The Risks of a High Carb Diet
If you are new to the low-carb, high-fat lifestyle, you might ask yourself why would you have to switch from the low-fat diets which are so strongly advocated by doctors and the USDA.
Well let’s look at what happens in your body when you eat a low fat and high carbohydrate diet.
Our DNA is not designed to follow a high carb diet.
Our bodies still contain the same exact genes as our ancestors, who were hunter-gatherers and had much different eating patterns than ours.
Their sugar consumption was around 1 pound per year. The average American in 2013 consumed around 156 pounds!! This is not counting the simple carbs eaten as refined flours and starches.
The great increase in carb consumption is one of the main reasons for the surge in degenerative diseases in our modern society. Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer…
The latest research is linking all of these conditions to metabolic problems.
Alzheimer’s is now called Type 3 Diabetes! (1)
High carb diets are now linked to high cholesterol and heart disease (Read this post to learn more about it)
But the list does not end here.
A high carb diet leads to digestive problems, high inflammation in the body, chronic pain, anxiety, depression.
LCHF and Keto Lifestyle: have your keto cake and eat it too!
Do you remember those crazy low-fat, no-fat diets, under 900 calories per day, where you were always hungry, tired and upset?
Do you remember trying desperately to be good, just to fall into eating binges after so much starving?
Do you remember having a really hard time losing weight just to gain it all back too soon?
NOT THIS TIME!
On a Ketogenic diet you will never feel deprived.
Never hungry!
Never cranky!
This is the best lifestyle to lose the weight and never gain it back, as you will have gained the knowledge of what works for YOUR body!
Macadamia Chocolate Fat Bombs: A Decadent Treat!
This is just a small example of the kind of treats you can have on a Keto diet.
Without cheating!
These soft, fudgy, rich and luscious treats will appease your craving for a treat, while providing plenty of healthy fats and maintaining your ketosis.
- Serving size: 6 portions
- Calories: 267
- Fat: 28gr
- Carbohydrates: 3gr
- Protein: 3gr
- 2 oz (58gr) Cocoa Butter (if you make a lot of chocolate this one is the most convenient)
- 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbs Swerve
- 4 oz (112gr) Chopped macadamias (bulk is cheaper!)
- ¼ cup Heavy cream or coconut oil for dairy free option
- Melt cocoa butter in a small sauce pan in a bath of water. (I just use another slightly bigger sauce pan, half full with water)
- Add cocoa powder to the sauce pan.
- Now add the Swerve and mix well until all ingredients are well blended and melted.
- Add macadamias and stir in well.
- Add cream, mix well and bring back to temperature.
- Now pour in molds or paper candy cups.
- Let cool, then put in the fridge to harden.
- Keeps at room temperature, with a slightly softer consistency than chocolate.
Now on my “to do” list. 😉 Thanks for sharing at Savoring Saturdays!
Hi! Quick question – is the keto status of this recipe affected by changing the nuts involved? I can’t handle macadamias (too waxy and greasy, I just can’t do it! Believe me, I’ve tried them almost every way) – was thinking of substituting for hazelnuts or something similar.
Any info would be great – thank you!
Maxa yes it will because of the fat and carb content of the nuts used. Almonds would be your best bet, but if you are keeping track of your macros I would recalculate them for the recipe.
Macadamia nuts are higher in fat and lower in carbs. The closest you can come is pecans, but be ware these are on the Lectin list–some people have sensitivity to tree nuts
Recipe looks awesome! BUT. What the heck is “swerve”? Can’t say I’ve seen it here in Australia. Would 4-5 drops of stevia work instead?
Thanks!
Hey Rocky! Nice to have readers from down under!! One day I will come visit! 🙂
Yes stevia is ok, just go easy on it as too much will make it bitter.
Awesome, thanks!
I would like to try with the Swerve first, then I will probably switch to Stevia. How would you equate to the powder stevia, and/or the crystal stevia? I use the powder from Amazon, it’s very fine. But I know most people use the crystal or granular form. I will take whichever I can get. thanks!
Kathy
Hello! I love this recipe – it is so yummy, But I am wondering how many portions do you divide the fudge macadamia chocolate fat bombs into when you make this recipe?
Hey Debbie, as the recipe says it makes 6 portions!
