February 12, 2016

Keto Chocolates with Macadamia & Sea Salt [Recipe]

Name: Keto Chocolates with Macadamia & Sea Salt [Recipe]
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 10 tbsp Coconut Oil; 5 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 2 g Granulated Stevia; 3 tbsp Macadamia Nuts (coarsely chopped); Coarse Sea Salt (to taste)

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This keto chocolates recipe is a godsend with Valentine's day just around the corner. You see, my love and I usually subscribe to the philosophy that food is the way to the heart. That rings particularly true on V-day in our house. For us, nothing says "I love you" like special dinners, delectable treats, or perfectly crafted beverages. One year my guy surprised me with dessert sushi and another he home-brewed a fantastic batch of chocolate beer! Chocolate booze?! He knows me so well! Aww, I just love Valentine's day.

Now that we are both following a ketogenic diet, our usual Valentine's day spoils are going to be a little different. Instead of the carb-filled food and drink, we would usually indulge in; we'll have to make sure we stay away from the carbs and keep dropping the weight! I whipped up a batch of keto chocolates to give my guy an early V-day treat that won't throw either of us off track.

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Hindsight is 20/20 Recipe Disclaimer: This keto chocolates recipe is technically what people refer to as "fat bombs". Fat bombs definitely aren't a keto diet necessity or staple (you don't need to go overboard on fat in the name of keto). They can be used as a way to sneak in an occasional treat while following this diet, but because they are packed with fat, they are also packed with calories. Not an ideal food for those using keto for weight loss purposes! Some people use them to add satiating fat to their diet if they are still hungry at the end of the day without affecting their other macros. Some people like them because they taste like candy. Fat bombs are high in calories; just like traditional chocolates and sweets, fat bombs fall into the empty calorie category. Just because they are keto, doesn't mean you will lose weight if you eat these.

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I tend to stay away from keto desserts because my sweet tooth rages if I'm not careful... but Valentine's Day? That calls for dessert in my book.

I made a batch of keto choclates filled with macadamia nuts and topped with sea salt using coconut oil, cocoa powder, and granulated stevia. To give it that special holiday feel and a touch of sentiment, I used silicon heart molds. The heart shapes turned out so pretty and tasted great! Think nutty dark chocolate. A win for our keto Valentine's day!

If your partner or BFF is on a low carb diet, don't disregard their commitment to eating healthy and show up with sweets for the holiday! Please: Don't. Be. That. Guy. Instead, show that 1) you support them, 2) you are thoughtful enough to consider their low carb eating habits, and 3) you have skills in the kitchen. This sentiment will get you so many brownie points, I promise!

The Keto Chocolates with Macadamia & Sea Salt [Recipe]

To start, I melted coconut oil on the stove top. Once the oil melted to a liquid, I mixed in the cocoa powder. A 2:1 ratio of coconut oil to cocoa powder seems to work well. For this batch, I used ten tablespoons of coconut oil to 5 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Mix in the sweetener while the mixture is still in liquid form, before placing in the molds. I used two grams of granular Stevia to sweeten it up; if you prefer a sweeter chocolate just add more to taste. I was going for a dark chocolate taste with this recipe, so it is not overly sweet.

I found it is best to keep the silicone candy mold on a cookie sheet for ease of transferability. Since you will have to transport the mold in and out of the fridge a couple of times, you'll want to make sure you can move it around without making a huge mess. Once you have a good set-up figured out, spoon the chocolate mixture into the wells of the mold and fill until each is a little over ¾ of the way up. Be sure not to fill to the top, or you won't have room for the macadamia nuts!

Transfer the silicone mold to the fridge and let it cool down to the point it starts to set up. This process won't take very long but will depend upon how hot the liquid was when placed into the mold. Just keep an eye on it to gauge the consistency. You are looking for it to be a bit gooey or gel-like - somewhere in between a liquid and solid state. You don't want the chocolate to set completely until you put the macadamia nuts in or you won't be able to mix them in. On the other hand, if you put the nuts in while the chocolate is still liquid, they will all sink to the bottom and look a little strange. Once your coconut-cocoa mixture is partially set, sprinkle the macadamia nuts into each well and press down to ensure they get evenly distributed throughout the chocolate.

Place the silicon mold back into the fridge to harden the chocolate. Once the batch has completely set, pop them out of the silicon and place right side up. You can serve just like this, and they are good... but to really knock your sweeties socks off, top them with a bit of coarse sea salt! The salty sweet combination elevates this recipe from a simple diet food hack to gourmet treat status.

To get the sea salt just right, you will need to let the batch of "chocolates" sit out at room temperature to soften the top so the salt will stick. If you skip this step, the salt will fall right off your little chocolate hearts. You can tell they are ready for the salt once the tops begin to glisten. Sprinkle each top with a pinch of coarse sea salt and pop them back into the fridge until ready to serve.

I recommend using cupcake liners for each piece of chocolate - they help keep their shape by preventing them from sticking together. Plus they look pretty and come in festive colors or prints!

Since the base of this recipe is coconut oil, the keto chocolates melt easily when left out at room temperature or if held in your hand for too long. Be sure to refrigerate your batch of chocolates when storing!

If you're looking for other keto friendly dessert ideas, check out my keto chocolate pots de creme recipe or my creamy avocado popsicles!