All Things Carob

Carob - The Chocolate Substitute

Looking for a delicious and healthy substitute for chocolate or cocoa? Carob might just be the answer! This versatile ingredient gained popularity in the U.S. in the 1970's, mainly advertised as a substitute for cocoa powder and chocolate. Carob is a legume, and produces pods which are then dried and ground into powder. The powder can be used as a substitute for cacao powder, or turned into chips for baking and melting. Powdered carob has a similar color to cocoa powder, but they have different flavors. Carob is delicious in its own right and has an earthy taste with a rich, almost caramel-like flavor. Some people find that it tastes similar to chocolate, especially semi-sweet or dark chocolate. OliveNation offers a wide selection of carob ingredients for sale in a variety of different forms to accommodate home or professional bakers, chefs, and chocolatiers.

What is Carob?

Carob comes from the carob tree and is a legume. Although the carob tree is native to Mediterranean countries, it is now grown in the warmer regions of the U.S. The tree produces bean pods and their seeds are dried and then ground to be turned into carob powder (aka "carob flour"). Natural carob is slightly sweet, very low in fat, and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Carob vs Chocolate

Carob's naturally sweet flavor is reminiscent of caramel, while natural cacao is slightly bitter. Carob's key advantage over cocoa is that it's free of caffeine and theobromine. Since some people experience a sensitivity to chocolate or are allergic to it, carob is a fantastic alternative. Carob contains some nutrients not found in chocolate like calcium, B vitamins, and more. It's also loaded with fiber, making it a great choice for health-conscious bakers or commercial bakeries offering "Better for You" options.

Since it doesn't contain caffeine, carob is a great chocolate substitute. Carob chips, like our sweetened carob chips, have a similar sweetness to common brands of chocolate chips. We also offer unsweetened chips for those who want to reduce or closely control sugar content. These morsels also have similar melting properties to chocolate drops and are great in carob-chip cookies. Try melting carob chips for dipping fruit or snacks, or drizzle carob over confections for delicious, low sugar decoration. Replace regular cocoa powder or chocolate with low sugar, caffeine-free carob products and enjoy an amazing chocolatey taste experience.

What are the Different Forms of Carob for Baking & Cooking?

• Carob Powder: Dried carob pods ground to a fine powder. Also called Carob Flour. Substitute for Cacao Powder, Cocoa Powder
• Carob Chips: Made of carob powder, fat, and an emulsifier. Available in sweetened or unsweetened forms. Substitute for Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Flavored Chips, Compound Chocolate
• Carob-Coated Snacks: Sweet, salty, or savory dried fruits and snacks enrobed in carob coating. Substitute for Chocolate-Covered Snacks, Yogurt Coated Snacks, Chocolate-Dipped Fruits

Baking with Carob

There are many ways to use carob in baking: rich carob cake, luscious carob brownies, chewy carob chip cookies, sweet carob fudge, and more. Remember that carob has its own texture, so baked goods might not turn out exactly as they would when baking with cocoa powder. Carob is also great for beverages: try hot carob instead of hot chocolate or add carob to smoothies.

Tips for Using Carob Ingredients:

• To replace cocoa powder for carob powder in a recipe, substitute it measure for measure. Since carob is slightly sweet, you may want to reduce the sugar in your recipe depending on your taste preferences.
• When baking with carob powder (carob flour) lower the temperature by 25°F. Carob burns easier than cocoa powder.
• To substitute carob for baking chocolate -- mix 3 three tablespoons of carob powder with 1 tablespoon of water, vegetable oil, milk, or non-dairy milk for every 1 ounce of baking chocolate.
• In a cookie recipe, substitute carob chips for chocolate chips. Note: some carob chips are sweetened, others are unsweetened – check the label. The sweetened ones will have a sweetness level similar to common brands of chocolate chips.

Carob is a great substitute for chocolate or chocolate couverture because the final product can have a similar look, especially for dark and semi-sweet chocolate products. For a lighter look or different flavor profiles, yogurt coating melts can substitute for white chocolate, or try Valrhona's Inspiration line of dairy free fruit-based and nut-based chocolates, available in bulk from OliveNation.