Low histamine, high fibre, no added sugar carob chocolate (plus carob caramel eggs!)

I love chocolate. Like I really, really love chocolate.

When I started balancing my blood sugar and reducing my sugar intake to best manage my endo, I switched from milk chocolate to 90% dark chocolate, and then eventually fell in love with 100% (yes, really!).

Because it had no sugar, and cacao is packed with antioxidants, and I was a super stressed, newly qualified health coach, I started to rely on 100% dark chocolate to give me hits of dopamine throughout the day. But I was also struggling with histamine issues and undiagnosed dysautonomia, which was causing heart palpitations, breathing problems, dizziness and serious heart pain.

Turns out, my beloved 100% dark chocolate, and even 90%, were triggering my symptoms. They weren’t the cause, the cause was my mast cell activation syndrome and dysautonomia, but being a source of stimulants (caffeine and theobromine) and a high histamine food, it was far from helping.

I was genuinely devastated. With my interstitial cystitis, which was raging back then, and histamine issues, I was already down to bland foods - no citrus, no tomatoes, no fermented foods, no spices and not even decaf coffee or decaf tea. My 100% dark chocolate seemed to be the only thing I had left that I really loved. I was sick of the restriction, but the symptoms were unbearable - and the chocolate addiction wasn’t helping.

I set about hunting for an alternative, that was not just low histamine, but low sugar and blood sugar balancing too.

Eventually, I blended cacao butter (which is considered low histamine and doesn’t include the stimulants that cacao liquor/solids have) and carob powder, and a teeny tiny bit of cacao. I found that a carob bar made with something like coconut oil and carob alone, just tasted far too carob-y for my liking, very date and molasses like. But add a base of cacao butter and a pinch of cacao, and a dash of vanilla, and it’s heaven - and it doesn’t flare my histamine or dysautonomia symptoms!

I came up with this bar about four years ago, and it’s our go-to chocolate we make every single weekend, and let’s be honest, sometimes during the week too. One year, we even made our own Easter Eggs with it!

So, given that it’s Easter, and many will turn to a dark chocolate as a healthier alternative to milk or white chocolate (which it totally is), I wanted to give the histamine-challenged amongst us an option too.

You can just made this as a regular bar (this is the mould I use) or you can use it for a fun Easter themed treat, and I’ve given you a quick idea below, as an example, but this is not 100% low histamine (see notes).

So, I hope that for those of you who like me, love chocolate, but it doesn’t always love you back, this new bar can be your go-to when you’re needing a chocolate fix.

This recipe…

• Contains only naturally occurring sugar and is blood sugar balancing to help prevent oxidative stress and hormonal imbalances.

  Carob extract is naturally sweet, and despite being relatively high carb/high in naturally occurring sugar, it actually appears to have very beneficial effects on blood sugar. This is because it contains fibre (the good gut bug feeder!), which slows down the release of the natural sugars to the blood stream by slowing down digestion.

  Additionally, carob is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, which in studies, have been shown to have beneficial effects on metabolism and blood sugar.

  Carob powder is also classified as low glycemic index, meaning that it doesn’t have a dramatic impact on blood sugar (high GI = blood sugar spikes). Glycemic load looks at both the GI index of the food and how much of that food you’re eating in one sitting, and how that can impact blood sugar. You can find out more about both of these and what they mean for endo here.

  Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms.

  Additionally, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely, especially in those with PCOS or metabolic issues.

• Rich in minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are found in high levels in carob.

Calcium and magnesium are both shown to aid with preventing PMS and period pain, whilst potassium can help ease water retention (which many experience in the luteal phase).

Low levels of calcium has been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain (because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions).

Magnesium helps reduce PMS symptoms, supports healthy oestrogen metabolism (clearance) and is a treatment for period pain, because it lowers prostaglandins, the suckers that drive up menstrual pain.

• A great source of prebiotic dietary fibre thanks to carob and can help heal endo belly dysbiosis.

