Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowHappy Halloween! If you don’t feel like gorging on sugar but don’t want to miss out on candy, did you know that you can make your own low carb chocolate bars? It’s actually pretty quick to do. And, making your own keto chocolate bar is actually much cheaper than buying one!
Is Dark Chocolate Keto?
Strictly speaking, almost all commercial chocolate is not low carb or keto friendly. Sugar is almost always the main ingredient. Some people following a low carb or keto lifestyle choose to occasionally eat very dark chocolate (think 70% or more cacao!) in small amounts, because it has lower sugar content than others.
You can also buy sugar-free chocolate. Unfortunately, often times this is sweetened with maltitol, which actually has a significant glycemic impact and is not really suitable for low carb or ketogenic lifestyles.
A few sugar-free chocolate varieties use stevia, which is better, but not everyone likes the taste. Besides, the price can add up.
So, I’ve been on a mission to make a keto chocolate bar recipe for a while now. This one has gone through about half a dozen trials, and it’s finally ready for you!

How Low Carb Dark Chocolate Works
The thing is, making chocolate is a bit of an art and a bit of a science. Even regular, sugar-filled chocolate can be finicky. It can seize, melt too easily, be too sweet or not sweet enough, have the wrong texture… the list of possible issues goes on.
It becomes harder when we want a keto chocolate bar. Stevia can have an aftertaste, monk fruit usually isn’t ideal on its own, and erythritol resists dissolving.
But when you bite into the perfect, luscious chocolate bar, you know exactly why they are worth all the testing.
So, after many trials and poring over commercial chocolate ingredient labels, it came down to the right ingredients first and foremost.
Here are the ones that work best:
Choose (food-grade) cocoa butter.
Some homemade chocolate recipes use coconut oil or even dairy butter. While you can do this, I don’t recommend it.
Real cocoa butter creates a deeper chocolate flavor, and more importantly, it keeps the chocolate solid at room temperature. You can try substituting coconut oil in this keto chocolate recipe if you must, but just know that it will melt pretty easily.
Baking chocolate over cocoa powder.
Baking chocolate can be expensive, so I attempted homemade keto chocolate bars with cocoa powder several times. I tried, I really did.
And please, please, please… trust me when I say not to do it with cocoa powder.
Cocoa powder is too dry and yields a chalky, gritty result. Even with plenty of cocoa butter.
Baking chocolate creates that melt in your mouth result you’re looking for.
If all you have is cocoa powder, you’re better off making keto fudge like this instead.

Sweeten with powdered Besti.
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend provides sweetness that is closest to sugar, and unlike erythritol, it dissolves pretty easily and doesn’t crystallize. Most other sweeteners contain erythritol (even those labeled “monk fruit” or “stevia” are over 99% erythritol in disguise!) and can leave your chocolate gritty.
Cut the sweetener with inulin.
You may notice that many commercial low carb chocolate bars contain inulin. Sometimes it’s even included in regular chocolate that contains sugar!
So, what is inulin? It’s a natural, prebiotic fiber. In this keto chocolate bar recipe, it adds a bit of sweetness and improves the texture.
Stabilize with lecithin.
Virtually all chocolate – whether you’re looking at keto chocolate bars or just plain chocolate with sugar – contains lecithin. Usually it’s soy lecithin, which isn’t great, as soy can be estrogenic.
The purpose of lecithin in chocolate is to act as both an emulsifier and a stabilizer. It helps give chocolate that silky smooth consistency and prevents ingredients from splitting.
My low carb chocolate recipe uses sunflower lecithin, so you can get the benefits of the lecithin and still avoid the soy. In this case, it even helps the sweetener dissolve a little better.
Enhance flavor with vanilla and salt.
You might think that you can skip the vanilla extract, or that salt doesn’t belong in chocolate. But, you need a bit of both to bring out the flavor in your low carb chocolate bars.

How To Make Keto Chocolate Bars
Now that you know the basics of what each ingredient is for and how it works, let’s talk about the basic technique.
