5 Chocolate Recipes That Are Perfect for Summer

Summer is quickly coming to an end, but there's still plenty of time for you to enjoy a refreshing summer treat. Whether you're looking for something to soothe your chocolate cravings, a delicious snack, or relief from the heat, we've got you covered.

Most of these recipes are gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and keto-friendly. And you can tweak them, if you wish, to make them as healthy or as indulgent as you desire. From mochi to frozen banana and chocolate lollies, these treats are fit for anyone and any occasion.

With that said, let’s get right into it. Here are five chocolate recipes that are perfect for summer.

*Recipes provided by Kristell Gathoye.

The best part of this "nicecream" recipe is that it's hassle-free. There's no ice cream machine needed. And, with just six ingredients, you can have all the goodness of chocolate ice cream in your freezer in less than an hour.

Ingredients (Makes one small tub)

• 25g + 25g 100% T. Cacao powder
• 200 ml Coconut cream
• 30 ml almond milk
• 70 g pitted dates
• 2 tsp Nut butter of your choice (I use almond)
• A handful of chopped hazelnuts
• Optional: 3 drops of Rose extract

 Recipe:

1. Prepare all the ingredients.

2. Add the coconut cream to a mixing bowl, and place it in the fridge. (Cooling it will ensure better whipping.)

3. Place your chosen final container in the freezer until ready to use.

4. In another container, add all the ingredients, except half the cacao powder (25g), and blend until it forms a paste. Then, add the chopped nuts of your choice.

5. Whip the coconut cream until it thickens (about 2 minutes), add the paste, and mix well.

6. Pour into your chilled container.

7. Make a paste using the remaining 25g of cacao powder and a couple of spoons of warm water. Swirl it into the previous mix for an ‘artisan’ effect (you can also mix all the cacao into the initial paste if you are in a rush!).

8. Cover the mix with cling film. Make sure the film touches the mixture (This is to avoid ice crystals). Freeze for 3 hours minimum. Take it out of the freezer at least 30 min before serving.

 Recipe Tips (these will change the suitability to certain diets):

• Mix it up: Flavor your nicecream with Orange blossom or Coffee instead.
• Indulge: Add dried cranberries, banana chips, or chocolate chips instead of nuts.
• Substitute: The coconut cream and almond milk can easily be replaced by your favorite dairy products in the same quantities.

2. Banana Chocolate Lollipops

Vegan, Paleo, GF, Keto-Friendly | Prep Time: 20 min | Freeze Time: 2 hours
Level: Easy – Kid-friendly

This is a quick and easy recipe that puts a chocolate twist on one of the most popular go-to summer treats. These banana chocolate lollies aren't only easy to make. They can be part of a fun family activity as well.

Ingredients (Makes 8 small bitesize lollies or 4 larger ones)

• 5 tsp 100% T. Cacao powder
• 5 tsp soy yogurt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tsp Cacao nibs

Recipe:

1. Prepare all the ingredients

2. Mash the ripe banana and add it to a pan with the cacao powder.

3. Slightly warm up the mashed banana with the cacao powder so that the two mix better together.

4. Turn off the heat, add the yogurt and nibs. Spoon the mixture into your lolly containers or other individual molds.

5. Freeze the lollies for 2 hours for a soft ice cream-like texture. Keep it longer for a firmer treat.

6. For a more ice cream-like texture, you can also take them out of the freezer 15-20 minutes before eating. 

Recipe Tips:

• Up the indulgence: Replace the soy yogurt for dairy Greek yogurt.
• Energy Kick: Add a couple of spoons of espresso coffee into the initial banana/cacao mixture.
• Go nuts: Replace the nibs with any chopped nuts of your choice. 

3. Frozen Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse

GF, Lactose-free | Prep Time: 45 min | Freeze Time: 2 hours for inserts + 4 hours for the mousse
Level: Intermediate

A simple yet elegant treat, this chocolate mousse takes a bit of time to prepare but is certainly worth the wait. It’s a popular favorite, and the raspberries pair with the chocolate to create the perfect combination of sweetness and richness. 

Ingredients (Makes 8 servings)

• 70g fresh raspberries
• 2g Gelatine + 1tsp of cold water to rehydrate
• 1 Tsp of vodka ( to keep the center soft during freezing)
• 140ml almond milk
• 100g 100% T. Cacao powder
• 200ml lactose-free cream (alternatively, you can also use normal cream)
• 40g sugar + 10g for the inserts

Recipe:

Prepare the ingredients for the inserts

1. Mash the raspberries with a fork. Then, add them to a pan with 10g of sugar and the tsp of vodka. Bring them to a boil for 5 minutes.

2. Off the stove, mix in the rehydrated gelatine. Pour into small spherical molds or an ice cube tray (make sure it’s not larger than around 1/5 of the final mousse mold that you will use.)

3. Freeze for 2 hours or overnight

Prepare the ingredients for the mousse

1. Put the cream in a mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix together 40g of sugar and the cacao powder.

