Sugar-Free Chocolate?

Wow, has it really been months since I last blogged about chocolate? Blimey!
You'd think with the amount I eat, I'd a) be fat b) have blogged about more by now ;)

This post has been ready to go for a while actually, but I had lots of other things to post about - such as everything I went to during Brighton Fringe - and then I, uh, forgot. Oops.

Anyway, I was on a health kick a few months back and decided to try out some chocolate that used alternatives to sugar. Here's how I got on...
 

Balance Milk Praline

With sweetener from Stevia plant.

I decided to try this as I wanted to test out some chocolate that was sweetened with something other than sugar. Of course I have nothing against sugar, but was curious to see if there was much difference.

This bar is made by Belgian company Klingele Chocolade, so of course the chocolate is lovely! It doesn't smell as strongly as some other bars I've tried, nor is it as sweet - so evidently stevia adds a more subtle sweetness to chocolate.

Something I really liked about this bar was the fact I can really taste the nutty flavour of the praline. Whilst I don't like chocolate with big pieces of nut in, I enjoy praline!

Overall this is a great little chocolate bar and it was all I could do not to gobble it all up before writing this!

Plamil No Added Sugar Mint Chocolate

With sweetener xylitol.

A dairy- and gluten-free chocolate bar made using fair trade cocoa. It has no added sugars, though the label reveals it may contain naturally-occurring sugars  (and also soya). An extra bit of good news: it's made in a nut-free factory, using 100% renewable energy!

This hand-moulded bar features a nice floral design on the squares. The chocolate is flavoured with mint oil, and the scent of mint hits you as soon as you open the packet! 

As it's dark chocolate (minimum 72% cocoa solids) this bar isn't as sweet as the average bar of chocolate, but compared to other dark chocolate there isn't any difference in sweetness.

The chocolate is firm and makes a very pleasing snapping noise when I break a piece off (though it's just as pleasing to sink my teeth into it!)

I found that I didn't need to eat the whole bar in one go, as half was enough to sate my chocolate craving. Yay!

For those that are dairy-free or sugar-free, this is a great option for a tasty snack.
However, it did give me stomach ache :(

Raw Chocolate Pie Co - Green Tea & Lemon Pie

This is a bar of chocolate Mum and I discovered in Infinity Foods, when we were looking for some 'naughty' snacks that weren't so naughty!

It is dairy free and gluten free, with no added sugar, this is handmade in Cornwall using raw cacao beans.

I thought the packaging was really cute, though it was awkward to get into without ripping the paper!

Once the wrapper starts coming undone, the scent that wafts from within is akin to that of Christmas pudding! It smells rich, sweet and delicious!

Unfortunately I found the texture to be too powdery, and a little bitter. I thought it was also a bit too soft, but the packaging advises this is 'best served from the refrigerator' (and you've guessed it, I was too impatient to stick it in the fridge for a few hours first).

So whilst I like the idea of this bar, I didn't like the actual taste of it. Booo. :(

Still, if you're not a sugar demon like me, you may well enjoy this one!


Well, overall, whilst it's nice to know there's chocolate out there made with sugar alternatives, I'm going to stick to the usual stuff. 

Despite not really enjoying most of these, they're still another three towards a goal on The List:

064. Eat 50 different chocolates 

31 down, 19 to go...