low sugar chocolates

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These chocolates were made for a client with type 2 Diabetes who was looking to try something with less sugar and if possible less caffeine. Some people are incredibly sensitive to caffeine whether that’s in coffee, tea, matcha or chocolate. We opted for a combination of yacon syrup, carob powder and stevia for sweetness which are all great to support a low-sugar approach. The caffeine-like substance found in cacao is theobromine which is mainly found in cacao powder and only traces are found in cacao butter. So if you also adore chocolate and find it a little too stimulating, make white chocolate or keep the cacao powder content low. This recipe doesn’t take very long to make, the trick is waiting for it to set before eating it.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g cacao butter (chopped)

  • 50g coconut oil

  • 30g cacao powder

  • 20g carob (Peruvian carob is the lighter variety and works well in this recipe)

  • 30g yacon syrup

  • 8-10 drops of stevia (depending on your preferred sweetness)

  • a pinch of salt

  • If making a fruit and nut variety then have approximately 50g nuts of choice. Macadamia / brazils and almonds all work well and are a great choice to keep glycaemic load low. If you would like to add some dried fruit - white mulberries, golden berries and goji berries are all a good option.

METHOD

  • add the cacao butter and coconut to a bowl (preferably not glass) and gently heat in a bain marie or over a gently simmering pan of water. Keep the temperature low so as not to burn the cacao and be very careful not to allow any water to mix with the oils.

  • add the yacon and stevia then whisk until blended

  • sieve the powders (cacao and carob) into the bowl and continue to whisk (sieving isn’t essential, it simply helps remove any lumps and makes blending easier)

  • add a pinch of salt and any flavourings you wish to add - vanilla / cayenne powder / orange oil etc

  • if you are making a fruit and nut version, stir these in now.

  • either place in chocolate moulds or simply line a tray or bowl with foil and pour the chocolate in.

  • put in fridge - will take approximately an hour to set depending on the thickness

  • if you can’t wait, pop in freezer until set

  • enjoy!

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I would add that this chocolate will keep in a fridge for 2 or 3 weeks and in a freezer for longer (if in a sealed container) - but lets face it, this chocolate will last as well as you hide it…

SUPPLIERS

I generally buy this brand of Stevia from Amazon :

Yacon, cacao ingredients, carob, coconut, nuts and dried fruit can be sourced from :