The good news is, making a keto chocolate bar is pretty straightforward with the right tools and ingredients. There are 4 basic steps:
Get a double boiler.
A double boiler is basically a heatproof bowl or saucepan sitting over another saucepan on the stove, with boiling water in the lower one. The one on top heats up from the steam coming from the boiling water, but never touches the boiling water or the heat directly.
Please, please don’t try to make chocolate right on the stovetop without a double boiler. You will burn the chocolate, or make it seize, or just end up with an inconsistent texture.
Melt the cocoa and baking chocolate.
To make your low carb chocolate, melt together the cocoa butter and baking chocolate in the double boiler.

Gradually include the sweeteners, stabilizers, etc.
Whisk in the powdered Besti a little at a time, then whisk in the inulin gradually. The trick here is to whisk a lot and try to get them to mix in without clumping.
Stir in the sunflower lecithin and sea salt, then heat and stir until it all dissolves.
Add the vanilla extract last, after removing from heat, because extracts lose their potency when heated (except in baking).
Chill to solidify.
Pour your liquid keto chocolate into molds and chill to firm up.
See? Nothing complicated about the process, as long as you follow the directions. 😉
How To Store Store Chocolate Bars
Like any chocolate, you can store low carb dark chocolate in a cool, dark cupboard. You can also refrigerate it if you want it to be more firm and melt less easily.
Feel free to use the chocolate for other recipes too, like keto turtles.
Tools To Make Low Carb Chocolate Bars
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Double boiler – For melting the chocolate. I thought I could get away without one for years, and wondered why my melted chocolate would curdle or burn so easily. This works so much better!
- Chocolate bar molds – The silicone makes the chocolate pop out effortlessly. And, this one comes in a set of 4 so that you can make multiple bars at once.
- Chocolate chip molds – Try these instead if you want to make sugar-free chocolate chips shaped just like real store-bought ones.
- Mini whisks – These are handy when working with liquids in small amounts or in a shallow container. They’re perfect for making low carb chocolate, because sugar-free sweeteners can take a bit more effort to dissolve.

Keto Chocolate Bar (Easy Recipe)
Learn how to make low carb chocolate bars! This is the best way to make a keto chocolate bar that tastes like the real thing. Includes which sweeteners to use and the best method.
Instructions
[ See step photos ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Melt cocoa butter and baking chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.
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Stir in the powdered Besti, a little at a time. Stir in the inulin, a little at a time. Stir in the sunflower lecithin and salt. Heat until everything is smooth and dissolved. Adjust sweetener to taste if needed and make sure it dissolves.
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Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.
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Pour the melted chocolate mixture into molds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya's Recipe Notes
Recipe makes 2 standard-size chocolate bars.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Low Carb Keto Chocolate Bar Recipe

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198 Comments
Jessica
0Can you add peanut butter powder or regular peanut butter to this recipe to make peanut butter chocolate? If so how much and how would your suggest going about it best? How would you make this into white chocolate? White chocolate and peanut butter it my favorite combo.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jessica, I have not tried this and am really not sure how it would turn out. I suspect adding peanut butter would keep the bar from setting, you may end up with something closer to a fudge.
Henry Wachtendorf
0Loved the granola recipe
Brian
0I have 2 questions, how you can help…
1) My inulin clumps up when I add to the melted chocolate. I can never get them dissolved.
2) The overall texture is very gritty… did I do something wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Brian, Sprinkling or sifting the inulin into the chocolate should help. As for the grittiness, please make sure you are using store-bought powdered sweetener (powdering it yourself doesn’t get a fine enough powder for this recipe) and that you are making this chocolate recipe over LOW heat. Chocolate is very temperature sensitive, so it will changes texture quickly if it gets too hot.
Donna Voldock
0I bought powdered lecithin by mistake, how much powder can I substitute for the liquid?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Donna, Powdered lecithin will work, but you have to make sure it’s completely dissolved into the cocoa butter before moving on. It can cause a gritty texture if it’s not fully incorporated.
