Trying new superfoods is pretty much my hobby. Every 2 months or so I order a bunch of stuff that is said to be really great for you and test it out. To be honest, most of the time the things I order don't become my staples, but it's still really cool to try new things and experience new flavors, isn't it? This time I've tried the superfood called "cacao nibs" and, fairly speaking, I have mixed feelings about it.

Cacao nibs are basically the crushed cacao beans - chocolate in its rawest form. I love chocolate and high quality dark chocolate is my ultimate weakness and cacao nibs are as butter as the chocolate could be. I also saw a lot bloggers on Instagram putting cacao nibs on top of their smoothies and smoothie bowls and that what's made me want to buy these things even more.

However, cacao nibs are not a cheap treat. This 8 oz package costed me $8,10 (not the most reasonable price for a smoothie topping 😏). And that, by the way, was the lowest price on Iherb.

But let's leave all the money talk aside and talk about the potential benefits of this so-called superfood, as well as the taste profile. Why do we "need" cacao nibs and what makes them so special? Cocoa is truly one of the most valuable foods on Earth. It is the richest plant-based source of iron, antioxidants and has the potential to prevent the heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's. Cacao nibs are the healthiest type of chocolate you can buy. Because they are not as processed as chocolate, they contain the highest amount of antioxidants and they are also a lot higher in fiber than the chocolate (11 grams of fiber per ounce).

The Now Foods cacao nibs are completely raw (sometimes you can find the roasted ones as well, but I haven't tried those). If you look at the cacao nibs, you can definitely tell that they are not going to be melting in your mouth, like rich dark chocolate does. They look dry and I was surprised to find out that they are, in fact, dry. They are really crunchy, but not like the crackers or the dried apples, but more like macadamia nuts: they are solid, but you still feel that they contain some fat.

The flavor of cacao nibs is quite complex. At first you get the fruity flavor. Some people said it has the berry undertones, some people compared it even to wine. Yet, when you break them down in your mouth, you get that bitter chocolate taste. It's quite odd at first and it does take some getting used to.
Now what can you do with them? That's what every person I gave them to asked me. Most recipes you find on the internet suggests that you use them for garnishing purposes, use them as a healthier alternative to chocolate chips or simply snack on them. Even though, there are recipes that offer you to melt the cacao nibs, I assure you that these particular nibs do not melt. I used them as chocolate chips in baking, I tried to melt them using the double boiler method, but these little babies didn't show a single sign of melting! So it turns out that this superfood is pretty much a healthy snack/ pretty smoothie topping.

Overall, cacao nibs are definitely worth trying, if you love chocolate and you want to know what it tastes like before it turns into a chocolate bar. However, this superfood will not substitute you the chocolate and I personally would never give up my cocoa fix for the raw cacao nibs. So no, it's not the smartest investement, especially if you're on a low budget.