A sugar free chocolate recipe made with stevia. It contains no added sugar alcohol. It uses natural sweeteners along with cocoa butter and unsweetened cocoa.
Although I have another recipe for homemade low carb chocolate bars made with stevia that I’ve used for several years, this new recipe has about the same net carbs. But is also has much more fiber.
I omitted the need for an unsweetened chocolate bar and used unsweetened cocoa with additional cocoa butter instead. And, this new sugar free chocolate recipe with stevia has no added sugar alcohol. There are some folks who are sensitive to all sugar alcohols, including erythritol, so it’s nice to have some options for them.
I find that stevia by itself does not taste as good as when it is mixed with another low carb sweetener. That’s why most stevia sold is blended with the sugar alcohol erythritol.
Stevia is also much easier to measure and use as a sugar replacement when bulked up with another sweetener like erythritol. However, I find that erythritol often forms insoluble crystals in chocolate that can make a chocolate bar texture crunchy when it should be smooth and silky.
My new sweetener of choice to blend with stevia for my sugar free chocolate recipe is inulin. Neither of these will form crystals like erythritol so the chocolate remains smooth as it should be.
UPDATE: After researching whether IMO is good or bad with more recent information, I no longer recommend using VitaFiber except in occasional small quantities. So I removed it from this recipe.
To make this smooth low carb chocolate bar, you’ll need to have food grade cocoa butter which is the required base for all chocolate bars. I’ve seen it sold in jars, but breaking it up can sometimes be difficult when it’s a solid piece formed in a jar. I like to buy it in a bag that contains various size pieces of cocoa butter.
After adding the unsweetened cocoa, stevia extract, and fiber sweetener to the melted cocoa butter, the melted mixture remained smooth. Usually, after adding stevia with erythritol, the mixture becomes gritty because the erythritol does not blend in, even with using powdered erythritol.
By using a fiber based bulk sweetener, this sugar free chocolate recipe results in a much smoother product. And, you don’t have to worry about having the undissolved granular sweetener.
I added vanilla extract just before pouring into the chocolate bar mold. I noticed that the extract did cause the mix to thicken a bit. To remedy this, I’m going to try using a vanilla powder next time instead of the liquid extract.
This is definitely the smoothest low carb chocolate I have made to date and the taste is wonderful. It’s great to be able to indulge in chocolate on a low carb diet.
Kitchen Items Needed to Make Homemade Chocolate
To make my own low carb chocolate, I use the following items:
Not into making your own chocolate? LC Foods has some fantastic low carb sweet snacks to buy online!
Sugar-Free Chocolate Bars with Stevia
Ingredients
- 100 g cocoa butter about 3/4 cup
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa I used Ghirardelli (start with 1/2 cup and add additional if needed)
- 1/4 teaspoon stevia concentrated powder
- 1/4 cup LC Foods white sweetener – inulin or additional stevia (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Melt cocoa butter in a chocolate melter or double boiler.
- Stir in cocoa powder and sweetener(s).
- Keep on heat until dry ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour into chocolate bar molds.
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Info
- Net Carbs 3.5g
- % Carbs: 9.1%
- % Protein: 5.2%
- % Fat: 85.7%
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. The results are low sugar froods that taste like high carb favorites!
Xabier says
Hola Lisa:
He realizado esta receta varias veces,y siempre me ha salido genial,pero la última vez,introduje una modificación:añadí crema de leche,aumentando a la vez la cantidad de manteca de cacao.El resultado es que no endurece el chocolate,se queda como una crema espesa.¿hay algo que pueda hacer para solucionar el problema?
Gracias
Lisa MarcAurele says
You should use a milk or cream powder instead of adding cream. It sound like too much liquid.
John Watson says
What else can I use with the Stevia baking sweetener i would like a natural maple flavour and perfer not to use ethenal sugars
Lisa MarcAurele says
I find powdered sweeteners work best as you need to be careful mixing certain liquids into chocolate.
lisa says
HI Lisa
Love this recipe. Can you clarify? Is it 170 calories for 1 serving? Or is it 170 for the whole 8 servings?