Sharon
0Hi there, can I use raw cocoa nibs in place of the chocolate?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, I’m sorry, that won’t work in this recipe.
Simona
0Hello great recipe. If I want to ad almonds or chili or sea salt…when it is the best monent to ad it? Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Simona, Your toppings will need to be added first before the melted chocolate. Dust your chili powder or flaky salt in the mold first. Same with chopped almonds. Then pour the melted chocolate mixture carefully over that. Be sure to evenly coat the mold, so your toppings stay put. Enjoy!
Richard Kerr
0Instead of powdered erythritol, I used granular and melted it in a separate pan. Then whisk it into the melted chocolate mixture.
Rosemary Kuhlman
0You recommend Ghiradilli baking chocolate. Can I use Baker’s chocolate, or will I not have the same outcome?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rosemary, Yes, the recipe will work with Baker’s chocolate.
Nathan Rodrigues
0Hey, I tried this recipe of yours exactly as your instructions. But my end result wasn’t very good. The chocolate didn’t set properly, it probably didn’t even temper.(not sure if it’s supposed to) the erythritol started crystallising around the corner of the mould in the first hour of putting it in the mould, and it was falling apart as soon as I took it out of the mould. And it has a very dry, grainy and gritty texture. Could you please help me out?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nathan, It sounds like the chocolate was overheated. Overheated chocolate will set into a dry, crumbly mess. I recommend using a thermometer and a double boiler to gently heat your chocolate and make sure it does not exceed 120 degrees F. I hope this helps!
Susan Luse
0Hello! I’m grateful to have found this, but I have a question. I’ve been using Lily’s chocolate in my baking and ice cream making, but I wanted to be able to make my own using my beloved Guittard unsweetened, and using a sweetener *other* than stevia and erythritol as I am sensitive to sugar alcohols. Have you tried using allulose or powdered Bocha Sweet to make these? If so, could you tell me if there’s anything different I should do when using either one? Thanks so much for your help!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susan, Allulose should work just fine. I recommend using Wholesome Yum Powdered Allulose for this recipe, as you can use the same amount as written in the recipe. Enjoy!
Marcia
0Can I use Splenda as a sweetener instead? And will I still have to use inulin? Or is this only added if I’m using xylitol?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marcia, I have not tested this recipe with that sweetener (I don’t recommend using artificial sweeteners), but the recipe may work if you have a powdered version of it. Yes, the inulin will still be needed for the recipe.
Karen S Edwards
0I made this matching all the ingredients and products you had on the list except I used Allulose. The taste is great but the bar is very gritty from the inulin. Can I leave it out next time since I’m not using erythritol?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, I have not experimented with omitting the inulin. Please let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it with allulose and without the inulin.
Evan
0Hi, unfortunately, I only have powder sunflower lecithin should I use the same amount indicated on the recipe? And I’m new at making chocolate do you got any tips for when using this recipe for baking? Because I tried a different recipe for sugar-free chocolate chip cookies but the chocolate seems to melt way too much.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Evan, Powdered lecithin will work, but you have to make sure it’s completely dissolved into the cocoa butter before moving on. It can cause a gritty texture if it’s not fully incorporated. If you are wanting to make chocolate chips for baking, I think it’s best to freeze your chocolate chips. That way the chocolate doesn’t melt too much during the baking process.
Jan
0I really want to make this recipe. Is there a substitute for inulin? It causes some ppl to fart relentlessly. Ask me how I know
Thank you!
Jan
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jan, Sorry, but I don’t have a good replacement for inulin at this time.
Steve C
0Delish! Had no lecithin, put xanthan gum instead. Not sure if it served the same purpose but it came out well. Next time I will try half the sweetener….these are SWEET and I feel like the flavor of the chocolate is being masked by that. Can this be tempered? My first time ever making sweets, thanks for the recipe!
