Easy Chocolate Candy Recipe (can be made vegan or gluten-free)

Making chocolate candies is an incredibly easy process that creates delightfully delicious results!

In its simplest form, chocolate candy requires only one ingredient: chocolate chips. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vegan chocolate, or gluten-free chocolate chips.

Scroll down to see easy recipes for making candy, chocolate-covered nuts and raisins, and chocolate-covered pretzels.

The chocolates make a beautiful gift presentation when packaged in a nice container.

To make chocolate candies, just melt chocolate chips and pour the melted chocolate into candy molds.

If you don't have chocolate candy molds, you can simply place candy-sized drops of melted chocolate onto wax paper.

1. Melt chocolate in small batches so it doesn't stiffen up before you're done pouring it into the molds.
2. The quickest, easiest way to melt chocolate chips is with a microwave. Place chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is all melty. (Decrease microwave cooking time as necessary so the chocolate doesn't burn.) If you would prefer, you can melt chocolate chips by heating them gently on the stovetop, either in a cook pot or a double-boiler.
3. Carefully pour melted chocolate into candy molds. You may need to use a tiny spoon or a toothpick, depending on the size of the molds.
4. Tap the filled molds gently on a tabletop in order to remove air bubbles and work the chocolate into the corners and edges of the shapes.
5. Place the filled molds into the refrigerator or freezer to set, then pop the candies out.

There are a multitude of shapes and styles of plastic molds from which to choose, so you can make candies to suit specific occasions.

I recommend plastic candy molds and not silicone for making chocolate candies. Silicone tends to impart a plastic/rubber flavor on foods such as candies and cakes.

By the way, chocolate candy molds can also be used to make soaps at home. (But do not re-use the molds for food if they've been used to make non-food items!)

This involves only a few ingredients and is very easy to make. One 12-oz bag of chocolate chips yields enough melted chocolate to cover approximately 2 cups of nuts and/or raisins. I use 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of raisins. This makes about 30 candies, depending on the size of clusters I make.

Peanuts work perfectly for this, but I've also been very happy with chocolate covered walnuts, cashews, and almonds. Salted nuts obviously add sodium, but the taste of chocolate combined with salt is fantastic!

In addition to nuts and raisins, you can cover other goodies with chocolate. Try this with cookies, graham crackers, strawberries, bananas, or whatever else suits your fancy! Items can be covered partially or completely with chocolate. Some foods yield better results with the stovetop method (described below), while others are easier using a bowl of melted chocolate (described above). Use whichever method you prefer.

1. Place chocolate chips in a large frying pan or sauce pan and heat gently while stirring to melt the chocolate without burning it.
2. Once the chocolate is melted, mix in the nuts and/or raisins.
3. Stir to coat.
4. Using two spoons, remove candy-sized clusters of chocolate-covered nuts and raisins and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
5. Shake on sprinkles, if you'd like.
6. The cookie sheet may be placed in the refrigerator or freezer for the candy to set faster.

Wow!

Chocolate covered pretzels are fantastic! This recipe works great for both standard and gluten-free pretzels.

Pretzels can be either partially or completely covered in chocolate.

I find it's easiest to "paint" the chocolate onto the pretzels with a spoon or knife or to hold the pretzels and dip the top surface into a bowl of melted chocolate. Use a toothpick to re-open any pretzel holes if you prefer a cleaner look.

Use the microwave method to melt the chocolate (described below). Don't melt all of the chocolate at once if you'll be dipping one pretzel at a time or it may start to stiffen before you've dipped all of the pretzels. Instead, work in batches, melting a little at a time.

Pour chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir the chocolate. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir again. If necessary, heat an additional 20-30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth and melted.

One variation on chocolate covered pretzels is to cover one end of a pretzel stick in melted chocolate, leaving a "handle" without chocolate. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with colorful sprinkles before allowing it to set on wax paper.

Chocolate chips come in many varieties, so get whatever suits your tastes and dietary needs.

You can get vegan, gluten-free, or low-sugar chocolate chips.

Try mint chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, or other chips!