Sugar-Free Coffee Carob Candies

For a few years at the height of my illness, I wasn’t able to eat most things that one would consider an indulgence – chocolate, sugar, alcohol.  While my stomach is stronger and I can moderate some of these things back into my diet, I have a dear friend who still is very limited in what her body can digest.

She hit a pretty big birthday recently, and when I visit her to celebrate I want to present her with something special, indulgent and… digestible.

Carob is a delightful alternative to chocolate – it contains no caffeine, as much vitamin B1 as is in strawberries, and is full of protein, fiber and trace minerals.  It’s gentle on the stomach and naturally sweet, so you don’t need to sweeten it as you do raw cocoa.

So I made a mental list of things my dearie can have and played with proportions.  The result?  A fudgey, chocolate-y treat with a huge blast of coffee and a spicy finish.  An easy, quick way to indulge in a sugar-free treat!

Ingredients:

I cup carob powder
1/2 cup ghee
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp ground decaf coffee
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk plus more if necessary

Directions:

Lightly grease mini-cupcake tins or candy tins.
In a small pot, melt the ghee, then add coconut milk, whisking continually until warm.
Add coffee and cinnamon and whisk to absorb.
Slowly add carob, whisking continually, until all the carob powder is smooth.  It won’t have the same consistency as chocolate, being a little thicker, but should be soft and malleable.   If desired, blend with an immersion or standing blender.
Press into individual molds and refrigerate until hard, about 1 hour.
Loosen candies from pan with a thin knife.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Makes about 16 candies.