Somehow Easter is just around the corner, once again. And while we have fond memories of sugar comas as children, these days we like our chocolate fix with less of a hangover. Which is why you’ll find us reaching for a few healthier options. What are our go-to treats over Easter?
Pana Chocolate
Pana Chocolate is raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free chocolate. It tastes like fudgy chocolate brownies and a chocolate bar had a baby and we love that about it. You can buy the blocks at certain supermarkets, but you can also head into their Richmond store in Melbourne where you can buy a whole range of other Easter themed treats and bite sized raw sweets. While it’s all completely natural ingredients (agave and coconut sugar), it tends to have a high sugar content, so if that’s a thing for you, stick to a few squares.
Pumpy Jackson
Pumpy Jackson is a healthy and fructose-free dream. These guys are big on sugar, and by that we mean they don’t like it at all, but know what they’re talking about. On their website, you’ll find a whole rundown of the sugars available at the moment and why they’re not using them. Plus information on monk fruit, which they do use to sweeten their chocolate. This fruit, from East Asia is very sweet to taste, so little is needed, plus it’s been used for its anti-oxidant qualities in Chinese medicine for years. This chocolate has a unique flavour to it. It’s bold and rich and will certainly curb those chocolate cravings.
Lindt
A classic right? You might be wondering why this is here in our healthy chocolate list. Have you ever tasted the Lindt varieties that are very high in cacao? 85% is our favourite. Due to the high chocolate content, there is very small amounts of sugar, making it a healthier option. The 90% obviously has even less, but it’s not for the faint hearted, neither is the 99%. That stuff is intense. If you go down the scale of cacao, the chocolate is still delicious, but sweet and filled with sugar, so choose accordingly.
Loving Earth
Loving Earth is a favourite among healthy chocolate eaters. They have a range of varieties, including milk chocolate, which they create from coconut milk. A rare addition to the healthy chocolate world. They’ve also now branched into bite size pieces from chocolate covered almonds to chocolate-coated incan berries. It does have a high sugar content at around 28% but it’s all natural from coconut nectar.
Happy eating, friends.
Image via Minimalist Baker