Easy DIY Chocolate NonPareils Recipe

If you’re following along on Instagram, you surely saw some pictures of my exciting trip to New York City to hear more about American Heritage Chocolate! I am excited to partner again with American Heritage chocolates, and of course, any time travel + chocolate is involved, you know I am right there!

Last year, I shared my Chocolate Crepes recipe with American Heritage Chocolate. But just to review, American Heritage Chocolate is a completely different type of chocolate created based on historic recipes. Using just the ingredients available to the American colonist, American Heritage Chocolate researched and tested (a lot of bad chocolate!) to create a recipe that fits historical accounts. What they’ve created is as close as possible to the chocolate George Washington might have enjoyed!

What does  American Heritage Chocolate taste like?

It’s a different flavor for sure. Not as sweet, because sugar was precious in the 1700’s. The dark chocolate blocks are crumblier because the process for developing a smooth chocolate hadn’t even been developed at that time.

Perhaps most interesting of all, are the spices you’ll taste in American Heritage Chocolate – cinnamon, anise, orange peel, even a touch of red pepper (not too much, just enough to feel a tingle in your throat!).

Now, in the colonists day, people didn’t “eat” chocolate, they drank it! Yep! They’d grate a bit of chocolate into hot water in a special chocolate pot, then mix it up until the chocolate bits melted and a smooth, thick beverage formed. I tried some at the M&M’s World store in Times Square, New York City. It’s a delicious treat.

American Heritage Chocolate now at M&M’s World!

If you’d like to try some of this delicious historic chocolate, you’ll find at various historic attractions around the country, and now, at its new permanent location in the M&M’s World Store (check it out on the 3rd floor!).

I had to try another recipe with my American Heritage Chocolate, and this time I wanted to include the kids in cooking. They’ve had hot chocolate many times, so I was looking for more of a project they could make and give for the holidays. The concept of chocolate as candy didn’t come about until the late 1800’s, so I am fast-forwarding chocolate history a bit with this recipe!

Nonpareils, those tiny decorative sugar beads, were around during the 1800s, and it wasn’t long before they began to be sprinkled on top of chocolate. Chocolate nonpareils are an easy candy to make at home. Kids can make and give chocolate nonpareils to friends and family as gifts! A uniquely flavored chocolate, handmade by your kids… with a rich history – what a fantastic gift, right? (Great teacher gift idea!).

Easy DIY Chocolate Nonpareils Recipe

Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool dry place. Or package into treat bags for gift-giving!

Visit American Heritage Chocolate on their website to find recipes, local events, the history of chocolate and more! Follow American Heritage Chocolates on Facebook and Pinterest for more recipes and chocolate fun!

What’s your favorite chocolate recipe!?

This is a partnered post with American Heritage Chocolate, and I was compensated for sharing this message. All opinions are my own.