Wishing for specialty chocolates that are dairy-free and allergy-friendly?
What if you could make your own allergy-friendly chocolate candies for any holiday or special occasion?
You can! And we’ll show you how.
When my son was first diagnosed with anaphylactic milk allergy, dairy-free specialty chocolate was scarce.
So I tapped into my mom’s hobby from the 1980’s,
got myself some plastic candy molds,
and started making our own dairy-free holiday chocolates with the one allergy-friendly chocolate brand we had, Enjoy Life.
Not only did I hone my candy-making skills…
but with the right plastic molds, I could make chocolate suckers, too!
My kids loved little Easter suckers in their baskets each year, and that made me so happy as a mom.
Now, several awesome allergy-friendly companies are making specialty chocolates for food allergy families.
I love that!
But when I have time, especially with plastic molds already on hand…
I know I can truly save a boatload of money when I make our own dairy-free, allergy-friendly chocolate candy.
And you can, too.
Not only can we experiment with fun plastic molds but there are also several allergy-friendly chocolates we can use now, too!
Of course, use your favorite brands that work for your food allergies.
Here are some of our favorites.
DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE
SUPPLIES FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE CANDY
DON’T GET WATER IN THE CHOCOLATE
Wash new plastic molds with hot soap and water. No dishwasher.
However, make sure they are completely dry before starting to make your chocolate candy.
Any water getting in the chocolate will ruin the smooth chocolate texture and will actually clump the chocolate into a mess.
Also make sure your bowl, spoon, hands, and anything else coming close to the melted chocolate are completely dry.
No water allowed.
SHOULD YOU THIN THE CHOCOLATE WITH OIL
Some swear by thinning chocolate with a little oil.
I’ve made candies both ways: with oil and without oil.
And honestly, they come out looking and tasting the same.
The oil makes the chocolate a little easier to work with as you fill the molds, though, so I add it for good measure.
Measurement below.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CANDIES WITH PLASTIC MOLDS
Pour half a bag of chocolate chips into a microwave bowl.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil, optional.
Microwave for 30 second increments, stirring after each time.
When the chips are ALMOST all melted, stop heating and stir vigorously until they are all melted and the chocolate is smooth.
Using a small spoon, start filling the mold one spoonful at a time.
Keep tapping the plastic mold to smooth the chocolate out.
Be sure to spoon the melted chocolate into all the little crannies.
Once the cavities are filled to the top, gently tap the mold one more time to level the chocolate out smooth.
Put the chocolate filled mold into the refrigerator, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
To test if the chocolate is fully set, give the mold a little twist and see if the chocolates pop out. If they don’t, let them refrigerator longer until they do.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE SUCKERS
If you’re doing suckers, put a stick in each chocolate where the mold allows.
Make sure each stick reaches almost to the top of the chocolate on the opposite end so they will hold.
Gently twist each stick until the chocolate covers the stick completely.
Let set in the refrigerator, making sure the sticks stay level and don’t droop out of the chocolate. This may require a little propping up of the sticks.
When fully hardened and set, pop out of the mold and wrap in sucker bags individually.
Finish off with a nice ribbon.
NOTE: Sometimes I use my sucker candy molds but leave out the sticks to simply make chocolate candies.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CANDY TWO COLORS
One of my favorite ways to make dairy-free chocolate candies is to mix both dairy-free white and semi-sweet chocolates.
To do so, first carefully place the melted white chocolate where you want it in the molds.
Then place in the refrigerator and let the white chocolate set.
Next, fill the rest of the mold with brown, melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
Set the chocolate again, and you’ll have two colors in your finished product!
Don’t put the colors on top of each other while wet or they will blend together.
Remember, freeze each color before adding another.
HOW TO SET MELTED CHOCOLATE
Place the chocolate filled mold in the refrigerator or freezer to set.
For small candies, it takes about 15 minutes. For larger suckers, it may take a little longer.
Before removing the candies from the mold, make sure they are completely frozen by checking the front images.
You can sometimes tell if they’re fully hardened if the chocolate has pulled away from the plastic.
Or if you tip the mold upside down, the chocolate may fall right out when ready.
OR, you can give the plastic a little twist and see if the chocolates pop out.
If neither of these three things happen, the chocolate probably isn’t set yet. Don’t force the chocolates out too soon or you may not get crisp images on the front.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE CANDIES
After removing the candies from the plastic mold, store them in any of airtight packaging.
- candy bags
- foil
- plastic wrap (my favorite)
Once wrapped, store in the refrigerator or freezer to make sure your hard work doesn’t melt before show time.
HOW MANY CHOCOLATE CHIPS DO I NEED TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CANDY OR SUCKERS
For me, one bag of chocolate chips yields about 7 larger suckers.
And one bag of chocolate chips makes many more small candies.
Just make sure you have plenty of chocolate on hand before you get started.
It’s better to have too much than too little.
Have fun making your own dairy-free, allergy-friendly chocolate candy!
What fun shapes and flavors will you start with first?
You may also want to make DIY chocolate bunnies!