Many thanks,
Lisa
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s 170 for each serving.
UMA VASWANI says
hi I tried the same but it melted very easily in my hands as I touched it .all chocolate was staining my fingers .what went wrong ?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It is a little softer than regular chocolate so I keep it in the fridge and eat cold.
LeAnn Stever says
I am so confused with all the different ingredients and things you have changed is the chocolatece amount right can you repost you rfinal and full proof recipe. Thanks
Lisa says
Sorry for the confusion. The listed ingredients (not the options) is the original tested recipe. I am just providing some other variations for those who may want to use slightly different ingredients or amounts.
Shawna says
Wondering if you have other recipes using inulin & stevia or inulin & monk fruit as sweeteners. I’m trying to find recipes that don’t use sugar alcohols…Anything you can suggest will be appreciated.
Btw, over the weekend I tried your waffles almond flour recipe and it was AWESOME. I had tried a few waffle recipes & finally found one I like but which took a lot more ingredients and a lot of complicated prep, plus had to be toasted. I found your waffles to be super easy and simple ingredients and the texture was awesome. They browned well on the outside with no toasting needed. LOVE it. Thought I had settled on a waffle recipe until I found yours. If I could only find one that uses either coconut flour only or a combination of almond & coconut which is not eggy, I’d be thrilled as I’m trying to decrease consumption of the almond flour for the inflammatory properties.
Thanks for all your recipes!
Lisa says
Inulin bothers me so I don’t use it often. That’s why I prefer to use erythritol. You can use a blend of monk fruit and inulin or stevia and inulin in place of the low carb sweetener(s) used.
Larry S. Felt says
Hi Lisa,
I love chocolate, and dark chocolate is now rated good for you! I have been looking for dark chocolate covered walnuts, raisins, pecans, almonds, cherries, blueberries, and etc., that are sweetened. Most I have found are loaded with sugar, and therefore are not good for me. I have decided to make my own.
When I came across your site, it was really pleasing to me to see that you have used stevia and inulin to make your treats! I just wondered if you would share with me a way of coating the above mentioned items and others with your recipe for sweetened dark chocolate!? I hope you will, and thank you for your site!
Lisa says
I just dip them into the chocolate using a chocolate melter then let them cool. I find clusters are easiest to do.
Cheryl Hunt says
Hi Lisa is there a difference between the inulin you talk about in the descriptionu, that you buy on Amazon and the LC inulin that you have Linked in the recipe itself?
Thank you, cheryl
Lisa says
Yes. The LC Foods inulin sweetener adds stevia. The other mentioned is pure inulin.
Valeria says
So, I bought the Amazon Inulin from the link before realizing that the one in the recipe has added sweetener. If I used the Amazon variety, will I have to add sweetener in addition to the stevia recommended? Would I use the same volume of inulin as in the recipe?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It depends on how sweet you want the chocolate. If not sweet enough for you, add in some additional stevia extract powder.
Lynette says
Ive tried the recipe and it softens when left at room temperature. (Which is great for cutting.) I’d like to ship this to a friend. Does anyone have any ideas on how I might make this so it would not turn into a mess by the time the addressee receives it?
Lisa says
If it’s not far, you can pack with frozen disposable ice packs in a styrofoam cooler (or cooler bag).
Helen Sea says
I like mine with a little more taste of milk chocolate. However, I did use sugar free chocolate.
Stephanie C Magat says
I am a chocaholic….I am about to have weight loss surgery and needed a sugar free chocolate replacement. Thank you!
Lisa says
Hope it works out for you.
Lesley Aberdeen Uk says
Hi. I made this recipe using a half cup cocoa powder, a quarter cup powdered icing Natvia (stevia erythritol) and cocoa butter I had in the fridge for over a year! :O. I also added a quarter cup chopped Brazil’s as they are so low carb. I wasn’t expecting much but it was absolutely fabulous!! My whole family scoffed the lot and they are not even Keto! They are just like Ferrero Rocher without the wafer. Divine. Thank you.