As a newbie to the keto lifestyle, I’m thrilled to find your site and all the wonderful recipes. I’ve already ordered the macadamias to try this one. But I’m not clear on the nutritional information. It says the “serving size” is 6 portions. So does that mean I can have ALL SIX! Say yes. 😉 I’m guessing it’s supposed to say the recipe makes six, and the serving size is one. Boo!
If you could clarify please, I’d like to make sure before I tell my husband they’re all for me!
Thanks for this beautiful site.
Hi Laurie, thank you so much for the compliments…
recioes makes six servings, the nutritional info (clories etc) is for one serving….they are supposed to be treats…so one should be enough 😉
I just made these (used stevia for the sweetener) and they taste TERRIBLE. Not entirely sure if it’s because the stevia tastes bad or because my chocolate powder is too bitter. I like stevia in my coffee so I’m not sure!
Jordan here is 2 options: 1 you used too much stevia, and yes it does taste pretty bad! Some people especially dislike that flavor and it can be bitter when used in excess. I would then recommend to use Swerve instead. 2. you did not used enough sweet and you are not used to the bitter taste of cacao. I had many people’s feedback on this recipe and everybody loves it…so something must have gone wrong for you 🙁
Yeah stevia doesn’t equate/translate the same as other sweetners…it’s super concentrated so you probably used too much. Plus the crystal form is so different than the powder form….it’s hard to sub stevia in a recipe.
Is there anything that I could use instead of cocoa butter?
You can use coconut oil but it will not be solid at room temperature! (unless it’s winter!)
I learned the hard way that there are two types of cocoa powder. One is “dutch processed” and one is “natural” The natural is FAR more bitter than the other. I’m not sure if there is a carb difference between the two. I just thought maybe that could be part of why your recipes was so bitter!
Can I use pecans?? If so, can I toast them first and let cool before adding them.
I THINK PECANS WOULD BE GREAT!!
Hey just making these now and when I added my cream and stirred, it split. Any thoughts on that?
Hey Jen can you give me more detail?
Sure! When I added the cream, the fat and the chocolate separated. I went ahead with pouring them in the mold. This morning all the cocoa butter is on the top and the chocolate is on the bottom.
Mhhhh that is strange. Maybe it was too cold? usually when the ingredients are warm enough they blend well. Did you use a blender to mix? That might help too.
Mine did this too – split so the cocoa butter is around blobs of chocolate, totally separated, not combined at all.
And it tastes horrible. Must be the sweetener I used, as you mentioned above. I used Splenda which is like-for-like with sugar by volume.
I used a whiz stick blender and it still would not combine. I tried cooler and hot, same results.
Had to throw it away, was horrible.
Sorry James, but if you would have used the actual ingredients used in the recipe, it would have been delicious, like the ones I made….and many other people made…trying to change a recipe is not always successful, I hope you understand.
Hi, recipe looks great! Would the carb count change if I left out the nuts?
yes it would! I would input it into MFP, to get the exact macros with your own ingredients.
What substitute can you use for the cocoa butter?
Difficult to substitute as it has a low solid temperature and it keeps the fat bombs firm. You can try coconut oil but they will have to be refrigerated.
I don’t have a candy mold or candy paper cups…..could I put this in a mini muffin tin to cool or will I not be able to get them out? Any suggestions?
just put them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
You what I did and loved? I used these silicone ice cube trays and it was perfect!
Can you use Stevia instead?
It might not give the same texture but you can try it!
Can i use regular butter to rplace the cocoa butter?
Good question!! Can we use Kerrygold butter (or regular) instead of cocoa butter? Thank you!
Hi Cindy, rgular butter, unlike cocoa butter does not stay solid at room temperature, so they would have to be refrigerated!
This looks delicious! I was just thinking about incorporating macadamias into something chocolaty to get that great macadamia fat boost. If you weren’t yet aware, Viva Labs has changed their supplier, and their cacao powder is now 4 net carbs per serving (2.5T). That will likely make a difference in the net carbs for this recipe. Just a heads up to those using it. I switched to Organic FineNaturals Cocoa Powder for a zero net carb replacement.
GREAT Roxana, thank you for the tip!!
I just made these I used pyure Im pretty sure its similar to swerve. OMG I tasted some with my spoon it was so good! I put my melted cocoa with the nuts and cream in the freezer for 10 minuets then added the sweetener the mixture had thickened up enough that I was able to mix it evenly.
I cannot get the Swerve to dissolve. I have had it over heat for at least 30 minutes now and it will not dissolve so when I try to portion it out all the Swerve is on the bottom. Any advice??
