Indulge Guilt-Free: Delicious Keto Cocoa Butter Recipes

For those embracing a ketogenic lifestyle, the world of desserts and treats might seem limited. However, with the versatility of cocoa butter, a whole new realm of delicious and healthy recipes opens up. Cocoa butter, also called Theobroma oil, comes about as the bean is pressed to separate the oil from the fiber (aka “cacao powder”). This article explores a variety of keto-friendly recipes featuring cocoa butter, from homemade chocolates to decadent blondies and fat bombs.

The Magic of Cocoa Butter in Keto Baking

Cacao butter is a golden-hued oil when melted at low heat but firms up into a cream-colored solid when cooled to room temperature. Cacao butter provides texture, flavor, and a creamy visual appeal to keto recipes. It is a key ingredient for adding a rich, creamy texture and subtle chocolatey aroma to your creations. Unlike many other fats, cocoa butter lends a distinct flavor that enhances the overall taste profile of keto treats.

Keto Chocolate: A Dream Come True

Homemade Keto Chocolate

Making homemade keto chocolate is easy, quick and much cheaper than buying ready-made sugar free chocolate. If you are a chocolate lover, this recipe is for you. This homemade keto chocolate is even better because it is completely sugar free and tastes just as delicious. You only need 3 ingredients to make your own delicious keto chocolate from scratch.

Ingredients:

• Cacao butter
• Cocoa powder
• Powdered sweetener (erythritol or allulose)

Instructions:

1. Warm the cacao butter in a pan over low heat until it is just melted, stirring continuously. Alternatively, use a double boiler. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the cocoa powder and powdered sweetener and stir until combined. For a super-smooth chocolate, use powdered allulose. Allulose melts just like sugar and does not recrystallise. Erythritol does re-crystallise as it cools. That's why using powdered sweetener is essential so the chocolate is smooth and not grainy.
3. (Optional): Blend the cocoa powder and sweetener in a high-speed blender to a very fine powder before adding it to the melted cacao butter.
4. Add any optional extras like 1 teaspoon orange zest, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of chili, ⅓ cup (50g) low carb granola, or a handful of nuts and seeds, and stir.
5. Fill into a silicone chocolate mould to make chocolate bars. Alternatively, spread the mix on a firm surface lined with parchment paper. Place the silicone moulds on a firm surface such as a tray. It's also not necessary to own a chocolate bar mold to make homemade chocolate.
6. Chill until firm.

Tips:

• Recipe Tip: Blend granulated sweetener in a high-speed blender to powder it.
• I calculated on the basis of 12 generous portions. My recipe made 2 chocolate bars with 24 squares each.
• I have made this recipe with both powdered erythritol and allulose.

Variations on Keto Chocolate

• Coconut Oil Option: I often get asked if you can make this keto chocolate with coconut oil rather than cacao butter. The answer is yes - but it will not taste as good. There will be an undeniable coconut flavor. Also, the texture won't be as creamy and you'll have to keep the chocolate in the freezer. It will not be firm at room temperature.
• Store-Bought Chocolate: Another variation is to melt store-bought unsweetened chocolate and stir in powdered sweetener. This is possible, however, I have found that it seizes when you add too much powdered sweetener.
• Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: Another fun thing to do with this recipe is to make sugar free chocolate chips!

Keto Blondies: A White Chocolate Dream

Discover the allure of our keto blondies, reminiscent of luscious white chocolate but with under 1g net carbs! Cacao butter is the heart of this recipe. Without it, no version of blondies ever appealed to me. After countless iterations, I've perfected this recipe, striking just the right balance of ingredients. A little word of caution for you: these blondies are an absolute temptation. It's the rich, creamy flavor of the cacao butter that's to blame for this irresistible allure. Every bite is a delightful experience that makes you crave more. Often, I find myself wishing that cacao butter was as budget-friendly as the usual dairy butter.

Primal Keto Blondies Recipe

This version of blondies should have a little raise and cakey structure when baked. Yet, a few users commented about melted butter sitting at the bottom at the end of baking.

Read also: The Ultimate Guide to Cocoa on Keto

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoon cacao butter - 3 oz.
• 2 tablespoon butter - unsalted, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking powder - or ½ t. cream of tartar + ¼ t.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C) and line an 8" square baking pan with some parchment paper.
2. Next, measure out all of the ingredients.
3. Put cacao butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Let it melt in a microwave for a minute and a half. Stir the butter until there are no lumps left. If needed, microwave for another minute or so. Set aside to cool.
4. When cooled, stir in the butter OR coconut oil.
5. Using a hand electric mixer, mix the eggs, erythritol, vanilla bean seeds, salt, and vanilla extract for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the coconut cream and mix again.
7. Pour in the cooled butter and mix until the mixture gets denser. Depending on the temperature of the ingredients, the density might vary from almost liquid to creamy. Try to have all the ingredients at room temperature.
8. Sieve and combine the two flours and baking soda or cream of tartar. Add this flour mixture to the cream and combine well with a rubber spatula.
9. Add the chopped chocolate and stir well again.
10. Optional: You can add 2 tablespoons of ground walnuts (or any type of nuts) or chia seeds (suggestion: add a tsp. of lemon zest as well). Either add them to the chopped chocolate or use solo. Combine using a spatula.
11. Put the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly using a spatula.
12. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After this time, the toothpick will be clean when inserted into the center, but the blondies will remain somewhat juicy in the middle. Don’t over-bake.
13. When done baking, take the whole batch out of the pan together with the parchment paper and let it cool down. These are best served the next day, just leave them out on the counter.

