Candied cacaco Nibs
If you’ve never had candied cocoa nibs before, buckle up. These tiny roasted bits of pure cocoa taste like crunchy dark chocolate magic — and they make everything better. I toss them onto cookies, brownies, ice cream… honestly, I’ve just eaten them straight from the jar like a secret baker snack! This recipe is super simple, but you do have to babysit the pan a little. Trust me — totally worth it.
📌 Ingredients
40g + 10g water, divided
100g + 25g granulated sugar, divided
120g raw organic cocoa nibs
¼ tsp kosher flakey sea salt
½ tsp vanilla extract or paste
½ tsp of apple pie seasoning
🥣 Let’s Make Them!
Line a baking sheet with parchment and keep it close — these nibs move fast once they’re done cooking.
In a heavy-bottomed pan (pan choice matters!), add: water (40g) + 100g sugar + salt. Heat on low until the sugar fully dissolves.
Stir in the raw cocoa nibs, turn the heat up to medium-high, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
The syrup will bubble, then dry out and turn sandy-looking — that’s the sugar crystallizing onto the nibs. This takes about 10–15 minutes. Do not do it too hot or you will burn the sugar.
Once the mixture looks dry and coated, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the remaining sugar, water, and vanilla (if you have vanilla beans or paste I like to mix it in with the sugar before adding it). Keep stirring until the nibs turn shiny but still a little bumpy.
Quickly spread the nibs onto your prepared baking sheet — break up any huge clusters if you want, but little clumps are cute.
Let them cool completely before snacking… or using them in a recipe (if they survive that long 😉). I love them in Greek yogurt!
📝 Storage
Room temp, airtight container. They’ll stay fresh + crunchy for up to 2 months.
Do not freeze — moisture = sad soggy sugar coating.
Candied Cocoa Nibs — Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ~50 g
Servings per Batch: ~5
Nutrient Amount Calories~241 kcal
Total Fat~11 g
Saturated Fat~5 g
Total Carbohydrates~38 g
Sugars~33 g
Dietary Fiber~3 g
Protein~11 g
Sodium~100 mg
