{"id":1031,"date":"2015-10-01T10:24:56","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T10:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/how-to-get-your-chocolate-fix-when-youre-chocolate-intolerant\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T11:40:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:40:19","slug":"how-to-get-your-chocolate-fix-when-youre-chocolate-intolerant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/blog\/how-to-get-your-chocolate-fix-when-youre-chocolate-intolerant\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Your Chocolate Fix When You\u2019re Chocolate Intolerant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was a time when your relationship with chocolate seemed perfect. You loved the taste and &#8211; with its antioxidant and serotonin-boosting properties &#8211; it seemed chocolate loved you back. But things have changed, and nowadays chocolate isn&#8217;t making you feel so good. Lately, chocolate has been giving you cramps, nausea, bloating, and headaches. It\u2019s come to the point where the best option seems to be to break off your relationship with chocolate for good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you and chocolate are on the rocks, then don&#8217;t worry. Whether you have an intolerance to cocoa beans,\u00a0 dairy, or other common ingredients found in popular chocolate bars (like nuts, chilli, or fruits), we can help. With hints to help you and chocolate get back on good terms, recipes where dairy and added sugar aren&#8217;t welcome, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/products\/premium-food-sensitivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">food intolerance tests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help you pinpoint where the problems first started, and even substitutes to help you forget about chocolate for good, we can help you feel normal again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 800;\">Signs of Chocolate Sensitivity, Intolerance or Allergy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before delving into chocolate alternatives, it may be useful to establish if you have a chocolate intolerance or allergy first. Some of the symptoms of chocolate intolerance include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Headaches\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skin problems like rashes, acne, or hives\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and cramps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inflammation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 800;\">Allergic or Intolerant To Chocolate?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you exhibit the symptoms above, it could mean you have a chocolate intolerance or allergy. No matter if you think you have a milk, white, or dark chocolate allergy, there are alternatives out there to suit all different taste buds and preferences. Join us as we look at the best alternatives to chocolate bars, things that taste like chocolate, surprisingly healthy alternatives to chocolate, and general information relating to chocolate allergies or intolerances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Cocoa powder<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it&#8217;s solely a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/intolerance\/dairy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dairy intolerance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that\u2019s keeping you and chocolate apart, then cocoa powder might be just the trick to rekindle the relationship. Most of us already own a tin of cocoa powder, although for much of the year it probably sits neglected at the back of the cupboard, only to be brought out for an odd sporadic fit of baking experimentation. However, if used right, cocoa powder can be a versatile and satisfying alternative to chocolate. Plain, unsweetened cocoa powder contains no sugar (hence its slightly bitter taste) and has four times the amount of antioxidants in milk chocolate. This makes it one of the most surprisingly healthy substitutes for chocolate cravings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a warming dairy-free hot chocolate, try mixing a few teaspoons of cocoa powder with hot almond or coconut milk (obviously dependent on your tolerance to these substances); if you like your hot chocolate a little sweeter, add a small amount of honey to taste. It&#8217;s also great added to your favorite smoothies to give a guilt-free, dairy intolerance-friendly chocolate undertone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, for a midday chocolate fix, simply dust a fruit and nut mix of your choice (we like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and dried cherries) in cocoa powder. Not only is this a great way to stave off chocolate cravings, but it&#8217;s also healthy, cheap, and quick to rustle up. If you like your snacks a little sweeter, put down the sugar and instead add a little cinnamon to the mix; it&#8217;s naturally sweet, sugar-free, and is practically best friends with chocolate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting your fix doesn&#8217;t have to mean sweet stuff either; cocoa is great when it\u2019s added to traditional Mexican foods, or anything with chili, giving a subtle, sweet depth to contrast the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heat<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Carob<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chocolate not returning your calls? Forget about it, and say hello to carob. Whether it&#8217;s a lactose intolerance, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/advice-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">histamine sensitivity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, dairy intolerance, or cocoa intolerance that signalled the beginning of the end, it&#8217;s carob that could be the sign of a fresh start. Carob is one of the best chocolate alternatives for allergies. Carob is the name commonly given to the pods of the carob tree, a Middle Eastern native that is now grown worldwide. The pods are rich in natural sugar, calcium, and minerals. When roasted, these pods can be used pretty much like cocoa powder, being made into carob bars, drinks, cookies, brownies, and ice cream. You name something chocolatey, and it&#8217;s pretty much guaranteed that carob can be used as a stand-in. Carob is famous for tasting like chocolate but not being chocolate. Whilst not being exactly like chocolate, carob does taste similar and is a much healthier substitute for cocoa, because:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carob contains no caffeine or tyramine, two substances that have been linked to headaches. Caffeine can also cause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/advice\/10-surprising-foods-that-give-you-bloating-and-gas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">digestive trouble<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that some people experience after eating chocolate. In contrast, some cultures have traditionally used carob to actually aid digestive problems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carob&#8217;s powdered form has half the fat of cocoa and is naturally sweeter, meaning that less sugar is added to carob products. You can purchase carob as a powder and use it exactly how you would cocoa. It can also be bought in bars (many of them dairy-free) meaning that a traditional &#8220;chocolate&#8221; fix is still an option.