If you’re looking to elevate your chocolate flavor, this guide is for you! Chocolate is a wonderful flavor on its own and can be used in a multitude of sweet treats like brownies, cakes, cupcakes, and drizzled all over fruit! But adding a spice like cinnamon or with coffee can bring out chocolate in new way. Plus, adding a spice like cayenne can create a deliciously sweet and spicy to your chocolate. These additions can bring the entire flavor profile to the next level.
And it’s not just spice that goes well with chocolate, but chocolate can help give savory dishes a deeper flavor. For this, think of dishes like mole.
We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives!
This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to explore the many perfect chocolate pairings!
Chocolate as Red Velvet:

Source: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Did you know that red velvet is actually chocolate? Yep! Red velvet is just red food coloring and cocoa powder, and it’s super easy to make red velvet treats at home. These delicious treats pair wonderfully with a vegan cream cheese frosting, too!
- Red Velvet Hot Chocolate by Carol Clayton
- Red Velvet Heart Cake by Ivy
- Red Velvet Cheesecake by Gretchen Price
- Red Velvet Cupcakes by Fabio Gallo
- Red Velvet Funnel Cakes by Lauren Hartmann
- Double Chocolate Red Velvet Brownies by Crystal Bonnet
Chocolate Paired with Cinnamon

Source: Spelt Chocolate and Cinnamon Babkas
When you pair chocolate and cinnamon, you get a delightfully spiced sweet treat! The cinnamon cuts through the chocolate and takes the flavor profile to the next level. You can bake this flavor combination into cinnamon rolls, bread, and cookies!
- Chocolate-Cinnamon Avocado Mousse by Petra Vogel
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls by Gretchen Price
- Cinnamon Churros With Chocolate Ganache by Holly Jade
- Spelt Chocolate and Cinnamon Babkas by Emily Fraser
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles by Emily von Euw
- Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies by Vaishali Honawar
Chocolate Paired with Coffee

Source: Mini Espresso Bundt Cakes with Dark Chocolate Rum Glaze
Chocolate and coffee are another wonderful pairing. If you’ve only experienced chocolate in coffee, like a mocha, this is your sign to try it in baked goods! These sweet treats are perfect to pair with coffee or your favorite warm drink. Also, adding a sprinkle of instant coffee in baked goods can bring out the most from your chocolate flavor!
- Chocolate Chunk Espresso Cookies by Katherine Henderson
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Espresso Frosting by Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez
- Mini Espresso Bundt Cakes with Dark Chocolate Rum Glaze by Teri Macovei
- Superfood Chocolate Espresso Granola by Angelina Papanikolaou
- Chocolate-Espresso Skillet Cake by Nicole Malik
Chocolate in Savory Meals

Source: Chocolate Chili
Have you ever thought about adding chocolate to savory foods? Cocoa powder helps to bring out savory flavors like chili. You can also pair cocoa powder with a bit of cayenne for an extra kick of spice!
- Chocolate Chili by Zuzana Fajkusova and Nikki Lefler
- Mole Poblano by Mitch and Justine Chapman
- Chipotle Chocolate Chili by Cathy Elton: Blogger, What Would Cathy Eat?
- Black Bean Chili Chocolate Brownies by Laura Hemmington
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Lead Image: Red Velvet Cupcakes by Fabio Gallo
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