Are you concerned that following a keto diet will mean giving up your beloved chocolate? One of the questions I get asked all the time is can I eat chocolate on keto? and the short answer is yes. There are a variety of low sugar and no sugar added options out there that will satisfy your tastes for Keto Chocolate bars. Even better, besides tasting bloody delicious sugar-free chocolate can aid with various health benefits so all the more important to appreciate all the varieties of chocolate and what it has to offer. The good news is that it is possible to follow a keto diet while still enjoying the flavour of chocolate. With some minor tweaks, it can fit into your keto lifestyle without compromising on taste.
This article examines what types of chocolate are allowed on the Keto diet, what makes chocolate keto-friendly and what's available on the UK market.
What makes chocolate Keto-friendly?
Keto chocolate is a type of chocolate that is made with low-carb ingredients and is suitable for those following a ketogenic diet. Chocolate typically contains cocoa butter and cocoa powder, but keto chocolate replaces sugar with sweeteners such as stevia or erythritol, and sometimes other ingredients like coconut oil or nut butter. The ingredients are combined to create a creamy texture and rich flavour without the high sugar content which is found in regular chocolate.
Regular chocolate doesn’t have these and instead, has sugar and a high carb content as well as a cocoa powder quantity of less than 70%. When most people think about Keto-friendly chocolate, most minds go straight to dark chocolate because they usually have no added sugar while also having a high cocoa powder quantity. Dark chocolate also contains healthy fats like stearic acid, which can help support ketosis instead of kicking you out of it.
Are Keto dieters restricted to only dark chocolate? Fortunately, not. Milk and white chocolate are still an option.Oftentimes people will automatically rule out white chocolate as also typically contains a high sugar content however as you will see below we have developed a white chocolate chip that still has the yumminess of creamy white chocolate and also has no added sugars.
What to look out for when choosing Keto-friendly chocolate.
When looking out for milk chocolate or white chocolate which are also Keto-friendly, it is important to look for varieties that are low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. Also, instead of sugar, these chocolates should be sweetened with natural sugar substitutes like stevia or erythritol. These sweetener substitutes are low-carb sweeteners because they have a low glycemic index. They are also known as sugar alcohols which are not metabolized by the body in the same way as regular sugar. This means that they do not raise blood sugar levels as much as regular sugar does, making them suitable for those on a ketogenic diet.
One thing to stay on the look out for is what type of natural sweeteners are being used to sweeten the chocolate. Coconut Nectars, Honey, Agave Syrup are just some examples of sweeteners that are often times used as an alternative sweetener to sugar but they still have an equally high sugar content and in that way will still affect blood sugars when consumed. So we don’trecommend these options at all.
If you are looking for milky, creamy taste of milk and white chocolate, but you still want Keto-friendly versions, there are a few options on the UK market, including our very own Chocolate Chips which come inMilk andWhite chocolate variations. Here’s a list of options for milk, dark and white Keto-friendly chocolate options in the UK.
We love chocolate ourselves, our website offers a range of natural chocolate products from keto cakes, cocoa drinks, brownies and baking mixes.
*Disclaimer:This blog is not part of a paid promotion for the following brands we have mentioned
The purpose of this article is to support our UK keto friends who supply some pretty darn good sugar-free chocolate bars and we would like to share our review of some of our favourite low-carb brands that you may have heard of or you might want to try out after reading this article. We also want to talk a bit one of our favourite things. Chocolate!
Our list below will highlight four keto chocolate brands and what they have to offer and of course our review.
We would of course be remiss if we didnt mention our very own chocolate chips that are now available for purchase here. We used it to make the delicious Keto Fudge (these are for the sweet tooth souls in the community)
Lindt Dark Excellence Dark 100% Cocoa Chocolate |Product Link
Price range:£2.10 per 100g
Flavours: 65%, 70%, 80% and 90% Dark Chocolate
Carb counts: 8.9g per 100g
Net carbs: 0g
Sugar replacers: No Sugar Replacers as its 100% dark chocolate. One thing to note is that it isn't sweet at all and one would have to enjoy dark chocolate to enjoy it.
Lindt is a pretty popular brand of chocolate and this is nothing short of luxury. The one listed here is 100% Dark Chocolate but a few other flavours are 65%, 70%, 80% and 90% dark chocolate. This chocolate had no sugar replacers because it’s 100% dark chocolate. It’s important to note that it isn't sweet at all and one would have to enjoy dark chocolate to enjoy it.