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Raw Cocoa<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, chocolate as we know it is rarely found in a healthy form. Most chocolate is mixed with lots of refined sugar, hydrogenated fats, and additives to produce the processed bars that flood shop shelves. However, there are healthy options available. Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, which has the Latin name <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theobroma cacao<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which literally means &#8216;food of the gods&#8217;. To make cocoa powder, cocoa beans are roasted and then ground, removing some of the beans&#8217; natural nutritional content. However, these beans can be cold pressed rather than heated, resulting in cacao, the raw form of cocoa. This process removes the fat from the beans and keeps natural goodness locked in, forming two products: raw cacao and cacao butter. Raw cacao is the healthiest way to get a natural chocolate fix, being minimally processed and full of antioxidants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cacao is also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/advice-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">good for your heart<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and is linked to reduced blood pressure, lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, and a reduced risk of stroke. Theobromine found in the cocoa bean contains tryptophan. This is a precursor to serotonin &#8211; our natural mood elevator. However, in processed chocolate, there is not enough cocoa to warrant an effect &#8211; you need to be eating a minimum of 70% cocoa solids in dark chocolate to gain any benefit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;ll most often see cacao sold as &#8220;nibs&#8221; (looking almost like chocolate chips), but also as &#8220;raw cocoa powder&#8221;. Cacao nibs can be thrown into cereal, nuts, chopped berries, smoothies, or dairy-free yoghurts for an instant antioxidant chocolate fix. However, their potential is most realised in &#8220;raw&#8221; baking, where they can provide an intense but healthy chocolate hit. Why not try out our no-bake cacao nib and raw cocoa fridge cake recipe below? Tell us what you think and share it on social media with the hashtag #FreeFromFeast.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Raw Cacao Recipe: No Bake Fridge Cake<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/Choc-Fix-Fridge-Cake-resized.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/Choc-Fix-Fridge-Cake-resized.jpg\" alt=\"Cake\" width=\"613\" height=\"261\" \/><\/a>Ingredients (makes around 16 squares)<\/h4>\n<p><em>This cake is vegan, and dairy\/gluten\/lactose free. If you want a cocoa-free, low histamine version, just replace cocoa powder with carob powder, and add a couple of lightly crushed pecan nuts to the mixture instead of the nibs.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 145g walnuts<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 110g almonds<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 25g pecans<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 200g dates<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 125g raw cocoa powder (or carob powder)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 35g cacao nibs (or crushed pecans)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 2 teaspoons instant coffee \u2022 \u00bd teaspoon flaked salt<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 1 teaspoon ginger<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 1 \u00bd tablespoons coconut oil, melted<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Method<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Put the walnuts, almonds, and pecans in a food processor, and blend until fine, but without making the mixture a powder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) Add in the dates a few at a time to the food processor, and blend until the mixture starts to come together. If the dates come with syrup, you can add a little of this to loosen and sweeten the mixture<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) Add in the raw cocoa (or carob) powder, and blend in pulses until all ingredients are combined. Tip the nut and date mixture into a large mixing bowl, scraping any left on the side of the food processor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4) Lightly melt the coconut oil, and add to the mixture along with the cacao nibs (or pecans). Stir gently, and add all remaining ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5) Line a 7\u00d77 inch pan with greaseproof paper, then pour in the mixture. Press this down to form an even layer over the pan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6) Place into a fridge for about an hour to set.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7) Cut into squares when set, and serve. This should make around 16 good-sized squares, but also works well when cut up into smaller bitesize cubes. If your fridge cake isn&#8217;t immediately devoured by everyone in sight, then lucky you! It should also keep well in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you and chocolate have been on frosty terms lately, try out some of our tips above, and let us know what you think. If you think chocolate and you might not be best matched, but can&#8217;t figure out why, take a look at our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/products\/food-drink-scan-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food&amp;DrinkScan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> programme. This way, you can figure out whether it&#8217;s the cocoa bean itself, or another ingredient that&#8217;s causing your problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Customer Testimonials<\/h2>\n<h1>Emily Catterall, 24: IBS<\/h1>\n<p>\u201cI feel like I\u2019m in a new body! I\u2019m so much healthier. I can\u2019t tell you how amazingly different I have felt since!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/review\/ibs-emily-catterall\/\"><br \/>\nRead Emily&#8217;s story<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Sally Gunnell OBE, 52: Energy levels<\/h1>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;m not waking up as much during the night, not as bunged up in my nose and I&#8217;ve got so much more energy&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/review\/sally-gunnell-obe-52-energy-levels\/\"><br \/>\nRead Sally&#8217;s story<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Join us on social media<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There was a time when your relationship with chocolate seemed perfect. You loved the taste and &#8211; with its antioxidant and serotonin-boosting properties &#8211; it seemed chocolate loved you back. But things have changed, and nowadays chocolate isn&#8217;t making you feel so good. Lately, chocolate has been giving you cramps, nausea, bloating, and headaches. It\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165,170],"topic_type":[],"symptoms":[],"class_list":["post-1031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-intolerances","category-food-recipes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1031"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86590,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions\/86590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1031"},{"taxonomy":"topic_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic_type?post=1031"},{"taxonomy":"symptoms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yorktest.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/symptoms?post=1031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}