Homemade Chocolate Rochers with Caramel Sugar and Sea Salt
Homemade chocolate rochers – chocolate covered almond clusters – with caramel sugar and flaky salt. Great for gifting over the holidays!
If you’re looking for a delicious homemade treat or candy to give to family and friends over the holidays, these chocolate rochers are for you!
They look complicated and fancy, but they are so amazingly easy and straight-forward. They only require less than five ingredients: melted dark chocolate and milk chocolate, flaky sea salt, sugar, and dry toasted slivered almonds.
What are Chocolate Rochers?
What exactly are rochers though? (Pronounced: RO-SHAY). Well, rocher is the fancy French word for ‘boulder’ (can you sort of see the resemblance?) and can actually refer to any number of desserts. This particular variation is clusters of nuts coated in melted chocolate.
I first became familiar with rochers when I worked on the pastry station in a restaurant after culinary school. We would make tons of these little chocolate treats to serve to guests as complimentary petit fours, and I was always amazed by their simplicity.
I mean, melted chocolate and slivered almonds? It can’t get much easier than that.
How to Make Chocolate Rochers?
Since the recipe makes both milk and dark chocolate rochers, this recipe calls for equal parts milk and dark chocolate.
Since this recipe uses few ingredients, I recommend using a high-quality chocolate couverture or bars for these. Skip chocolate chips, which often contain stabilizers.
If you only like dark chocolate or milk chocolate, feel free to adapt the chocolate quantities accordingly. To take these chocolate rochers up a notch, we’ll sprinkle them with flaky sea salt (Maldon is perfect for this) and homemade caramel sugar.
What is Caramel Sugar?
Caramel sugar is exactly what it sounds like. It is essentially caramel (or more specifically, water and sugar cooked until it reaches a medium-amber color) that has hardened, been broken into shards, and been pulverized into the most beautiful, golden-hued sugar crystals.
It single-handedly transforms these rochers into edible works of art and adds a lovely bitter, crunchy note to each chocolate cluster.
The one caveat is that since caramel (and thus, caramel sugar) is very prone to absorbing moisture, I don’t recommend making or storing the caramel sugar for these rochers in advance, as it has a tendency to clump and get more chewy over time.
However, once it is sprinkled on the rochers, it stores very well at both room temperature and in the fridge.
Chocolate covered almond clusters sprinkled with caramel sugar and sea salt! So much texture and flavor. You will impress everyone with these and no one will be the wiser as to how easy they are to throw together.
This is why I love the holiday season.
Homemade Chocolate Rochers with Caramel Sugar and Sea Salt
Ingredients
Homemade Caramel Sugar:
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water
Milk and Dark Chocolate Rochers:
- 12 ounces (340 g) dry-toasted slivered almonds divided (see recipe notes for toasting instructions)
- 3½ ounces (100 g) milk chocolate coarsely chopped
- 3½ ounces (100 g) bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
Decoration:
- Maldon salt
- homemade caramel sugar see recipe above
Instructions
- Prepare Caramel Sugar: Line a rimmed half sheet pan with a silicone mat and set aside. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat. Without stirring, cook the sugar until it turns a medium-amber color. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot caramel (be extremely careful) onto the lined sheet pan into an even, thin layer. Allow the caramel to cool completely until it has completely set and is very hard. Break the sheet of caramel into small shards and place in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until the sugar is pulverized and it is in very small pieces, similar to sanding or demerera sugar. Place the sugar in a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl and sift to separate the caramel sugar from any discard sugar powder (discard or use in another recipe). Set aside the caramel sugar while you prepare the chocolate rochers.
- Prepare Chocolate Rochers: Line a half sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside. Place the milk and dark chocolate in two separate microwave-safe bowls. Working with one chocolate at a time, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals, stirring with a spatula after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and melted evenly. Repeat with the remaining chocolat. Add 6 ounces (170 grams) of toasted slivered almonds into each bowl of melted chocolate and stir with a spoon to coat the almonds evenly in chocolate.
- Using a small spoon and your fingers, portion the chocolate coated almonds into small, tight clusters (roughly a tablespoon or so per serving), setting them an inch apart on the lined baking sheet. They will be slightly jagged and rustic in size and shape, but that is to be expected. Sprinkle the tops of the clusters with sea salt and caramel sugar. Set in the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow the chocolate to chill and set before serving or packaging.
Tips for Success:
- How to Toasted Slivered Almonds: Spread raw slivered almonds on a large baking sheet and toast at 350°F (176°C) for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden in color. Stir halfway. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool completely before using.
- Rochers can be stored in an airtight container (in layers, separated by wax paper) in a cool, dry place–or alternatively, store in the refrigerator. Since the chocolate is not tempered, it is best not store them in a warm place.
23 Comments on “Homemade Chocolate Rochers with Caramel Sugar and Sea Salt”
Can these be made with a different nut? I have a friend with an almond allergy.
Thanks!!
Peanuts, hazelnuts, or even pecans would be good! Essentially anything that can ‘cluster’ – I’d be careful though, a lot of nuts are processed in the same facility.
Hi! Can I ask if I can just use any normal milk chocolate? Eg cadbury choc? Or is it baking chocolate? The photos look so good.
Can these be made with crispy feuilletine instead? Trying to make a nut free variety as gift. Thank you
I could see that working, but just make sure the chocolate isn’t too warm. Otherwise they could become soggy. Another option would be to use corn flakes? Not quite as elegant, but it would definitely work.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I want to eat 50 of them NOW!
THOSE SPRINKLES. I may never use regular sprinkles again.
CARAMEL SUGAR?!?! Laura, you are a goddess. I’m using caramel sugar on everything from here on out.
Oh my goodness these look so delicious!!
Oh myyyyyy word. I seriously don’t even know how to handle this right now. Your pictures are freaking ridiculous and the food!? I’m so delirious I can’t even type…
Caramel sugar??? I’m dead. I want it right now, in my hotel room, pronto! Haha
Delicious!!! I want to eat these. Always.
These rocher look amazing but I’m crazy for the caramel sugar! What a creative idea!
This is my happy place. It’s like art and deliciousness all at once. Love the break-up shot – it is like stained glass.
Ahhhh this is such a cool recipe! I totally need to high five you for this deliciousness!
Oh.my.goodness. Hello gorgeousness!!
Laura, this is why I LOVE the holidays too!!! MY goodness is this gorgeous!!! Your photos are insanely beautiful! And I love the caramel touch to it!!! GORG
Oh my gosh, I remember that cool photo from IG a while back. These look delicious. Send me a dozen!
Wow! These look delicious and elegant! I will try them this holiday season!
You just blew my mind with this caramel sugar. It also looks so pretty. These are my type of candy for this time of year: inexpensive and easy to make. A must for the holidays x
I think I’ll try these with a little cayenne – what do you think?
That would definitely be good too!
These are so awesome! Chocolate almonds and caramel sugar? YES!