These truffles are completely chocolate free, using the much underrated and underused carob. When I started my quest for an interesting carob recipe, my boyfriend screwed his face up in disgust. After a childhood of carob treats due to an eccentric mother who had a passion for looking after her children’s health, his opinion is that there is no substitute for chocolate. I have proved him wrong. They do have a fair amount of peanut butter and honey, which will cancel out the benefit of carob being so low in fat. However, carob is a source of protein and calcium and does not contain stimulants often found in chocolate e.g. caffeine and theobromine. Pure carob powder is an alternative for those with dairy or gluten intolerances and allergies. Because it is naturally sweet, less sugar is needed when baking with carob and it is palatable in its natural form (unlike cocoa which is very bitter in its raw form).
Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate but it is nice to try an alternative, especially one with so many positive nutritional properties.
Note: Carob drops may contain dairy, so I recommend reading the packet.