Oh do I have a fun treat for you today. It showcases one of my old favourites – carob. Have you tried carob powder before? The pods of the tropical carob tree contain a sweet pulp which is dried, roasted, and ground into powder form. Carob is caffeine-free and contains antioxidants as well as calcium, iron, potassium, and fibre. I love mixing a spoonful of it into my vegan overnight oats, banana soft serve, homemade almond milk, or tossing some into a smoothie for a natural sweetener. I usually buy it in bulk from Bulk Barn (a great way to sample it if you are on the fence), but certain brands like Bobs Red Mill also sell it by the bag in many grocery stores and you can also find it online.
Here’s the kicker –
carob powder is naturally sweet which reduces the need for a lot of added sweeteners in a recipe – a total bonus if you ask me. If you can get over the fact that carob doesn’t taste like chocolate, you are golden. Some people say carob has a flavour similar to dates. I think that’s a better comparison, but you really just have to try it for yourself!
The makings of freezer fudge…
In this recipe, I paired carob with a touch of cocoa powder to add some chocolate flavour. You really can’t go wrong when these two powders are combined as you get the sweetness from the carob and the rich chocolate flavour of the cocoa powder. Of course, if you want to skip the cocoa powder all together you can do that too. Or if you want to use all cocoa powder you can try that, although you’ll need to add more liquid sweetener to the recipe to make up for carob’s lost sweetness.
I worked off my favourite Seductive Raw Chocolate Walnut Freezer Fudge and this carob variation was born. This recipe has a fraction of the added sugar (about 75% less), but I promise you won’t notice anything is missing. Now that’s my kind of treat. Best of all it takes 10 minutes to whip up and only another 20 minutes to set in the freezer. The only downside is that the hubby keeps eating it all on me!
Carob Almond Freezer Fudge
Yield
10 large or 16 smaller squares
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
20 minutes
Total time
Ready in 30 minutes, this carob freezer fudge is low in sugar while still tasting quite decadent. Feel free to change up the nut butter, sweetener, and mix-ins as you see fit. The coconut oil is necessary in this recipe though as it helps solidify the fudge when chilled. It melts quickly so be sure to enjoy it straight from the freezer and don't let it sit on the counter for more than a couple minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup creamy natural almond butter (roasted or raw are both fine)
- 1/4 cup carob powder, sifted
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice), to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rice crisp cereal (to add crunch - optional)
Directions
- Line a very small loaf pan (4" x 8") with plastic wrap for easy removal.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
- With a spatula, scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out.
- Freeze for about 20 minutes, or until solid.
- Slice into squares and enjoy! Store leftovers in a container in the freezer as it melts quickly at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
pssst – Bonus recipe alert! Carob powder makes a healthy “frosty” too. Just blend 1 large frozen banana, 1 1/2 tbsp carob powder, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 ice cube, and 1 tbsp chia seeds until smooth, icy, and thick. Absolutely delish! It reminds me of the Wendy’s frosty drinks of my youth.
It looks delicious! I don’t have crisp rice cereal, but I enjoy a crunchy texture. Is there anything else you would recommend adding in place of the cereal?
I used puffed millet. I think puffed rice would work too. I think you could take some rice cakes and chop them into little pieces and use them.
I picked up Bob’s Red Mill Carob Powder – reader beware – it can make quite the mess! I’m not sure if it is because the powder is super fine, but I realized fairly quickly that I wouldn’t be able to store it in the original package for too long without everything in my pantry getting a fine dusting of carob!
I’m super excited about this recipe! I recently purchased raw cacao powder, so I think I will add that in along with the cocoa and carob powder. I’m finding with pregnancy that my chocolate cravings are becoming more of a daily thing than a “monthly” thing lol.
Made it! Wou is delicious ….another wonderful recipe , thank you Angela!
Hi Angela,
Oh. My. Drooool! Just made these and they are awesome!
I have to say, though, that I made some swaps to what I had on hand and to alleviate some pesky allergies I have. I used half the amount of cocoa powder and subbed in some instant hazelnut coffee powder for the rest. And I used chopped hazelnuts instead of the rice crisps.
The great culinary tragedy in my life is that I have developed an allergic reaction to cocoa. If the cocoa concentration is too high or I have eaten too many other foods that I have an intolerance for (the list is looooong and hard to avoid consistently without going insane) my face breaks out in an angry rash – so much fun! :(
In this tragic turn of events I have been experimenting with carob powder, but I have found it very, very hard to balance. In fact this is one of only two recipes where I feel like I’m eating chocolate and not a substitute.
So anyway.. This long rant was basically just to tell you: Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes and teachings :)
Love Kikki
omg! I need to try these :-) yummy in my tummy… and the smoothie looks delicious also!
Made this today. Incredible! I was debating about whether to use the cacao I had or buy carob and decided to buy the carob. I have always liked the flavor and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. I liked the carob so much in fact I added it to a frozen banana smoooooothie. Deliciousness!
Oh my! This look so freakin’ gooood!
These are delicious but how do I stop the rice crispie cereal pieces from just floating?!
Just pulled mine out of the freezer. SO FREAKING RICH AND DELICIOUS!!! How to stop eating them is my question now…
Oh my gosh this looks like an amazing swap for a crunch bar! I love it!
I just made these and had to come on here to thank you for posting this recipe! These are absolutely delicious!! They are also so very quick and easy to make. Would be a great recipe for the kids to make I think!
For anyone concerned about carob, these are going to make you fall in love with carob, even if you are currently not a fan.
YUM!!!
Hey Jackie, So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your feedback :)
Yesterday, I made your two layer raw chocolate brownies for our Breastfeeding Week Picnic. Apparently they were the hit of the event. I was sitting at a table where a lady was asking “who made these? who made these?” When she got to me, I was able to tell her about your website! Plus they were perfect for my friend who is celiac! She often doesn’t get desert at potluck events. Thanks for the great recipes!
Thanks for the frosty recipe! I tried it this morning, and it was so yummy! I’m glad I can have a frosty too! It does remind me of Wendy’s, and what a great idea to mix the carob powder and cocoa together. It works really well.
I was nominated by Taylor, from Oatastic Oats, to complete The Liebster Award, here is the link to my acceptance post. I nominated you and your blog to complete The Liebster Award (because it is one of my favourites) and if you do accept to complete it, the following is also the link to the questions you will have to answer. breakfastaddiction.blogspot.ie/2014/08/the-liebster-award.html
I just made this. I purchased carob powder yesterday after seeing the recipe. I questioned whether I would like it due to the smell but it is YUMMY! I definitely like the crunch factor with the crispy rice!
Just printed the recipe and making this tonight. :) So excited!
This was delish! I doubled the recipe and used an 8×8 square dish. Thanks as always :)
I love the way you describe carob. It makes me really wish I wasn’t allergic to it! This fudge is beautiful. I may try it with cocoa powder, and add more sweetener if needed.
Soo good and easy to make, love it! Didn’t add cereal and only added 1 tbsp maple syrup and few drops liquid vanilla stevia
Mmmm. I’ve been craving chocolate lately. This looks like a satisfying and healthy way to indulge that craving. I’m especially pumped about the frosty idea!