Best Unsweetened Chocolate Choices For Your Keto Diet

Chocolate lovers on a keto diet, rejoice! You can still indulge in your favourite treat while sticking to your low-carb lifestyle. The key is to opt for unsweetened or dark chocolate with a high cocoa content and minimal added sugar. While many commercial chocolate bars are loaded with sugar, there are keto-friendly options available, and you can even make your own at home.

When choosing a keto-friendly chocolate, look for bars with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids and be mindful of the added sugar content. Unsweetened chocolate is a safe bet, as even a slight increase in sugar can knock you out of ketosis. For sugar-free chocolate, opt for brands that use minimal sweeteners and natural low-carb alternatives like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol.

If you're feeling creative, you can make your own keto-friendly chocolate treats at home. All you need are a few simple ingredients like unsweetened cocoa powder, cocoa butter or coconut oil, and a powdered sweetener. With these ingredients and a little creativity, you can whip up chocolate bars, barks, or clusters that satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your keto diet.

Unsweetened chocolate vs sweetened

When it comes to choosing chocolate for a low-carb keto diet, it's important to understand the difference between unsweetened and sweetened varieties. Here's a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision:

Unsweetened Chocolate:

Unsweetened chocolate, also known as baking chocolate or bitter chocolate, is a pure form of chocolate made from 100% cacao or cocoa solids. It contains no added sugar, resulting in a bitter taste that can be unpleasant to eat on its own. The absence of sugar also gives it a dry and crumbly texture due to the lack of milk solids and cocoa butter. However, it is perfect for adding a strong chocolate flavour to recipes without increasing sweetness. It is commonly used in brownies, cakes, cookies, and other desserts. When buying unsweetened chocolate, look for brands that offer 100% cacao or "cocoa mass/liquor" on the label, ensuring no added sugars or additives.

Sweetened Chocolate:

Sweetened chocolate, on the other hand, contains added sugar, making it more versatile for those who desire a balance of sweetness and chocolate flavour in their treats. This category includes bittersweet, semi-sweet, and milk chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate, a type of dark chocolate, typically contains at least 35% cocoa solids and can go as high as 60-90%. It has a rich, intense flavour with a slightly bitter taste due to the higher cocoa content. Semi-sweet chocolate, another variety, usually contains no more than 50% sugar and 35-65% cocoa. Milk chocolate, the most common type of sweetened chocolate, has the highest sugar content and is generally loaded with high-carb dairy and sugary sweeteners, making it unsuitable for a keto diet.

Choosing the Right Chocolate for Keto:

When selecting chocolate for a keto diet, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content and low sugar is the best option. Look for chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids and minimal added sugars. Some brands even offer sugar-free dark chocolate sweetened with natural low-carb alternatives like stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol. Remember, even a slight increase in sugar can disrupt ketosis, so always read labels carefully.

Best Keto-Friendly Chocolate Brands:

• Lily's Original Dark Chocolate
• Alter Eco Chocolate Bomb, Hazelnut Butter
• The Good Chocolate Bar with Salted Almonds
• GoodSam Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars
• Choczero's Keto Bark
• Kiss My Keto Chocolate Bars

Tips for Baking with Unsweetened Chocolate:

When substituting unsweetened chocolate in recipes, consider adding a sweetener to balance the bitterness. You can use granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, or even sweetened condensed milk. Additionally, when baking with cocoa powder, avoid overbaking to prevent a dry and crumbly texture. Cover or wrap baked goods tightly to maintain moisture.

Sugar-free chocolate

When choosing a sugar-free chocolate, look for options with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids and be mindful of any added sugar. Unsweetened chocolate is a good choice, as even a slight increase in sugar can throw you out of ketosis. Some sugar-free chocolates use artificial sweeteners, but it's important to be cautious as some studies suggest these may have a harmful effect on the human gut. Instead, opt for natural low-carb sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol.

