6 New Ways to Use Chocolate Chips

The original chocolate morsels were literally chips off the old block: Chocolate used to be sold as a bar with its very own chopping device. It wasn’t until the 1930s that manufacturers began making convenient precut morsels, perfect for melting, baking, or scarfing by the handful. Have half a bag sitting in your pantry right now? Pull them out and give these easy, surprising (no cookies in sight!) recipes a shot. Just remember: You can use bittersweet and semisweet interchangeably in recipes, but milk chocolate morsels will give you a sweeter, creamier result.

Chocolate Butter

Bored by your usual breakfast routine? The next time a mid-morning sugar craving hits, try giving plain butter a sweet, indulgent upgrade. This velvety, easy-to-make spread requires just three ingredients and a few minutes of your time. It’s delicious served at room temperature, slathered on warm toast or flaky croissants.

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Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows

What’s better than marshmallows? Chocolate-dipped marshmallows, of course! All you need to make these (besides marshmallows, naturally) is a handful of chocolate chips and a few toothpicks or popsicle sticks. Melt the chocolate, stick a pick in the marshmallows, and give them a good dunk. Once the chocolate cools, gobble them on their own or pop them in a mug of hot cocoa.

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Poor Man’s Chocolate Croissant

You don’t need a boulangerie on your corner to get your French pastry fix. In fact, with a baguette and a bag of chocolate chips in your pantry, a DIY-chocolate croissant is never more than a few minutes away. (After all pain au chocolat literally means bread with chocolate.) Simply sprinkle a few chips on oil-drizzled bread and pop it in the oven to melt. Finished with a flurry of flaky sea salt, it’s a bit of salty-sweet heaven.

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Quick Mole Sauce

Yes, you can have chocolate for dinner. Since the days of the Aztecs, dark, rich cocoa has been a key ingredient in the thick, aromatic Mexican sauce known as mole. This version is much simpler than traditional recipes, many of which contain dozens of different chillies and spices—but the results are still delicious. For a memorable taco night, toss the sauce with a shredded rotisserie chicken and serve alongside a tray of tortillas and fixings.

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Fruit and Nut Candy Bars

Here’s a sweet idea: For your next movie night, surprise your family with homemade candy. Simply toss melted chocolate chips with a classic combo of raisins and peanuts and spread the mixture on a baking sheet to cool. Once firm, use a serrated knife to chop it into rough rectangles. Welcome to your very own snack bar.

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Choco-Coco Smoothie

A frosty, frothy blend of coconut, chocolate, and banana, this tropical-accented smoothie makes a great after school treat and is an irresistible combination of naughty and nice. The chocolate chips break down into small, sweet nuggets after a few whirrs in the blender, but the size of the pieces will vary depending on the strength of your machine.

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This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

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