Chocolate Crunch / Chocolate Concrete
By: Vickie | Updated: 19th May 2023
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Sometimes you just need that chocolate fix, don’t you? Something that will satisfy the craving. You can’t beat chocolate concrete. A yummy chocolate traybake that sets to a hard, crunchy brownie-like cake.
Chocolate Concrete
Many of you will remember this from your school days. It was a staple dessert back in the day before Jamie Oliver did his thing with school dinners.
While there is nothing wrong with a healthy school dinner, I might add, I think our children are missing out on chocolate concrete.
It is certainly a childhood memory for so many of us. But the good news is that you can make it yourself at home. Getting the kids involved is also a great idea.
This isn’t a cake by definition, as it does have a tougher and more crumbly texture than a standard cake, but it certainly isn’t a biscuit or brownie either. It is in a category all on its own, which is why I think chocolate concrete is special.
So if you fancy making this at home, then here is everything you need to know to make chocolate concrete.
Why We Love Chocolate Concrete
- An amazing chocolatey dessert
- Perfect for a treat or as a snack
- Only four ingredients
- Kids can help make
Ingredients
There are only four ingredients to make the chocolate concrete, which is incredible in itself. But having them to hand makes the process easy. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Plain Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Dairy Free Margarine
- Cocoa Powder (Not hot chocolate)
How to Make Chocolate Concrete
1. The first thing you need to do would be to preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Next up, line an 8″ square tin with parchment paper or grease it. This will help you get the chocolate concrete out of the tin when baked.
3. Get yourself a mixing bowl and add the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Give it a good mix until the dry ingredients are combined.
4. The next thing to do would be to melt the margarine. Once melted, add the margarine to the flour mix.
5. This is where it gets messy, and your children might want to get involved. Using your fingers, mix it all together until it resembles a crumbly mix. If you want to add any extra bits to the chocolate concrete, this is the time to do it. I have some suggestions listed below.
6. Pour your mixture into your tin, level off, and press the mixture down to form a flat, dense cake.
7. Place your baking tin in the oven and then bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cut into 9 squares while still warm, and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.
9. Let it cool and then enjoy all of the nostalgia, as well as the incredible taste.
Substitutions and Variations
- You could add so much to your chocolate concrete cake. Anything from M&Ms, Smarties, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.
- To keep with the texture, you could add crumbed biscuits such as chocolate cookies, Oreos, or even Biscoff biscuits, digestives, or kitkats.
- You could try a play on the sweet and savory option, which means you could add peanuts or salted caramel chunks to the chocolate concrete cake.
- What you serve your concrete crunch with is completely up to you. Traditionally you would get something like a strawberry pink custard, but normal custard is just as good. You could also serve it with ice cream.
tips & Tricks
Chocolate concrete is likely to be a blast from the past for you. It is such a simple dish to make and one your children might like to do with you.
- Preparation is key with this recipe. Make sure that you have all the different ingredients on hand to make the chocolate concrete.
- If you have children involved, make sure they are supervised when stirring or around the oven.
- You can choose to melt the margarine in a microwave or in a pan, depending on what you prefer or have to hand.
- If you want to make a larger chocolate crunch cake, then just double up the ingredients.
What should I serve with my Chocolate Concrete?
This is all down to personal preference. At school, you would likely get something like a pink strawberry custard, but normal custard is fine. You could also serve it with fruit and cream, like strawberries, in the summer.
Another suggestion would be to warm the cake up or serve it warm from the oven with some ice cream.
Can you make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can! It is one of those things that you can make ahead of time, as it will last a few days stored in an airtight container. Make sure you store it a room temperature.
How do I store any leftovers?
There may not be many leftovers, but if there are, storing them in an air-tight container at room temperature is your best bet.
Can I freeze chocolate concrete?
Yes, you can! Bake it, and then cut the concrete chocolate into pieces. Allow the chocolate concrete to cool completely before placing them on a baking sheet in the freezer.
Once frozen, you can then add them to a freezer bag for easy storage. Let them defrost or pop them in the oven to warm up before eating them.
More of our Favorite Easy Dessert Recipes
Whether you love chocolate desserts or perhaps more fruity, try some of these delicious desserts next:
- Hot Chocolate Brownie Pudding
- Fresh Blackberry Strudel
- Pecan and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars
- Caramel Apple Cookies
Chocolate Concrete (or chocolate crunch cake) has been enjoyed by my family for years. And this dairy-free, egg-free, crunchy, and delicious chocolate traybake sets to a hard, crunchy brownie-like cake making this an amazing chocolatey dessert.
Hopefully, this will have inspired you to make Chocolate Concrete at home. Enjoy! And please leave a star ★★★★★ rating and a comment below! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter for more delicious recipes!
Vegan Chocolate Crunch / Chocolate Concrete
Ingredients
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 200 g Granulated Sugar
- 100 g Dairy Free Margarine
- 50 g Cocoa Powder Not hot chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4
- Line or grease an 8″ square tin.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder together.
- Melt the margarine and add to the flour mix.
- Using your fingers, mix it all together until it resembles a crumbly mix.
- Add any extras now.
- Pour your mixture into your tin, level off, and press the mixture down to form a flat, dense cake
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cut into 9 squares while still warm, and sprinkle with more granulated sugar
- Let cool and enjoy.
Notes
- Makes – 9 servings, approximately (Depends on how big the pieces are that you cut the chocolate concrete into)
- Preparation is key with this recipe. Make sure that you have all the different ingredients on hand to make the chocolate concrete.
- If you have children involved, make sure they are supervised when stirring or around the oven.
- You could add so much to your chocolate concrete cake. Anything from:
- M&Ms or Smarties
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Crumbed biscuits such as chocolate cookies, Oreos, Biscoff biscuits, or digestives.
- Orange Essence & Zest
- Chopped Nuts (of your choice)
- Mint Extract
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, is intended to serve as an estimate only, and is provided for informational purposes. The accuracy of nutritional information is not guaranteed.
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These were super quick and easy to make, are absolutely delicious, and look just like the picture! Fab recipe.