Are you looking to spice up your cooking with a healthy and deeply flavorful seasoning? We’ve used this cacao-based rub on meats and veggies, and in soups, barbecue and beyond. It makes an amazing mole-style chili as well. 

Ingredients

 cacao nibs, cocoa powder, brown sugar, sea salt, red pepper, cumin, mustard, chilies, allspice, smoked paprika, ginger

Allergy Information: Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing milk, eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, peanuts & tree nuts.

NET WEIGHT: 85G (3OZ)

Janet's Recipe

The Cacao Seasoning Rub is my own special mixture of our roasted heirloom cacao nibs ground with spices to create a Mexican inspired mole' flavor to meats, fruit, and other foods. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it. But like we say here, Creo (Latin: create) it your own way! 

If you have a recipe you'd like to share with our fellow chocolate lovers please send it to us. 

Dry rub  

Use our cacao seasoning as a dry rub for ribs, chicken, and pork. Rub or massage the dry seasoning into the raw meat, then grill or roast. It also works well sprinkled on towards the end of the cook time. 

The seasoning can also be mixed with olive oil and massaged into the meat, which keeps it a bit more moist. 

Pan fried with a mole' sauce 

Melt butter or olive oil in a frying pan, sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of the seasoning, and mix together. Dredge serving sized pieces of salmon or chicken and pan fry until cooked through. I use a food thermometer poked into the center of the meat to test the finish. 

Adjust the amount of butter and seasoning to the amount of sauce you want to serve with your meat. I pour the pan juices over the top, and it is so flavorful and plate-licking-good! 

Grilled pineapple, peaches or sweet potato fries 

Sprinkle seasoning on both sides of pineapple slices or peach halves, then grill on medium heat until the fruit has a caramelized outside coating, usually about 20 minutes. 

Another way I do this--and my favorite--is to mix olive oil and seasoning together, then rub all over the fruit. The oil keeps the fruit from charing easily, and helps to coat the seasoning evenly.

I also love sweet potato fries! I cut the sweet potato into finger size spears, coat with oil and rub, then roast in the oven at 400º on a tray lined with parchment paper for about 20 minutes. 

Chili "the secret ingredient" 

Sprinkle a tablespoon or so, depending on your batch size and your tastes, into your cooked chili. Let it simmer for at least 15 minutes to incorporate the flavors. Overnight it tastes even better!  

The hidden flavor of chocolate stirs the senses and makes chili a "WOW"! A bit of cinnamon is also nice.