Chocolate can be a very tricky ingredient to incorporate into a strict keto diet.
While milk chocolate tends to be seen as incompatible with a keto diet plan due to its high sugar content, dark chocolate and cocoa powder on the other hand are much better alternatives, as long as they are consumed in smaller quantities.
Therefore, when preparing a keto dessert option for you and the family or friends to enjoy after a large meal, you need to make sure that the recipe you’re making will benefit from incorporating dark chocolate or cocoa powder as opposed to milk chocolate, otherwise, it could come out tasting unpleasant.
If you’re planning on whipping up a delicious dessert for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s part of a family gathering, a dinner date, or simply just a delightful treat for you to snack on after a long day at work, we’ve got a few keto-friendly chocolate recipe ideas right here that you should definitely consider trying out when you next get those chocolate cravings!
1. Quick Keto Chocolate Mousse
When we say this creamy chocolate mousse recipe is easy, we really do mean it, requiring just 10 minutes of your time and 6 ingredients, most of which you probably already have stored away in the kitchen cabinets.
While the mixture of cream cheese and heavy cream helps to keep the texture of this bite-size dessert light and fluffy at all times, it’s the cocoa powder that really steals the show here, having a very bitter taste that is evened out nicely by the zero-calorie sweetener, making this dessert taste as close to a standard milk chocolate mousse as it possibly can.
Vanilla extract tends to work the best when mixed with chocolate-flavored desserts because of how much it elevates the sweetness, but if you do enjoy the taste of other extracts like lemon or almond, feel free to experiment with them too.
2. Keto Chocolate Orange Cake
It’s easy to find a basic keto chocolate cake recipe online, but rather than settling with the plain and simple, why not add a touch of citrus to your dessert to make it even more appetizing?
This recipe does just that by first making a delightful chocolate orange frosting, and then packing each layer of the cake with this smooth and creamy mixture to ensure that every bite is met with an explosion of flavor.
The sweeteners play a big part in helping to make this recipe as delicious as it is, however, you actually have a lot of variety to choose from, depending on how much you want to modify the overall flavor.
While powdered erythritol will enhance the underlying sweetness, monk fruit sweetener for example isn’t as strong and has a hint of bitterness to it, so it’s worth playing around and discovering which suits your taste preferences the most.
Don’t forget to cover the cake with a sticky drip glaze once it’s prepared to keep it fresh and moist before everyone starts taking their own slice.
3. Ultimate Keto Brownies
It’s impossible to make a list of the most delicious chocolate dessert options and not mention brownies, and since you can switch out a few of the ingredients to make them keto-friendly while still retaining that fudgy and chewy texture that so many of us hold so dearly to our hearts, it’s always worth whipping them up for any special occasion.
With less than 4g total carbs, these brownies are a lot healthier than the traditional recipes which tend to pack them full of sugar and an excess of ingredients.
Instead, this recipe keeps it simple, combining pantry staples, butter, vanilla extract, and almond flour to make the base.
Then, the cocoa powder, sweetener, and keto-friendly chocolate chips finish the whole thing off, ramping up the flavor tremendously, just make sure you’ve prepared seconds as you can guarantee the kids will be asking for more in no time!
4. Samoa Fudge Bombs
Grain-free, low in carbs, and extremely tasty, these nutty bite-sized snacks are perfect for preparing as an afternoon snack or a treat to tuck into after work once they’ve been left to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
While the creamy and buttery chocolatey core is already incredibly delicious on its own, the caramel coating that glazes the exterior is simply the cherry on top, keeping the overall flavor sweet, appetizing, and extremely addictive, which is why it’s lucky that these treats can be made in large bulks with just a handful of easy-to-gather ingredients.
Of course, you can’t forget about the finely shredded coconut which is sprinkled over the top, creating a crunchy sensation with each bite you take before you finally reach the gooey caramel core at the center which tastes as good as it sounds.
5. Low-Carb Chocolate Fudge Popsicles
If the weather is starting to get a lot warmer outside and you want a dessert option that is going to help you cool off after the main course, you will definitely want to try your hand at making these small but delightful fudge popsicles.
Not only are these treats great for enjoying on your own while sitting out on the porch and basking in the hot weather, but they are also ideal for when the kids are getting a little restless and want something that’s going to keep them cool and satisfied during the summer months.
With just 6 ingredients required, including unsweetened baking chocolate, granulated stevia, and vanilla extract, this is one of the easiest keto dessert recipes to make, however, this isn’t to suggest that this means any of the signature chocolatey taste is lost, because it certainly isn’t, and you will notice that fudgy sensation as soon as you sink your teeth into these flavorful popsicles.
6. Keto Chocolate Cake Bars With Psyllium Husk
Psyllium husk is a natural plant-derived source of fiber that doesn’t actually have any taste, but is primarily used in recipes to thicken certain liquid ingredients, which is why it works so well in this recipe to enhance the properties of the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and tangy apple cider vinegar.
So what benefit does this have on the cake bars?
Basically, it makes the texture a lot more plentiful and firmer than usual, making them more of a solid dessert option that is still kept moist thanks to the coconut cream and strawberries that rest over the top.
The addition of the psyllium husk also makes each individual slice more than enough for most people, making this a great dessert option when you’re expecting multiple guests and want something that isn’t going to look big or intimidating, but that still tastes amazing once it lands on the taste buds.
7. Low-Carb Peppermint Mocha Ice Cream
Peppermint is one of those ice cream flavors that people tend to either hate, or can’t get enough of, and if you would identify yourself as the latter, the good news is you can make a delicious peppermint chocolate chilled ice cream treat that is entirely keto-friendly by following this easy recipe.
Of course, you’re still going to be getting a very potent chocolate flavor popping out in this ice cream due to the sugar-free dark chocolate which is chopped up and added to the mixture.
Remember that once the ice cream is served, if there are any leftovers, you can easily store them in the freezer where the erythritol sweetener will turn the cream into a solid, ensuring that it doesn’t break apart.
When it is time to take it back out, simply let it thaw for 10 minutes, and it’ll be ready to enjoy once again.
8. Keto Cookie Dough
Don’t be fooled by the small appearance of these cookie dough balls.
While they may look pretty normal and basic on the outside, their core has an incredibly smooth and buttery texture which has faint hints of sweet vanilla and is packed with coconut flour and sugar-free chocolate chips to make each bite taste even better than the last.
When it comes to the sweetener, keep in mind that you can easily test the flavor you have chosen by taking a spoon and tasting a tiny bit of the dough.
If it isn’t quite as sweet as you would like it yet, simply add in a little more, and continue preparing the recipe as you would normally.
Summary
Chocolate is definitely a tricky ingredient to incorporate when it comes to keto recipes, however, rather than leaving it behind entirely, it’s well worth simply finding a few recipes that manage to include the very rich and creamy taste of chocolate by using substitutes that are much more suitable for a keto diet, such as cocoa powder, sweeteners, and sugar-free chocolate chips for example.
If you’re starting to feel that chocolate craving coming on, rather than breaking your diet plan just to snack on a chocolate bar or two, whip up a few of these lovely desserts instead which taste just like the real thing, if not even better!