• Montezuma: 100% Cacao Absolute Black – This chocolate has zero sugar and no sweetener, resulting in a strong, bitter taste and a crunchy texture from the cocoa nibs.
• Cavalier: Sweetened Milk Chocolate – A creamy and sweet milk chocolate bar sweetened with stevia and erythritol, with very low net carbs.
• Choc Zero: Sugar-Free Keto Bark – Dark chocolate sweetened with monk fruit, with no digestible sugars or sugar alcohols. It also contains almonds and sea salt for a pleasant flavor.
• Edge: Stevia-Sweetened Dark Chocolate Mini Bars – These sugar-free mini bars are keto-friendly and have a low-carbohydrate content. They are sweetened with erythritol and stevia, which won't affect blood sugars.
• Innocent Chocolate: Zero-Sugar Bar – A keto-friendly chocolate bar with 60% cacao, containing no sugar, soy, gluten, or dairy. It also has added fiber and protein.
• KetoManna: Ketogenic Chocolate Fudge – A unique combination of coconut, cocoa, and MCT oil, providing 20 grams of fat per serving to fit ketogenic diets. It has a good taste and uses monk fruit, one of the safest sweeteners.

You can also make your own sugar-free and keto-friendly chocolate at home. Here is a simple recipe for keto chocolate crunch bars:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup almond butter (or any nut/seed butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup keto maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (optional)
• 3 cups nuts and seeds (optional)

Instructions:

• Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, combine chocolate, almond butter, keto maple syrup, and optional coconut oil. Melt until combined.
• Add your choice of nuts and seeds, if using, and mix until fully combined.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the lined baking dish and spread it out evenly.
• Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• Slice the chocolate into bars.

These bars are ready in just 5 minutes and have only 2 grams of net carbs per serving! You can also customize them by adding flavor extracts, different nuts or seeds, coconut, or even chopped-up keto cookie pieces.

Dark chocolate health benefits

Dark chocolate is a tasty treat, but can it be a health-boosting one, too? The answer is yes—when consumed in moderation, dark chocolate can be a great addition to a healthy diet.

Dark chocolate is a healthier alternative to milk chocolate because it contains less sugar and more cocoa. Cocoa is nutrient-rich and a major source of many essential minerals. The polyphenols in dark chocolate are also thought to contribute to fighting oxidative stress in the body and may help to decrease inflammation, reduce cancer risk, and protect against cardiovascular risk.

When choosing a dark chocolate for health benefits, it's best to opt for one with a cocoa content of 70% or higher. Some good options include:

• Vivani 100% Organic Dark Chocolate – 85% Cacao
• Lindt Excellence Dark Supreme – 90% Cacao
• Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate – 88% Cacao
• Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate – 85% Cacao
• Dagoba Organic Chocolate Eclipse – 87% Cacao
• Chocolove Extreme Dark Chocolate – 88% Cacao
• Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate – 85% Cacao
• Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate – 80% Cacao

In addition to its health benefits, dark chocolate can also be a satisfying treat for those following a low-carb or keto diet. When choosing a keto-friendly chocolate, it's important to look for options that are unsweetened or sweetened with natural low-carb alternatives like stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol. Some good keto-friendly chocolate options include:

• Lily’s Original Dark Chocolate
• Alter Eco Chocolate Bomb, Hazelnut Butter
• The Good Chocolate Bar with Salted Almonds
• GoodSam Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars
• Choczero's Keto Bark
• Kiss My Keto Chocolate Bars

Keto-friendly chocolate brands

When it comes to keto-friendly chocolate, dark chocolate is the way to go. This is because dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content and lower sugar content than milk chocolate. When choosing a keto-friendly chocolate, look for chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids and be mindful of the added sugar content. Unsweetened chocolate is also an option, though the slight addition of sugar can throw you out of ketosis.

