Homemade chile chocolate mole is a lively balance of sweet and savory elements–dark earthy chiles and roasted nuts, aromatic spice, and the famous pinch of chocolate–a traditional mole (mo-lay), made simpler. This is a rich, totally approachable mole recipe made with healthy ingredients that you can put together in a little over an hour!
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Homemade chile chocolate mole is:
- Dried whole chiles
- Creamy roasted almond butter and peanut butter
- Ground cinnamon, coriander, and cloves
- Avocado oil
- Vegetable broth
- Maple syrup
- Apple juice
- Good-quality chocolate (affiliate link)
When we gringos talk of mole, we probably have in mind a spicy red brick colored mole with chocolate, like this one. Yet, mole translates to English as sauce and there are a number of Mexican cooked sauces with diverse colors and ingredients also called mole. This dark red chile chocolate mole is known as mole poblano.
Made with vegetable broth, this mole poblano is vegan and gluten free. Typically it would be served over chicken or turkey but you will love it on tacos, tempeh and tofu, and grilled vegetables, especially potatoes. It’s a delicious sauce for enchiladas. This homemade mole is perfect with stacked tortilla enchiladas filled with potatoes, spinach, and carrots.
Basic mole poblano ingredients don’t vary all that much, but they differ in ratios and technique, from household to household, each cook having their own secret ingredients. I researched several authentic mole recipes before coming up with this healthier, less labor-intensive mole poblano. (See note.)
Like in authentic Mexican red enchilada sauce, dried whole chiles are essential to this homemade chile chocolate mole. Dried chiles are easy to prep–you warm the chiles in a skillet, cut off the top stems (I use scissors), dump out the seeds, and then soak the chiles in boiling water. They soften while you prepare everything else.
Use a mix of dried chiles, both raisin-y ancho chiles and the easy to come by guajillo chiles, sometimes called pasillas. If you can find dried mulato chiles, include them for their mild, faintly chocolate taste. Look for whole dried chiles in the Latino ingredient aisle in grocery stores or Latino markets. Read more about dried chiles here.
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Truth out: In days gone by, my mole came from purchased mole paste (affiliate link) that you thin with broth. The trouble came when I read the label on the jar, and saw that prepared mole contains wheat, sugar, funky oil or lard, and preservatives. Nix that.
Homemade mole tastes better, and it’s healthier to boot. I hope this homemade chile chocolate mole inspires you into the kitchen to play with chiles and chocolate!
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Note: Cookbooks with mole recipes: Diana Kennedy’s From My Mexican Kitchen (affiliate link), Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet Today (affiliate link), Anna Thomas’ The New Vegetarian Epicure (affiliate link), and a slim paperback I’ve had forever, Ortho Books Adventures in Mexican Cooking (affiliate link).The idea to add apple juice comes from the mole poblano in The New Vegetarian Epicure.
Homemade Chile Chocolate Mole
Ingredients
- 3 ancho chiles
- 5 guajillo chiles , or 3 guajillo and 2 mulato.
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 large onion , chopped, about 2 cups
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup dark raisins
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes and juice
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup roasted almond butter , creamy
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped unsweetened chocolate
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash the chiles. If you wish, warm them in a cast iron pan until soft. Cut off the stems. Tap the chiles upside so the majority of the seeds fall out. Discard the seeds.
- Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Weigh them down with a small plate to keep them submerged. Let soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Heat the first tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the raisins, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves. Remove from heat.
- Whir the sesame seeds in a dry blender.
- Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the chiles to the blender along with the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and ½ cup of the soaking liquid. Blend until you have a smooth puree.
- Add the onion mixture to the blender and puree until smooth. (This amount fills my 7 cup blender to capacity.)
- Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium flame. Carefully stir in the pureed chile onion mixture. (Mixture will spatter.) Stir in the apple juice and salt and bring to a simmer. Stir in the almond and peanut butters, the chocolate, and the maple syrup, whisking until the chocolate melts. Simmer about 5 minutes.
- The mole sauce should be slightly sweet and the consistency of heavy cream. If it seems too thick, whisk in a bit more vegetable broth or chile soaking liquid. Season to taste with salt.
Love the chilies · 11 June, 2017
Thank you Susy! · 11 June, 2017
This recipe looks pretty good. I don’t have all the ingredients listed, but I’m emboldened to take a chance at improvising. Thanks for sharing! · 13 July, 2018
Thank you Em! I’d love to hear how your changeups worked. · 15 July, 2018