this phenomena, humidifiers, standing on wet rags… trust me, we got inventive in trying to “ground me.” nothing ever really worked. lol
Today, I needed 1/2 cup of melted raw cacao butter. I groaned inwardly. I wasn’t looking forward to the “game.” I laid on the couch, waiting for the cacao gods to speak to me… wait for a second, the food processor! Duh! I have been working with raw ingredients for YEARS now, and why haven’t I ever thought of this idea? Oy-Vey. I may be the last one to the dinner table, but that doesn’t mean I’m not hungry.
I grabbed the food processor and fitted it with the coarse shredder blade. I loaded the chute with chunks of raw cacao butter and pressed the plunger down. Five seconds later, I had entirely shredded raw cacao butter, and IT STAYED IN THE BOWL! I proceeded to shred all of the cacao butter that I could find in my pantry. I then scooped it into a cambro, snapped on the lid, and placed it back into the pantry… all ready to go for my next inspirational moment. To learn more about raw cacao butter, click (here).
Ingredients: (examples)
What a great idea Amy Sue! I usually use the edge of a chef’s knife to shave the cacao butter (and also for cacao paste), but this sounds even better (and a lot less tiring on the shoulders!!) Thank you so much :-)
Hello Kelly,
Yes, I have used knives before too…. but this technique was just to slick not to share. I did 2 whole bags of cacao chunks in less than 30 seconds. Now I have it all ready to go for future recipes. Hard to explain but it was a game changer for me. hehe I use to dread grating the cacao butter and often put recipes aside just because of that. But not anymore.
Have a wonderful week! amie sue
I found that the Pampered Chef hand held grater and a paper plate work fabulous and clean up a breeze
Absolutely Debbie. A hand-held grater works great for smaller jobs. Thanks for sharing! blessings, amie sue
Thanks so much for the great tip! I have the exact same problem. I love making raw chocolate, but just the thought of the tedious task of grating cacao butter is often keeping me away from it.
Question: What food processor do you use? I can’t recognize the brand from your photos.
And do you think this would also work with a blender? I have a Blendtec and was wondering if I should try doing this with the Twister jar.. But I’m a bit worried that I’ll break it because cacao butter is really hard..
Good morning Kat…
First off, I wouldn’t use a blender, even the twister jar because it might start to turn the bottom layer into a paste, rather than equally shredded it. Does that make sense?
As far as the food process goes… it is this one: https://nouveauraw.com/equipment/food-processors-grinders/breville-bfp800cbxl-sous-chef-food-processor-cranberry-red/
This is by far my favorite food process so far. It comes with two different bowls, great attachments and storage case… and works great. I use this machine several times a day. I think that I have owned for about 9 months, if not longer.
Have a wonderful day, amie sue
Thank you so much Amie Sue for this great tip. I’ve tried grating cacao butter by hand and it’s a chore. I’ve used a sharp knife to cut it into small pieces, but the pieces are never even. I will definitely use my food processor next time. And also I never realized that 1/2 cup of grated cacao butter equals 1/4 cup liquid. This is great information – thanks so much. Alice
Your welcome Alice. Sometimes I feel so silly sharing such “simple techniques” but then I have to remember how long I have been doing this and STILL discover / learn new things. :) I can’t believe that I grated 2 bags worth in less than 30 seconds. Oy-vey. hehe
I have always found measurements of cacao butter tricky. It is rare that recipe creators share what the pre-weight is, they usually provide and melted measurement…. if that’s the case, how do you how much to grate or use to get that melted measurement. Anyway, I hope this helps you in the future. Have a blessed day. amie sue
There is a lot to read and so I didn’t fully understand whether it is necessary to grate the cacoa butter which comes in button shapes. Is it only the one which comes in chunks which has to be grated? I have always put the buttons into the double boiler for melting.
Sorry for taking so long in getting back to you Susie. I have been swamped. :)
You don’t need to grate the buttons. The grating is more for the large chunks which if left whole take so much longer to melt. Melt away! amie sue
Amie Sue,
Laughing hysterically about the jumping cacao shreds. You realize, they were just trying to get away so they would not end up melted down, so they were like jumping beans.LOL
The Cacao gods were with you this time! The must have sent a message to your brain to use the food processor. So glad it worked, though I imagine the shreds were yelling like crazy to be let out of the bowl. haaa hee
We always need humor in our life don’t we Linda? :) I always get a good giggle when working with cacao butter. hehe So nice to hear from you… as alway. I hope all is well. Many blessings, amie sue
Thank you for the ratio of grated cacao before melting and how much it converts into after melting. Great piece of information which I so much appreciated. :)
You bet Kasi :) My pleasure. amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
Today I have been trying to make chocolate chips..but it’s not working out very well.
I melted the cacao butter..and done everything you said..but it didn’t seem to want to thicken up so I could pipe it.
Do you have to wait until the cacao butter cools..before adding the other ingredients?
Yours Sincerely Trish
Good afternoon Trish,
I combined all the ingredients as instructed in the recipe. There is a sweet spot in the thickness of the chocolate when you are piping. I kept whisking it until it thickened up. As the chocolate cools it gets thicker. You can place the bowl in the fridge to speed up the process but keep a CLOSE eye on it, stirring it to see if it ready for piping. If you forget about it and it hards, you can soften it again by placing it in the dehydrator. It’s a process that requires proper timing. I hope this helps. Keep me posted. amie sue
I should have read this before making the hardening chocolate recipe. I hand shredded the cacao butter, naturally it melting all over my hands in the process (my arms got a nice moisturizing though ;)
Next time food processor!
There are always tips and tricks to be learned. :)
Try putting cacao into a mason jar with lid, then put jar in a bowl/pot and add boiling water 3/4 height of jar, then let it sit and melt. Takes about 10 minutes. Remove jar from water and dry it well before unscrewing and using melted cacao in recipe. Cheers!
Thanks Nan… I have done that too in the past. There are are many ways to melt cacao butter… it’s great to share all ideas with everyone. blessings, amie sue
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I’ve been wanting to explore more with raw cacao butter and this tutorial is perfect. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow, thank you for sharing your expertise