Lisa says
Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe. Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium too!
John Harrison says
Using inulin and stevia Added less than a scoop of a chocolate flavored Bone Broth protein mix all organic and the bars (doubled the recipe) came out like damn near Hershey bar taste and great quality. I guess the BB protein mix made it more milk chocolatety. Might be a good solution
Russell Bantin says
I have Stevia. Erythritol. And vitafiber. I would like to use. Even parts of erythritol and vitafiber. What amount of each would I use in the recipe?
Lisa says
Use as little erythritol as possible. All together, you’ll need about 1/2 sugar equivalence.
Karla Strömberg says
Hi Lisa, I have a question, I live in Sweden and is kind of hard to find the products you’ve mentioned. I have at home cacao butter, cacao unsweetened, xylitol and stevia, do I need to get the fiber swettner or can ai use what I have? And how much xylitol can I use? Thanks!!
Lisa says
You can use xylitol in place of the fiber sweetener.
Jamie says
Hi,
Can I use stevia extract powder and monk fruit powder (no erythritol blended in) instead of stevia and inulin? Just wondering if the chocolate will turn out just as smooth.
Thank you!
Lisa says
It should work out, but I haven’t tested it.
Victoria says
Your measurements are not correct. 100 grams is about a 1/2 a cup not 1. 1 cup of cocoa powder was overwhelming. It was bitter and rough.
Lisa says
I’m getting about 3/4 cup of cocoa butter pieces in 100g. Perhaps it’s better to use 1/2 cup cocoa powder and work up if more is needed.
cc says
Jamie is right on this, 1 cup of cocoa butter converts to 218 grams. Adding a whole cup of cocoa powder to just 100 grams of cocoa butter would indeed be overwhelming. I recommend that nobody follow the recipe unless they make sure they measure the cup of cocoa butter AFTER it is melted or use a scale to weigh it to 218 grams, thus avoiding this major error in your conversion rate on the cocoa butter.
Lisa says
I’m getting about 3/4 cup of cocoa butter pieces for 100 grams. It does seems like the cocoa powder is a lot for that amount so I’ll add a note to the recipe.
CraftyWitch says
I’ve been making chocolate bars using your older recipe (minus the powdered milk because I like dark chocolate), but I think I’ll try this one next time using Just Like Sugar as the high fiber sweetener.
I do have a question though. I’ve been using the plastic bark mold that you show in that older recipe post and the poured chocolate comes close to overflowing one well in the mold. How does the capacity of the silicone mold in this post compare to single well in the plastic bark mold?
I may keep using the plastic mold anyway because I have trouble finding a flat spot to put the mold in the fridge or freezer while it’s cooling and the plastic is probably stiffer than the silicone mold which might be the difference between a successful bar and major chocolate spill in the fridge.
Lisa says
The plastic one is definitely stiffer, but I prefer the silicone one as it can be tossed into the dishwasher. I just put the mold on a sheet pan or tray as it is flimsy. And, the silicone one does hold more.
Karl says
Hello,
I just made this however I did not use any sweetner. My mixture was quite thick and it was difficult to figure out how much in grams a cup of cocoa powder is for mine it was 90 grams. Is there any way to make it more of milk chocolate bar? I also only have Erythritol Powder for my Sweetner would this work in the recipe? If so how much of it would i need.
Thank You!
Lisa says
You can replace the inulin sweetener with erythritol or use about 1/2 cup to replace both the inulin and stevia. However, the erythritol can crystallize if you use too much making the chocolate crunchy. That’s why I recommend using only a small amount of erythritol and use a concentrated sweetener or fiber sweetener for the rest of the sweetener.
