How to Roast Cacao in the Oven (Quick Guide)

If you have dry cacao beans at home and want to try roasting them yourself, the oven is the most accessible tool — nearly everyone already has one. It's not the method professional roasters use (they have equipment with much more precise temperature control), but for small batches at home it works very well and gives consistent results.

What you need

• Dry, fermented cacao beans (100-250 g is a good amount to start)
• A baking tray with parchment paper
• A home oven (doesn't need to be convection, though it helps)

Step by step

1. 1

   Preheat the oven120–135°C

   Start at 120°C for your first roast: it gives a fruitier, milder flavor. Higher temperatures produce darker, more intense notes.

2. 2

   Spread the beans in a single layer

   Don't pile them up — direct contact with the heat is what does the work. A smaller amount roasts more evenly.

3. 3

   Roast for 20 to 30 minutes

   Open the oven every 8-10 minutes and stir the beans. The first 15 minutes are usually quiet; then a light crackling starts.

4. 4

   Watch for the signs

   Chocolate aroma (no longer raw/earthy), even dark brown color, shell that separates easily when rubbed between your fingers. If it smells burnt, take them out immediately.

5. 5

   Cool quickly

   Move the beans to a cool surface or another tray as soon as you take them out. Roasting continues with residual heat if you leave them on the hot tray.

Prefer to skip the process?

Roasting at home is a fun experiment, but not for every day. If you want cacao that's already roasted and ready to eat, grind or brew, Fundo Maranatha offers roasted peeled cacao and whole roasted cacao, artisan-roasted at the farm and ready to use.

Have an air fryer? You can roast cacao there too — it's faster. Check out our air fryer roasting guide, or see the full home roasting guide which also covers the stovetop method.