Easy KETO Chocolate Crunch Bar Cups {Only 1 net carb! DF, GF}
We’ve been living high on the primal Keto lifestyle for almost 6 months now and we are LOVING it!! I’ve honestly never seen such a fast and enormous relief in inflammation and autoimmune symptoms with any other diet, and believe me, I’ve tried SO MANY DIETS. This topic is really a post in and of itself and not something I’ll get into too much here, but I think it’s worth mentioning since I will be sharing some of our favorite Keto recipes on this blog going forward; and if you have recently joined the Keto community and are struggling with what to make, I hope they will help you! These Keto chocolate crunch bar cups are a great place to start and really helped us through those first few weeks after going Keto, when those old sugar cravings were at their peak. They are so easy to make, I still keep a fresh batch in the fridge every week, and my kids love them too! Guilt free treats for the win!
Since “Snowmageddon”, or storm Maya, has officially hit here in the PNW and we are hunkering down for the long week, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make some of these Keto crunch bar cups for Valentine’s Day treats (in heart shapes of course), and also, to show you how it’s done! Let’s do this!
KETO CHOCOLATE CRUNCH BAR INGREDIENTS & TIPS:
- I use Navitas Organics for the cocoa butter and cocoa powder, I have tried other brands but this brand has consistently provided the best and most consistent flavor. You will need to weigh the cocoa butter for the most accurate measurement.
- I use Kirkland brand almond butter or Trader Joe’s brand, crunchy or smooth are both delicious, your choice! I have not tested any raw nut butters, but I imagine they would still turn out, although the flavor would not be the same.
- To achieve the best “crunch”, I STRONGLY recommend Epic brand pork rinds, you will need a 2.5 oz bag (make sure they are plain/salted only). I tested these with 4505 brand as well and they tend to get a bit soggy. If you do use the 4505 brand, they are so light weight that you will only need 1.5 oz.
- Roasted macadamia nuts make these even more delicious, however leaving them out will reduce the carb count if that is preferred.
- To make these plant based, simply use all macadamia nuts (about 2 cups) and cut out the pork rinds. Cocoa nibs make an excellent addition here as well.
- If you aren’t feeding these to children, adding a tbsp or so of instant coffee really heightens the flavor👌
- Make sure your salt is LARGE FLAKED, adding the listed amount of regular sea salt would be way too much!
- For a dessert size portion, simply use a larger cupcake pan. Easy Peasy.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE CHICHARRONES? CAN YOU TASTE THEM?
No. Honestly, before I started the keto diet I thought pork rinds were SO gross and I couldn’t bring myself to eat them! I couldn’t get past the thought of what they are and I really didn’t like the taste, even when I tried the most seasoned ones I could find. However, I really like crunch bars and wanted to make a keto version I could eat, pork rinds were the only thing I could think of that would provide the crunch without the carbs…so, I gave it a shot…and it turned out SO GOOD! I assure you, it’s just like rice crispies…maybe even better since they add even more crunch.
WILL MY KETO CRUNCH BAR CUPS HOLD UP AT ROOM TEMPERATURE?
Yes! This is one of the reasons I love this recipe so much! If you’re like us, you’ve made A LOT of paleo/keto/healthy fudge bars, fat bombs and the like. The most challenging thing about most of this recipes is that you can’t pack them in a lunch or use them as a grab and go snack, the second you pull them out of the freezer they start melting all over your hand! I do store mine in the fridge to keep them fresh longer, but I pack them in our lunch all the time and they hold up perfectly. The only thing I will mention is that it is winter currently and even the firmest of chocolate bars melts on a hot summer day.
Super easy one bowl KETO chocolate crunch bar cups! With only 1 net carb per serving these make the perfect dessert or snack, and hold they up well in a packed lunch!
- 150 grams Cocoa Butter
- 1 cup Almond Butter or Sunbutter
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 2.5 oz Epic Chicharrones, chopped into small pieces *
- 1 oz Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, chopped **
- 1 tsp Vanilla Créme Stevia Drops ***
- 1 tsp (divided) Maldon Flaked Sea Salt
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Line two mini muffin tins with 28 mini liners, or a medium tin for larger size (makes about 15), set aside.
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Weigh out cocoa butter and place in a small to medium sauce pan, melt on low heat, be careful not to burn it!
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once cocoa butter is melted, stir in almond butter, cocoa powder and stevia, whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.
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Stir in chopped chicharrones, macadamia nuts(if using) and 1/2 tsp of flaked sea salt.
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Scoop mixture in to prepared cups, about 2T each for small size or 1/4 cup for larger size, top with an additional sprinkle of flaked sea salt.
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Refrigerate until firm, about 20 min.
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I like to keep these in the fridge, but they do hold up great at room temperature or in a packed lunch!
*We tested this recipe with Epic brand chicharrones as well as 4505 brand, the epic brand stays MUCH crunchier and the 4505 brand tends to sog a bit since they are a fluffier texture. If you do choose to use the 4505 brand, you will only need about 1.5 oz because they weigh so much less per each.Â
**Feel free to leave out mac nuts to reduce carbs, recipe macros have been calculated with the added mac nuts. You can also make these plant based by using all mac nuts, dried mulberries and even a few tablespoons of cocoa nibs, yum!
***You can sub 2 tbsp raw honey in place of the stevia if you don’t tolerate stevia, however, this will raise the carbs.Â
Serving size: 1, Servings: 28, Cal: 132, Fat: 12.1 g, Carbs: 2.7 g, Fiber: 1.6 g, Protein: 3.1 g
