Cacao Nibs: Flavour, Uses and Storage
Cacao Nibs: Flavour, Uses and Storage
Anyone expecting chocolate from cacao nibs is in for a surprise: they are robust, crunchy and exciting for exactly that reason.
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What you'll learn
- What cacao nibs are and how they are made
- How they really taste – and how they don't
- How to roast, chop and dose them
- How to store them so the aroma stays
Cacao nibs are nothing other than broken cocoa beans – cocoa in its most original form. They taste robust, crunch between your teeth and give pastries, creams and decorations a note you simply can't achieve with chocolate alone.
For them to do that, you have to use them correctly. That's exactly what this is about.
01What cacao nibs are
Cacao nibs are made from cocoa beans, that is, from raw cacao. The beans are hulled and broken into small pieces, then dried.
Fermentation and drying are decisive here: they bring out the typical robust aroma – and the nibs remain an unprocessed natural product.
02How they taste
They taste robust to slightly bitter
Anyone expecting milk chocolate will be disappointed. The closest match is a dark chocolate from 85 % cocoa content – with a distinct, dry cocoa note.
What's inside
Cacao nibs are a raw food product and provide iron as well as unsaturated fatty acids, among other things. They contain no sugar – the flavour comes solely from the bean.
03How to use them
Three simple steps that turn nibs into an ingredient rather than a decorative extra.
Roast
Roast the nibs briefly in a dry pan or in the oven at around 150 °C for 5 to 8 minutes. The aroma becomes rounder and nuttier, and the bitterness recedes.
Chop or grind
Coarsely chopped they stay crunchy – ideal for biscuits and as a topping. Finely ground they give creams and Ganache colour and depth without being intrusive.
Dose
Start with a small amount and work your way up: as a topping a little is enough, in dough you can use more. Because they are robust, the amount decides the character.
Fold the nibs in only just before baking – that way they stay crunchy and don't sink to the bottom.
What they're suited for
Biscuits, cakes, ice cream, Pralines, muesli, granola – and as a decoration on cakes and desserts, where they provide texture and a matte cocoa tone.
04Storing them correctly
Cacao nibs like the same conditions as chocolate: cool, dry, dark and airtight, at temperatures as constant as possible around 18 °C. Not in the fridge – moisture and foreign odours do more harm than warmth.
Packed airtight, the aroma stays intact for months. Roasted nibs are better used up quickly, as they lose their fragrance faster.
05What you'll need
Available directly in our shop.
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