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!
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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.
As Angela mentioned, I ate most of these almost immediately. I highly recommend!
I can’t wait to try these! I have all of the ingredients except the cereal and the carob powder. Any suggestions on where to purchase the carob powder?
Hi Karen, I linked to it online on Amazon in the post. Also many grocery stores carry it now in the natural food section or even at Bulk Barn.
I made this in no time at all. I have a serious love of chocolate and this definitely satisfied my after dinner craving.
Delicious and so easy to make
Made this today, loved it! The flavors work together really well! It is a bit rich though, but my toddler loved it! Toddler approved, just so you know!
Made this a couple of days ago and the whole family loved it! I used cocoa powder instead of carob, simply because that is what we had on hand. Look forward to making it again!
Both of these recipes are fantastic!
I made the frosty today and it is irresistibly delicious! I even added 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds for protein and couldn’t taste it a bit.
I made the fudge a week ago and we’re both hooked. It is very yummy but much richer than I am used to and is strictly for nibbling. Is there anyone who thinks 1/4 cup applesauce could be subbed for 1/4 cup of the coconut oil? Would that ruin the texture when it froze?
I whipped these up in about five minutes flat. I used cocoa powder because I couldn’t find carob powder (wah wah wah!). I also used chocolate puffed rice (because really, you can’t ever have too much chocolate). I put them in a mini cupcake tray, and there you have it: single servings of complete awesomeness. They were A. MA. ZING. Thank you!
Did you have to line the cupcake tray to keep the from sticking or did they pop right out? I love this idea!
Love this! I had forgotten about carob — I was totally into it when I thought I could live without chocolate. Once I came back to chocolate, I avoided it and now I have found it again thanks to you! The recipe was great, I will make it again and again!
These are delicious! I didn’t have cocoa powder so I substituted Tbsp coconut sugar. I also sprinkgled shredded coconut on top before putting it in the freezer.
Had no carob and used cacao instead as mentioned. Lovely! But I will go looking for carob since I will make it again, definetely! For me, the crunch is a must! Much better than store-bought chocolate ( I am neither vegan nor vegetarian).
Made these for a gathering I was having for my husbands birthday . They went faster then the store bought cupcakes I also had :-) . Super easy to make !
Easy to make and delicious! Satisfied my chocolate craving!
Hi ,
I really love these, but my kids and husband did not like the strong coconut flavor. They are asking me if I can substitute another (healthy) vegan ingredient in place of the coconut oil?
Any ideas???
Thanks,
Melinda
I made them with refined coconut oil and loved them, I’ve added a lot more of the brown rice puffs to make it less fatty. Then I tired them with virgin coconut oil and hated them, they had a very strong aftertaste. I’ll stick with non virgin coconut oil.
I think the quality of the coconut oil make a big difference. I find a lot of the cheaper coconut oils are often rancid from sitting on grocery store shelves for too long. Go for a slightly more expensive brand of extra virgin coconut oil. It should have no after taste at all.
Aaaah, finally something to do with that left-over carob powder in the bag of my pantry… :) I prepared it last week and had to hide it in little portions in the back of the freezer. (Whenever I hear a cheer from the kitchen, it’s a sign that another batch was found…)
I went with only one spoon of sweetener and puffed amaranth instead of rice crisps.
Little did I know that I was just 30 minutes away from this yummy and healthy treat!! So fast to put together and love the crunch that the crispies give! :) LOVE IT!
I needed to make a quick dessert for my kiddies. They loved helping me make these (and eating them too of course) with a couple of adjustments. I added about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, only did 1 tbsp of carob and 2 tbsp cacao and a few drops of stevia to sweeten it a little more. Still very dark chocolately in taste with a kick of sweetness. Yumm!!! Our dessert for the next few nights. Thanks for the quick recipe!!
Mmmm sounds so good! I love freezer fudge =)
And that seductive walnut fudge is like my go-to fudge!
I used peanut butter in place of almond butter and doubled the recipe since I was making for a group BBQ. I was nervous about the plastic wrap, but it worked perfectly and didn’t stick :) these we such a hit!! The rice crisps added a great crunch. No leftovers sadly!