Madeleine Hull
The ketogenic diet is a popular nutritional approach that involves a strict restriction of carbohydrates, with most adherents aiming to consume no more than 20-50 grams of carbs per day. This typically rules out most traditional candy bars, which are loaded with sugar and can contain more carbs than someone on a keto diet should consume in an entire day. However, for those with a sweet tooth, there are still options available to satisfy those cravings. From keto-friendly candy bars to homemade treats, it is possible to indulge in the occasional dessert while sticking to a low-carb lifestyle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Restricted to 20-50 grams per day |
| Sugary sweets | Off-limits |
| Sweeteners | Erythritol, allulose, stevia, monk fruit |
| Calories | Not calorie-free |
| Fiber | Low amounts |
| Store-bought chocolate bars | Not keto-friendly |
| Keto-friendly chocolate brands | Very expensive |
| Homemade keto candy bars | Affordable, easy to make, tasty |
| Ingredients | Chocolate, almond butter, sticky sweetener, coconut oil |
| Storage | Refrigerate for longer preservation |
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What You'll Learn
Keto candy bar recipes
The keto diet's strict carb limit means that most sugary treats are off the menu. However, there are many keto-friendly candy options and recipes that can satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your diet.
One easy recipe for keto candy bars uses just three ingredients: chocolate, nuts, and nut butter. Simply melt the chocolate, stir in the nut butter, and pour the mixture into a pan. If you like, you can add chopped nuts to the mix or leave them whole for an extra crunchy texture. Spread the mixture out evenly, then freeze for 10 minutes or until firm. These bars can be stored at room temperature, but they may need to be kept in the fridge or freezer if your home is warm, especially if you use coconut oil instead of nut butter.
There are many variations you can try with this simple recipe. For a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, use creamy or crunchy peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Mocha Coconut Candy Bars can be made by stirring in shredded coconut and instant coffee. For a refreshing twist, add some pure peppermint extract to make Mint Chocolate Chip bars, or stir in some crushed freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries for a Chocolate Raspberry flavour.
If you're looking for a ready-made option, there are several keto candy bars available to buy. Atkins offers a range of low-carb chocolate treats, including Chocolate Peanut Candies, Pecan Caramel Clusters, and Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares. For milk chocolate lovers, Bulletproof's Original Milk Style Chocolate Bar is a popular choice, with just 2 net carbs per 30-gram serving and sweetened with stevia and erythritol. Nature's keto chocolate bars also offer a range of dark and milk chocolate options, made with organic cacao beans and natural sweeteners.
So, while traditional candy bars are typically off-limits on a keto diet due to their high carbohydrate content, there are plenty of creative recipes and keto-friendly alternatives available to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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Keto-friendly chocolate brands
A ketogenic diet restricts your daily carb intake to 20–50 grams to put your body in ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat instead of carbs for energy. This means that most sugary sweets are off-limits. However, there are plenty of keto-friendly candy options and chocolate brands that can be enjoyed.
Atkins offers a range of keto candy options, including their Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares, which feature gooey caramel encased in creamy milk chocolate. They also have a Nutty Fudge Brownie, a chewy brownie filled with walnuts and topped with chocolate, and Chocolate Peanut Candies with a crunchy candy shell.
Bulletproof offers an Original Milk Style Chocolate Bar that has the taste of a sugary chocolate bar but only 2 net carbs per 30-gram serving. It is sweetened with stevia and erythritol and provides plenty of MCT oil from coconuts.
CHOCOperfection offers a Dark European Chocolate Bar with an extra-thick, quintessential dark-chocolate flavor without the usual bitterness. It has 24 grams of carbs and 14 grams of fiber, resulting in only 2 grams of net carbs.
The Good Chocolate crafts delicious sugar-free gourmet keto chocolate. Their Himalayan Salt bar won the "Best Chocolate Bar" gold medal at The International Chocolate Salon in New York in 2019. It has a melt-in-your-mouth creamy texture with well-balanced sweetness and no bitterness.
