Honey Chocolates: Why Chocolatiers Can’t Resist Honey

Bees may not pollinate cacao, but they do inspire chocolate makers and confectioners. Some have a passion for beekeeping, while others are committed to supporting pollinator programs, and others appreciate the health aspects of honey or simply like the flavor of honey combined with chocolate. Whatever the reason, the result is delicious.

However, there are challenges to working with honey as an ingredient with chocolate. Honey is water-based which doesn’t tend to mix well with something oil-based, such as chocolate. For this reason, chocolate makers typically tend to use honey as a smooth and decadent filling in chocolate rather than trying to mix the two together, although a few have cracked the code on making bean-to-bar honey sweetened chocolate.

Beekeeping Confectioners

Susan Brown, owner of Mademoiselle Miel (French for “Miss Honey”) has been using honey as a natural sweetener to fill her bonbons for over 10 years. A trip to Paris led her to explore the art of rooftop beekeeping, a technique she currently utilizes at her shop in Saint Paul, Minnesota today. Read more about Mademoiselle Miel.

Likewise Mark Burrows the founder of Pollinator Chocolate wanted to use both his passion of beekeeping and chocolate making to create a unique, stand out sweet: the honey foam bar. It is made with cacao from Bolivia and Colorado honey that has been crystallized, pulverized and sprinkled only on the back. The reason is simple. Adding a big lump of honey to chocolate won’t work.

Since he works with honey and chocolate on a regular basis, Burrows understands how to make the two ingredients get along. “Honey being a liquid at 16% moisture content is far too much to add into the chocolate,” he says. “There are some manufacturers that do it successfully but they’re adding small amounts of honey over a very long period of time, allowing that moisture to evaporate off when it hits the hotter chocolate.” Read more about Pollinater Chocolate.

Health for Humans & For Bees

Vosges Chocolate’s Raw Honey Cacao Chocolate Bar is made with honey wildflower nectar and cacao. This company was interested in sourcing the Savanah Bee Wildflower Honey due to its flavor. While decadent in flavor, the brand also emphasizes the health benefits of the two ingredient bar.

“Honey is one of the most beautiful ingredients on earth,” says Colleen Norvé, president of Harbor Sweets. It has been used for centuries for its health benefits as well as its wonderful flavor.”

Harbor Sweets line of chocolate is called Gather, which is a flight of six flavors packed in a hexagonal hive shaped box are made with wildflower honey and cacao dark chocolate that include caramelized honey truffle, sour cherry truffle, pomegranate molasses truffle, coconut cluster, cashew caramel, and sesame crunch.

Not only does this line provide a delicious honey and chocolate pairing, but it helps “bring attention to the plight of pollinators and how important they are in the world of food,” says Norvé. A percentage of sales for every Gather Chocolate purchase goes to the organization Pollinator Partnership whose mission is to promote the health of pollinators.

Also supporting the Pollinator Partnership with chocolate is Honeymoon Chocolate. The company was founded by self-taught bean-to-bar makers Haley and Cameron Loyet who had a desire to address the decreasing supply of cacao and the decline of honeybees worldwide and also liked the idea of using a healthier sweetener than refined sugar. Hexagonal hive shapes decorate their packaging and their bars. They also make a unique confection, raw honeycomb enrobed in chocolate. Like the rest of their treats, you might even say it’s buzz worthy.

Honey Chocolates: Why Chocolatiers Can’t Resist This Natural Ingredient

Beekeeping Confectioners

Health for Humans & For Bees