It’s been about a month since I’ve had any kind of chocolate chips, chocolate bars, or chocolate candy in my house.
It’s not that I’m sick of chocolate (impossible) or that I think there’s anything wrong with a little here and there. It’s more that I found myself having a bite after lunch, as an afternoon pick-me-up, just a few chocolate chips for dessert…it was becoming a never-ending cycle.
So, I just stopped buying it. And you know what? Most of the time I don’t even miss it. It’s forced me to get creative and expand my sweets repertoire. Rich, chocolate avocado pudding, variations of banana soft-serve, mojitos… Okay, that last one probably isn’t the type of thing you should be enjoying throughout the day, but it’s become my new favorite after-dinner treat. Extra lime juice (and rum), please.
Then there are those times when you just really need that damn piece of chocolate.
This happened to me last week, and while I tried to satisfy the craving with a smoothie, bites of almond butter, and dried fruit (I don’t know why I thought that would work??), the only thing I was successful in doing was pissing off my craving and making it that much stronger.
I caved and made chocolate. But not your typical grocery store chocolate. I made super dark, ready-in-under-10-minutes, 3-ingredient orange chocolate – unsweetened cocoa powder, coconut oil, and some of the new NuNaturals liquid orange stevia.
- ¾ C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¼ C. plus 1 Tbs. Coconut Oil, Melted
- NuNaturals Orange Stevia to Taste (I used about 30 drops)
- Orange Zest for Garnish (optional)
- Lightly grease a mini muffin pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, and stevia.
- Using a tablespoon, portion the mixture into the mini muffin tins.
- Place the muffin pan in the freezer for 2 minutes, then remove and sprinkle on the orange zest (if using). The orange zest will sink to the bottom unless the chocolate is partially frozen.
- Return the pan to the freezer and freeze the chocolate for 2-3 more minutes, or until it’s completely solid.
- Go.to.town.
I’m a big fan of the NuNaturals plain liquid stevia (it’s the only brand I’ve found that doesn’t have that gross, bitter aftertaste), so I was really excited when NuNaturals contacted me to see if I wanted to try their new orange and lemon flavors. Just like their plain and vanilla stevias, these are seriously good. I’ve been adding a few drops to my water or some seltzer, in addition to my chocolate. It’s like Vitamin Water Zero, but way more cost effective.
Would you like to try the new orange and lemon stevia?
NuNaturals has offered to give away one bottle of each flavor to FOUR readers!
3 ways to enter:
- Leave a comment on this post – tell me anything you like! Favorite way to use citrus? Creative ways for satisfying a chocolate craving?
- “Like” the NuNaturals Facebook page
- Tweet: “I entered the @picklesnhoney @NuNaturals giveaway! bit.ly/KCL3Ja”
Just make sure to leave a comment for each entry.
Please Note: Products cannot be shipped to PO boxes. Giveaway will end on Friday, 5/11 at 12pm EST.
Also, if you’d like to place a NuNaturals order, visit their website and enter discount code BLG0612 at checkout to receive a 15% discount on your entire order, effective until 6/30/12. You can also receive free shipping in the Continental U.S. on all orders exceeding $35 after discounts.
Good luck!
…
Edited to Add: This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Katherine, Christy, Carly, and Jane!
{ 87 comments… read them below or add one }
(I hope this is open to Canadians?!)
I really love citrus in bars or squares. Oh my word, I could go for a tangy sweet piece right now. Recipe looks amazing and pretty also.
Just confirmed that it’s open to Canadians!
i’d love to win this stevia. i love citrus, especially fresh lemonade and key lime pie!
liked NuNaturals on facebook
I am a huge fan of citrus-based desserts. I especially love lemon bars!
I love nunaturals so these citrus flavors would be a fun addition!
I like NuNaturals on FB
I tweeted (@just_audrey)
I’ve never considered making chocolate using cocoa powder. Chocolate and orange are one of my favorite combinations.
i like using citrus in baking!
i liked on facebook!
I add citrus to many things: a little bit of orange juice to sugar cookie frosting, in baked goods like orange currant scones, a grapefruit in my daily juice, and an obvious one…on fish.
I’ve never tried stevia as I’m always wary of all these replacement sugars out there. But it would be interesting to try it… perhaps I’m missing out on something. Do you use it as a replacement for granulated sugar in everything?
