I was surprised to see you can't buy AIP compliant carob "chocolate" chips online. The store bought varieties I found contain suspect ingredients such as beet sugar and soy lecithin (in most cases likely GMO) as well as other emulsifiers. No thank you!
So I decided I'd make my own. Now, I could have lined a small container with parchment paper, made a bar and chopped it into chip-sized morsels, however I don't want to "make do". I wanted them to look like they were store bought. In fact, to use the words of my daughter several years ago, "I just want something from a packet!"
I went onto Amazon and found, and highly recommend I might add, these awesome chocolate chip molds. The chips pop out very easily without any breaking or sticking, and they look the real deal!
Use these choc chips in my awesome sweetener free Banana Carob "Chocolate" Chip Cake. Other good things to make with carob are my Homemade Carob "Chocolate" Bars. And if you can't get the molds mentioned above, making and chopping these bars into morsels will be a fine second best! Try my Carob and Plum Cake - when it's not plum season it's equally amazing with apricots, cherries or pears. And everyone's favourite treat, Vanilla Carob Ice Cream Bars - think Kondike gone healthy.
AIP Carob "Chocolate" Chips
Makes 3/4 cup
Download the recipe here!
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut butter
6 tbsp carob powder
Put 1/2 inch worth of water into a medium pan and bring up to a gentle simmer. Put the coconut oil and coconut butter into a heatproof bowl that will sit nicely on top of the pan. When the water is simmering, set the bowl over the top and allow the contents to melt, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the heat, wipe the underside dry and sit it on a cloth, on your counter top.
Add the carob powder 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well between additions to thoroughly incorporate. Continue until you have added all the carob, and the mixture is smooth.
Lay your chocolate chip molds onto flat trays. Using a syringe, pipette, piping bag or a small spoon, fill the molds to the top. Tap the tray gently on the counter top so that you remove any air bubbles in the carob mix. Place into the refrigerator for at least an hour until set. Remove the chips and keep in a container in the fridge until needed. You will have extra mixture so keep this to one side and when the first batch has set and been removed, fill the molds once again, melting the mixture in the same way that you did at the start.
I always had a food-sensitivity reaction to carob. Then I found it was a legume. All legumes bother me - including rooibos tea. I am surprised that you would promote a legume in an IAP recipe.
Hi Chris. Both carob and rooibos are AIP-compliant, although it is recommended they're consumed in moderation. With carob, we consume the ground up pod and not the seeds. As for Rooibos tea, we are ingesting the leaves. Have a read of this post for more information if you like.
Looks wonderful! can't do coconut butter. Is there anything I could use instead? More coconut oil?
I would just leave it out. Just make sure to keep the chips in the fridge until you need them.
Do they melt like chocolate by chance? I have a carob pie filling in mind. So many possibilities... Thank you for this recipe.
They don't really melt like chocolate chips, you can see them on the top of this cake.
Ok thank you. I am sure I can find lots of other applications than the pie:) Thank you for the recipe.- Audrey
Hoe long will these keep in the fridge or out? Wondering if I can make them ahead of time to have when I want to make cookies or something with them.
I haven't kept them very long myself, however I imagine they would easily keep for up to a week and probably more. You need to keep them in the fridge at all times. Having said that you could freeze them to extend their life much further (months) and even use them from frozen.
Thank you for the quick reply!
Would it be too much to add a touch of honey or maple syrup? Or would that make them too sweet?
I find carob quite sweet anyway so don't need to add anything. However you may prefer them sweeter. When you make up the mixture give it a quick taste and see whether you need some honey/maple syrup, and then add a teaspoon or two to your taste.
Could this be made coconut free?
If you use palm shortening or have reintroduced butter you could give them a try. I haven't done so, so can't say whether they work or not. Please report back if you experiment.
Thanks! Is palm shortening something you can make? I haven't seen it in my country. No dairy has been reintroduced yet.
No, palm shortening is bought. I wasn't sure where you're based but it's wide available in the US. I don't think any other fats will work I'm afraid.