How to Fix Bloomed Chocolate

Bloomed chocolate is not ruined chocolate. This cosmetic issue can be fixed and the chocolate can be used! Follow these steps to melt bloomed chocolate and give it new life.

I used a lot of chocolate ( at least 100 pounds and maybe more) when I was writing Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts, Running Press. (That means I ate a lot of greens, fruit and beans too!!)

Shortly after I sent the final pages off to the publisher, I wanted to inventory the bars, nibs, chips and assorted bags of chocolate in my pantry. Among the treasures, I found two bags of “bloomed” chocolate. This just means that the chocolate is mottled with a dusty whitish or beige rough film. Bloom happens when chocolate is stored above 85°. This causes the cocoa butter, the fat in the chocolate– and it is not dairy butter– to rise to the surface.

Do not throw out with bloomed chocolate! it’s just a cosmetic problem and Bloomed chocolate can be fixed and used.

In order to use the bloomed chocolate that I found, I melted it slowly over a water bath, which is a nothing more than a homemade double boiler.

How to Safely Melt Bloomed Chocolate

1. Pour a few inches of water into a saucepan and heat the water to the lowest simmer.
2. Set a heatproof bowl on the pan, making sure the bottom of the bowl sits above the water.
3. Chop the chocolate and put it into the bowl.
4. Place the bowl on the saucepan.
5. Wait until the chocolate has melted halfway to the center and start stirring with a silicone spatula.
6. Remove the bowl from the heat when the chocolate is nearly, but not completely melted and stir gently until the chocolate is fully melted.

Sure enough, the bloom was gone and now I had lots of nice dark melted chocolate.  I poured the melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined quarter sheet pan, and rotated the pan until the chocolate was spread evenly. The sheet pan went into the freezer briefly to allow the chocolate to set. I broke the cold chocolate into shards and placed then in an airtight container, where they will stay fresh and bloom-free in the freezer for up to 3 months. Serve them on puddings, cakes, ice cream, etc, or just nibble.

I treated some bloomed 55% chocolate the same way, except I poured a thicker layer and mixed in a lot of  raisins. (It was now 6:30am, and I was thinking oatmeal with raisins.) What I got was a chunk of Raisinettes that I cut into pieces and froze. Full disclosure. There are very few pieces left.

This is a treats version of eating down the fridge. Use what you have.  Waste not; want not.