It’s probably not your first time trying Lindt chocolate but if it is, then get ready for a treat. The creamy luxurious chocolate taste is expected. The packaging is simple and thoughtful and you get a healthy amount for the price of the chocolate.
If 100% dark chocolate is too dark for you, you can reach for some of the other available flavours.
Paleo Canteen - Keto Scoundrel
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Price range: £14.99-£20.99 (Bundles), Flavours:Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate, white chocolate. Carb counts:22g per 100g - 12 per 55g bar Net carbs:Just 2g of net carbs per bar Sugar replacers:Erythritol |
Keto Scoundrel is nothing short of luxury; you can taste the rich ingredients in their chocolate bar options, the packaging is thoughtful, and for the price of a bundle, you get a healthy amount of chocolate that should last you a while. The £14.99 bundle will give you the full range of keto chocolate, including one dark chocolate, one salted white chocolate, and two milk chocolate bars.
We didn't really enjoy the white chocolate. Our favourite, though, was the salted white chocolate because it’s a rare flavour done well. and isn’t a sugar-free option you usually find. All the keto bars tasted flavourful, not overly sweet, and just melted in our mouths. Each box only contains 2g of net carbs! We particularly enjoy the clean nature of the products. no iffy sweeteners etc, they have done a great job at creating a product that all keto-ers would feel comfortable with.
2g of net carbs was perfect because this is exactly how low we aim to keep our carb counts.
Ally Houston (the founder of Paleo Canteen and Scoundrel) is a chef, food entrepreneur, and scientist. Aside from delicious keto chocolate bars, the Scoundrel brand also sells keto ice cream & cookbooks.
Pure Heavenly | Product Link
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Price range:£3.75 PB-£12.50 (Bundles) Flavours:Salted caramel, Silk, Hazelnut, Dark Mint, Orange, Dark orange, Mint, Coconut, Strawberry, Dark raspberry, Dark ginger, Dark coffee, Dark cherry, Dark sea salt, Banana, Dark chocolate, Fruit and nuts. Carb counts: Dark choc PER 30g: 7g Carbs including 4.8g Polyols. Milk choc per 30g: 12.3g carbs including 5.6 Polyols. Milk choc per 85g: 34.7g carbs including 16g Polyols. Net carbs: eg- Dark choc per 85g:20g Carbs including 13.5 Polyols. 6.5 Net carbs per 85 gram bar Sugar replacers: Inulin and Erythritol (also includes small amounts of Sucralose and PolyDextrose- sugar!). |
Pure Heavenly offers vegan chocolate bars that come in a range of exciting and unique flavours. We think pure heavenly wins in this category. Each flavour was impressive, creative and exactly what was stated on the packaging. All the flavours tasted so decadent.
If you get the 30g bars, stock up because they are pretty small. Despite the size, the richness of the flavour will probably not have you craving larger portions.
The chocolate bars are 100% vegan and free from gluten, wheat, soy, and palm oil. The founder was inspired to create this brand for his family's health when he was tired of his diet, causing fatigue and health issues. Impressively the Pure Heavenly brand was offered an investment in an episode of Dragons’ Den. The contract did not go through, but the brand remains a favourite for many who seek no added sugar treats that contain high-quality ingredients and support eco-friendly packaging and fair trade.
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Price range:£1.99 (per bar) -£7.99 x 4 (Bundles) Flavours:Dark keto chok, Hazelnut keto chok, Orange keto choc, Silky cacao. Carb counts:3.5g per bar Net carbs:<4g Net carb/serving Sugar replacers: Lucuma powder |
We tried the silky cacao and the hazelnut keto chok, and according to the ingredients, they are some of the healthiest chocolate bars on the market.
Raw Gorilla is also organic and paleo and the chocolate bars are powered by superfoods such as lucuma powder which is an ingredient they use to sweeten their chocolate. The creator of Raw Gorilla wanted to supply a product that did not contain additives or preservatives, a product that was hand-made and wholesome while tasting delicious.
The chocolate bar range is not extensive but this brand does offer a range of keto chocolate products for everyone to enjoy. Products come in the recyclable compostable film, the bars are quite small but rich and very chocolatey.