3. Remove the cream from the fridge and whip to a soft cheese consistency.

4. In a small pan, heat the milk to a light boil. Pour onto the chocolate & 40g sugar mix. With a spatula, mix well until homogenous.

5. Without waiting, pour 1/3 of the whipped cream onto the chocolate mixture and mix well to loosen the paste. Incorporate the rest of the cream, 1/3 at a time, with a spatula to keep as much of the air as possible.

6. Spoon into your spherical molds (or ramekins). Fill it to ¾. Add the raspberry inserts.

7. Spoon a little more mousse to fill the mold and cover the raspberry inserts.

8. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours.

9. Take it out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, sift some more cacao powder on top. You can also top each sphere with a raspberry or 3!

Recipe Tips:

• If you do not have silicone spherical molds, use ice cube trays and/or ramekins. It is important that the container used for the raspberry coulis is around 3, 4 times smaller than the one used for the mousse.
• Turn it into a grown-up treat by making lemon and limoncello inserts instead of raspberry. Mix in around 10ml of limoncello (skip the vodka) to the lemon juice.
• Go nuts! You can make Hazelnut paste inserts by spooning your favorite paste into the small molds and insert these instead of the raspberry.
• The almond milk can easily be replaced by dairy milk.

4. Chocolate Mochi

GF, Vegan | Prep Time: 70 min | Set time: 1 hour
Level: Advanced

It's soft, chewy, and all-around flavorful. This chocolate mochi recipe is a bit more difficult to make than the others, but it's equally worthwhile. And once you master the art of making it, you might just end up wanting to do it again! 

Ingredients (Makes around 15-20 mochi):

• 50g 100% T.Cacao powder
• 50gr Dairy-Free cream (oat or coconut)
• 1 Tsp Honey or sweetener of your choice.
• 100g of Glutinous rice flour
• 55g Sugar
• 20g 100% T.Cacao powder
• 180ml water

Recipe:

Make the Ganache:

1. Prepare 50g of cream in a small pan and 50g of cacao in a bowl.

2. Bring the cream to a light boil and pour slowly onto the cacao, mixing well to make a ganache. Add the honey or sweetener.

3. Place cling film on contact and place in the fridge for 30 minutes until it firms up enough to handle.

4. With your hands, make small hazelnut size balls and place them on a tray with grease-proof paper. Freeze until time for use.

 Make the Mochi:

1. Prepare all ingredients and a steamer (a makeshift one using a pan and a sieve works perfectly well)

2. Mix the Glutinous rice flour with the cacao powder and add the sugar.

3. Add the water a little at a time and mix rapidly with a whisk to avoid any clumps. You will end up with a liquid batter.

4. Place it into your steamer and cover with a tea towel/cloth between the bowl and the lid to ensure the steam does not fall on the mochi.

5. Cook for about 7 minutes. It will start to firm up. Mix well and put it back on the steamer for another 5 minutes. Stir again. Steam for 5 more minutes and you should get a homogenous elastic dough that starts unpeeling from the bowl.

6. Spread cornflour on a work surface, drop the dough and pour some more cornflour on top. Don’t hesitate to use quite a bit as it will be very sticky!

7. Roll the dough to up to ½ cm. Cut circles using a cookie cutter or simply a glass. Place the circles on a piece of parchment.

8. Place a little ball of ganache previously made in the center.

9. Gather all sides in your fingers and crush them together to seal the mochi. Place the non-smooth side underneath. Your mochi is ready!

Recipe Tips:

• When making the mochi, keep your hands covered in cornflour. Be ready to end up with a messy kitchen!
• These are better eaten on the day.
• Once you get the hang of it, experiment with any filling!
• Usual dairy cream can be used for the ganache using the same method and quantities.

5. Coconut Almond Summer Keto Bombs

GF, Vegan, Keto, Paleo | Prep Time: 15 min | Freeze Time: 3 hours | 
Level: Easy

Chocolate fat bombs are the perfect treat for anyone on a keto diet. And because this recipe is so quick and simple, you can make these bite-sized treats whenever you feel like, go about the rest of your day, and have them waiting for you when you return.

Ingredients (Makes 6):

• 25g 100% T.Cacao powder
• 2 Tsp instant coffee diluted in 1 Tbsp of hot water
• 7 Tsp of nut butter (almond butter used in this recipe)
• 3 Tsp Coconut oil

Recipe:

1.  Mix all the ingredients together using a hand blender, and fill small ice lolly molds or ice cube trays.

2. Place in the freezer for 2-3h. 

Sourcing Your Cacao

All these recipes call for the use of cacao powder. That's because pure cacao powder, as opposed to chocolate, makes for much more flavorful desserts.

Our T.cacao Everyday Organic 100% Cacao Powder has all the health benefits of pure cacao and no additives whatsoever, making it the perfect option for using in these guilt-free chocolate treats.

With five recipes to choose from, you’ll have no shortage of cool summer treats to share with those around you—or to enjoy during some alone time.