Carob Bars

Carob Bars

I wanted to try carob again to see if I didn't like it because of its taste or remembered teenage resentment of it being the 'healthy alternative to chocolate' (meaning I couldn't have actual chocolate).

Long story short, it was the latter. Carob is a bit like chocolate, but with more of a dried fruit flavour (like raisins and sultanas) and a hint of espresso. It's nice. It really is not a healthy alternative to chocolate. It is still more likely that carob is grown and sourced more ethically… but check that when you buy it. And anyway, this recipe uses cacao butter, so check where that comes from too.

I tried making carob bars using coconut oil. It wasn't that successful as a bar but would make good cake frosting. The texture of these bars won't be the same as chocolate, it's not as smooth or as hard, but it still has a nice 'snap' to it.

A close up of the carob bar texture

Recipe

You'll need some chocolate moulds. I have some non-stick silicone ones that make 15cm × 7.5cm bars and they are easy to use. They came as a set to make four bars, this recipe makes enough for three.

Ingredients

  • 100g carob powder (sieved to remove lumps)
  • 225g cacao butter
  • 1 tablespoon powdered (icing) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste

Method

  1. Melt the cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don't let the water touch the bowl, it should be the steam transferring the heat
  2. As soon as it's melted, remove from the heat and add the carob powder, salt and sugar. Stir well.
  3. Add the vanilla paste and mix it in.
  4. I wasn't convinced it was smooth enough so I poured it through a sieve into a bowl to make sure.
  5. Let it cool in the bowl for 5 minutes or so or until it thickens a bit.
  6. Pour into the chocolate moulds and leave to set. I put them in the fridge for a while.