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Can I Substitute Carob Chips for Chocolate Chips?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

For people who are allergic to chocolate, the use of carob chips can often make it possible to enjoy many of the same treats that others enjoy, but without the risk. While the taste of carob chips is somewhat different than that of chocolate, the nutty flavor and the slight sweetness of processed chips can be quite appealing. Best of all, there are no complicated conversions to remember when substituting the chips for chocolate chips.

There are several benefits to using carob chips instead of chocolate chips in various recipes. One has to do with avoiding problems due to allergies. The chips that are made from the carob plant do not trigger any of the adverse reactions that are common with a chocolate allergy. This means that the allergy sufferer can use the chips for making candies, cookies, or other recipes with no worries of any type of outbreak.

Carob chip cookie dough.
Carob chip cookie dough.

Another advantage of using carob chips has to do with minimizing the amount of caffeine consumed. Unlike chocolate, carob has no caffeine content at all. This can make the chips ideal for use in various types of baked goods, as well as melting down for use in milk as a pleasing hot beverage before bedtime. People who need to avoid caffeine due to various health problems often find that carob chips satisfy their desire for chocolate, while still allowing them to avoid caffeine.

Carob chip cookies.
Carob chip cookies.

It is important to note that carob chips do not taste like chocolate chips. While the texture is very similar, and the chips will melt in a manner similar to chocolate, carob has a nutty flavor that is not found with different types of cocoa products. Even with sweetening added, carob also tends to be less sweet as many of the chocolate chips used in cookies and similar recipes. For people who find chocolate chips to be too sweet, carob is a logical choice.

Along with substituting carob chips for chocolate chips, it is also possible to combine the two in a single recipe. Rather than using the amount of chocolate chips called for, simply use half carob and half chocolate chips. This will often help preserve the sweetness while adding another layer of nutty flavor to the finished recipe. Since the texture of the carob is like that of the chocolate, it will be hard for people to tell exactly what is different about the recipe. At the same time, you cut calories and caffeine, making the recipe a little healthier for everyone who chooses to enjoy a portion.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

summing

How does carob compare to chocolate in terms of fat and calories? I have seen a few carob chip recipes that look really good and if they are also lower in fat than I will probably try one.

It has been my resolution this year to loose weight. I have been doing really well so far and a lot of that success is because I have been trying to be very conscious of what I eat and substituting healthy foods in place of fatty ones. Chocolate has been a big obstacle though.

backdraft

Sometimes I will use carob as a chocolate substitute when I am baking. If you let things all bake together people often cannot tell that you have used carob instead of chocolate. This is especially true if you add nuts or caramel or peanut butter chips, other flavors to mask the carob.

tigers88

When I was a child I had an allergy to chocolate. For about five or six years I did not eat any chocolate at all. But I had eaten it before and as a kid it was on my mind all the time. My parents started buying carob chips and substituting them in place of chocolate.

They are not a perfect substitute but they work much better than a lot of substitutes. The flavor is pretty close but the texture is not the same, especially when carob starts to melt. It does not have the same milky, creamy quality that real chocolate has.

Luckily as I got older I grew out of my allergy and now I can eat chocolate without consequence. I will probably never eat carob again.

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    • Carob chip cookie dough.
      Carob chip cookie dough.
    • Carob chip cookies.
      Carob chip cookies.