Sift the erythritol powder (and powdered stevia if using) through a small sieve into a bowl to remove any coarse grains. This prevents grittiness in finished chocolate.

Place your molds on a flat tray. Have a heatproof bowl, spatula, and digital thermometer ready.

Melting and mixing

Set up double boiler

Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. Place the heatproof bowl over the pan so the bottom does not touch the water. Keep the water at a low simmer — not boiling.

Melt cocoa butter first

Add the cocoa butter (50 g) to the heatproof bowl and stir until fully melted and smooth. This warms faster than cocoa mass and helps with tempering.

Add cocoa mass

Break the cocoa mass (200 g) into small pieces and add to the melted cocoa butter. Stir gently and continuously until fully melted and homogeneous. Maintain the temperature between 40–45°C (104–113°F) while melting.

Incorporate powdered sweetener

Remove the bowl from the heat briefly and fold in the sifted erythritol (40 g) and powdered stevia (if used). Stir vigorously to dissolve as much as possible. Add the allulose syrup (10 g) now to improve texture and mouthfeel. If using milk powder (for milk-style) add it at this stage and whisk until smooth. If the mixture cools and becomes grainy, briefly rewarm to around 40°C while stirring.

Add flavor and salt

Stir in the fine salt (0.25 tsp) and vanilla extract (0.5 tsp). Taste carefully and, if desired, add a few more granules of sweetener or a tiny pinch of salt to balance bitterness.

Tempering and setting

Cool to seed/working temperature

To temper the chocolate and ensure a glossy snap, cool the mixture to about 27–28°C (80–82°F). You can do this by stirring the bowl over a cool surface or placing the bowl in a larger bowl with cool water for short intervals, stirring constantly.

Rewarm to working temperature

After cooling, gently rewarm the chocolate to the final working temperature of 31–32°C (88–90°F) for dark-style chocolate. Use brief contact with the warm double boiler and monitor with the thermometer. Do not exceed 32°C.

Pour into molds

Pour the tempered chocolate into prepared molds or the lined tray. Tap the molds gently on the counter to remove air bubbles and level the surface.

Set and finish

Allow the chocolate to set at cool room temperature or in a refrigerator for 20–40 minutes until fully firm. If refrigerated, allow chocolates to come to room temperature in their molds for 5–10 minutes before unmolding to avoid condensation. Once set, unmold and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (below 20°C/68°F).

Notes and variations

For a milk chocolate variation: increase cocoa butter to 60 g, add 30–40 g extra nonfat dry milk powder (adjust for creaminess), and reduce cocoa mass to 190 g. Because dairy and low-sugar sweeteners affect texture, you may prefer to use an invert syrup such as allulose up to 15–20 g for softness.

If using granular erythritol that remains slightly grainy, consider using a small spice grinder to powder it more finely or use a blended powdered erythritol/monk fruit sweetener labeled for baking.

Adjust stevia carefully: a little goes a long way. Taste and add in small increments.