It's no secret I love dark chocolate. Love, love, love it. Dare I confess, there isn't a day that goes by, I don't enjoy it. Earlier in the year when I was tested for delayed food allergies, I held my breath just a little hoping chocolate didn't come back as an allergen. I let out a big sigh of relief when chocolate came back in the clear, but dairy did not.
While most high-quality dark chocolate bars do not have dairy in them, there still may be some cross-contamination, as most are produced in a facility that also makes milk chocolate products.
Recently, while on the Low-Carb Cruise, I was inadvertently inoculated with dairy. I knew the chances were pretty high that dairy would be lurking in the available foods, so I prepared the best I could. In addition to taking digestive enzymes, HCl and high-doses of quercitin before meals, I avoided overt dairy. I did my part to take control of the situation by asking questions of the waitstaff and then just let it go. While the tell-tale symptoms re-emerged; watery/sticky eyes and head/neck/shoulder tension, they were milder than usual and I did not let it affect my vacation. I also had an excuse to get a fabulous bamboo massage on the ship as well as be the recipient of an amazing chair massage by Dana Carpender.
Since returning home from the Low-Carb Cruise, I have been vigilant about avoiding dairy and quite honestly, the only food I eat that “may” be contaminated is my beloved store-bought dark chocolate. Believe me when I say, I have no problems giving up anything that negatively impacts my health. The way my mind works, is such, that the offending food simply is no longer an option. If store-bought dark chocolate is no longer an option for the time being, then that means I have to come up with an alternative. So I did. Enter these beauties!
These healthy Dark Chocolate Mini Coconut Cups are rich and nutrient dense, as well as low-carb, dairy-free and sugar-free. Not only is cacao a beneficial superfood that contains a wide spectrum of minerals and phytonutrients, I used two of the world's healthiest fats, coconut oil and ghee. Ghee is rich in butyric acid which suppresses inflammation in the gut and coconut oil is famous for its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties. You can most definitely enjoy this treat without any guilt and actually improve your health while indulging.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freeze Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 8 mini-cups
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Ghee (dairy-free option) or Unsalted Organic Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Nutiva Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin, Organic
- 4 Tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark 100% Cacao Powder
- 4 tsp. Let's Do Organic Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
- Pinch Celtic Sea Salt
- 20 Drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
- In small glass dish melt together ghee/butter and coconut oil.
- Gently mix in cacao powder 1 Tbsp. at a time.
- Add a pinch of Celtic sea salt and stevia.
- Spoon evenly in lined mini-muffin pan.
- Add 1/2 tsp. shredded coconut in the center of each.
- Freeze until hard then transfer to sealed container.
Recipe Notes
Coconut oil and ghee are solid but soft at room temperature and in the summer months may actually melt. These little gems are best right out of the freezer and will melt very quickly in your hands. The best technique when eating them, is to take a bite and savor it, letting the chocolate slowly melt in your mouth (not in your hands).