Russell Bantin says
Could you please post the recipe that you had up a couple months ago using vitafiber. I purchased a big bag of erythritol and vitafiber to make my own chocolate and now I’m not sure of the amount I need to use
Lisa says
VitaFiber powder is about 60% as sweet as sugar so you’ll need about 6-7 tablespoons instead of the inulin sweetener.
Donna.House says
Love that i found this…i am diabetic. So this is awsome…LOVE creamy chocolate…and i prefer homemade…(everything)….thank you thank you
Lisa says
You’re welcome Donna! It’s a great way to satisfy the chocolate cravings without spending a lot for low carb chocolates.
Theresa says
My son cannot eat this with his sulfite allergy. Just to be weary for anyone with this allergy.
Lisa says
Is it the Vitafiber? I don’t use that any more with these. Instead, I use a little bit of monk fruit to offset the stevia.
iamse7en says
Do you still use an inulin sweetener? I have chicory root, stevia, and monk fruit in my pantry. What are you doing exactly these days? Thank you.
Lisa says
For the best results, it’s best to use a fiber based bulk sweetener. Erythritol isn’t recommended as it can crystalize if too much is used. I like to combine an inulin sweetener with stevia and monk fruit.
Megha says
I am on a ketogenic diet and also allergy to milk. Craving chocolate. would love to try your recipe. Can you suggest a link to the chocolate bar molds?
Lisa says
I recommend using a silicone mold like this one.
Faith says
What size would you say the chocolate mold is? There is one on Amazon that is pretty big: 29.5*17.5*1.3cm per rectangle 4.8*2.7cm .
Lisa says
Mine is about half that size.
moira says
Hi Lisa, the mold you linked to is 9×4 inches with a volume of 3 oz.
Can you tell me what do you consider a serving? How many molds will I need to make the recipe.
I am ready to give it a try!
Lisa says
It’s about 3 of the little squares for me.
Kaden says
Just so you know. IMO has been tested by Dr Jacob Wilson and was shown it is digested about 80%. So it is broken down as sugar like other carbs. This can affect anyone doing a ketogenic diet. It is advised to stay away from for anyone that is staying below a certain carb level. Feel free to investigate.
Lisa says
I am aware of it. That’s why I rarely use IMO. Chicory root is a better option when it comes to fiber sweeteners.
Barbara Loeding says
So not sure what you are saying here..U don’t use the IMO but you do use inulin? Is inulin absorbed like a carb? Or only the IMO. I have inulin in the cabinet.
Lisa says
Insulin is better than IMO as it’s fiber is different. The fiber carbs in IMO have been shown to act like regular carbs.
Heather Morrison says
I am confused. Vitafiber is an IMO. It gets broken down like sugar and therefore you don’t use it? Then why did you recommend it? This recipe is for a low carb chocolate bar. I am on a ketogenic diet. I ordered this stuff specifically because you recommended it. How am I supposed to calculate the carbs? Does it have an effect on blood sugar? If inulin is better, why not use that. Could you please clarify. Also, if Vitafiber is not good for people who are on a very low carb diet, you may want to include a note up in the text of the recipe so that people understand that it won’t work for a ketogenic diet. Please don’t interpret this as an angry comment. I am genuinely confused and would like to know how to proceed (i.e. should I return the Vitafiber and not eat the chocolate that I made with it). I would really appreciate your reply.
Lisa says
I’d return the VitaFiber and will clarify the recipe. I’m sorry. This is an older recipe before the insulin effects of IMO were well known. Inulin is much better.
Heidi says
TIP: The problem with vanilla extracts is that they’re water based. Water and cocoa butter do not mix, and it causes lumping. Oil based extracts are best for candy making. However, the situation can be remedied a bit by adding extra fat to the mix AFTER the water-based vanilla extract to help smooth it back out.
Lisa says
Great tip!
Bill says
I thought I was clicking to agree to the use of cookies by this site. It turns out that what I accepted was more pop-up advertising than a reasonable person can accept. I’ll have to find my recipes somewhere else.
Lisa says
There are a lot of costs involved to provide the recipes for free on this site. The ads offset these costs. It only takes less than a second to close an ad.