The best thing I can say is use confectioners Swerve….the other one will stay mostly undissolved…
Awesome! Thanks so much! Will do
How long do these keep for? Can they be frozen and thawed for longer keep time too?
I never tried freezing them…but they will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge!
Will coconut oil work for this if I keep them in fridge ?
Yes it will!! 🙂
Sorry, I just read through all the posts and found my answer about coconut oil. I can’t find the cocoa butter in my neck of the woods. I’m having a sweet attack so I made your chocolate log. It’s in the freezer now! Thank you!
I made these with dark cocoa and pistachios…fantastic! !
Sounds delicious!! Will have to try that!!
This looked delicious and I was craving chocolate, so I tried it without the nuts and I didn’t have swerve so I just used Erythritol instead. Not sure if those two changes are why but these did not solidify at ALL. Any suggestions? what might have I done wrong? Was the cream not supposed to go in on the heat?
Thank you for making available all these recipes that involve your time and hard work. Especially thank you for answering the questions. I am new to this and have purchased most of the ingredients but I do have a question. Regarding the Swerve, would I purchase the granular or the confectionary type. My husband is diabetic and is trying hard to lose some weight, but with the medicine it makes it a little bit more of a challenge. We are finding this to really help with the weight loss and it provides him with a little treat.
I am glad it can help!!
Would you be able to tell me which Swerve? Granular or confectionary? Thank you
Confectionary would work much better…or you can always put the other one in the grinder to make it fine 😉
How much honey would you use as a substitute for swerve?
I would not use honey at all….it is not keto, and it’s very high in fructose!
I made the first batch and they were drop dead amazing. I am so excited. Sooo. I went in to make a second batch to share with friends and the oil separated from the chocolate like mentioned in one of the comments and it was a flop. Does anyone have any idea why? I thought I did exactly the same thing. I know the ingredients were the same. I may have let it get a bit hotter. Please help. These ingredients are too expensive to waste.
Sounds like a temperature issue to me….if the coca butter is too hot that will tend to separate the cream into oil and fiber…I will add a note to let the cacao butter cool down a bit…If that happens to you, just re-melt the whole thing together, mix it again and let it cool, you could even stick it in the blender and then cool it…with a slightly different result…but delicious for sure!! 🙂
Thank you!
Recipe calls for cocoa butter, links to cacao butter….
here is one! http://amzn.to/2dG6cOy
I have tried these twice and both times had the separation issue with the cocoa butter. The recipe mentions “bring it back up to temperature” after adding the cream, but doesn’t say what that temp is. Can you give a number so I can determine if my mixture is too hot or two cold? Next time I will remove from heat, stir in the cream and pour into molds to see if that helps, but a temperature to shoot for would be good if you have one.
Has anyone tried with part nuts and part cocoa nibs?
Thanks
What does step 7 mean, bring back to temperature? What temperature? I am wondering if that is why some were having a problem with the cream separating?
Means brig back to a simmer. Try that an see if you solve the problem.
Okay, I have made these twice with no problems. Changed a couple of things. First, I used chopped pecans, and only 2 ounces. Next I used erythritol, which I believe is what Swerve is. It was granulated, so I put it through the food processor. Also 2T sweetener wasnt enough, it was still too bitter. I used 3.5T and was just enough to take away the bitterness, but not make it overly sweet. I used heavy cream the first time, and heavy whipping cream the second. Both worked fine.
I changed the steps a bit.
Melted cocoa butter in a glass bowl in a large pan of boiled water
Add cocoa powder, mix well.
Add sweetener, mix well.
Removed bowl from water
Slowly add cream, mix well. I just used a metal spoon.
Add pecans. Mix. Pour into buttered pan.
I doubled the recipe and it fit nicely into a 5×7 glass pan. Put in fridge for 15 minutes and cut. Then left in fridge overnight and cut again. Thanks for the recipe. We all love it.
Thank you Lisa. I do not like things very sweet and try to use the minimum amount of sweetener….it is also better when you are insulin resistant…like I was!
I used your method and ingredients, Lisa. It worked out perfectly. Thanks!
This technique was perfect! My fat bombs turned out superbly, even with my subs. I used xylitol instead of swerve, which is not available in my area, and 1/2 and 1/2 lactose free cream as my hubby is intolerant. These are deliciously decadent, and I would make them again in a heartbeat!
