There has always been a strong bond between peanut butter and chocolate. As a kid my favorite Halloween candy had to be Reese’s Peanut Butter cups hands down!

While I still like one on occasion now there are healthier ways I use to find my chocolate and peanut butter fix. One of our better selling products, to a couple of bakeries and ice cream shops, is our Cacao Powder.

And then about 6 months ago we picked up another amazing product - Cacao Nibs. Neither the cacao nibs nor the cacao powder possesses that traditional chocolate flavor that most of us associate with chocolate. Instead of that familiar sweetness these give you a purer, more natural chocolate flavor - deeply rich and even just a bit bitter but these are spectacular.

Our raw cacao is sourced from the Dominican Republic. After harvesting the beans are cleaned and then air roasted. Next they move to a winnower machine that partially crushes the beans and removes the outer shell. At this stage of the process this product is known as cacao nibs. This is where the nibs are pulled, packaged and sent to our supplier. Other nibs continue further into the process where they are turned into a superior grade of cacao powder that is used in some of the finest chocolates.

I really like experimenting with the cacao nibs and these have found a regular spot in my morning oatmeal. I have also been trying out some new healthy smoothies and this one incorporated both the cacao powder and cacao nibs. Of course the peanut butter just put it right over the top for me.

Makes 6 servings.