• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bridgetown Nutrition

Sensible nutrition solutions for a healthy gut

  • Home
  • About
    • Bridgetown Nutrition
    • Riley Wimminger
  • Services
    • Services
    • Testimonials
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • SIBO Resources
    • About SIBO
    • SIBO Symptoms
    • SIBO Treatment
    • SIBO Diet
    • SIBO Favorites
    • Restaurants Portland
    • Reading Material
  • Blog
  • Contact

4-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Low FODMAP, GF, Vegan)

February 10, 2018 By Riley 2 Comments

Do you know what I love most about Valentine’s day?

Grocery stores finally start carrying good-looking strawberries after the winter hiatus.

low FODMAP Valentine's Day Treat 1

Strawberry season here in Oregon does not begin until early summer.  But you wouldn’t want to use Oregon berries in this recipe anyways.  They tend to be very sweet, small, and flavorful, but have a texture that is much less firm than the berries typically found at the grocery store.  They’re perfect for snacking, making a berry crisp, or a strawberry rhubarb compote.

The berries in your grocery store in February are likely coming from warm climates such as Mexico.  They are large and firm- just what you need for chocolate dipped strawberries.

low FODMAP Valentine's Day Treat 2

I absolutely LOVE chocolate dipped strawberries.

But I have several issues with chocolate dipped strawberries available from specialty stores around Valentine’s day:

  1. They are expensive! I think the last time I bought one the cost was around $5 per berry. That’s just theft if you ask me!
  2. The berries aren’t organic. Meaning they are grown with cancer-causing chemicals. Did you know that strawberries are frequently at the top of the Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen list?
  3. They may contain milk.  This is especially true if they have a white chocolate drizzle since white chocolate is typically made with milk powder. You don’t want to make yourself or your FODMAP-sensitive honey feel ill on Valentine’s day, do you?

A better option is to make this homemade version for your low FODMAP Valentine’s Day treat!

SIBO & Chocolate

If you are following a SIBO diet, it’s possible that you are under the impression that chocolate is off-limits.

But did you know that Dr. Siebecker (SIBO queen and creator of the SIBO Specific Diet), shared at the 2016 SIBO Symposium that cocoa is usually well-tolerated by those with SIBO.  But everything in moderation, please!

So what does moderation mean when it comes to chocolate and SIBO?

Well, according to Monash University, 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder is low FODMAP.  That means if you stick to a serving size that is not more than 1/6 of this recipe, you will remain well within the FODMAP limits.  Basically, if you are trying to be extra careful, indulge in no more than 3 chocolate covered strawberries per sitting.

low FODMAP Valentine's Day Treat 3

The other thing to think about besides FODMAPs when it comes to  moderation of chocolate is the sugar content.  While this recipe contains no refined sugar, that doesn’t mean you are completely out of the water.

Our bodies process maple syrup in a similar way to refined sugar.  The difference is that maple syrup contains a little more in the way of nutrition.  But too much sugar is still too much sugar.

The American Heart Association recommends that women limit daily added sugar consumption to not more than 6 teaspoons.  For men, the recommendation is to limit sugar to not more than 9 teaspoons.

So if you indulge in 3 dark chocolate strawberries, you’ll be getting about 2 teaspoons of added sugar.  In my opinion, that’s a healthy balance between mental and physical health.

low FODMAP Valentine's Day Treat 4

Chocolate’s Health Benefits

Isn’t it wonderful when something that tastes so good is also good for you?

Chocolate is one of those things- especially if we are talking about dark chocolate.

Let’s learn about chocolate [1]:

  • The cacao tree and it’s dried seeds are called cacao before processing and cocoa after processing.  When you make food from cacao or cocoa, it’s called chocolate.
  • Cacao is unprocessed and more nutritious than cocoa.
  • Cocoa butter is the fat found in chocolate. Unlike “butter”, cocoa butter is not a dairy product.
  • One of the primary fats found in cocoa butter is oleic acid which has beneficial effects on lipid (cholesterol) levels.
  • Cocoa has more flavonoids (a type of antioxidant) than does wine or green tea.
  • It is rich in potassium, phosphorous, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
  • Cocoa contains stress-reducing valeric acid.
  • Higher cocoa intake has been associated with lower rates of heart disease.
  • Chocolate promotes serotonin production which can have a calming effect.
4-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Low FODMAP, GF, Vegan)
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
A simple, nutritious low FODMAP treat perfect for your Valentine's day indulgence.
Author: Riley Wimminger
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Valentine's Day
Serves: 18 berries
Ingredients
  • 1-2 lb (*see note) large strawberries, washed & thoroughly dried
  • ½ cup (75 grams) raw cacao butter (**I recommend Sunfood Superfoods)
  • ¼ cup raw cacao powder (**I recommend Holy Kakow)
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup (I used Costco Organic Amber Grade A)
  • Optional toppings: unsweetened cacao nibs (my favorite!), unsweetened shredded coconut, raw shelled hemp seeds, finely chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts)
Instructions
  1. Find a small metal mixing bowl that will fit over a small saucepan. Fill the saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring to a boil. Place the mixing bowl over the top to create a double broiler.
  2. Add cacao butter to metal mixing bowl. The cacao butter will slowly melt. Be careful not to let any water drop into the cacao butter.
  3. Once the cacao butter has melted, whisk in the maple syrup and cacao powder until no lumps remain.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip strawberries into chocolate and transfer to lined baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with optional toppings.
  5. Cool in refrigerator at least 1 hour or until chocolate has hardened.
Notes
*Once the chocolate sauce starts running low, it is more challenging to make the dipped strawberries look pretty. If you care about appearance, use just 1 lb of strawberries, then to use up the rest of the chocolate, drop nuts/seeds into remaining chocolate and cool on parchment-lined baking sheet. If taste is more important to you, then buy 2 lbs of strawberries and use the chocolate to make as many dipped strawberries as you can!

