Chocolate covered coffee beans are one of the simplest treats you can make at home. You only need two ingredients, coffee beans and good dark chocolate, and they make a lovely homemade gift. Here's how to make them.
Chocolate covered coffee beans recipe
Makes: about 85g of chocolate beans
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus setting
Ingredients
- 110g (4oz) dark chocolate, about 70% cocoa
- 85g (3oz) whole roasted coffee beans
Method
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until smooth.
- Tip the coffee beans into the chocolate and stir until they're all coated.
- Lift the beans out a few at a time with a fork, let the excess chocolate drip off, and spread them out on the tray so they don't touch.
- Chill for about 30 minutes, until set.
- For a thicker coating, gently re-melt the chocolate and dip the beans again. Two or three coats give a proper chocolate shell.
- Once the final coat has set, store them in an airtight container in a cool place.
Which coffee beans work best?
Go for a medium roast. Light roasts can taste sharp and acidic when eaten whole, and very dark roasts can be bitter. A chocolatey, nutty coffee, like many from Brazil or Colombia, is a natural match for dark chocolate.
Almost all speciality coffee is arabica, and it's the best choice here for its sweetness and flavour. Robusta beans have nearly twice the caffeine and a harsher, more bitter taste, so they're best avoided.
Tips and variations
- Try other chocolate. Milk chocolate gives a sweeter result. You can also dust the finished beans with cocoa powder.
- Temper the chocolate if you want a glossy finish with a snap. Untempered chocolate works fine, but it may look a little dull.
- Watch the caffeine. Each bean contains a little caffeine, and it adds up quickly, so they're a treat to enjoy a few at a time.
Love coffee in your baking? Try our espresso brownies or classic tiramisu.
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