If you thought you couldn't have chocolate on a Candida Diet, think again! This homemade and healthy sugar free chocolate recipe is made from coconut, a fantastic Candida Diet superfood.
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💕 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s so difficult to find sweet treats on a Candida Diet. Even the “healthy” options out there often still contain sources of sugar such as coconut sugar, agave, honey or maple syrup.
These sugars may be natural alternatives to refined cane sugar, but they will still spike your blood sugar levels and fuel candida. Therefore they are best avoided.
This homemade chocolate recipe is exactly what it says on the tin. Completely. Sugar. Free. Plus it is also soya free and dairy making it a wonderful option for vegans or those with allergies.
Keep on reading to find out which ingredients we need for our healthy chocolate recipe.
📋 Ingredients
To make this delicious sugar free candida diet chocolate you are going to need the following basic ingredients:
Coconut Oil & Coconut Flour
In this recipe, the base of the chocolate is made using coconut oil instead of cacao butter, which is fantastic on a candida diet.
In addition to coconut oil, coconut flour is also used. There are a couple of reasons why coconut flour is needed. Firstly, the coconut flour acts as a natural emulsifier for the xylitol. Secondly, it improves the texture of the chocolate.
I would strongly suggest including the coconut flour as advised in this recipe. Otherwise you will find there is an oily texture to the chocolate.
Why is Coconut good on a candida diet?
Coconut in all its forms possesses anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. Studies have even suggested that coconut oil is effective at inhibiting the growth of Candida Albicans. This makes coconut a very favourable addition to an anti-candida diet.
Raw Organic Cacao Powder
To create that essential chocolate flavour we need to use cacao powder. I recommend using raw and organic cacao powder. You can easily find this in most larger supermarkets or health food stores.
Cacao powder is a wonderfully versatile and fun ingredient to work with. It's also great for your health as it's a source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol which reduces inflammation and protects against oxidative stress. Cacao powder is also a dietary source of iron, protein, magnesium and potassium. Source
What’s the Difference Between Cocoa Powder and Cacao Powder?
Unlike cocoa powder, cacao powder is a less processed, raw version of the bean. This means more health benefits, without compromising on the chocolate flavour.
Additionally, raw cacao powder should be a single ingredient product. Cocoa powder on the other hand is sometimes found sweetened or bulked out with other ingredients or additives. Just be sure to check the label on the back so that you know exactly what you're getting.
Xylitol
Our sweetener in this recipe is xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol found in plants, namely birch trees. It has the same sweetness as sugar but contains absolutely no sugar.
If well tolerated, it can be enjoyed in moderation on the candida diet to help you to adjust to including less sweetness in your recipes. Xylitol can cause digestive discomfort in some people, so just be aware of this if it's your first time trying it, and avoid if you experience any symptoms.
I was able to happily include it in moderation throughout the course of my own candida diet with no adverse reactions. It is also my sweetener of choice because it's actually really good for your teeth too!
Studies have found that xylitol can reduce the chance of plaque, cavities and gum disease. Plus it can even improve your gut microflora. Source
An important point to be aware of is that xylitol is toxic to dogs, however. So if you have a furry friend, be sure to keep them well away from your xylitol containing recipes. Not that they should be eating chocolate any way, as this is also toxic to dogs!
Vanilla Powder
Although only a small amount is needed, vanilla powder will have a profound effect on the final flavour of the chocolate. It adds a warm, sweetness that is quite distinctive and adds another flavour dimension that you won’t want to miss out on.
Make sure that you purchase alcohol and sugar free vanilla products.
I like to make my own sugar free zero waste vanilla powder, be sure to check out the recipe.
🥣 Instructions
The first step to making the chocolate is to powder our sweetener. Xylitol is usually found in granulated form, and looks just like regular granulated sugar. The problem with this is that these granules do not dissolve very easily.
1. Powder the Xylitol
The solution to this is to grind up the xylitol into a fine powder. This will make it dissolve more easily, meaning that the sweetness will be more evenly distributed in the chocolate.
To powder your xylitol, you can do this by grinding it in a pestle and mortar, coffee grinder or small food processor. I like to powder a larger batch and store the remainder for next time I might need some.
2. Melt the Ingredients
Once you have your powdered xylitol, it’s as simple as adding all of the ingredients together into a bowl.
Next, place the bowl of ingredients into a larger bowl, and fill this with freshly boiled water. The heat from the water will heat up the smaller bowl and melt the coconut oil in a matter of seconds. When this happens, give the mixture a good stir and then it is ready to shape!
3. Mould Your chocolate
There are two ways you can shape your chocolate. Using a confectionery or chocolate mould, or using a baking tray.
Using a Chocolate Mould
To use the chocolate mould method, simply pour your melted chocolate mixture into the mould and place on a flat surface when refrigerating. There is no need to grease the moulds as the coconut oil will prevent the chocolate from sticking.
You can find a wide range of differently shaped chocolate moulds in-store or online. Have fun with this step. It is so satisfying to pop the chocolates out of the mould and see how perfect and professional they look!
Using a Baking Tray
If you do not have a chocolate mould at home, don’t worry! Place a baking tray in the freezer for 10 minutes to get it really cold. Next, line the baking tray with parchment paper, and pour out your chocolate mixture. The mixture is runnier than regular chocolate so you need to pour slowly so that the mixture has a chance to thicken as it hits the cold baking tray.
4. Refrigerate to Set
With both of the above methods, because the surface area of the chocolate is large, the chocolate will set quickly. Pop them in the refrigerator and your chocolate will be ready to eat in as little as 15 minutes!
If you have used the baking tray method, simply lift the parchment paper and either snap your chocolate into shards, or slice on a cutting board with a knife. I recommend that you work quickly to get the chocolate back in the refrigerator, however, as the chocolate will melt quickly in your hands.
🥡 Storage
These homemade chocolates can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. They can also be kept in the freezer to increase the storage life to 3 months.
Just be sure to not store these chocolates at room temperature as they will melt too easily. This is because of the lower melting point of coconut oil.
Did you try this recipe? If so, tag me on instagram @anti_candida_kitchen. I can't wait to see your creations!
Delicious Sugar Free Chocolate - Perfect for the Candida Diet
Equipment
- Chocolate mould
- Small blender
Ingredients
- 50 g organic cold pressed coconut oil
- 40 g raw organic cacao powder
- 20 g coconut flour
- 4 teaspoon powdered xylitol or 1 tablespoon granulated xylitol
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla powder or 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Blend the xylitol into a powder using a small blender or food processor, coffee grinder, or pestle and mortar.
- Add the coconut oil, cacao powder, coconut flour, powdered xylitol and vanilla powder to a bowl.
- Place the bowl over a larger bowl filled with freshly boiled water - you will need enough water to surround the smaller bowl, but not so much that it will go inside.
- Slowly stir the ingredients as the heat from the boiled water melts the coconut oil.
- Once the mixture is smooth, pour into a chocolate mould. Alternatively, spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add the chocolate to the refrigerator to set for at least 15 minutes.
- Once set you can remove the chocolate from the mould or baking sheet.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer and consume within a few weeks.
Notes
Last step! If you make this recipe, will you do me a huge favour and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review letting me know what you thought? It really helps! Thanks for your support!!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!