Tips:

• Since every oven tends to function a bit differently, no matter what the numbers say, I recommend baking for 20 minutes the first time. Later, if you like the flavor of these keto blondies as much as we do, and want to make another batch, decide whether you want a juicier or dryer outcome the next time.
• In the picture above you can see different types of blondies. The dense ones use more coconut cream and a bit more almond flour than the recipe below. So the recipe below includes the chocolate but not any other optional ingredient which you can still add if you wish.
• Macros below only include the chocolate I used, though.
• It goes for both versions that the result might be too buttery for your taste. Besides, what I sometimes do, is to flip the batch out of the pan onto a cutting board straight out of the oven.

Keto Fat Bombs: Fueling Your Body with Healthy Fats

Fat bombs are popular in the keto community and are handy boosts of fat. They’re usually sweet mixes of coconut oil, cream cheese, butter, sweetener and/or cocoa. Savory ones do exist though! Fat bombs are used throughout the day (if you’re busy and didn’t have time for lunch) and deliver the fat you may be missing. They are usually very high in fat (80-90% fat) with some protein and very little carbs.

Butter Pecan Fat Bombs

After playing around with a basic recipe for low carb “white chocolate” I decided to mix in some flavors and make some fat bombs out of this new ingredient. Enter butter pecan. Who knew this ice cream flavor was so keto-friendly?

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Cocoa butter
• Butter
• Powdered erythritol
• Pecans
• Salt
• Stevia (optional)

Instructions:

1. Melt coconut oil, cocoa butter and butter together in a small pan until melted. Then turn the heat off.
2. If you don't have powdered erythritol, you can easily make it. Place erythritol in a NutriBullet or small blender and pulse until powdery!
3. Stir in 2 tablespoons of it into the butter mixture until combined.
4. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness. Add in an optional pinch of Stevia. Some people say it counteracts the cooling effects of erythritol.
5. Into some silicone cupcake molds or candy molds, add a few chopped pecans. I added about 3-4 pecans total to each mold, but this can be altered. If you don't have pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts work well with white chocolate too!
6. Pour your white chocolate mix evenly into the molds over the nuts and place in freezer immediately.
7. Freeze for about 30 minutes. You want them to be nice and cool when eating as they melt easily.

Tips:

• One key to this recipe is to use powdered erythritol which melts easily into the cocoa butter. If you only have granular erythritol on hand, you can still make it work but the fat bombs may have a slightly grainy texture.
• While I’m obsessed with the butter pecan flavor of these fat bombs, you can definitely use a different kind of nut to make the recipe a little differently. Chopped almonds or walnuts will both work wonderfully. Hazelnuts are another decadent option.

Other Keto Cocoa Butter Recipes to Explore

• Keto Chocolate Cups: Cacao butter brings the classic flavor and appearance to these nutty, cardamom-flavored keto chocolate cups. Adding vanilla extract balances the sweetness while adding a homemade touch.
• Spirulina Chocolate Bites: Homemade Spirulina Chocolate Bites are simple to make and so much more delicious than anything store-bought. Adding superfood ingredients like spirulina powder gives these bites a nutrition bump! You can make these vegan chocolate bites entirely from natural, organic ingredients without artificial flavors, preservatives, or added sugar.
• Medicinal Keto Chocolate: A medicinal mix of reishi, shilajit, and maca makes this keto chocolate stand out from the crowd. Its deep, dark flavor is unforgettable.
• Keto White Cocoa: Cozy up with a mug of white cocoa. It’s new and novel with an ultra-creamy blend of cacao butter, cream, and collagen peptides.
• Keto Peanut Butter Cups: These easy Keto Peanut Butter Cups taste like peanut butter fudge with a decadent layer of chocolate. A sugar-free taste sensation!
• Low-Carb White Chocolate Truffles: Make every day special with these low-carb white chocolate truffles candy. Each truffle has a creamy soft filling covered in yummy dark chocolate.

Understanding Chocolate and Keto

Is Chocolate Healthy?

Science has proven that chocolate has a whole host of health benefits. It is a powerful source of antioxidants, can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, to name a few. Of course, not all chocolate is good for you. Shop-bought milk chocolate generally contains over 50% sugar and is therefore not a healthy choice AT ALL.

Is Dark Chocolate Keto Friendly?

It can be, if you are using unsweetened chocolate, sugar-free chocolate or dark chocolate with a very high cocoa content. In my recipes, I use either unsweetened chocolate such as Montezuma (8g of carbs for an entire bar of 100g/3.5 oz) or dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 90% such as Lindt. A whole bar of this chocolate (100g) contains only 7 grams of sugar.

Can You Buy Keto Chocolate?

I have tried several brands that make low carb chocolate. Nicks is a good choice in the UK, my personal favourite is the Kexbar. In the US, Lily's is a popular brand. However, store-bought keto chocolate is expensive.

Read also: Simple Keto Brownie Recipe

Storing Cocoa Butter

Proper storage is key to maximizing the benefits of cacao butter. Be sure to store it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. It generally has a shelf life of two to three years if it hasn’t been exposed to heat or wet conditions. It’s a general practice of mine to write the date I opened it on the package, so I remember when it was originally opened.

The Ethical Side of Cacao

There is undoubtedly a dark side to the cacao industry. Cacao products are best when they’re grown sustainably. We have previously enjoyed a partnership with Pacari Cacao, an Ecuador-based biodynamic and organic cacao farm best known for its high-quality organic cacao products.

Read also: Cocoa on Keto

tags: #cocoa #butter #recipes #keto