Stopping by with a little weekend treat for you and an update on how things are going with me. If you read my Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites post you’ll know I’ve been dealing with some health issues and have been on a mission to get to the bottom of them
Well, I’m pleased to be able to say that some of the problems have completely cleared up! I don’t know if it’s the result of the herbal and supplements prescribed by my naturopath that I’ve been taking, the anti-candida diet (no sugar, fruit, gluten, yeast, fungi, etc. ) that I’ve been following for nearly a month, getting lots of rest, or a combination of everything. Whatever it is, I’m just happy to be feeling so much better! I do still have a lingering problem which hasn’t left me yet but I’m feeling much more optimistic.
Now that’s me out of the way we can move on to something more fun- dessert!
A few things have really helped me not feel deprived on this program, one of them being carob. It seems to have picked up a bad reputation as being a “health food” only eaten by those granola-munching hippie folk, or as an inferior substitute for chocolate. I want to encourage you to throw away those stereotypes and see it in its own right as just another tasty addition to your diet. I does bear some similarity to cocoa but it’s got a natural sweetness that cocoa doesn’t, it also doesn’t contain caffeine which is what makes it suitable for the anti-candida diet.
I guess I have been enjoying carob as a sort of replacement for my beloved dark chocolate. In the UK, Plamil Foods and Siesta both do unsweetened carob bars which are amazing! You can even get mint and orange flavoured ones! But, even if I COULD have chocolate right now I’d be eating carob too, along with this mousse!
I’ve been enjoying chia puddings for some time now but was introduced to the idea of a blended chia pudding by Dreena Burton. The smooth texture is much more pleasant to me and transforms the pudding into a fluffy, thick mousse! With my newfound love of carob I had to make a carob version. Turns out I wasn’t alone in thinking this was a good idea and Adrienne of Whole New Mom also has a recipe which I’ve adapted here.
I’ve mostly been eating savoury breakfasts at the moment but enjoyed this yummy carob chia mousse one morning for a real treat.
Ingredients
- 1 Can/ 1-1/2 C “light” Coconut milk
- 1/4 C Chia seeds
- 3 Tbsp (heaped) Carob powder
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch of Salt
- 2-3 Tbsp Liquid sweetener (Agave nectar, Maple Syrup, etc.) (I used 1T Yacon syrup + 10 Drops of Stevia as I’m still following the anti-candida diet)
Instructions
- If you don’t have a high-powered blender grind the chia seeds to a fine meal in a coffee grinder first. Then add all the ingredients to your blender and blend until very smooth.
- Pour into serving bowls and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour to thicken up before eating.
Do you like carob? Have you actually tried it?
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Jacqui says
Glad you’re feeling better! I’ve tried to make chia pudding before (unsuccessfully), but I’ll try this one for sure. Maybe my new Ninja will do a better job.
coconutandberries says
Thanks a lot Jacqui. Ooooh new Ninja, exciting! Love new kitchen gadgets 😀
wholefoodrunner says
This looks and sounds delicious! I love carob :). I’ll have to give it a try soon!
coconutandberries says
Yay for another carob lover! Hope you give this a try!
Gabby @ the veggie nook says
When I lived over there I used to LOVE those Siesta bars
This carob mousse sounds to die for! I love carob- while not a substitute for chocolate in my books, it is delicious in it’s own right. Good job sticking to your diet, so glad you are feeling better!
coconutandberries says
I didn’t know you’ve lived over here Gabby?! I’m out of Siesta at the moment..trying to see how long I can go before I have to stock up..;)
Glad you agree on the carob front.
Gabby @ the veggie nook says
Well I lived in Ireland, which is not the same but similar I did about a year and half over there and LOVED it!
coconutandberries says
😀
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
Hear hear, carob is delicious once you drop the pretense that it should taste like chocolate! Of course it would have it’s own unique character, since it’s an entirely different ingredient for crying out loud. Thank you for doing it proper justice with this luscious mousse. It looks fantastic.
coconutandberries says
Exactly! Glad you agree that carob deserves some attention. People need to stop expecting it’s going to taste like chocolate!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
You’re featuring lots of my favourite ingredients this week I adore carob and thank my mother’s influence as she gave it to us as children. I love cocoa and chocolate too, but think carob has its place and chocolate has its place and I like them both equally but in different ways. This mousse looks like a great way to feature it!
coconutandberries says
We never had carob growing up so it’s only in recent years that I’ve discovered it. I agree that both carob and chocolate have their own place
veganbabette says
Glad you’re feeling better. I’ve loved carob ever since I discovered it, but it seems it is not popular anymore in cookbooks, while I used to hear about it more in the nineties. Since I mostly cook from cookbooks, I rarely use carob… and I believe I do have a carob bag I bought a long while back to fix the situation, but I’m not even sure I’ve opened it.