Elyelle says
Actually, you do have a problematic whole page pop-up ad that I can’t close. I have to back out and that closes the browser window and kicks me out of your page. I don’t mind advertisement, but this ad found on your page is especially problematic and it prevents me from seeing the recipes. I wanted to make sure you know as I don’t seem to be the only one with this problem.
Lisa says
I’m not seeing it so you’ll have to hit the report this ad link or email me a screenshot of the ad.
Barb says
How do you think you could make this into a milk chocolate?
Lisa says
You’ll want to add whole milk or coconut milk powder.
Jerry H. Hatcher says
I like it.
Lisa says
Yay! 🙂
Michelle M Giroux says
Do you know about how much stevia would use if using Stevia n the raw cup for cup?
Lisa says
You’ll need about 1/2 cup sugar equivalent.
Liz says
Do you know how many net carbs in your recipe using the Vita fibre I am on lower carb diet.thanks
Lisa says
It’s pretty much the same whether you use inulin or VitaFiber.
Pat says
can you tell me what size the chocolate bar mold is? 8 oz? and possible where you purchased it. Thank you.
Linda L Stradley says
I foundon’t the molds on Amazon. Mine just arrived today. Make sure you order the “break-away mold”.
Jack Berryman says
Hello Lisa
I have been trying different recipes to make chocolate candy and yours is the best. But when I try to stir in the vitafiber sometimes I get crystals? What am I doing wrong
jack
Lisa says
That’s strange! The fiber sweeteners have never crystallized on me. It’s usually only erythritol based sweeteners that do that. I’m not sure.
anju says
Hi can coconut oil be used instead of cocoa butter
Lisa says
It can, but you it will be softer and require refrigeration.
Emily says
How much coconut oil should I use in replacement of the cocoa butter and how long should I refrigerate it? This would be a great substitute for the regular baking chocolate for a fat bomb recipe I found.
Lisa says
It is lighter than cocoa butter and much softer. I’d try 1/2 cup and adjust. It’s hard to tell without experimenting.
eric says
ive already made the chocolate as youre recipe recomends but it tastes a little bitter .is there anyway i can make milk chocolate”
Lisa says
You can add a little powdered milk and some more sweetener.
Laura says
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I was wondering, why you don’t use Xylitol, as I see loads of Low Carb recipes with Xylitol on the web.
I know it crystallizes when cooling down. Is that why
It’s still one of the tastes I can handle better than Stevia.
Lisa says
I don’t use xylitol any more because it can impact insulin. Erythritol is the only sugar alcohol I know of that doesn’t impact blood sugar.
Jill says
1] What? Is this true about xylitol?
2] I have found that inulin feeds Candida so I suspect it is NOT keto friendly.
3] Some may want to add heavy cream to make it more like milk chocolate..
4] I powder my vanilla beans with another powder that’s easy to work with[I use aribinogalactin or coral calcium, etc.] but even just monk fruit or stevia but i usually add stevia separately…keeping in a small jar with a bitty scoop, there no worries about oils and water not mixing as with most vanilla. I grind my beans in a coffee grinder. This vanilla is to die for…
Lisa MarcAurele says
I don’t care for xylitol as it has an impact on insulin and I suspect that inulin does too. Erythritol is pretty safe, but it doesn’t blend well. I often make this recipe with a blend of pure stevia and monk fruit powders. One day soon, I need to update the recipe.
Jen says
Hi Lisa, can you share with me the amounts of pure Stevia and Monkfruit powders you use with this recipe? I’d like to try this combination, thanks.
Lisa MarcAurele says
It depends on the brand you are using, but about 1/4 teaspoon of each should be okay. However, I’d try 1/8 teaspoon of each at first and adjust up if needed.
Val says
Hello!
I was wondering how many bars this recipe makes so I can estimate how many molds I should get. I am so excited to try your recipe! Thank you!
