If youve ever wondered, "How is chocolate made?"
or "Where does chocolate come from?" this page
will help you discover the answers. Youll learn how chocolate
starts its journey, explore fun chocolate facts, and find easy
chocolate recipes that kids can enjoy making at home.
Kids Cooking Activities Teaching Materials
Make teaching easier with our activities and recipes compiled in theme sets and books with an easy to read format
Perfect for teaching!
~This post may contain affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. There is no extra cost to you. This is how we help support our family and continue to bring you amazing content. To learn more see the affiliates disclosure here.~
Lets start at the very beginning. Chocolate doesnt begin as a bar
or a chip - it starts on a tree! Chocolate comes from the cacao
tree, which grows in warm climates near the equator.
These trees produce large pods that grow directly on the trunk and
branches.
Inside each pod are about 40-50 cacao beans surrounded by a sweet,
sticky pulp. While the beans dont taste like chocolate at first,
they hold the key ingredients needed to make it.
Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Mayans and
Aztecs valued cacao highly. Cocoa beans were even used as
currency. The beans were crushed and mixed with water to create a
bitter drink called xocoatl, which was reserved for
royalty and honored warriors.
Chocolate as we know it today didnt appear until European explorers
brought cacao beans back to Europe, where sugar and milk were added
to create sweeter versions.
How Chocolate Is Made from Cocoa Beans
Although chocolate has been enjoyed for thousands of years, the
basic process of making it hasnt changed much.
Harvesting: Ripe cacao pods are cut from the
tree using machetes.
Fermentation: The beans and pulp are removed
from the pods and placed in containers to ferment for several
days. This step develops the chocolate flavor.
Drying: After fermentation, the beans are
spread out and dried naturally in the sun.
Roasting: Dried beans are shipped to
chocolate factories, where they are roastedsimilar to coffee
beansto deepen the flavor.
Grinding: The roasted beans are cracked open,
and the shells are removed. The remaining pieces (called nibs)
are ground into a thick paste known as chocolate liquor.
Despite the name, chocolate liquor contains no alcohol. It is simply
the pure form of chocolate, made from cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Turning Chocolate Liquor into Chocolate
Chocolate liquor can be further processed depending on the type of
chocolate being made. Some cocoa butter is removed to create cocoa
powder, while the rest is blended back together with ingredients
such as cocoa butter, sugar, milk, or flavorings.
The chocolate mixture then goes through a process called conching,
where it is mixed and smoothed for hours until it reaches the
desired texture and flavor.
Finally, the chocolate is poured into molds, cooled, wrapped, and
packagedready to become the chocolate treats we know and love!
Semisweet
morsels -These are perfect for chocolate chip cookies or
any type of add ins in baking.
Semisweet
bricks -This is baking chocolate. It can be cut up
and melted for chocolate candy, chocolate cakes and icings.
Unsweetened
dark bars - Unsweetened chocolate is used for recipes that
call for other sweet ingredients like sugar or honey to offset
the bitter taste. Many unsweetened dark chocolate bars don't
contain anything but cocoa solids so they are safe for those
with food allergies.
Dark
or milk
bars - With or without the nuts or fruit pieces, these are
great for eating. Milk chocolate is creamy but the added milk
also adds calories and fat. Depending on the chocolate
manufacturer, you may get a different taste with each brand you
try.
Cocoa
powder - This is where the chocolate begins as a
presscake once the cocoa butter is removed. The presscake can
then be packaged as cocoa powder for hot chocolate and also for
baking. Unsweetened baking cocoa is best for recipes. Hot
chocolate has other dried ingredients added like sugar and
dehydrated marshmallows. It is just for drinking.
Easy Recipes
Now that we've answered the question, how chocolate is made, try
creating some easy recipes.
Cream Scones with
Chocolate Chips
By Kids
Cooking Activities
Tender, buttery
cream scones filled with semisweet chocolate chips. A cozy
baking recipe that teaches kids how to cut butter into flour
and shape dough.
1 stick + 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup semisweet chocolate
chips
1 large egg yolk
½ cup half-and-half, chilled
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Lightly spray a baking sheet and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk
flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add cold butter pieces and
blend until mixture is crumbly.
