Raw carob-chocolate bar

By Stanka Vukelić

Most people adore chocolate – we are not any different. We like chocolate in every possible way. Because cacao, which is the main ingredient of all commercial chocolates, is very fatty and contains caffeine, we want to reduce it with a tasty replacement – carob.

It has little fat and is a natural sweetener; carob contains 48% sugar, so that the amount of additional sweeteners gets largely reduced. Despite the large level of sugar; it has little calories, so we can enjoy it without having a bad conscience.

Preparation time: 5-10 min.

Chill: 60 min.

Ingredients for a cake pan (with removable bottom) of 10” (26 cm):

1/2 cup of extra-virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup cacao butter

1 cup of carob powder

3 tablespoons of cacao powder

1 teaspoon of bourbon vanilla

3 tablespoons of honey

3 tablespoons of cacao nibs or as you like

pinch of salt

Methods/steps:

1. Melt coconut oil and cacao butter. Put both in a cup, and then place the cup in a container filled with warm water (not more than 115ºF/46ºC)

2. In the meantime, mix together all other dry ingredients in a bowl or blender. I do it in a in a bowl by hand.

3. Add honey and mix well again.

4. Add the melted mixture of coconut oil and cacao butter. Mix well, to get a compact mass.

5. Spread the mass into the pan, previously lined with alu foil/backing paper.

6. Leave it in the refrigerator for 60 min.

7. Cut or break into pieces and start eating right away.

8. You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

Options:

If we wish to have a more chocolaty, increase the amount of cacao and carob each for half a cup. Also add more honey, otherwise the chocolate will be too bitter.

Add hazelnuts, almonds, coconut flour, raisins or other dried fruits, for better taste and texture.

Experiment with the ratio between coconut oil and cacao butter and adjust it to the availability of these ingredients at our home!

Bon appetite!

Extra info

About Carob:

Ceratonia siliqua, commonly known as the carob tree and St John’s-bread, is a species of flowering evergreen shrub or tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible legumes, and as an ornamental tree in gardens. The seed pod may be crushed and used as a substitute for chocolate.

It is native to the Mediterranean region, including Southern Europe, Northern Africa, the larger Mediterranean islands; to the Levant and Middle-East of Western Asia into Iran; and to the Canary Islands and Macaronesia. (Source: Wikipedia)

7 Facts about Carob:

1. carob is very nutritious: contains as much Vitamin B1 as asparagus or strawberries; as much niacin as lima beans, lentils, or peas; and more Vitamin A than eggplant, asparagus, and beets

2. also contains Vitamin B2, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and the trace minerals iron, manganese, chromium, copper, and nickel

3. contains approximately 8 percent protein

4. is a good source of fiber

5. compared to chocolate, carob is three times richer in calcium, has one third less calories and seventeen times less fat

6. it takes 2 medium/large dry carob pods to make 28 g (1 ounce) in weight

7. contains 48% sugar

This post was shared on Raw Foods Thursdays!

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