Do you think it’d be good with just soy milk instead of coco milk? I’m not too fond of chia pudding, because you really have to chew it, but I’ve never tried to grind the seeds before.
coconutandberries says
Thank you I do much prefer blended chia pudding. You get the thickness without the lumpiness!
Glad you love carob too. I think you’re right that you don’t see too many recipes using it anymore. We need to change that.
Soy milk would be fine though the pudding would be less rich. If you still want the richness but don’t want to use coconut milk, try blending in some cashews instead
babette says
I think I’ll try that. I even have a few cashews leftover, so that’s perfect.
babette says
Well… it turns out I didn’t have any chia seeds, but my mind was so set on making this that I subbed flax seeds. And I actually had some regular coconut milk, but I put half soy milk/half coconut milk. And it was lovely! I had a bit of it straight away and I don’t know if it’s going to get thicker (right now it’s like a thick smoothie), but I definitely will try it again when I buy more chia seeds. My boyfriend too said it was a success. Thank you!
coconutandberries says
Yay! Glad it worked out for you, despite the changes Definitely try it again with the chia.
joybee83 says
This looks delicious. I’m a chocolate lover but I’ve never actually tried carob. I would like to try it some day when I can find it easily maybe I’ll get some on amazon.com to try.
coconutandberries says
You have to try it! Don’t think of it as chocolate though- it’s got its own unique flavour. I hope you can get your hands on some carob soon. It’s fairly widely available in health food stores these days.
Elaine @ foodbod says
Good to hear you are feeling better, you’re obviously doing all of the right things ☺️
coconutandberries says
Thanks Elaine. It’s a bumpy journey but at least I’m moving forwards
Elaine @ foodbod says
Which is all that matters x
Krishee says
Hi! Just wondering why you were on such a retvticrise elimination diet, if you don’t mind sharing ? I have major digestion issues, so this seems similar to the way I eat, but with more restrictions
Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) says
Yum I love chia pudding, and I think carob is totally underrated.
coconutandberries says
Glad you agree. We need to bring carob back to glory!
Sophie33 says
I,love your tasty dessert a lot but I made a similar chai carob puddings a few days ago with added speculoos liqueur? check it out: http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/carob-chia-puddings-speculaas-liqueur/
coconutandberries says
Clearly we’re on the same page! Speculoos liqueur sounds really interesting. I used to love a dash of rum in my chocolate mousse 😉
vegainvianen says
It’s good to hear you are feeling better already! I used to have issues with candida too, but I haven’t since I stopped eating meat. I still eat quite a lot of sugar, but I eat much less refined sugar. I also stopped drinking coke cola, that must have helped too 😉 On the carob: I’ve tried, but I can’t seem to get used to it’s distinct flavour. I have a jar full in my pantry somewhere… I’ve tried it mostly in vegan overnight oats.
coconutandberries says
Thanks Marielle I don’t even know if it is candida, test results take ages to come through but if it is I’m hoping it’s such a mild case. I rarely eat refined sugar, obviously no meat or dairy so I thought I was doing everything right!
That’s a shame you haven’t liked carob so far, maybe this mousse will convert you 😉
vegainvianen says
I’m saving up for a good blender (no idea what a reasonably good blender costs), so I’ll definitely try it once I can grind those seeds We’re doing it pretty well already. My skin also cleared up a lot once I gave up meat and it became even better when I stopped working with dairy, so…
coconutandberries says
I use my Tribest personal blender most- great for grinding nuts and seeds, sauces and dressings and individual smoothies. http://www.ukjuicers.com/tribest-personal-blender-pb-350
I do also have a blendtec which I got 2nd hand from ebay and use for big batches of things and green smoothies, etc. They’re pretty pricey but I’ve heard great things about the Omniblend as a cheaper but equally good alternative. http://www.omniblendkitchenblenders.co.uk/omniblend-uk-shop/
I spent ages thinking about blenders but am so grateful I bit the bullet and bought one!
vegainvianen says
I’ll have a look! The Omniblend I can’t have shipped to the Netherlands, unfortunately, but you’re not the first to recommend it 😉
Joanne says
I’m glad some of the health stuff has cleared up!! And I’m loving this mousse. SO creamy dreamy.
coconutandberries says
Thanks Joanne. It’s a huge relief! Creamy and dreamy is the name of the game 😉
Including Cake (@IncludingCake) says
Happy things are on the up for you! I don’t eat carob as much as i should or could since i have loads of it (that i randomly bought in bulk!) i find it nice mixed with berries in porridge when i want a semi sweet kick without adding extra sweetener as its naturally sweeter than cacao.
coconutandberries says
oooh tell me where to buy in bulk! It’s definitely nice that you can use it without sweetener. I just love unsweetened carob bars or mixing the powder with nut butter for a yummy treat
sophiazerg says
Glad you’re feeling better! I don’t eat carob very much, but I do like it!
coconutandberries says
I didn’t use to but I’m loving it at the moment
kayseartsandhealth says
This looks sooooo wonderful!
