Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Allergy Free Recipes

Over the last few years I have been baking with carob more and more. While carob should not be expected to taste like chocolate, it does a good job replacing chocolate in things like cookies, cakes and drinks. The pictures at the end of this post show cookies the kids and I frosted with this recipe. The recipe for the cookies are stevia sweetened "sugar" cookies from nourishingmeals.com.

Carob powder is made only from the dried and roasted pod.

Carob, like any food, can be an acquired taste. It is naturally sweeter than cocoa but for many people the difference is offset by the radically different taste of carob. As with cocoa, carob is a different food entirely once it is sufficiently sweetened. While sugar is typically called upon for this job, I usually opt for pure stevia in my baking. I only add unrefined sugars when necessary for color, consistency, body, or distinct flavor.

In the following carob frosting recipe, you will notice that I use three different sweeteners: coconut sugar, coconut nectar, and liquid vanilla stevia. They all sweeten but they each play other parts as well. The coconut sugar helps build body and gives consistency to the frosting. The coconut nectar adds a nice glossy look to the finished product. The liquid stevia is the powerhouse sweetener in the recipe.

Feel free to add or subtract the sweeteners or their amounts. For me, the formula I arrived at here gives just the right flavor and sweetness. Let me know what you think!

Best Ever Carob Frosting





Ingredients:

• 1/4 C. Coconut Sugar
• 2 T. Carob Powder
• 2 T. Earth Balance Soy Free Margarine
• 1/4 C. Coconut or Almond Milk
• 1 T. Coconut Nectar
• 1/4 C. Arrowroot
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 16 drops Vanilla Creme Liquid Stevia