I haven’t tried the stevia in place of granulated sugar in baking, but NuNaturals makes a baking blend that I’m excited to try! I sometimes use agave (although there’s debate about whether that’s any better than regular sugar), and I’ve recently been baking with coconut sugar (less processed and lower glycemic). I also really want to try making some date paste. So many options!
Congrats, Carly! You won the lemon & orange stevia! Shoot me an email at amanda[at]picklesnhoney.com with your shipping address and I’ll pass it along to my contact at NuNaturals!
I have used different brands of powder stevia but never the liquid form of it. Hope I win!
Yay for being open to Canadians!
I am a sucker for anything orange flavoured, and anything chocolate, so this blog post literally made my morning. One of my go-to chocolate craving solutions at work (esp with this blasted candy jar my coworker has behind my desk!) is chocolate chai tea. Recently, I’ve gotten into the Birthday Cake tea from David’s – I’ve been meaning to go grab their Chocolate Cake one for work-related afternoon chocolate cravings as well
I also just “liked” NuNaturals on Facebook
Hot chocolate fudge sundaes with soft serve vanilla ice cream…melted.
And now I’m craving an ice cream sundae…haha
I have tried this orange stevia but not in chocolate yet, although I do like chocolate stevia. I like it in fizzy water, for and orange-y drink!
I like NN on facebook
Chocolate and orange was my dad’s favorite combination and I love it too! Will def try these chocolates with NuNatural stevia.
I love citrus in baked desserts! Grapefruit cake is my favorite (Thomas Keller’s recipe!)
Grapefruit cake sounds fantastic!
Congrats, Jane! You won the lemon & orange stevia! Shoot me an email at amanda[at]picklesnhoney.com with your shipping address and I’ll pass it along to my contact at NuNaturals!
And I tweeted!
Homemade dark chocolate? This could be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands … like MINE!
Fortunately, it’s so dark that a little is all you need to satisfy the craving.
This looks wonderful. Would another oil work in place of coconut? Maybe olive? We have a coconut allergy and would love to try this. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with other oils, but the oil would have to freeze solid. If you do give it a try, I’d recommend a really small batch in case you end up with chocolatey soup!
I love stevia! NuNaturals is the only brand I use! Love your blog and those chocolates look delish!
Thanks, Jessica!
I’d love some more chocolate/candy recipes using stevia!
These sound awesome! Lately, my favorite use of citrus is in Strawberry Basil Grapefruit Lemonade! SO good! The lemon stevia would be perfect!
That drink sounds incredible! Do you have a recipe for it?
Not exactly! I mostly just wing it, but I can give you the basics. This makes a pitcher full.
- 7-8 lemons
- 2 grapefruits (I used ruby reds)
- heaping handful of strawberries, roughly chopped
- zest of 2 average size lemon
- 5-6 basil leaves, torn up
- 3/4 c turbinado sugar
- lots of ice
Make a simple syrup with the basil, lemon juice, sugar and about 1 1/2 c of water. Juice together the lemons and grapefruit and toss in the blender with the strawberries. Strain the syrup into the blender and whiz it all together! You may want to start by adding a little syrup at a time until you reach your preferred sweetness. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the strawberry seeds and pour over a pitcher of ice. Delicious! In the future I want to try it with different sweeteners, maybe honey or stevia. I think any sweetener would be just fine, really. My whole family is completely gaga over this drink. It’s perfect on a warm day!
Yum! I can’t wait to make this! Thanks for taking the time to write out the recipe!
When I’m craving chocolate and I don’t want to cave (I also have to try to abstain from buying it), I make an almond butter, banana, chia, and cocoa nib smoothie. Works pretty much every time, it’s so creamy and delicious…
I’d love to try the nuNaturals stevia!
That smoothie combo sounds great!
Wow, perfect! Jeju island is known for the oranges. I will be making these soon! Thanks.
One of my favorite ways to eat citrus is just this… orange dark chocolate! But I also love to eat oranges plain.
I love citrus paired with cranberries in quick breads. Yum!
Liked NuNaturals on FB!
…and I tweeted!
I would love to try NuNatural stevia! I recently started using stevia in my teas and coffees but haven’t found the “one”. The citrus flavored stevia drops will be perfect for my breakfast tofugurt. I blend morinu silken tofu with fruits or berries and a spoonful of flax seeds in a food processor and chill it overnight. It makes a yogurt-ish pudding-ish deliciously addictive breakfast.
What a great breakfast idea!
