Spotlight Spice: Organic Cacao Nibs

This week’s Spotlight Spice comes straight out of the baking aisle – it’s our Organic Cacao Nibs.

What are cacao nibs? They’re just crushed and broken pieces of roasted cacao beans (which are really seeds – but that’s a whole other can of worms). The cacao bean is the same bean used in chocolate making. They are dark brown in color and irregular in shape, with a rich, chocolatey flavor and slight bitterness. They contain no added sugars.

Cacao nibs are significantly less processed than finished chocolate, which means they retain much of their natural nutrients. They are full of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

We like to use cacao nibs in baked goods in place of chocolate (check out Mary Lou’s Banana Bread recipe in the AllSpice Recipe Library), to top parfaits and blend into smoothies, and to add flavor to trail mix, oatmeal, and granola. You can even use them as a unique salad topper or eat them solo as a snack.

Pick up a bag in the shop or in the baking section of allspiceonline.com