Truffettes de France offers Original Keto Cocoa Bites, which are bonbon-sized bites with a big chocolate flavor and zero sugar or carbs.
Hu Kitchen produces an extensive lineup of low-sugar milk and dark chocolate bars, using high-quality, minimally processed ingredients. Their hazelnut with puffed quinoa bar is a particular favorite.
In addition to these brands, there are numerous other keto-friendly candy options available, including keto candy bars that you can make yourself at home. These homemade bars can include various ingredients like nuts, nut butter, coconut, peppermint extract, freeze-dried raspberries, and keto-friendly sweeteners like erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit.
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Carb count in keto candy
The keto diet involves eating no more than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. This means that most sugary sweets are off-limits. However, there are keto-friendly candy options with minimal net carbs available in the market.
For instance, the Atkins Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares contain 2g of net carbs and 140 calories. The Atkins Nutty Fudge Brownie, a chewy brownie filled with walnuts and topped with chocolate, contains 2g of net carbs and 170 calories. The Atkins Chocolate Candies, featuring rich chocolate dipped in a candy shell, contain 1g of net carbs and 110 calories. The Atkins Chocolate Peanut Candies contain 1g of net carbs and 150 calories.
There are also recipes for keto candy bars available online, with net carbs ranging from 1 to 3 grams. These include the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Mocha Coconut Candy Bars, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Raspberry.
Other keto-friendly candies include Dr. John's Healthy Sweets Peppermint Hard Candy, BHU Keto Truffle Fat Bombs, Sweetwell Keto Chocolate Bites, and Bulletproof Original Milk Style Chocolate Bar. SmartSweets also offers keto-friendly alternatives to gummy bears and white chocolate, such as their Peanut Butter Cups, which contain only 1 gram of net carbs per piece.
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Low-carb candy options
The keto diet's strict carb limit means that most sugary treats are banned. However, there are plenty of keto-friendly candy options that can be enjoyed. Many keto-friendly candies are very low in carbs, with some containing zero net carbs per serving.
Atkins offers a range of keto candy options, including:
- Atkins Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares, which feature gooey caramel encased in creamy milk chocolate. One square has 1g of protein, 1g of sugar, 5g of fibre, 2g of net carbs, and 140 calories.
- Atkins Nutty Fudge Brownie, a chewy brownie filled with walnuts and topped with chocolate. Each brownie features 7g of protein, 0g of sugar, 6g of fibre, 2g of net carbs, and 170 calories.
- Atkins Chocolate Peanut Candies, which offer 4g of protein, 1g of sugar, 2g of fibre, 1g of net carbs, and 150 calories per serving.
- Atkins Pecan Caramel Clusters, made with caramel and real roasted pecans, and dipped in chocolate.
ChocZero offers a large assortment of keto-friendly chocolate candies, including bite-sized caramels covered in 55% dark chocolate. They are sweetened naturally with stevia and erythritol.
Lily's is another brand that offers a variety of low sugar chocolate candies and bars, including hazelnut butter cups, which have less than 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
Dr. John's Healthy Sweets Peppermint Hard Candy is a good option for keto-friendly mints.
Sweetwell Keto Chocolate Bites are a great high-fat treat.
Bulletproof's Original Milk Style Chocolate Bar is perfect for milk chocolate fans. Despite tasting very sweet, this bar only has 2 net carbs per 30-gram serving. It is sweetened with stevia and erythritol and offers plenty of MCT oil from coconuts.
Jelly Belly offers sugar-free jelly beans in various classic flavours, such as Very Cherry, Buttered Popcorn, and Juicy Pear. They are sweetened with Splenda (maltitol) and contain 40% less calories than the original version and just 3g of net carbs per serving.
Kiss My Keto offers keto-approved gummy bear candies made with MCT oil, sweetened with erythritol, and containing just 3g of net carbs.
