Diabetics Rejoice!: Low Carb Hot Chocolate Bombs

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Low Carb Hot Chocolate Bombs

Hot Chocolate Bombs are all the rage and will be found in many stockings of my family and friends this year! They are a lot of fun, easy to make with the right supplies and can be made sugar free and keto too. When you place one in a mug and add hot milk, the outer coating of chocolate melts and the cocoa mix and marshmallows burst forth to make the most delectable, rich hot cocoa ever!

Supplies needed:

2.5” to 2.75” round silicone candy mold

A variety of sugar free baking chips (I used Lily’s)

Low Carb Hot Cocoa Mix:

Yields about 1 cup (8-9 servings of 2 tablespoons each)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup heavy cream powder (or powdered milk, but will add some carbs)

6 tablespoons granulated erythritol sweetener

1 teaspoon stevia powder (I used SweetLeaf brand)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)

1. Mix all of the Low Carb Hot Cocoa Mix ingredients together. Stir until well combined and no lumps remain; set aside.

2. Melt sugar free baking chips by microwaving in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds. Allow the chips to sit for a few minutes and stir. If additional melting is needed, microwave for 6 second intervals.

3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon or so of melted chocolate into each cavity of the round mold. Using the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate around and up the sides of the mold. Refrigerate until set. (I put mine in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.) Using the back of a spoon or pastry brush, add a bit more of the melted chocolate around the top edge and any weak spots that were not adequately coated previously. Refrigerate again until set. Carefully remove the half spheres from the mold. (If you want a demonstration of how to make the chocolate spheres, I suggest you check out YouTube. There are many videos showing how this is done. Just search for Hot Chocolate Bombs.)

4. Heat a ceramic or heat-safe plate in a low oven (about 160 degrees F). Very carefully invert a chocolate half sphere onto the warm plate and twist briefly, just long enough to smooth out the edge.

5. Fill the half sphere with 2 tablespoons of the hot cocoa mix and, if desired, add sugar free mini marshmallows and any other ingredients to create unique flavors (see list below).

6. Take the remaining empty half sphere, hold the edge to the warm plate to begin melting the chocolate and quickly place on top of the filled half sphere to create a ball. Refrigerate until the seam has set.

Place an empty chocolate sphere on top to make a ball

7. Decorate the Hot Chocolate Bomb as desired. (When I drizzled chocolate on the top to decorate, I turned the chocolate bomb so the seam was up and drizzled the chocolate over the seam to strengthen it.)

Drizzle melted chocolate over the top and add sprinkles to decorate

8. To make hot chocolate using a Hot Chocolate Bomb, place the bomb into a mug and carefully pour very hot milk of your choice over the bomb (try to concentrate the hot liquid in one spot, if you can, to hasten the melting of the outer shell). Stir until the melted chocolate and hot cocoa mix is thoroughly incorporated and enjoy! (Check out my YouTube video below to see the bomb in action!)

7 Different Keto Flavor Ideas:

Peppermint Bark: I used Lily’s White Chocolate Peppermint baking chips to make the outer shell. I filled it with 2 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix, 3 drops of peppermint extract and some crushed sugar free peppermint candies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter: I used Lily’s milk chocolate baking chips for the outer shell. I filled it with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of hot chocolate mix and 2 teaspoons peanut butter powder (no sugar added).

Mexican Chocolate: Milk or dark chocolate outer shell. Fill with 2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 drops of cinnamon extract.

White Chocolate Ginger: Use Lily’s white chocolate baking chips to make the outer shell. Fill with 2 tablespoons of my white chocolate powder (click here for the recipe), ground ginger and a few drops of pumpkin spice extract or gingerbread candy flavoring drops.

Black and White: I made the outer shell with 1/2 white chocolate sphere and 1/2 dark chocolate sphere. Fill with 1 tablespoon hot cocoa mix and 1 tablespoon white chocolate powder.

Mocha: Chocolate outer shell. Fill with 2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix and 1 teaspoon instant coffee.

Chocolate Mint: I used Lily’s Chocolate Mint baking chips to make the outer shell. Fill with 2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix and a couple of drops of mint extract.

Nutritional information will vary, depending on the ingredients you use.

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More about my experience with Type 2 diabetes:

After experiencing gestational diabetes while pregnant in 1988, it wasn't long before a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was made, and then, much later, I was correctly diagnosed with autoimmune Type 1.5 (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, also known as LADA).

Like many people newly diagnosed, I had to read and learn what diabetes was all about. I did everything my doctor told me to do, took my medication exactly as prescribed, began to exercise more, I consulted with a diabetic nutritionist, I changed my carb-loving lifestyle to within the dietary guideline of my nutritionist and lost some weight. For many years, following the advice of the experts, I managed the disease fairly well. Yet, it concerned me that my need for medication continued to rise steadily, but I was told by my doctor that diabetes is a progressive disease and that what I was experiencing was normal. In a few years of trying diet change, exercise and oral medication alone, I was prescribed insulin to go along with the oral meds. My blood sugars stabilized, but my need for more and more insulin over time to manage good control continued to go slowly and steadily upward, along with my weight. With the larger and larger amounts of insulin (the fat storage hormone), it didn’t take long for me to become obese! I was not pleased because at the rate my need for meds was growing, it appeared that it wouldn't be long before my condition would be too difficult to control.

Finally, I said "enough!" Something had to change! I read The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and began a diet overhaul unlike anything ever suggested by my diabetic team. Two other books I highly recommend are The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman for a T2 diabetic and Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein for a T1 or any diabetic on insulin. I cut out all white starches and grains from my diet and went 100% sugar free. (No expert had ever suggested I look at the sugar grams in the foods I ate before and I was shocked to discover large amounts hidden in most processed foods, even items not meant to be sweet!) I began to eat mainly fresh vegetables, very small amounts of fruit and only when it's in season (I love summer berries!), plenty of healthy fats and a moderate amount of high-quality protein. I now follow a Ketogenic diet which allows about 20-30 grams of good carbs per day, mainly in the form of non-starchy vegetables. I don't go out often but, when I do, I go to a restaurant where I know I can eat within my diet. By living this lifestyle, I lost over 65 pounds but, more than that, my need for medication grew less and less. I now need only very small amounts of insulin at meals and 4 units of long-acting insulin at bedtime (down from over 25 units when I was eating higher carb). The best part is that I’ve been able to stop all other oral prescription medications, as well! My blood glucose is always steady, in a normal range and hardly ever goes above 100 mg/dl. My A1c is consistently 4.9 or lower. These excellent health outcomes keep me motivated to stick with a keto lifestyle, plus I really enjoy the food!

I am now at my ideal weight and have kept it steady for over six years. My cravings for carbohydrates and my voracious "sweet tooth" are well controlled. I am motivated to cook and have made cooking healthy my #1 hobby. I'm excited about incorporating the alternative flours into my baking so I can occasionally still enjoy a dessert or bread product in my diet. The outlook of managing my diabetes and the future of my health is extremely positive.

If you're reading this and dealing with similar issues, take heart! You can make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to share in this positive outlook, too. Just take it one day at a time, be good to yourself, and do not depend solely on medication. I had to face the fact: There is no "magic pill" out there! Instead, I needed to commit to eating well to heal myself from within. Remember, it's your future and your health; no one can do this for you! You owe it to yourself and your loved ones!

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Low Carb Hot Chocolate Bombs

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Diabetics Rejoice!