Perhaps one of the biggest tragedies on the AIP diet is the fact that chocolate is a no-go. But can we thank God for Carob powder? It makes a great AIP chocolate alternative and has a delicious sweet, dark flavor. Even if you can have chocolate, carob adds some fun flavor to your baking. It works great to make AIP carob chips that taste delicious in baking. These go great in the AIP Pumpkin Bread, AIP N’oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or with the Banana Snack Cookies.
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Honestly I went too long without “chocolate chips” in my baking life. But I love baking with chocolate chips and adding them to cakes, cookies, and smoothies. One day I was making pumpkin bread, and I really wanted to add chocolate chips, so I put together an easy recipe that can be ready in 15 minutes or less to use in baked goods or other treats!
In case you haven’t met my friend, carob, here’s what you need to know. Carob is the roasted pulp from seed pods of a Mediterranean evergreen tree. It is unique because it has an earthy flavor similar to chocolate and is naturally sweet. Pricewise a pound of carob is pretty comparable to a pound of chocolate. If you haven’t tried it out yet, I definitely recommend it!
Two of my favorite brands are the Terrasoul Carob Powder and Anthony’s Carob Powder.
Tips on making AIP "Chocolate" Carob Chips
When you make these Carob “Chocolate” Chunks it is easiest to work with room temperature ingredients. It makes it a lot easier to mix the ingredients. If your coconut butter and coconut oil is solid you may want to microwave them for 20-30 seconds or heat them up on the stove.
When you mix the ingredients together, make sure to wait to add the maple syrup. If you add the syrup in too soon it will make the ingredients difficult to mix.
Can I use cocoa powder instead?
You can use cocoa powder instead, but you may want to reduce the amount of cocoa powder used by a teaspoon or so. Since cocoa powder is not sweet you will also want to increase the maple syrup. I would add a teaspoon of maple syrup at a time until it reaches the desired sweetness.
Instructions on making AIP Carob "Chocolate" Chips
In a bowl, mix the coconut butter with coconut oil until well incorporated. If the coconut butter and coconut oil are solidified, you may need to heat them up so they mix well.
Once the butter and oil is mixed, add the carob powder and mix again. Finally add a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Make sure to add the syrup last because it tends to make the mixture more solid
After you have the AIP Carob “chocolate” mixture finished, Press the “chocolate” onto a plate or shallow bowl and place in the top of the freezer. Let sit for at least 10 minutes or until it gets solid. Once it gets solid you can pull it out of the freezer and chop it into chunks.
You can use it right away in a recipe, like the AIP Pumpkin Bread or you can store it in the refrigerator for later. This recipe yields about 1/2 cup of carob chunks.
AIP Carob “Chocolate” Chunks
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut butter
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Carob powder Check notes for Cocoa variation
- 1 Teaspoon maple
- 1 Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the coconut butter with coconut oil until well incorporated. If the coconut butter and coconut oil are solidified, you may need to heat them up so they mix well.
- Once the butter and oil is mixed, add the carob powder and mix again.
- Finally add a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Make sure to add the syrup last because it tends to make the mixture more solid.
- Press the “chocolate” onto a plate or shallow bowl and place in the top of the freezer for 10 minutes.
- When it is solid, take the chocolate out and chop it into chunks. You can use it right away or store it for later.
