Pronounced "ka-kow", cacao is the plant source of all chocolate! The seeds from the pods of the Theobroma cacao tree are harvested, fermented, dried and processed into various products and forms. Sometimes depending on whether the seeds are processed at low or high heat, these products are referred to as cacao, or cocoa products, respectively, but essentially they all come from the same source. The addition of other ingredients and processing results in what we know as modern chocolate.
Yes and no. We are chocolatiers, not chocolate makers, so we specialise in making and creating products using chocolate, chocolate artists if you will.
We source and use a high quality, fair-trade, organic, couverture chocolate that is made by the chocolate making experts using specialised skills and equipment. This chocolate is sweetened with unrefined cane sugar (sometimes referred to as rapadura or whole evaporated cane sugar) and is ALSO gluten, dairy and soy free by ingredient, and does not contain any palm oil, emulsifiers, additives or preservatives. We searched high and low, and have carefully selected this chocolate for its superior taste, quality and ethical sourcing.
We have recently started experimenting with making our own organic vegan white chocolate. Made in house in small batches, this white chocolate is a dreamy combination of cacao butter, coconut flour, maple sugar, vanilla and sea salt.
We make all of our melt in your mouth treats in small batches and mould and fill or top each of our chocolates, by hand. As a result of the artisan nature of our chocolates, each and every chocolate will never be exactly the same.
No. In short, the beans used in the chocolate we source are roasted as part of the chocolate making process. Even during the process of fermenting the fruit to remove the beans from the pulp of the fruit temperatures can naturally reach upwards of 50°C, raising debate as to whether any chocolate is truly raw.
Many of our other ingredients and fillings are also not raw: we opt for dry roasted nuts/nut butter (for that added flavour!) and some of our fillings involve making reductions over heat.
We knew you’d be interested! All of our products are made using ingredients that are naturally free from gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugars and don't contain any additives or preservatives. Just real ingredients with names you can recognise. To see what's in each of our cheeky creations, check out the individual product descriptions, the label on the package or get in touch.
All of the ingredients we use are naturally free from gluten. We carefully select ingredients whereby the product labelling indicates the absence of gluten and from suppliers where the risk of cross contamination is reduced or removed. We produce our chocolates in a licensed commercial kitchen that does not handle any gluten.
While we take every care to ensure that our chocolates are free from any traces of gluten, this is a personal decision for the individual.
No. We're not a fan of highly processed sugar alternatives, instead we opt for unrefined sugars (aka nature’s sugar) for all our chocolates. The couverture dark chocolate we use is sweetened with an unrefined cane sugar, or rapadura sugar. Where we use sweeteners in our fillings, we opt for a touch of organic maple syrup or raw, locally sourced honey.
Yes! All of our products, with the exception of our Almond Butter filled, which contains raw, local honey, are vegan friendly.
No, however the dark chocolate we source and use is manufactured in a facility that handles dairy. As a result, the chocolate component may contain small traces of dairy.
No. All of our ingredients, including the couverture chocolate we use, do not contain any soy.
While some of our chocolates do not directly contain nuts, due to manufacturing process nuts may be present in all of our products. We also hand make our products in a facility that handles tree nuts. Therefore, if you are allergic to nuts we do not recommend you consume our chocolates.
We recommend storing your chocolates in a dry, cool place, away from direct heat and/or humidity . For best quality, they should be stored between 18 – 22°C. Think your pantry, desk drawer or in an air conditioned room. Chocolate likes to absorb odours though, so be sure to store them away from strong odours or in a sealed container.
Wine fridges are ideal for storing chocolate as they are temperature and humidity controlled.
We do not generally recommend storing chocolate in the fridge, as the humidity can result in condensation and cause the chocolate to bloom. Don’t worry, they will still be safe to eat, they may however have lost some of its flavour, and may not look as pretty and it may be a little "sticky" on the surface.
In warmer weather it may be necessary to store your chocolates in the fridge. We recommend storing them in their wrapper, in a well sealed container to protect them from any moisture or odours. For optimum flavour, we also recommend allowing your chocolate to come back to room temperature before consumption.
Some of our customers will argue that this depends on how strong your willpower is!
But in shelf life terms, as our chocolates do not contain any emulsifiers, additives or preservatives in either the chocolate itself, or the fillings, our filled products are best eaten within 8 weeks of production for best quality. Our topped and included products will last 9 months. The recommended best before date, along with the batch number is marked on the packaging.
Head to our Shipping and Shopping page to find out more.
In warmer months, we’ll pack your chocolates in insulated wrap and pop in an ice pack to keep your chocolates safe (no extra charge). In cases of extreme weather, we may reserve your order for a few days until it is safe to send.