Thank you for foolproofing
Thank you Melanie!!!
I am not sure what Idid wrong followed recipe to a t. but the whole thing was dry and crumbled. any ideas?. BTW still ate what I could mush together and it was delicious.
Tina, if that happens sometimes you can put everything in to a pan and melt it back down, and then reform. That should work!
I have made this recipe 5 times now. I do not like sweet chocolate at all and reduced the swerve to 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp for a double batch. I prefer to double batch. I use the coconut oil as I really need to avoid milk and I increased the cocoa powder as I really prefer a very dark almost bitter chocolate. I like the bars fair trade chocolate that is 85-90%. I have 3 problems 1. it says to return that how hot and for how long? 2. The coconut oil always goes to the top before it sets up if I do not freeze first. I really need fat bombs that I can eat for a quick light pre workout meal. You have said this is only meant as a treat so what do you recommend instead?
Hi Fran,
So the cream in this recipe sort of emulsifies the rest of the ingredients to give them a certain texture, coconut oil alone can’t do that. You could try using some coconut cream, I have not tested it though so I can not guarantee the result. When I say bring back to temperature, it means just make it hot again. you do not have to measure a temperature.
As far as light meals before a workout I would probably do a quick smoothie of collagen/ gelatin, some MCT oil and maybe some almond milk. You can add cocoa powder to that. That meal would contain protein for your workout, a bit of MCT for energy and cacao for a caffeine boost.
Also you can try some savory fat bombs…I have many recipes in my book:
https://thenourishedcaveman.com/fat-bombs-macro-corrections-pdf/
These tasted great, but the picture is super misleading : ( one serving is probably like 1/4 of a bar in your photo
DD the fat bombs in the pictures were actually pretty small. About 1.5 inches squares! How big did yours come out to be?
I have made these several times with great success. They turn out perfectly every time! After the first time, I decided to try the microwave instead of my Frankenstein’s monster of an attempted double boiler. It worked fine, you just have to pop it back in for about 30 seconds after you add the cream. I also added some coconut flakes to this last batch and WOW! Thanks so much for the recipe, it’s one of my favorites and so easy!
Thank you Jen <3
Wow, these came out terrible! I bought the identical ingredients off Amazon and followed the directions to a T. It came out like soggy runny brownie batter that didn’t even taste good. Not to mention it only made 3.5 little squares. Did you delete a step or what am I missing here??
Hi Kirsten,
WOW, I wonder what happened! Dozens of people made this recipe with great results. Can you give me more details? Are you sure you used cocoa butter? Cocoa butter is hard at room temperature, so it should definitively not be runny once you cool it down….Also how can cocoa butter, cream and cacao not taste good? 🙂
These are so yummy! Could you please update the recipe to indicate the size of molds or candy cups you are using? The serving size and nutritional info are a bit confusing, and people who are on a keto diet for medical purposes (like me) need precise macro counts.
I love the taste but I’ve tried this 3 times now and every time it’s just split. If I don’t add cream then it’s fine and it sets.
You can also add coconut cream…..in case you do not want dairy!
What can I use instead of cocoa butter?
There is no other fat that will give you the same consistency. You can use coconut oil, but it will be soft at room temperature!
Is the Swerve sweetener in this recipe the granular or the confectioner’s version?
The confectioners would be better in this recipe!!
The recipe calls for “cocoa” butter but your reference is for “cocao”. Could you please clarify.
Thank you
Paula, one is English and one is Spanish but they mean the same thing…
wow are these perfect, super easy. I subbed ghee for cocoa butter and used heavy cream. I have a mini isilicone ice tray with 14 holes making 1/2 servings. easy to adjust my servings as needed. keeps nice in fridge. This recipe is the easiest. thanks
Thank you for the feedback Carroll Ann!! I am so glad you liked them 🙂
I have wanted to make these for the longest time and finally made these for a Thanksgiving Day treat. I followed the instructions to the letter. I added the cocoa butter to a double boiler over medium heat and let it melt completely before adding any other ingredients. I added each ingredient individually and let each blend before adding the next. When I adding the cream, I removed the pot from the heat and let it cool for a minute or so, then slowly added the cream combining with the other ingredients. Initially, the cream was coagulating and was very unappealing, but I stuck with it….. I returned the double boiler to the heat and continued to stir and voila, everything came together.
These are delicious but they do not look as appealing as in the pictures.
Thank you for sharing these amazing recipes.