Keto Chocolate
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This keto chocolate is an easy candy bar recipe made with just 3 ingredients. Crispy, chewy, and ready in 5 minutes, each bar has just 2 grams of net carbs.
Can you eat chocolate on keto?
As you’d expect, standard grocery store chocolate and chocolate candy bars are not keto-friendly. They are loaded with sugar. One small candy bar has more carbs than someone on a keto diet can have in a week.
While there are some keto-friendly chocolate brands, they are extremely expensive. A standard keto candy bar is over $8- simply not worth it.
Luckily, you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost. Here’s why I love this keto bars recipe:
- 4 Ingredients. Technically, you don’t even need the almond butter, but I love how firm the bars are when using it.
- Ready in 5 minutes. No baking required. The hard part is waiting for them to firm up.
- Just 2 grams of net carbs per serving. I tested a few combos to keep the carbs as low as possible.
- Easy to customize. Add flavor extracts, nuts, seeds, coconut, or my favorite- crumbled keto chocolate chip cookies.
- Affordable. Make them yourself, and you pay a fraction of the cost of buying the pre-made kind!
I’ve been making these for years, and they’ve become the most requested treat I bring to parties- everyone I’ve served them to says they taste like a keto crunch bar.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“So yummy. One of the best keto bars I’ve ever eaten.” – Bibi
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this keto bar recipe, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Unsweetened chocolate– Also known as Baker’s chocolate, these candy bars are 100% unsweetened and have very few carbs. On their own, they are not edible, but when mixed with sweet ingredients, they add the chocolate element necessary.
- Sugar free maple syrup– Skip the expensive store-bought kind and make your own keto maple syrup. I don’t recommend granulated sweeteners because they leave the bars gritty.
- Coconut oil– Choose the refined variety to avoid any coconut flavor. I also tested these with unsalted butter, and it worked well.
- Almond butter– Smooth and drippy almond butter with no added sugar. Peanut butter and nut-free alternatives also work. I sometimes make it with sunflower seed butter.
- Crushed nuts and seeds– Optional, but I like using chopped almonds and pepitas to make these taste like crunch bars.
How to make keto chocolate bars
Start by adding the chocolate, syrup, coconut oil, and almond butter to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave everything in 30-second spurts until the chocolate has mostly melted. Gently mix until smooth.
Next, fold through your crushed nuts and seeds until combined. Transfer into a square pan and refrigerate for thirty minutes, or until firm.
Once firm, slice them into chocolate bars.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Melt in increments. Microwave the mixture in 20-second spurts to avoid burning the chocolate.
- Bars over chips. Avoid using chocolate chips, as they don’t melt anywhere near as well as a chocolate bar.
- Measure by weight, not volume. 1 1/2 cups of chopped chocolate weigh about 8 1/2 ounces, which is useful if you’re working from a bar rather than measuring by volume.
- Candy molds. Pour the mixture into candy molds instead of a pan for individual chocolate bars that look professionally made. I do this for Christmas and Halloween.
- Add a caramel drizzle. Before refrigerating, I like to drizzle some keto caramel sauce over the top. It seeps into the bars beautifully before it sets.
Flavor variations
The base recipe acts as a blank canvas, so here are some tested variations worth trying:
Milk chocolate– Use keto milk chocolate chips instead of unsweetened chocolate.
Peppermint chocolate– Add 1/2 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract to the mixture. I make this every Christmas- it’s a fun holiday dessert.
White chocolate– Use sugar free white chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate. Just a warning, though- the bars will be very sweet.
Toffee chocolate– Fold through half a cup of crushed keto candy pieces. My partner can polish this version off on his own.
Orange chocolate– Add 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to the mixture. This is such an underrated combination (hello, Terry’s chocolate orange).
Storage instructions
To store: This keto chocolate is stable at room temperature in a sealable container. It will keep well for up to four weeks. If you’d like it to keep longer, store it in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
The only keto-friendly Hershey’s products are their Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 grams net carbs per serving) and dark cocoa powder (1.5 net carbs per serving).
The lowest carb candy bar is Ghirardelli unsweetened baking chocolate, which has just 3 grams of net carbs per serving.
There are just 2 grams of net carbs in these keto bars.
Keto Chocolate (Crunch candy bars!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate 8 1/2 ounces
- 1 cup almond butter Can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 1/2 cup keto maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil optional * See notes
- 3 cups nuts and seeds optional
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, combine your chocolate, almond butter, sticky sweetener and optional coconut oil and melt until combined.
- Add your nuts/seeds of choice and mix until fully combined.
- Pour the chocolate mix into the lined baking dish and spread out using a spatula. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- Slice into chocolate bars.
Notes
Nutrition
More keto chocolate recipes to try
- Keto chocolate cake– Moist, rich, and full of chocolate flavor.
- Keto brownies– I make these brownies far too often. Even non-keto friends love them.
- Keto fudge– Just two ingredients are needed to make this rich and creamy fudge.
- Keto chocolate mousse– It’s light, airy, and needs just 3 ingredients.
Looks so yummy! Now that Christmas is approaching, I will make these chocolate bars for my kids. Thanks for sharing
Arman, your awesome thank you so much for the wonderful coconut recipes I do not use almond flour there isn’t much coconut recipes out there but you have quite a few and I am so happy. God bless you and may he give you lots more wisdom and knowledge. Stay safe.
I love all your coconut recipes THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!
Hi!
I’m typing from Croatia and i have to tell you -i love your recipes 🫶
As a diabetic, i don’t use maple syrup but i was wondering if it’s able to allulose liquid sweetener?
(Since it is not as dense as maple syrup)
I haven’t tried- Sugar free maple syrup works though.
Are the pictures the ones you made or from the video? What is everyone using as nuts and seeds. Would like feed back on what variety has been tries that people like.
Both! I like chopped peanuts and almonds for the best texture.
I love these bars so much!!!! Is there another substitute for the HighKey cereal as it is no longer available?
Try nuts and seeds
What kind of nuts and seeds do you recommend?
I like crushed almonds and sunflower seeds.
Made twice in the last 2 weeks at my husband’s request. I used different nuts both times and it’s all delicious. I just received your 2 cookbooks because I was printing out so many of your recipes I thought I might as well buy the books. Everything I’ve made is so good. Keep ‘em coming.
what are your favorite nuts and seeds to use in this recipe?
I like sunflower seeds and pepitas and something mild like cashews 🙂
How many grams of chocolate is in 1.5 cups? Also can I use 90% chocolate instead of Bakers Chocolate?
You can use a google calculation to convert it, I’m not sure. Yes you can.
Hi there! I am not keto, but off of refined sugar (so I use a lot of keto recipes for ease). These bars are delicious!!! I used seeds mixed with One Degree brand organic Brown rice Cacao Crisps (no refined sugar, gluten free). My friends were promising me the moon for more! Thanks.
How much is 1,5 cups of chocolate? Metric weight?
This looks great. I haven’t tried it so didn’t rate yet. I use carob powder in all that I make. Will this work with mixing carob powder with the oil?
I don’t think it will work very well.
This was so easy and freakishly good. I used honey, cashews, chia, and pumpkin seeds. So good!
Hello,
Can I use unsweetened cocoa instead of the chocolate?
Thank you
Not for this 🙂
Hi Arman, Thank you so much for another recipe. THIS ONE literally made my mouth water looking at the pictures lol. I have a VERY active imagination. I would make these but I am on a diet that I am restricting my calories as well as my carbs to lose weight for a lower back surgery that I need. I will save this recipe for after to try. Again thank you for all the time and effort you put into giving us great advice and recipes. 🙂