• Lily's: Lily's Original Dark Chocolate is made with 55% fair-trade cocoa beans and stevia, with a hint of vanilla. It is also gluten-free. They also offer a no-sugar-added "milk chocolaty" bar with 60% cocoa and sweetened with erythritol and stevia.
• Alter Eco: Offering two keto-friendly options, the first is the Chocolate Bomb, Hazelnut Butter with just 2g net carbs per bite. The second is their Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate bar with 85% cacao and sweetened with raw cane sugar and vanilla.
• The Good Chocolate: This brand offers a sugar-free dark chocolate bar with salted almonds, perfect for treating yourself or gifting. They also have a 65% dark chocolate bar with 2 net carbs per 70-gram bar.
• GoodSam: GoodSam's Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars are vegan, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. They are also environmentally conscious and suit a variety of dietary needs.
• ChocZero: ChocZero's Keto Bark is a sugar-free and low-carb range of chocolate bark that fits well into a keto diet.
• Kiss My Keto: Kiss My Keto offers chocolate bars in four different flavours and uses low-carb sweeteners to keep your carb intake in check.
• Lake Champlain Chocolates: Their dark chocolate bars have a higher cocoa content, providing less sugar and lower carbohydrates while still offering an irresistible flavour.
• Montezuma: Montezuma's Absolute Black is a 100% cacao chocolate bar with zero sugar and no added sweeteners, offering a strong, bitter taste and a crunchy texture from cocoa nibs.
• Cavalier: Cavalier offers a milk chocolate bar sweetened with stevia and erythritol, with a creamy taste and very low net carbs.
• Edge: Edge's stevia-sweetened dark chocolate mini bars are keto-friendly with 78% cacao and low carbohydrates. They use erythritol and stevia as sweeteners, so they won't affect blood sugars.
• Innocent Chocolate: With 60% cacao, Innocent Chocolate is keto-friendly, containing no sugar, soy, gluten, or dairy. Their chocolate bar also contains added fibre and protein.
• KetoManna: Ketogenic chocolate fudge made with coconut, cocoa, and MCT oil, offering a different texture from the typical chocolate bar. Each serving provides 20 grams of fat, fitting into ketogenic diets.
• Green & Black's: An organic dark chocolate bar with 85% cacao, offering a smooth and creamy taste with a slight hint of vanilla.
• Equal Exchange: This organic dark chocolate bar with 80% cacao has a similar taste to Alter Eco's chocolate, with a stronger vanilla flavour. It is a great option for those transitioning from milk chocolate to dark chocolate.

Remember, it is important to enjoy chocolate in moderation as part of a balanced keto diet and to always check the ingredient labels to ensure the chocolate fits within your macros and dietary needs.

Making keto chocolate at home

It's easy to make keto chocolate at home, and it's a great way to ensure you're staying within your macros while enjoying a delicious treat. Here's a simple recipe to get you started.

Ingredients:

• Cocoa butter or coconut oil: Cocoa butter will give your chocolate a smoother texture and crunch similar to store-bought chocolate, while coconut oil will result in a softer, more melty chocolate.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa powder is less acidic and darker than natural cocoa powder, but either will work.
• Sweetener: Use a combination of stevia drops and powdered erythritol for the best flavour and texture. Avoid using only stevia drops, as this will make the chocolate very bitter.
• Salt: A small amount of salt will enhance the flavour of the chocolate.
• Optional add-ins: Try chopped walnuts, pecans, or peanuts for a sweet and salty treat. You can also add toppings like sliced almonds, toasted coconut flakes, or freeze-dried raspberries.

Method:

• Prepare your moulds: Use silicone chocolate or candy moulds for best results. If using a plate or tray, place a piece of parchment paper underneath to prevent sticking.
• Melt the cocoa butter or coconut oil: Place in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted. If using coconut oil, be sure to stop before it gets too hot.
• Add the sweetener: Stir in the stevia drops and powdered erythritol. If using cocoa butter, heat the mixture until it reaches 121°C (250°F) to dissolve the erythritol and prevent a gritty texture.
• Add the cocoa powder and salt: Stir in the unsweetened cocoa powder and a small amount of salt. Work quickly to prevent the mixture from separating.
• Pour into moulds: Fill the moulds to the top and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set.
• Remove from moulds: Once set, pop the chocolates out of the moulds and store in an airtight container.

Tips:

• If using coconut oil, your chocolate will be quite melty at room temperature. For a firmer texture, use food-grade cacao butter instead, or make the chocolates a day ahead and store them in the fridge.
• Adjust the amount of sweetener to taste. Start with a small amount, then add more if needed.
• If adding nuts, finely chop them for the best texture.

Enjoy your homemade keto chocolate!

Frequently asked questions