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Price range: £4.85 PB - £23.50 (Bonbon Box) Flavours: 70% Dark Chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate with Pistachios, 70% Dark Chocolate Raspberry, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Hazelnut, Coffee Milk Chocolate, Crème Brûlée, White Chocolate, Black Sesame White Chocolate, White Chocolate Raspberry, Tiramisu White Chocolate, Ube/Taro Chocolate Bar, Earl Grey White Chocolate, Gold Biscoff Caramel Chocolate, Matcha White Chocolate, Strawberry White Chocolate, Chocolate Bonbons. Carb counts: Dark choc per 83g - 18.3g carbs, Milk choc per 83g - 21.8g. Net carbs: 70% dark choc per 83g: 1g carbs and 18.3g of polyols, Milk choc per 83g: 3.5g and 18.3g of polyols. Sugar replacers: Stevia and Erythritol |
Black Sesame, Crème Brûlée, Earl Grey, White Chocolate and Strawberry - these are a few of the delicious flavours that we found available on the Ketobabe Chocolate website and each of them delivered the exact flavour they promised. They were all delicious!
In return for an honest review, we received a small selection of Ketobabe Chocolates. How could we resist when they included a selection of delightfully packaged bonbons? Just to confirm, we have gone back and bought several more of these chocolates since we enjoyed them so much!
Some chocolates are more low carb than keto, so eat the ones with white chocolate sparingly (they are about 6 Net Carbs), but the others have less carbs so feel free to treat yourself to chocolate once in a while! the honest downside of these products and brand is the responsiveness of the team, they do tend to go quiet and we did not hear back from them when we sent queries on availability of product.
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Montezuma:Low-carb, recyclable packaging, vegan options, gluten-free, organically grown. Price range:£2.59 (per bar)- £25.74 x 26 (Bundles) Flavours:Dark chocolate 100% cocoa, Dark chocolate with almonds, Dark chocolate with mint, Dark chocolate buttons, Dark chocolate with orange & cocoa nibs, Dark chocolate hemp & sea salt. Carb counts: 8g per 100g (Dark chocolate 100% cocoa) Net carbs:8g per 100g - though this figure would be lower depending on serving size, as it's not the kind of bar you'd have in one sitting! Sugar replacers: None! Zero added sugar |
If you're obsessed with rich, dark chocolate, this chocolate bar range is made for you! You can find these gems in your local organic grocery stores, if you prefer to try one product at a time we would recommend you do this first if it is your first purchase of the brand, they have a plethora of chocolate bar flavours, too many to talk about but it is always nice to have a good variety to choose from, consisting of vegetarian and vegan options surely there's a flavour for all parties. The packaging is very alluring and immediately gets you excited to try them out. This brand just oozes quality and you get a very generous amount of chocolate per 90g, it also tastes very rich and luxurious, if you like dark chocolate. However it should be noted that not all the options available here will be Keto friendly so keep an eye on the carb counts!
No Guilt Bake’s Chocolate Chips | Product Link
Price Range: £8.99
Flavours: Milk Chocolate (Link), White Chocolate (Link)
Carb count: 22.3g per 100g
Net Carbs: 5g per 100g
Sugar replacers: Stevia and Erythritol
These chocolate chips are the most recent addition to our product line. They are made of real Belgian chocolate and are rich and smooth. Unlike the other products on this list, they come as chocolate chips, perfect for baking, melting inside hot drinks or nibbling on. If you decide to use them for baking, the options are endless, from chocolate mousses to chocolate chip cookies and even chocolate muffins. They come in only two flavours for now—milk chocolate and white chocolate. They are low-carb, and they also have no added sugars. Instead, they are sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol.
Conclusion
Chocoholics Unite!. There you have it, our list of low-carb and keto chocolate options that we recommend for anyone who wants to kick sugar to the curb and maintain a healthy low-carb lifestyle. We have some of our favourite chocolate in stock, so don’t hesitate to try some.
If you love chocolate as much as we do, you’ll probably also like ourChocolate Cake Bites,Chocolate Hazelnut andSalted Caramel Cake Bites. You’ll also probably like ourChocolate Mug Mix and ourChocolate Brownie Mix.
We hope this article was helpful and inspiring. Let us know your experience with keto chocolate bars. Did you like the taste? How did your everyday eating habits improve? Could you stop at a bar a day? Comment down below. Finally, are there any chocolate bars that we are missing that need to be on this list? Please send us an email.
References
https://www.ynhh.org/services/nutrition/chocolate
https://www.chocolateuniversityonline.com/chocolate-and-stearic-acid/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326011#erythritol
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-alcohols-good-or-bad#types
Important Disclaimer: We aren't in partnership with any of the brands mentioned here and haven't been incentivised to mention them. We’re just sharing what we think is excellent chocolate you should try! We'd also suggest that you test the products yourself as different ingredients and sweeteners affect individuals bloods sugars differently and some are most sensitive to sweeteners than others.
Liz
September 06, 2022
Chocolate with organic cane sugar isn’t Keto……..Montezuma.