Behind the Seasoning: Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar

With about 150 different spice blends lining the shelves of our stores, people are always curious to know what inspired these unique flavor combinations. So we’d like to share with you the inside scoop on how our Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar was created. If you call yourself a chocolate lover, you will want to read all about our Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar. The sugar-based spice is about to cover all your chocolate cravings, one sprinkle at a time. 

What is Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar?

Originally, we set out to create something special for Valentine’s Day. When discussing Valentine’s Day, we always return to chocolate. Our Baker’s Brew Coffee Spice and Black Onyx Cocoa Powder are customer favorites when it comes to sweet treats. In addition, we have a delicious Mexican Cocoa that is blended with cinnamon and vanilla. 

That’s when Savory Spice Shop founder Mike Johnston got an idea. Our vanilla sugars are popular, so why not create chocolate sugar just for Valentine’s Day? Chocolate sugar was a great idea and Mike ultimately created a recipe that would become Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar, a sugar-based blend infused with chocolate extract and layered with black onyx cocoa. It’s a chocolate overload in the best way possible.

Where Can I Buy Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar?

Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar is a Savory Spice original so don’t bother wasting your time in stores looking for a dupe. You can find this one-of-a-kind, chocolatey treat in at our stores or online. You can even buy the sugar-spice blend in two different sizes to cover all of your chocolate needs.

What can be substituted for Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar?

There’s no worse feeling than craving something chocolatey and reaching for your Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar container only to find it empty. Luckily, there are some last-minute substitutions that you can make to recreate the rich chocolate sugar. Our Black Onyx Cocoa Powder mixed with white sugar will do a great job of replicating the flavors of the chocolate sugar fast. You can even slightly jazz up the homemade blend by adding a pinch of cinnamon and vanilla powder. 

What is the difference between normal sugar and Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar?

Regular sugar is your run-of-the-mill white granulated sugar. While it isn’t anything fancy, it will get the job done. It’s reliably sweet and pretty boring in color. Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar, on the other hand, knows how to spice things up. The sugar-based spice blend mixes the simple white sugar with Black Onyx Cocoa Powder. Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar is basically chocolate sugar. If you're looking for something a little closer to white sugar but still want to spice things up, try our Vanilla Bean Sugar instead.

What spices are in Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar?

Creating a blend is a process of trial and error, involving a lot of tweaks. The first batches were prepared in the test kitchen, sending a wonderful brownie-like aroma wafting through the warehouse. Once we finalized the blend recipe, it headed into the warehouse for test production. Much like the initial creation of a blend, test production often involves a few tweaks as our production manager creates larger batches. 

All of that to say that Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar is pretty much just what it sounds like. It's deceptively simple and actually took several iterations before we achieved the balanced and unique flavor we were seeking: a white sugar base infused with chocolate extract and layered with our Black Onyx Cocoa Powder, with notes of aromatic Mexican vanilla and mild Ceylon cinnamon. 

What does Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar taste like?

You know the smell that wafts through your kitchen when you are baking brownies or a chocolate cake? That’s basically what Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar tastes like. It’s rich, chocolatey, and cinnamony and finishes with a woody-floral note. The combination creates a decadent blend of flavors that is excellent for adding to baked goods, drinks, or anything with a hint of chocolate flavor. It’s rich but subtle all at the same time. 

What is black sugar?

You are probably pretty familiar with white and brown sugar, but what about black sugar? Black sugar isn’t an everyday kitchen ingredient and is definitely different from our Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar. While it's been made in Japan since the 1600s, it's just now becoming trendy in the culinary world. Black sugar is essentially unrefined sugar and hasn’t had the molasses extracted yet. Because it still contains molasses, it has a deep, dark color. Our Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar gets its black color from the infusion of Black Onyx Cocoa Powder instead of molasses.

What is Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar used for?

Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar can turn anything into chocolatey goodness. The sugar blend can be used anywhere you would use white granulated sugar. Think baked goods, drinks, pancakes, waffles, and even your morning coffee. Use it to rim a cocktail glass for a chocolatey note or to upgrade a dessert sauce. You can even use it to make chocolate more chocolatey. Add it to hot chocolate, roll your chocolate cookie dough in it, or top off your favorite chocolate cake before baking it in the oven. 

Can you use Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar in savory cooking?

While Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar strays more towards the sweet side, there are no rules saying you can’t use it when cooking something savory. Add a sprinkle of the sugar-based spice to a seasoning rub with meat, in a sauce blend like mole, or in a chili to add a deep flavor. Just beware that the spice blend is sweet, just like sugar (surprise!), so a little will go a long way in flavor and can influence the taste of what you are cooking. 

Recipes using Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar

Excited about our Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with our Savory Spice recipes. Desserts, drinks, and even savory options are excellent places to sprinkle this unique blend. Here are some of our favorites. 

• Peanut Butter Black Onyx Cookies: For a sweet crunch, take a snickerdoodle approach and roll these cookies in Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar.
• Grilled Spiced Sugar Bananas with Spiced Nuts: Replace the white sugar with the chocolate sugar for a less conventional but still delicious dessert. 
• Chocolate Old Fashioned: Turn happy hour into chocolate hour and transform your classic old-fashioned into a chocolate treat. 
• Boozy Chocolate Cereal Milk: Cereal isn’t just for kids! This adults-only cereal is the unexpected treat you never knew you needed. 
• Coffee Sweetened Three Ways: Move over milk and sugar! Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar is about to take your place. The simple addition turns your morning brew into a mocha-like treat. 

Sometimes you don’t need a recipe, just some quick and easy uses. Stir into a hot drink like your morning coffee. We tried it in mint tea and loved the subtle hint of cocoa. You could also try it in orange spice tea, vanilla, or rooibos teas.

As always, we love to hear how you use our products. If you have tried these or any of our recipes, please leave a review.