My relationship with chocolate is a strange one. First of all, I’m Swiss! I HAVE to like chocolate, right? And this was very much the case when I grew up: I absolutely adored anything that only remotely contained chocolate… And now that I’m on a ketogenic diet, I obviously have to make friends with some sort of low carb chocolate (although my mum is very much of the opinion that dark chocolate is NOT proper chocolate!).
When I was twelve, my love affair with chocolate came to an abrupt end: On my birthday, I binged on all things chocolate. Throughout the day, I had chocolate cake, chocolate cream, Kinder milk chocolate, chocolate milk- you name it. To top it off, I ate a whole box of “Papillon”, which at the time was milk chocolate filled with hazelnuts, while I was reading a book before going to bed.
You won’t be surprised when I tell you that I woke up in the middle of the night to very generously share all the birthday goodies with the toilet bowl. And that was it- I didn’t go near chocolate for over 10 years! I’m not joking… It’s pretty tough living in Switzerland and not eating in chocolate! It’s like living in Ireland and not drinking Guinness (which I have to endure now… you can’t win!).
I then slowly started to eat dark chocolate again but not in large amounts. It was only when I started going on the ketogenic diet that chocolate got a lot more attention from me again. It did very much grow on me again but as much as I loved it, it didn’t love me back in the same way. Excess chocolate (also the homemade one) gives me bloating, headaches and makes my heart race. Self-diagnosis: food intolerance? I strongly suspect so.
That’s why I limit my cacao intake- as good and healthy as it actually is. Cacao- and note that I deliberately emphasise that it’s cacao, not cocoa (which tends to be more processed and less nutrient-dense)- has many incredible health benefits. It’s high in flavonoid polyphenols, for instance, which have powerful antioxidant effects. The list then goes on- from cardiovascular benefits to improved appetite control, better mood, better blood sugar control and stronger bones. You name it!
But let’s face it: A food can have a trillion amazing health benefit for most people but for some, it can do the exact opposite. And that’s the case with me when I overdose on chocolate. I definitely can’t cope with a daily dose without some uncomfortable side effects. 2-3 times a week is totally okay, though.
And I know I’m not alone- I’ve had many clients complaining that they get headaches or other symptoms when they have too much chocolate. And this is why I’ve come up with a “stretched” low carb chocolate recipe. You will still have a lovely taste of chocolate but it’s less overpowering and enriched with ketosis-enhancing coconut oil and other lovely fats.
All you need is get your hand on a (possibly) sugar free, good quality high-cacao content chocolate. I use Lindt 90% or 99% if I can get a hand on it but to be honest, I’m never 100% convinced they actually use cacao and not cocoa. If you want to be absolutely sure, use raw cacao powder but you’ll need another recipe! Melt the chocolate and add coconut oil, coconut butter and butter (or any other fat for dairy free).
Try it, it’s lovely!
Ingredients
- 100g Dark Chocolate (e.g. Lindt 90% or 99%)
- 20g Butter
- 30g Coocnut Oil
- 40g Coconut Butter (liquidised desiccated coconut)
- Sweetener as required (I use nothing)
- And for all those who agree with my mum: add a generous amount of heavy cream!
Cooking Instructions
Makes 15
- Gently melt everything and pan and whisk well.
- Pour into silicone ice cube trays, freeze for 30 minutes and store in fridge thereafter.
