5 great ways to use your COCOA NIBS

Cocoa nibs are yummy pieces of cocoa beans! After the raw cocoa is roasted, it's winnowed to remove the thin shaft, what remains are these crunchy, yummy bits of pure cocoa - cocoa nibs! These are essentially chocolate in its truest form. The health benefits are very well researched and documented. Also, they add flavour and texture to anything!

I have made a list below of 5 of my favourite ways to use these nibs daily. Enjoy!

1) Making chocolate! I am a chocolate maker, so of course this is number one! the basic building blocks of chocolate are; Cocoa Nibs and Sugar. For example, our 80% dark chocolate is 8 grams of cocoa nibs and 2 grams of sugar. I get to use these daily (and taste test of course......quality assurance)

2) On salads! Cocoa nibs are a fantastic way to garnish your salad. As a super food, you're adding a great deal of nutrients, and flavour to your meal. I keep it simple with a green of choice (i'm into Arugula, but spinach is pretty popular), something colourful (Carrots?) something sweet (dried berries, fresh mandarins, strawberries, etc) and cocoa nibs for crunch and flavour!

3) Smoothie! Add these to your favourite smoothie recipe to create a rich, cocoa flavoured smoothie. Here's a suggested easy smoothie recipe. 1 frozen banana, 10 frozen strawberries, 20g cocoa nibs, 2 tablespoons of honey , 4 ice cubes, blend until smooth, and enjoy!

4) Baking! Cocoa nibs make a delicious addition to your baked goods, instead of chocolate chips, try using cocoa nibs; they're healthier, crunchier, and yummier! They add a nice contrast in flavour to a sweet pastry and add texture to your cookies, muffins and other baked goodies. Try adding a few of these nibs to your favourite home made pastry.

5) Parfait! This is an easy, but fantastic way to enjoy your nibs, sprinkle these nibs on a yogurt parfait to create a well rounded flavour and texture to your breakfast treat. Try 1 cup of your favourite yogurt, 20g of cereal (I love morning crisp!), 1 spoon of honey, 10g of almonds and 10g of our cocoa nibs!