  Carob contains polyphenols, which are some of our good gut bugs favourite foods and also help to lower inflammation. It is also rich in prebiotics galactomannans and pectin, fibres that feed good gut bacteria, which people with endo may be low in.

  But if that wasn’t enough, carob has a range or beneficial properties that can further benefit the gut, including gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory effects and anti-microbial effects. Whilst it’s unlikely that eating carob will completely wipe out any pathogenic bacteria (often we need high doses of antimicrobials), eating in a way that supports good gut bugs and helps to keep pathogenic ones at bay, is going to over time, support a healthier microbiome to begin forming.

  Finally, numerous research has shown that carob can help with diarrhoea, so if you’re having bad period poops (which is caused by elevated prostaglandins) this recipe could be helpful.

Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)

Nut and seed butter and histamine

If you’re making the carob caramels, please note that opinions/consensus of histamine levels of nuts and dates really varies from expert to expert (it’s annoying, I know). Generally, macadamia nut butter is thought to be the safest, but choose one that best suit you, especially as people’s tolerance to histamine foods really varies. Almond is high in vitamin E (find out why that’s good for endo here), cashew makes a great caramel flavour but is very high fodmap, and sunflower seed butter is a great nut free option that is high vit E and low fodmap, and peanut butter would be low fodmap, but is generally considered high histamine.

Dates, histamines and sugar

Generally, dried fruit is thought to be high histamine, but not all dates are dried, some are fresh, which could reduce their histamine impact on you. Additionally, just like certain nuts, opinions on whether dates are high or low histamine, or neutral, varies, though Dr Becky Campbell, who is a leading expert, advises you avoid them.

If you have histamine issues and you’re concerned about dates, try fresh ones or try a fruit you know you tolerate, or just omit the fruit entirely, the nut butter filling alone is still delicious!

Sugar wise, dates are pretty high sugar, though they also contain fibre, which helps to slow down the release of sugar to the bloodstream, helping to reduce blood sugar spikes. Having said that, I spike from dates, if I don’t pair them with fat, fibre and protein, and moderate my intake. So, to be considerate of these issues, I am only using half a date per chocolate, smothered in nut butter and of course, surrounded by high fibre carob! You’re welcome to use a whole date per chocolate, but please be aware that it may have a bigger affect on your blood sugar than I am intending for it to have.

Naturally occurring sugar in carob

Due to the fibre content and the blood sugar benefits of the carob, plus because of the fibre, fat and protein content of the nut butter in the eggs, both recipes should have a low to moderate impact on blood sugar - but remember that everyone is different, so see how you feel on this recipe, or test your blood sugar.

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

Unfortunately, carob is only low FODMAP in serving sizes of 6g or under, so this recipe isn’t low FODMAP unless you’re only having a few squares at a time. However, I will say that I have SIBO and I tolerate this bar very well, and it doesn’t trigger SIBO symptoms or IBS symptoms in me, but everyone is different.

Further resources

If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.  

To understand more about the low FODMAP diet, start here.

Classic carob Bar

Method:

Melt the cacao butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted or gently over a double boiler.

Remove from the heat, and ddd the remaining ingredients, whisking continuously for four minutes (this helps to get all the lumps out). Four minutes may seem specific, but trust me - I’ve made this so many times! Less and it’s grainy/powdery, more and it over tempers and has no flavour.

Pour into your chocolate mould and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then transfer to freezer for another 15-30 mins before eating! It’s ready when it has that classic chocolate snap.

Best stored in freezer as it melts quicker than regular chocolate.

Carob Caramel Eggs

Method:

Melt the chocolate and combine as above, and pour half into the Easter egg moulds.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.

Whilst the chocolate is chilling, cut the dates lengthways in half.

Once the chocolate is a bit firmer (it’ll be a slow moving, fudgy liquid), place half a date, and one one tsp of nut or seed butter. Sprinkle with salt and vanilla powder if desired. Pour over the remaining chocolate.

Chill for 20 minutes, and then move to the freezer for another 15-30 minutes until set.

Best stored in freezer.