A creamy cashew and coconut layer infused with rose essence on top of crunchy dark chocolate.

Vegan rose infused chocolate cups on white parchment paper garnished with rose petals.

It’s February already! That means two things. Winter will soon be over (hurray!) and Valentines Days is coming up … aka it’s time for a dessert recipe! While I had initially planned to make some heart shaped pie pops for V-day, I soon figured out that I only own 1 heart shaped cookie cutter and it’s tiny. Thus any heart shaped desserts were off the table for now. That left me thinking about what other ingredients I could use that are associated with Valentines Day. I soon stumbled across roses because I love floral flavours in my food (such as these rose truffles and this lavender limeade).

I also wanted to incorporated chocolate because …. well frankly no explanations needed here. 😉 So I eventually came up with these rose infused chocolate cups, and after a quick Google and Pinterest search, I happily discovered that those aren’t a thing yet. I was incredibly ecstatic, as this rarely happens. It’s hard coming up with innovative new recipes in a world that is filled with millions of recipes. But these babies right here are officially a new invention. 🙂

Chocolate Layer

To make these rose infused chocolate cups you’ll need to start off by melting some vegan chocolate. Vegan chocolate can be found in almost every well stocked supermarket. Look for very dark chocolate as those are vegan most of the time (eg. Lindt 70% Cocoa is a great option). Always be sure to check the labels, as there are exceptions.

Pouring melted chocolate into cupcake liners with a tablespoon.

I prefer to melt chocolate over a double boiler as this gives me more control over the temperature. If you do not own a double boiler, you can use any heat proof bowl you have and place it over a pot filled with a bit of water. (Make sure the water isn’t touching the bowl.) Add the chopped up chocolate to the bowl and bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Gently melt the chocolate until it is smooth and no chunks remain. Be careful to not let the chocolate get too warm, otherwise it could seize or even burn.

Alternatively you can also melt the chocolate in the microwave. Make sure to only nuke it for a few seconds and check on it regularly in-between to prevent it from getting too hot.

The next step is to pour the melted chocolate into the cupcake liners. Make sure to keep the liners in the muffin tins at all times as this helps keep the chocolate cups upright and prevents any spills. After you filled all the liners, it’s time to pop them into the freezer. Once they are frozen you can continue with the second layer. Pour the cashew coconut cream layer on top, sprinkle with dried rose petals and freeze until solid.

Cashew and Coconut Cream Layer

The cashew and coconut layer is ultra creamy and infused with just the right amount of rose essence. The great thing about it is that it doesn’t freeze rock hard. It stays creamy and has a nice bite to it without breaking your teeth!

Vegan rose infused chocolate cups on white parchment paper

To make the layer, you’ll need a high power blender such as a Vitamix or other equivalent blender to grind those nuts and coconut flakes into a smooth cream. Blend the mixture until it is completely smooth (this may take a few minutes!). Then pour on top of the frozen chocolate layer. Before popping the chocolate cups back into the freezer, sprinkle them with some dried rose petals for a pretty presentation.

Rose Flavour

I found the rose essence and dried rose petals in the spice aisle of my local supermarket. If your supermarket doesn’t carry them, try a food and spice market or a speciality spice store. Be sure to buy food grade rose essence and dried petals. You can tell if the dried rose petals are fresh and high quality by looking and smelling them. They should have a vibrant colour and a subtle floral smell. Avoid dried rose petals that have a brownish hue or a musty smell.

*Rose essence vs. rose water – what is the difference? This recipe calls for rose essence which is a much more concentrated form of rose water.

A little tower of vegan rose infused chocolate cups.

To release the chocolate cups from the liners, carefully peel the liners off. I found that a lot of them came off easily while some were a bit more stubborn. If you have difficult with one of the cups because the liner seems to stick a bit, try peeling it from the bottom up rather than from top to bottom by slicing the bottom of the liner with a knife. This trick worked for me every time and I was able to get all of the chocolate cups out without damaging them. (When removing the chocolate cups, make sure to hold them on their sides and keep your fingers away from the tops, otherwise you may end up with fingerprints on your chocolate cups.)