Chocolate-Free Chocolate Recipe

Craving chocolate but don’t want to eat it? If you are looking for a chocolate substitution, or cacao-free “chocolate” you have come to the right place.

Before I jump into my Chocolate-Free Chocolate Recipe below, I can’t forego an important discussion of why this recipe was created in the first place. I am former competitive chess player and a math major, so I feel a strong urge to analyze things. Don’t worry, it won’t be complicated and I won’t dive into the intricate details too much. So, let’s begin:

Chocolate: Is it Good or Bad for You?

I have done a ton of research on this over the years and I even did a presentation on the subject back in my University years for my class. What did I conclude? It’s both! It’s both good AND bad for you. Here is why:

Chocolate is good for you because: it’s loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols (which are good for your body and mind), it lifts up your mood, might protect you from heart disease and, among other things, it just tastes so good, it’s almost worth living for (ok perhaps a bit of exaggeration)! Some women might even take it in place of sex, or so I hear …yeah!

Chocolate is bad for you because: it’s loaded with phytic acid. Phytic acid binds to the minerals in your body and impedes their absorption. Ouch! It is also addictive (in my opinion, anything addictive is not very good for our mental state) and it has caffeine – which could be either good or bad, depending on your philosophy and time of the day. It also has sugar, usually processed sugar, and we all know that sugar is bad for us. Even dark chocolate has (processed) sugar, although minimal.

So to eat chocolate or not to eat? It’s really up to you! When you eat one – focus on the positives. When you refuse one – focus on the negatives! I think that’s what it comes down to. And everything in moderation is the key! I personally, only eat it when I need a “lift” or a “pick-me-up” of some sort, physical or psychological. All other times, I try to avoid it. I also try to give as little as possible to my children, which is why I prefer the next best thing to cacao (what chocolate is made of) – the Carob powder!

A note on Carob powder. Carob powder is similar to cacao in look and consistency and somewhat in taste (although not too close). It doesn’t have the amazing nutrient profile of cacao but neither does it contain the phytic acid nor caffeine. It also has some nutritional value but nothing impressive as far as I understand. But! It’s an amazing substitute if you want to reduce/eliminate cacao or chocolate from your diet, or make chocolate desserts for your kids if you don’t want them to consume caffeine.

Now let’s dissect chocolate. What do we get out from it physically that we can feel? We get:
-Sugar rush/boost
-Fat
-Caffeine/bitterness
-Mood boost, or that magic lift

How can we re-create these properties without cacao? We are going to use these ingredients:
–Sugar rush/boost: pure maple syrup or honey
–Fat: coconut oil and hemp seeds
–Caffeine/bitterness: Matcha tea + Carob powder
–Mood boost, or that magic lift: ok, I think we get that from all the antioxidants and polyphenols found in cacao . While we can’t totally replace them, matcha tea got an impressive antioxidant profile as well, so it’s actually good for you.

Having said all of the above let’s dive into the recipe.

The Recipe – Cacao-Free Chocolate

Ingredients

2 whooping table spoons of solid coconut oil, or roughly 3tbs of melted coconut oil
1.5 tsp Carob powder
½ tsp Matcha tea
2/3 tsp pure maple syrup, or adjust to taste!
4 tbs hemp seeds
½ tsp pure vanilla

Instructions

1. Melt the coconut oil in a small pan or, alternatively in a cup by placing the cap in a larger bowl filled with warm/hot water (and placing the coconut oil in the cup). This will allow the coconut oil to melt in the cup.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix very well until smooth.
3. Line a small tray, or freezer-safe container, with parchment paper or use silicone cups or whatever else you desire. See below picture:

4. Pour the mixture into your container onto the parchment paper and freeze for 5-10 minutes.
5. Take out and enjoy! Store in the fridge!

Just don’t eat too much! I know what happens if you OD on chocolate, but I have no idea what would happen if you OD on coconut oil/hemp seeds (main ingredients here). Limit yourselves to 2 squares a day please 🙂