One of life’s greatest gifts is the cacao bean (in our opinion anyway), and it can be used in a variety of ways, including this decadent chocolate chili beans mole recipe with low fat and no oil.
Chocolate isn’t just for sweet treats and deserts. It’s a bona fide way to enrich the flavour of many dishes, especially those without meat. The rich and intense notes of cacao really add depth and substance to spicy dishes such as this homemade chili with cacao powder.
Can I Add Chocolate To Chili?
Don’t be scared of adding dark chocolate to your chili recipes, even your meat based versions.
The cacao bean is not sweet in any way, shape or form. Granted, we’re used to eating it in the form of candy bars and desserts, but that all came about purely by accident. Cacao was traditionally used in non-sweetened drinks, as a form of currency, to show off wealth, and as funerary offerings.
Cacao has been used for thousands of years in savoury cooking also, especially among the Italians and South Americans.
To add cacao or dark chocolate to savoury dishes you have to be sure that it’s not too sweet. The lowest amount of cacao content you can probably get away with is 70% cacao solid chocolate. Usually you can use either pure cacao powder or the hard, dark chocolate.
If you use the actual chocolate, you have the added benefit of some extra fats in the cacao butter that it’s made with. However, if you want a more intense, lower fat and whole foods plant based way of adding cacao, then it’s good to use the 100% cacao powder. This is made from just ground down, whole cacao bean and is a healthier way of using it.
You can also use a mix of both powder and chocolate for the best of both.
Cacao Substitutes
If you do not like (or want to use) cacao, then carob bean powder makes a very good substitute. The carob bean is similar in flavour and texture to the cacao bean and works just as well as a flavour enhancing ingredient to your chocolate Mole chili beans recipe.
You will find that you will need to add about double the amount of carob to cacao powder as it is much milder tasting.
Carob is also a great, caffeine free alternative to cacao beans if you’re caffeine intolerant.
Benefits Of Cacao Beans
Cacao is a healthful food when used in moderation. Too much can have negative effects, due to its caffeine and sometimes high copper content, so stick within guidelines.
However, cacao does have many health benefits and is a great supplement to your diet for these alone. They include:-
- AN ANTI AGING SUPERFOOD – Cacao is full of antioxidants, specifically antholyanidin and epicatechins – all of which help fight free radicals in the body to give you a glowing complexion.
- BRAIN POWER – The flavenols in the cacao bean can help increase blood flow to the brain, making it easier to focus, good for memory, and also helps cognitive performance.
- HEART HEALTH – Cacao’s flavenols improve blood flow, thus have a positive effect on the heart and helping to lower blood pressure. Flavenols can help make blood platelets less sticky and harder to clot, which ultimately reduces the risk of both blood clots and strokes.
- WEIGHT LOSS – High cacao foods (especially in the form of dark chocolate) are satiating as they offer an intense hit. Being satiated helps to stop you from over-eating. Cacao can also lower blood sugar, thus stopping sugar cravings too.
- ENERGY – You’ll get a hit of energy from the caffeine in cacao, making it an ideal, coffee free way to get a boost in the morning or before a workout.

Decadent Chocolate Mole Chili Beans Recipe
Equipment
- large, non stick pan
- Wooden spoon
- Chopping board
- Chopping knife
Ingredients
- 2 cans drained kidney beans Can be subbed for black beans.
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 400g block tofu Chopped into very small cubes
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 25 g dark chocolate At least 70% cacao solids, preferable 85%.
- 1 heaped tsp cacao powder Can be subbed for carob powder but you will need to double the amount.
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 tsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp chili powder Go for less or more, depending on how hot you like your chilis.
- 3 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coffee granules Granules will dissolve without the need for hot water. But, you can use pre-made coffee too, just remember to adjust other fluids in the recipe accordingly.
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- Good crack black pepper
- bunch coriander (cilantro in the US)
For serving
- Extra coriander
- Brown rice
- Chopped bell peppers
- avocado or guacamole
- Tortilla chips
- Fresh lemon or lime
Instructions
- Fry your chopped onion in a non stick pan until getting golden. You will need to keep adding splashes of hot water in order to caramelise, so keep your kettle by the side ready with water. Add your garlic and green pepper half way through this process.
- Throw in all your dried spices (not the coffee or cacao) and cook out for about a minute, stirring continually. This helps to release the flavours of the spices.
- Now add your tomatoes, tomato paste, dark chocolate, cacao powder, coffee powder, kidney beans and stock. Stir well. Bring to a simmer.
- Add your chopped tofu and carefully stir in. Don't mix too vigorously as you don't want your tofu to disintegrate completely. Cover and simmer the whole thing for around 15-20 minutes on a low heat. Add more stock or fluids if required or if your chili starts to dry out too much.Check flavours and add more spices if required. You may also need to add some extra salt, depending on the vegetable stock you have used as some are slatier than others.
- At the very end of cooking, add your chopped coriander to taste.
- Serve.