Jollies Sugar-Free Confectionery offers a variety of low-carb candies, including sugar-free cola jelly, citrus chews, berry chews, and marshmallows. Their candies are sweetened with maltitol syrup, which contains zero net carbs and half the calories of regular sugar.
SmartSweets makes keto-friendly candy, such as peach rings and gummy bears.
You can also make your own keto candy bars at home with just 3 ingredients: chocolate, nut butter, and nuts. Simply melt the chocolate and stir in the nut butter and nuts. Pour the mixture into a pan and freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.
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Homemade keto chocolate bars
Traditional candy bars are typically loaded with sugar and carbohydrates, making them incompatible with the keto diet. However, you can easily make your own keto-friendly chocolate bars at home with just a few simple ingredients. Here is a detailed guide on how to make delicious homemade keto chocolate bars:
Ingredients:
- Chocolate: Look for keto-friendly chocolate chips, such as Lily's dark chocolate chips or Lakanto low-carb chocolate chips. You can also make your own sugar-free chocolate chips by melting baking chocolate or using cocoa butter. If you're not on a keto diet, any chocolate chips will work.
- Nut Butter: Experiment with different nut or seed butters such as almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter, or sun butter. Coconut butter is a great option for a nut-free version.
- Nuts/Seeds: Choose your favourite nuts or seeds, such as almonds, peanuts, or mixed nuts. You can finely chop them or leave them whole, depending on your preferred texture.
- Sweetener: Use a keto-friendly sweetener like erythritol, allulose, stevia, or monk fruit sweetener. These sweeteners have minimal impact on blood sugar levels.
- Optional Add-Ins: Coconut oil, butter, dried fruit (such as raspberries or blueberries), or extracts (such as peppermint or orange extract) for extra flavour.
Instructions:
- Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or on the stovetop, combine your chocolate, chosen nut butter, sweetener, and optional add-ins. Melt the mixture until smooth, being careful not to burn it.
- Stir in your chosen nuts or seeds until fully combined.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Refrigerate or freeze until the mixture is firm.
- Slice the chocolate into bars.
Storage:
These keto chocolate bars can be stored at room temperature in a sealable container for up to four weeks. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.
Variations:
- Milk Chocolate: Use keto milk chocolate chips instead of unsweetened chocolate.
- Peppermint Chocolate: Add 1/2 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract to the mixture.
- White Chocolate: Substitute sugar-free white chocolate for unsweetened chocolate.
- Toffee Chocolate: Fold in a half cup of crushed keto candy pieces.
- Orange Chocolate: Add 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract for a citrus twist.
Enjoy your homemade keto chocolate bars as a delicious treat that satisfies your sweet tooth while keeping you on track with your keto diet!
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Frequently asked questions
Traditional candy bars are loaded with sugar and carbs, making them unsuitable for a keto diet. However, there are keto-friendly options available, including candy bars made with alternative sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit.
If you're looking for a milk chocolate fix, try Bulletproof's Original Milk Style Chocolate Bar, which only has 2 net carbs per 30-gram serving. Atkins also offers a range of keto-friendly chocolate options, including their Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares and Chocolate Peanut Candies.
Yes, there are many recipes for keto candy bars that you can make yourself. These recipes typically use a combination of chocolate, nut butter, and low-carb sweeteners. Some popular flavor variations include mint chocolate, mocha coconut, and chocolate raspberry.
The best keto-friendly sweeteners to use in candy bar recipes include erythritol, allulose, stevia, and monk fruit. These sweeteners have minimal impact on blood sugar levels, making them suitable for a keto diet.
Yes, there are plenty of other keto-friendly treats available beyond candy bars. For example, Atkins offers a Nutty Fudge Brownie that is sure to satisfy chocolate lovers. Additionally, there are keto-friendly mints, such as Dr. John's Healthy Sweets Peppermint Hard Candy, and keto-friendly chocolate bites, like Sweetwell's Keto Chocolate Bites.