Birgit Vaughan
0Hi there, I tried this twice with 100 % cacao liquor (pellets) and cacao butter, I pulverized Xylitol and added the Inulin. The only thing I left out was the lecithin. First I had trouble getting it to harden and the Xylitol did not dissolve at all and just sunk to the bottom. Can you advise me on how to fix? Thank you!!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Birgit, For the best results, I would use the ingredients listed in the recipe. Cacao liquor is not the same as baking chocolate, so it would behave differently in this recipe. Xylitol has different properties from powdered erythritol, so that may have changed the texture. Lecithin plays an important role in this chocolate, as it helps to emulsify the ingredients which could explain why the xylitol sunk to the bottom.
quickship2@sbcglobal.net
0Truly the best chocolate bar recipe out there! I use your recipe to make a keto friendly version of a Mr. Goodbar. The one chocolate candy that I missed until stumbling on this recipe. Rather than using straight erythritol, I use the combination of monkfruit/erythritol (my preferred sweetener) Even with the addition of peanuts, each piece comes in at only .6 carbs. I tried the coconut oil once, and that was a huge mess. Cocoa butter all the way for me! Delicious! Thank you!
Zach
0Why do you add cocoa butter/fat to unsweetened chocolate, which already has that same fat. Feel it would make sense if you were mixing the butter with cocoa powder, which is just cocoa solids with the fat removed but with unsweetened chocolate, which is a combo of solids+fat, feel it’s doubling that fat content unnecessarily. What’s the reason?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Zach, Adding more cocoa butter gives the chocolate a better structure after it’s been melted and rehardened. This chocolate is not tempered like a traditional candy bar, so adding the cocoa butter helps the chocolate bar to retain its structure and remain solid at room temperature after rehardening.
Zach
0Got it, thank you! Makes sense
yiannis
0Good Evening,
l make a test for chocolate with low calories ..
Use of erythritol and inulin at a rate of 50-50%. Nevertheless, I still have the coldness, from erythritol.
What would you suggest?
Best regards
Yiannis
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Yiannis, If the cooling sensation bothers you, I suggest trying to make your chocolate with Allulose. It will not have a cooling effect.
Tina Maratilova
0Thank you for the lovely recipe. I have two questions: 1) I still can taste the cooking effect from the Powdered erythritol, what did I do wrong? 2) The chocolate gets very soft/almost melts, when left in room temperature. How can I fix that? Thank you! x
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tina, 1. Some people are more sensitive to the cooling effect from erythritol than others. If this bothers you then I suggest trying allulose as a keto sweetener, it does not cause that cooling effect. You can find Wholesome Yum Allulose here. 2. The chocolate will melt at room temperature because it’s not a tempered chocolate bar. It is best stored in the fridge or the freezer.
Cecilia
0Do you have a recipe for keto milk chocolate ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cecilia, Not at this time, but I do have a recipe for white chocolate that’s really delish!
Cyndie
0I’ve been making this recipe about every two weeks for about the last three months now. I love it! DH now buys me the cocoa butter, erythritol, and cacao bars for occasions instead of the usual chocolate, so I can make my own. I have a Wilton chocolate melting pot (used my coupon at Michaels) and a battery operated coffee frother to mix, and now I can whip out a batch in about ten minutes. I don’t add the sunflower lecithin. The only time I tried it, it was kind of icky. I think it was a poor quality brand, not the recommended one. I really like the way it comes out without it anyway.
I spread the melted batch over a break apart candy mold that has lots of little squares placed edge to edge, so after chilling I just give it a whack on the tray and gather up the squares. That way I can portion out however many calories I’ve allowed myself.
Thanks for a great recipe!
BJ
0Cyndie,
I know this reply is months late here, but I want to try your method with a Wilton Melting Pot. I have a few questions for you:
1. What size is your Wilton Pot? Mine holds 2.5c – I’m afraid it will be too small and things won’t mix well…
2. What are the benefits of using a coffee frother to mix, as opposed to a small whisk or spatula?
Thanks!