**Quality of ingredients is very important in this recipe. Higher quality cacao powder and cacao butter will yield more robust flavor.
3.5.3229

References

[1] Latif R. Chocolate/cocoa and human health: a review. Neth J Med. 2013;71(2):63-8.

[2] Monash University Low FODMAP App. Accessed 02-10-2018.

Filed Under: SIBO Recipes, Sweets Tagged With: Dark chocolate, low FODMAP, SIBO, Valentine's Day

Previous Post: « Akkermansia Muciniphila: An Important Microbe in Gut Disorders?
Next Post: Italian Herb Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs (Low FODMAP, GF, DF) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erica Bryant says

    May 24, 2018 at 6:38 am

    If I don’t tolerate maple syrup, can honey be used as an alternative?

    Reply
    • Riley says

      May 24, 2018 at 8:24 am

      Great question! Due to the density of honey, it tends to not work as well for homemade chocolate because it drips to the bottom and creates a sticky mess. However, I have had success using honey in homemade chocolate by using an immersion blender to emulsify it once melted. If you try using honey, please let me know how it works out!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow On Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
BROWSE RECIPES

Subscribe to Newsletter

* indicates required

Search

Recent Posts on Instagram

Protein-Boosted PB&J Breakfast Bowl 🥜🍓🥣 ( Protein-Boosted PB&J Breakfast Bowl 🥜🍓🥣 (a.k.a my go-to breakfast when there aren’t dinner leftovers around)! Breakfasts without at least 15-20 grams protein don’t keep me full until lunchtime. This bowl? 28 g protein, 17 g fiber, PLUS antioxidants, healthy fats, and more! 💪🏻
GREEN BANANAS! If you find ones that are fully gre GREEN BANANAS! If you find ones that are fully green and firm, throw them in the fridge to stop the ripening (or peel and slice to keep in the freezer for longer). When ready to eat: peel, slice, and steam for a starchy side for chili, soups, and more. They’re rich in resistant starch, which helps promote a healthy gut microbiome. Ripe bananas (yellow with brown spots) give me acne and make me more congested, but not these 🎉 Gimme all that potassium, magnesium, B6, and resistant starch. Have you tried steamed green bananas?
Allergies & Insomnia: Is There a Connection? In ho Allergies & Insomnia: Is There a Connection? In honor of May being National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, I decided to share about this connection I’ve noticed in case it helps anyone else. I included my story with allergies and insomnia, what the research says, and some things that have helped me (Neti pot and Allegra are only the tip of the iceberg). Go to BridgetownNutrition.com or find the link to my blog in my profile.
Salmon Red Curry 🤤 SO delicious, nourishing, an Salmon Red Curry 🤤 SO delicious, nourishing, and a great way to use up whatever veggies you have around.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Disclaimer

The information on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For such services, please consult your healthcare provider.
logo
Health Ads by

Footer

Connect with Riley

Welcome! I'm Riley- master's degree trained nutritionist. Dedicated to helping you overcome digestive (IBS/SIBO/SIFO) & related issues. Just like I have. I share flavorful, healthful, mostly low FODMAP recipes that go above & beyond- gluten-free, dairy-free (except butter/ghee), soy-free, & easy on the oats & eggs! Newer recipes are less likely to be low FODMAP as I continue to heal and expand my diet. I want to help you live a healthier & happier life. Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

Low FODMAP Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Simple Green Salad (Low FODMAP, Paleo)
Cucumber Blueberry Low FODMAP Salsa
Lemon Ginger Tea
Warming Digestive Tea
Dairy-Free Low FODMAP Mashed Potatoes
Track Your Nutrition & Health Data with cronometer.com

Copyright © 2023 · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Admin · Log in