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.
I’m allergic to casein and was looking for a dairy-free alternative to Crunch bars. The ones I’ve seen in the store have been a bit pricey and smaller than a typical candy bar. These were even better! I had to wait until I got a chance to buy the carob powder at DeKalb Farmers Market on a trip to Atlanta, since a lot of things are cheaper there. I didn’t have almond butter, so I used peanut butter instead.
WOW! I made this recipe this week and it is SO GOOD! I think I may even like it more than chocolate fudge! The rice krispies in it make it not too rich, which is great. Thank you so much for this recipe! :)
Addictive is all I have to say!
Never heard of/tasted carob before, and found this recipe looking for delicious fudge alternatives. Decided to give it a try.
8 batches later … I’m addicted and so are my family members. We are all die-hard chocoholics, so this is saying something!!
Christine,
I also am addicted to this! My friend, who has Diabetes, loves this! And it does not raise her blood sugar, if you use honey!
These are so good! I now make them every week for my husband and I. The “frosty” is also regularly in my smoothie rotation-even adding spinach to it works well! Thanks!
Lesley, how does that taste? When you add spinach to your frosty?
Have you ever tried any other greens, like kale?
Thank you so much for this fudge recipe. I cannot eat chocolate– it is a migraine trigger. This is the first totally non chocolate dessert that I find really is chocolatey that I can eat a whole bunch of without worry! I don’t use any cocoa in the recipe, just keep it all carob. Thanks so much for giving me an easy, delicious and indulgent treat option.
I made these on the weekend! So quick and easy!! Delicious. I didn’t have any carob so I just used the recommended measurement of cacao powder. They tasted a little like chocolate crackles (Aussie treat) but not as sweet. My friends loved them. Will definitely make them again :)
This is a GREAT recipe. Just a bite of chocolate at night hits the spot. Double cuz it will be gone.
These look amazing, Do you know where you can buy carob powder?
Greetings! Thank you very much for this recipe: it is too delicious! Little rough when you don’t have a gall bladder, but worth it :). Subbed in a salt free roasted smooth sunflower seed butter for the almond and it was fantastic. Used the full amount of maple syrup and salt, with raw cacao powder: salty sweet to the max :). Congratulations on your little one!
Love this recipe! I double it so I always have some on hand.
Has anyone tried replacing the coconut oil with something else and had success (I’m thinking cocoa butter)? Coconut oil makes me so sick for some reason… But I really want to make some fudge! Any ideas are much appreciated! :)
Chelsey, why don’t you try soy bean oil? Most vegetable oils are soybean oil. Check the label.
Hi Angela! I rate this as a 10! I have been trying to get off Chocolate, because of the double amount of caffeine (caffeine & theobromine). This is perfect! I did change the recipe a little, though, I left out cocoa, used honey, instead of maple syrup, increased peanut butter to 1/2 cup, and added 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes.
Sooo Delicious!
P. S. Love all your recipes! Keep posting new ones!
Ooh this stuff is delicious! Creamy, crunchy, nutty, velvety, melt-in-the-mouth scrumptious. Will totally make again! Bonus, my boyfriend will probably hate it. (Avoids coconut like the plague) so, more for me! I used agave nectar as it’s all I had in the cupboard, but it worked great! Will try maple next time to see how it tastes. Thanks for the recipe! Everything of yours I’ve ever tried has been fantastic x
Will it still be good if I freeze it for a whole day?
Hi Im intrested in making Easy Carob Almond Freezer Fudge + Frosty Recipe but my daughter is allergic almonds what else could I used besides creamy natural almond butter ?
Hi, I know this reply is a little late. You can use any nut butter if she’s not allergic to other nuts or use sun butter. I’ve also used peanut butter with good results
Thank you for this recipe. I just made it, so delicious!
Tried it with almond butter and peanut butter and I think it’s even better with peanut butter! Just love how easy this recipe is!
This recipe sounds great but so many of these clean food recipes use almond butter or a similar nut butter. What could I replace it with so people who are allergic to nuts can enjoy these. I think tahini would be far too over powering.
Does anyone have any ideas please?
Sunflower seed butter should work. It tastes a lot like but butter but seems ok for those with nut allergies.
Hi I would like to make this with cacao powder rather than carob! Do you have any idea how much cacao I should use? Thanks!