Chocolate Cups with Raspberry-Wine Filling

Decadent dark chocolate cups filled with raspberries and red wine. Enjoy bitter-sweet, rich velvety chocolate cups surrounding a tart, yet sweet, raspberry-wine filling. A perfect combination of whole-food ingredients that will show you and others some love!

February is a good reminder to indulge in a decadent chocolate dessert. I often enjoy dark chocolate on any given night because restrictive dieting doesn’t work for me… or anyone! More on that later. But for Valentine’s Day, I get a little more creative and decedent, like filling chocolate cups with raspberry and red wine.

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a couple of years now because I’ve been pretty busy starting up WiseBite Wellness with Annie. Annie and I have been dreaming up big things for WiseBite, but we always want to make sure to go back and give you new, fresh recipes that are healthy and exciting.

Why Restriction Doesn’t Work

Excessive restriction is a self-sabotaging tactic that does more harm than good. I like to view Valentine’s Day as a good reminder that we deserve love from ourselves, too. Self-love is getting more attention these days and rightfully so. I love what the founder of the Institute of Psychology of Eating, Marc David, says: We can’t hate ourselves into losing weight, healing, or any positive change. Hate doesn’t do us any good, especially when we talk to ourselves in this way.

I remember being in a place where I was so restrictive that I would find myself binging on chocolate or blue corn chips because I had sworn off carbs and other “bad foods”. When you are too restrictive, that’s when you can find yourself feeling like your mind and body are out of control. We coach “mindful eating” which focuses on listening to what our bodies are saying to us. When restriction is at play, mindfulness usually runs out the door, while “regret”, “sadness”, and “shame” enter in. It’s a bad place to be, especially when we’re not doing anything wrong! When I restricted, my body was starving for nutrients, and so, it makes sense that I gravitated towards quick energy, like sugar and carbs.

Being a mindful eater, focusing on a balanced plate, and allowing yourself a treat, brings balance to your body and mind. That way you don’t have to stress about food and can focus on other things, like joy and experiencing life’s moments.

Cook with only the best

So here is our Valentine’s Day treat for you! Whether you’re spending it with a loved one, getting some “me” time, or gifting a special treat, this is your recipe. You’ll appreciate how easy this recipe is.

You’ll want to use frozen or fresh raspberries (I used frozen) and a good bottle of wine. As my family always says, don’t cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink! That goes for the chocolate, too. I used a mix of Green & Black 70% and 80% for a pure dark, fudgy flavor.

Here are some recipe tips below. But first, start by pouring yourself a glass of wine and let’s get going. :)

Tips on Making Chocolate Cups:

The Molds

Use silicone candy molds to make removing the chocolate cups easier. They are available at most confection and bakery stores, as well Amazon.

For the Filling

Reduce the filling on medium-low heat until it’s very thick. You don’t want it runny; otherwise, it won’t hold up when you bite into the chocolate cups. The chia seeds will also help thicken the filling.

The Chocolate & Wine

Use high-quality chocolate and red wine so that you get the best flavors. Use at least 70% dark chocolate to keep sugar low. You can mix a 70% and 80% like I did to get the rich, bitter-sweet taste. For the wine, any red blend that you enjoy drinking will do.

Putting Them together

When you add the chocolate to the molds, there’s a little trick I discovered. Add more melted chocolate at the bottom of the molds so that it’s thicker than the top layer that will cover the raspberry filling. (You’ll notice that I accidentally did the opposite in the pictures! So don’t mind that.) This will make eating the chocolate cups much neater.

Even though the saying goes, “more the merrier”, don’t add too much filling so that it stays together. You won’t want red wine and raspberries everywhere!

How to store

Store these in the refrigerator and take them out at least 5-10 min before enjoying so that the chocolate isn’t too cold, but instead, soft and creamy. You can even keep them in the freezer to store longer.

I personally love enjoying chocolate after dinner with a hot cup of herbal tea. Let this be another way you can show yourself some self care!

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Print here: Chocolate Raspberry & Red Wine Cups

Prep time: 00:05 Cook time: 00:40 Servings: 7

Main Ingredients

2 c raspberries, frozen or fresh 2 tbsp red wine 3 tbsp honey 1/8 tsp salt 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Recipe Steps

1. Prepare the filling: Add raspberries to a saucepan and cook on low-medium heat until they break down, about 5-8 minutes.

2. Add the wine, honey, salt, and chia seeds and simmer for 15 minutes or until everything is cooked down and thickened. Stir often to keep the bottom from burning.

3. Test the consistency: Take a wooden spoon see if you can coat the back of the spoon with filling. The filling should be thick and not runny. Remove off of the heat and let cool completely (it will thicken more as it cools). Add more honey/sweetener to taste, if needed.

4. Melt the chocolate: Break the chocolate into squares and add to a microwaveable-safe bowl. Add the coconut oil and microwave 10-15 seconds. Stir and keep microwaving for 10-15 seconds and stirring in between microwaving until chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

5. Put it together: Place the silicone molds onto a baking sheet that will fit in the freezer. Pour chocolate in the molds, about 1/3 full, and tilt the mould to coat the sides of the mold. Put the baking sheet with the molds in the freezer for about 8 minutes or until the chocolate is firm to the touch.

6. Add the raspberry filling so that chocolate still shows around the filling and it doesn't reach the top of the mold. Top-off the cups with chocolate—fill to the top. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes or so. Either store in the fridge or freezer. Take out 5-10 minutes before eating to warm up.

Additional Notes

*I used honey, but you can use maple syrup or sweetener of choice. Use maple syrup to make it vegan. *If you don't have chocolate cup molds, you can use a lined muffin pan. They will be much bigger so note that you'll have to double the recipe or more.