You can still have your goodies while on a low glycemic lifestyle. Yes you can. These chocolate clusters are the perfect example.
See, when we want to keep things low on the glycemic scale, we can’t just look at the individual food but also how it is being combined. We can combine higher glycemic index foods, like honey for example, with foods that are rich in healthy fats, protein and fibre. This means that even though honey may be higher, all the other things being partnered up with it could be low, thus bringing down the whole load of the treat, making it a-okay!
Let’s take rice cakes as another example. We think of rice cakes as being a healthy food. Well, they’re not – on their own. There is nothing to them. Just air and processed carbs that are extremely high on the glycemic index and offer no nutritional value. But let’s say that you are in a food wasteland and the only bread-like product you can find for miles around is rice cakes and a jar of almond butter or tub of hummus. Pairing a high glycemic rice cake with a low glycemic almond butter or hummus would bring down the overall load.
Our goal is to keep each individual thing we eat as low as possible and then we don’t have to worry about total load. It just makes it easier.
low glycemic chocolate clusters
What is today’s treat? Chocolate clusters. They kind of look like coconut haystacks, a conventional treat that is usually made with unsustainable, sugary chocolate and intensely sweetened coconut. Even when I loved crappy chocolate and sugar, they were still never the first thing I reached for at the sweet table.
These chocolate nut clusters of superfood raw chocolate love though? Pass me a platter and I’ll show how a devouring is done. These are rich in medium chain fatty acids from the coconut oil, and loads of omega 3 and 6 power from the nuts and seeds. We also have the fiber-rific benefit which combines just so to lower the load while still keeping us from becoming treat craving loony toonies.
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Low Glycemic Chocolate Clusters
Ingredients
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 Tbs raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cluster Goodies
- 1/4 cup each of:
- cashews
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds
- pecans
- slivered almonds
Instructions
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- Blend together or melt together over low heat using a double boiler method (large pot with water, smaller pot inside the larger pot for melting chocolate- keeping direct heat away from pot with chocolate)
Cluster Goodies
Dust with a sprinkling of sea salt if you like.
- Stir cluster ingredients into chocolate and with a spoon, dollop it onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in freezer until hard.
- Store in freezer and serve right after removing.
What is your favourite low glycemic treat?
13 responses to “Low Glycemic Chocolate Clusters”
Meghan, I love how you give us so many reasons to eat chocolate :)
My fave low glycemic chocolate treat is to make a sort of chocolate fudge out of cacoa powder, almond butter, coconut oil, stevia, and agave then I let in set in the fridge. And then I eat it :)
This post helps me feel a little better about my love affair with dates and almond butter.
Yum. Thanks for sharing :)
Mmmmmmmm…these look amazing.
My fav treat is chocolate almond butter cups….homemade of course :O)
YAY! So happy I will be able to have chocolate during the challenge :)
I finally have the necessary ingredients to make some of those chocolate goodies you’ve blogged about! I am SO excited to make these clusters and https://www.meghantelpner.com/2010/10/23/superfood-bon-bons/
raw cacao hugs to you :)
Dear Meghan, I was wondering if these clusters would melt at room temperature. I am doing quite a bit of traveling myself and thought that I might prepare these handy as snacks instead of buying them from the stores. It will be great if you could help with snack suggestions for travels! Thank you so much!!.. Heart all your great postings and ALL THE VERY BEST to you and your dad. I know deep down inside that your dad will be healed very soon with all your great wisdom..! :)
Okay, lesson learned; DON’T add dried cherries :( Mine immediately changed the consistency. It became runny & clumpy. Nevertheless I sprinkled sea salt on top & put it in the freezer. I’ll just have to eat it myself!
just made these today and they are such an awesome treat! even the boyfie, who was skeptical at first, downed 3. thank you!
Thank you so much for such wonderful recipes! It can be a chore to find recipes for easy, healthier treats. I usually enjoy developing treats myself, but they do not always turn out so well. It is great to have tried and true recipes to follow! Many times, healthier ingredients can have a heftier affect on the grocery bill so when something doesn’t turn out it can feel traumatic! A huge thank you from my entire family of 7. Can’t wait to get your cookbook for my birthday!
Awesome recipes….
Bring vegetarian and struggling to loose weight, I found your recipes absolutely amazing. Thank you.
This recipe looks so yummy and easy, I can’t wait to try it!! Quick question….what are your thoughts on substituting sunflower oil for the coconut oil? For medical reasons, I am trying to reduce glycemic and staturated fat from my diet. Coconut oil is so high in saturated fat I hope to substitute with a different oil.
Thank you and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Gina
Hi Gina! Substituting a liquid oil like sunflower oil won’t work in this recipe. The coconut oil in this recipe helps the clusters stay together, because coconut oil firms up in the fridge and freezer. If you don’t want to use coconut oil, you’d be better off melting a bar or two of dark chocolate – as that should firm up again when cooled.