Congrats! You won the lemon & orange stevia! Shoot me an email at amanda[at]picklesnhoney.com with your shipping address and I’ll pass it along to my contact at NuNaturals!
They look so good! I reckon I would polish the lot off in about 10 minutes flat!
I liked it on facebook!!!
love your recipes and your story! So inspirational!
Thanks, Sylvie.
I love making my own chocolate. I started experimenting with a pistachio version like I found in Switzerland, but couldn’t get in the States. It is way easier than you would imagine and so adaptable. I would love to be able to experiment with these NuNatrals sweeteners.
I love citrus in baked goods. Lemon cookies and orange cranberry muffins are my favorites.
I would really love to try NuNatural stevia! I have tried other stevia’s and I’m not a fan at all. My mom is always trying to get me to use stevia but I can’t find one I like so maybe NuNatural Stevia is just what I need. I will have to try this recipe out. One of my favorite chocolatelly things to eat was the chocolate oranges you smash to brake apart and this sounds like it will taste like that. YUM!
Stevia is a little bit of an acquired taste, but the NuNaturals brand is much better than the others I’ve tried. I honestly can’t even taste it when I mix it in things like smoothies.
I used to love those break-apart chocolate oranges!
Number 6? Best step ever.
wowza.. i love easy indulgences:) i love citrus with chocolate.. and i love it in breads and breakfasts! pancakes, scones, french toasts.
Please do drop by the fundraiser on my blog, if you have a minute, to bid, or share. I am trying to raise funds through auction of items donated by fellow bloggers for an amazing organization in India! Thanks a bunch! http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/p/fundraiser-for-vspca.html
What a great cause! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve always wanted to try NuNaturals. I’ve bought other brands and I don’t like the aftertaste that some can leave. And my favorite citrus is Pumelo, just by itself, freshly sliced off the rind. It’s delicious!
I haven’t had a pumelo in forever – so good!
Hiya! Haven’t tried NuNaturals yet but have been wanting to. As for curbing cravings….I pretty much live by the rule that if I’m craving something, I have it. Since I’m generally a healthy eater this works out just fine!
I love orange in chocolate. I would love to win these!
OMG, lemon stevia would be perfect for SO many things …
would love to try them!
I love citrus in breakfast breads or smoothies!
I like NuNaturals on Facebook too!
Would love to try Stevia in liquid (and flavored) form! Thanks Amanda!!
I liked them on FB as well.
I feel you… I am simply unable to keep pre-made chocolate in the house. No matter how determined I am to ration it, it’s gone in about 3 days. Love this idea, but I’ve never tried Stevia drops. I’m intrigued!
I like citrus in my ice tea or fruit smoothies for added sweet tartness! Very refreshing!
I like NuNaturals on Facebook
Tweeted your link
I’ve been dying to try this brand of stevia because I’ve heard it’s the best. It’s just so expensive. I love putting citrus zest in everything!
It is pricey, but it lasts forever. I’ve been working on a 2 oz bottle of the plain liquid stevia for almost a year now, and I use it at least once a day for tea/smoothies. You might also be able to find it for a little less on sites like iherb.
P.S. I’ve heard great things about your cookbook! It’s next on my list of books to check out!
Thank you! Good to know! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on my book
Congrats, Christy! You won the lemon & orange stevia! Shoot me an email at amanda[at]picklesnhoney.com with your shipping address and I’ll pass it along to my contact at NuNaturals!
NO WAY!! Awesomeness! Emailing you!
I tweeted!
I Liked NuNaturals on Facebook
Ooh, I’ve been craving a chocolate orange lately (but not sure they’re vegan) – so this would be great
I liked the NuNaturals FB page
I also tweeted about the giveaway
I recently have been in the caught in the habit of combining oranges/grapefruits & dates. I don’t do anything fancy, just stuff ‘em in my mouth. I love that sweet-sour combination.
I’ve been on a big medjool date kick lately – they’re so good!
Oh my gosh, I will eat citrus in any sort of dessert. Reading this blog post got me all crazy excited.
Just wondering if this would work with stevia that isn’t in liquid form.
Hey Stef! I haven’t tried it with powdered stevia, but I think it should work. You may need to add just a little more melted coconut oil to get the right consistency.
I love making it with peppermint flavored stevia and some coconut flakes, sort of a peppermint pattie flavor! Stevita brand stevia also does not leave a bitter aftertaste.
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