Stir in chocolate chips.
In a small bowl, whisk egg
yolk and chilled half-and-half.
Pour egg mixture over
flour mixture and stir with a fork until soft, moist dough
forms.
Lightly flour a surface.
Turn dough out and knead gently about 6 times.
Pat into an even circle
(or press into a small pan) and cut into 6 wedges.
Place scones on baking
sheet. Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon sugar over the tops.
Bake about 20 minutes,
until bottoms are golden and tops are lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack and
serve warm.
Notes
Keep the butter and half-and-half cold
for the flakiest scones. Mix and knead gently. Overworking
the dough can make scones tough.
Kid-Friendly Tips
Kids can measure dry ingredients and add chocolate chips
Show how cold butter makes "crumbs" (great texture
lesson!)
Let kids help cut the circle into wedges (with safe
supervision)
Serving Ideas
Serve warm with a little butter
Drizzle with melted chocolate for a dessert-style treat
Pair with milk or hot cocoa
Chocolate Rice Crispy
Balls
By Kids
Cooking Activities
No-bake
chocolate Rice Crispy balls made with cocoa, marshmallows, and
cereal. These bite-sized treats are easy for kids to help make
and perfect for parties, holidays, or edible gifts.
Category:Dessert
No Bake
Skill Level:
Beginner
Prep: 20 minutes | Yield:About 20-24 balls
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (10 oz) bag mini
marshmallows or 7 oz marshmallow fluff
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
¼- ½ cup semisweet chocolate
chips
Instructions
Line two baking sheets
with wax paper and set aside.
Melt butter in a large
saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir in cocoa powder until
fully blended.
Add marshmallows and stir
frequently until completely melted, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir
in cereal until evenly coated.
Mix in half of the
chocolate chips.
Lightly oil hands and form
mixture into golf-ball-sized balls.
Place balls on prepared
baking sheets.
Allow to cool at room
temperature until set.
Kid-Friendly Tips
Kids can help measure cereal and chocolate chips
Oiling hands helps prevent sticking when rolling
Great recipe for practicing scooping and shaping
Variation Ideas
Roll balls in sprinkles or powdered sugar
Add mini chocolate chips on top before cooling
Use as a no-bake Valentine or holiday treat
Notes
Adults should handle the stovetop
portion. Let mixture cool slightly before kids help shape
the balls.
Chocolate Edible Bowl
By Kids
Cooking Activities
Learn how to
make an edible bowl out of chocolate using balloons. This fun,
hands-on tutorial is perfect for teaching kids about melting,
shaping, and creating edible containers for desserts.
Clean, dry, and blow up
balloons to the size you want your bowls.
Melt chocolate chips in a
saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
Spoon a small circle of
melted chocolate onto wax paper to form the bowl base.
Dip each balloon into
melted chocolate, coating the bottom evenly.
If desired, roll in
sprinkles or crushed cookies.
Place dipped balloons onto
the chocolate base on the wax paper.
Let set overnight or
refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Carefully cut and deflate
the balloon.
Gently peel balloon away
to reveal the chocolate bowl.
Kid-Friendly Tips
Kids can help dip balloons and add sprinkles
Adults should handle melting chocolate
Discuss how liquid chocolate hardens as it cools
Serving Ideas
Fill with ice cream or pudding
Use for fruit or whipped cream
Great for parties and special occasions
Notes
If the chocolate thickens while dipping, gently reheat on the
stove. Work slowly and carefully when removing balloons to
avoid cracking.
Chocolate Mousse
By Kids
Cooking Activities
A rich and
creamy chocolate mousse made with melted chocolate and whipped
cream. This elegant dessert is light, fluffy, and perfect for
special occasions or teaching older kids advanced mixing and
folding techniques.
Do you have a favorite recipe your kids love to make? Or a recipe your kids ask you to make again and again? Share it with us!
Reader's Submitted Recipes
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Chocolate Pudding Cake Chocolate Pudding Cake
The recipe for my COCO- Pudding Cake is as follows:
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 …