Lisa says
I got one big bar out of it. If you are doing smaller molds, will likely need a couple.
Amanda says
Hey! I have the vitafiber syrup, do you know what the conversion from powder to syrup would be? Thanks!
Lisa says
I know the powder is about 60% as sweet as sugar, but I don’t know the ratio for the syrup. I’m thinking it’s better to use a powdered sweetener in this and you may want more for semi-sweet. It’s a bitter chocolate bar.
MaryLou says
We made the bars just as your recipe directs, but it tastes as if no sweetener at all has been added. The texture is great but it tastes just like straight cocoa powder.
Lisa says
I prefer a bitter chocolate. Others may like it more bitter sweet. Additional sweetener should be added to taste. I’ll add a note.
Amy says
I followed the recipe omitting the vita fiber and adding stevia but it tastes bitter. Can you help? Also, how can i make this recipe almond milk chocolate?
Thank you !
Lisa says
It’s very difficult to use stevia alone without a little bitter aftertaste. Adding a small amount of powdered erythritol or monk fruit can really help get a sweeter taste. For milk chocolate, I prefer using a powdered milk as liquids can ruin the chocolate so I’m not sure how to go about using almond milk. You could try adding a teaspoon at a time and go from there.
John says
Karen,
Would you, by chance, know how many cups of Vitafiber Basic Powder there are in the 2.2 lb. ( 1kg) bag? Thank you.
John
Lisa says
There’s a little more than 4 cups in the 2.2 lb. bag.
John Jose says
Hi, this sounds like a nice alternative to sugar-sweetened chocolate. I have a question about your ingredients list. The list calls for “100g cocoa butter (about 1 cup).” I believe 100 grams converts to about 3.5 oz or about 1/2 a cup vs. a cup, as you have it listed. Can you clarify? Thank you.
Lisa says
Cup conversions can vary which is why I always weigh the cocoa butter. I do not believe the cup conversion is packed, but for pieces which does have air space. I will see if I can find the correct conversion and will update this and other recipes if needed. Thanks!
Vera says
Hi Lisa,
Do you have any ideas of how to adapt this recipe to make white chocolate? I am thinking of replacing the cocoa powder with milk powder or with whey protein. Thanks for the post. It is the only recipe that I found for a chocolate bar using Vitafiber!
Lisa says
I would omit the cocoa and add a little bit of whole milk powder or whey like you suggested. You don’t need as much milk powder as the cocoa for white chocolate. Since white chocolate is also sweeter, you may want to add more sweetener.
Lany says
This is what is used in Questbars 🙂 I use the syrup to make my own protein bars, but have not used the powder yet. Would love to try it in ice-cream. I just didn’t like the shipping prices,but I found a US company now to purchase from
Lisa says
I agree on the shipping price which is why I ordered the large size syrup and added the powder. When I’m ready to order more, I’ll buy from a US source. Thanks for the tip. I’ll be posting the ice cream recipe this week and will likely be using it in more ice cream recipes.
Esther R. says
So you like Vita-fiber? I also read LCF website about it. Everybody says they love it. I have watch everything I put in my mouth. So I’m still on the fence .
Lisa says
Esther, I absolutely love VitaFiber! I just wish there were more recipes out there for it. I tried it in sugar free ice cream this weekend and it was fantastic. I finally got the creamy texture similar to the expensive premium ice creams. VitaFiber opens up a lot more possibilities in sugar free recipes.
Pat says
is this a semi-sweet chocolate?
Lisa says
Yes Pat. The taste of this chocolate is similar to semi-sweet. If you would like more of a milk chocolate, you’d need to add a little whole milk powder.
Che says
Hello Lisa,
I have a question regarding this awesome recipe which doesn’t include any additional preservatives, what would you consider to be its lifetime of such a chocolate bar, for how long can you store it in?
And where preferably, would you suggest to store in or out the fridge.
Thank you
Lisa says
I always store in the refrigerator. It’s good for at least a week. Anything longer may need to be frozen.