Yes! The Cheeky Chocolate Club 2.0 is our exclusive monthly chocolate subscription. Head to the Cheeky Chocolate Club 2.0 page to find out more.
We'll send you a curated selection of cheeky chocolates picked by our Chief Chocolatier.
There will be something different in each month to keep things fresh and exciting.
Each box will be made up of cheeky chocolates from our Signature, seasonal Special Edition ranges and the occassional exclusive preview of products in development.
The short answer, no. We pick and curate the chocolates for each monthly subscription box to take you and your tastebuds on a cheeky chocolate adventure - to give you the chance to experience and hopefully fall in love with all of our chocolates.
Of course, if you fall in love with a particular chocolate (or chocolates) let us know and we can add it to you regular subscription and of course, all of our current products are available to buy anytime.
Australia wide express shipping is included with your subscription - delivered direct to your door each month.
Pick up is not currently available on our subscription boxes.
Boxes will be shipped on the Tuesday or Wednesday, directly following your payment. Once your box is shipped we'll send you the tracking details and you can expect delivery within 1 - 3 business days.
Your first payment will be deducted when you sign up and then automatically every 4 weeks.
Yes, of course. We hope you love our cheeky chocolates as much as we love making them for you but we don't want to lock you in.
You can pause or cancel a subscription any time you want in the customer portal.
The customer portal can be accessed through the magic link you received in the email that was sent to you when you placed an initial subscription order in the shop. You can also access your subscriptions if you create and account in the shop.
Yes! We love helping you spread a little love in the form of cheeky chocolate and our subscription boxes are a gift that keeps on giving.
Enter any special messages you would like to send your special someone in the ‘Notes’ section of the Cart (we include this with their first box) and the recipient's delivery details in the ‘Shipping’ information at Checkout.
Oh man, plenty! Our food philosophy is all about making choices that empower us, like choosing foods that nourish our bodies. We want to inspire people to put their health and wellbeing, first. This means opting for unpackaged, unprocessed, natural, whole foods that are free from additives and preservatives. At The Cheeky Project, knowing and understanding where our food comes from is important, for it not only allows us to make informed decisions, but lets us take control of what goes into our bodies.
We want to turn back the clock, and return to the way food used to be, before mass-production and the introduction of “foodstuffs”, that are created by people in white coats in a laboratory. It’s about choosing the types of foods our grandparents would have eaten: local, in-season, pesticide free. Think grass-fed meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasture raised eggs, fermented foods, nuts and seeds.
The Cheeky Project is where healthy means more.
Gluten is a protein found naturally in several types of grains, such as rye, wheat, oats and barley. According to Coeliac Australia, on average, approximately 1 in 70 Australians suffer from coeliac disease, a condition where a person’s immune system reacts abnormally to gluten, causing small bowel damage. However a staggering 80% of this number remain undiagnosed. Those without coeliac disease may still suffer side effects from eating gluten, otherwise known as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance.
Dairy products are made from the milk of mammals such as cattle, goats, sheep. Certain components within dairy products can cause issues for those who do not have the digestive enzymes to break down these proteins, such as lactose and casein. This can cause adverse reactions such as digestive issues, inflammation, sinus problems.
Being “cheeky” is about making and eating delicious, scrumptious food that just happens to also be healthy. I love nothing more than to see my friends and family genuinely love and enjoy the meals I have just prepared, only to tell them afterwards that it was gluten, dairy and refined sugar free! You can almost imagine me doing a cheeky, little giggle, and saying: “Ha, see!”
At The Cheeky Project, we believe in reducing our exposure to toxins, living in the present and moving our bodies to keep them healthy. After we started cleaning up what we put in our bodies, it made sense to start looking at what we put on our bodies and around our home. Where possible, we always use chemical free, low-tox household and beauty products.
I’ve always been an active person, but as a result of some health issues over the last few years, I have had to opt for more gentle, lower impact movement health activities, like yoga.
Eating nourishing food and reducing my toxic load, has been remarkable in helping me restore and replenish my health, even to this very day. The way I see it, we can’t control everything, and we certainly can’t remove all of the toxins from our lives, but we can control what we put in to and on our bodies and we can reduce the amount of toxins we use in our homes. Through nourishment and movement, we give our bodies the best chance to be healthy and balanced.
Our adrenal glands produce hormones, one of which includes cortisol. This hormone helps the body deal with stress, as part of the “fight or flight” response. When you are “stressed” for a prolonged period of time, your adrenal glands become exhausted. This as result, leads to a variety of symptoms.
The term adrenal fatigue, also known as adrenal insufficiency, is used to describe a collection of symptoms related to the insufficient production of cortisol by the adrenal glands.
Symptoms of this can include: fatigue, lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, inability to remember things, unexplained hair loss, a feeling of being wired but tired, inflammation, among other things.