I wanted to let you know that I nominated you for the versatile blogger award.
http://arthealthandhappiness.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/the-versatile-blogger-award/
coconutandberries says
Thanks so much for the nomination! Hope you don’t mind me not taking part but I’ve already done this one. Thanks for making me feel special 😀
kayseartsandhealth says
I am glad you’ve already been recognized! Thank you for your wonderful blog!
sonja@vesenmork says
i’m so glad to hear you’re feeling better! it sounds so hard not being able to eat sweets, fruit and chocolate, but i knew that if one person was talented enough to still make it work and create delicious things, it would be you! i love this mousse idea! i’ve never blended up my chia puds (why make the vitamix dirty) but you convinced me to give it a try. o, and i love carob!
coconutandberries says
You should try it blended. It’s quite different to regular chia pudding, still thick but fluffy and smooth obviously 😉
You’re so sweet. I am missing fruit but am going to experiment with adding back in some low sugar fruits now and see how I feel…wish me luck!
Sharon @ Bit of the Good Stuff says
So pleased to hear you’re feeling much better! 😀
We love smooth chia puddings, especially choc/banana and choc/orange flavours. I like carob but have never used it myself as I’ve found it difficult to find in the shops.Do you know if Harvest stocks it now?
coconutandberries says
I love chocolate and orange together but haven’t done that flavour for a chia pudding. I’ll have to check in Harvest for you on the carob. I bought my latest container in Planet Organic in London- the Rapunzel brand : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rapunzel-Organic-Carob-Powder-250/dp/B000LQUHGU. I have tried a different one and didn’t like it nearly so much.
Sharon @ Bit of the Good Stuff says
p.s. Your chia pudding looks scrumptious! Beautiful photos too ♥
Belinda Y. Hughes says
It’s been a lonnng while since I last had carob, and I’ve never tried chia in any form yet, so this will be a delicious new step forward. All I have for blending now is a Magic Bullet, but very much looking forward to some kitchen tool shopping as the year unfolds. Glad you’re feeling better.
coconutandberries says
A magic bullet style blender is actually what I made this in so that’s perfect! Hope you get to try this recipe and thank you for your kind words
Lisa says
I love carob! and this looks like heaven in a glass
coconutandberries says
Thanks chicka Carob lovers unite!
Laura Agar Wilson (@lauraagarwilson) says
That looks amazing! I haven’t had carob powder in ages, it was one of my favourite additions to smoothies
coconutandberries says
Mmmmm yes, carob-banana smoothies are SO good!
Deena Kakaya says
Glad you are recovering. This looks so smooth and lovely x
coconutandberries says
Thanks so much Deena. It’s certainly nice to be feeling a bit better!
Sandra (@CandidaDietTips) says
Goodie goodie gosh - had no idea that you were following the Candida diet as well - nor that you have a flat in Bath!!! (green with envy :o) I love your dessert creations and always happy to share them with my readers. Take care
coconutandberries says
Hehe. I’ve been following for about a month now. It hasn’t been the easiest but much better than I thought and I’m feeling the benefits. Thank you for your kind words
veganmiam.com says
Sorry to hear about your health issues, how are you feeling right now? I’m happy to know that you’re feeling a lot better now, sometimes there are some ingredients or foreign ingredients that may affect our diet. I get skin reactions or nauseous (stomach pains) after consuming a foreign dish, or unhygenic dishes (the usual outdoor food markets). Carob is a yummy ingredient in desserts, I would love to give it a try! x Rika
coconutandberries says
Thanks lovely I’m doing a whole lot better now but still trying to get to the bottom of it all. Making sense of our bodies can be tricky!
diana kimball says
I love this recipe! I had tried puddings made with whole chia seed, but I like the texture of this so much more. I didn’t have the coconut milk, but I used regular unsweetened almond milk with an added 1/4 cup of cashews to make it a little creamier-it gelled up very nicely. Served it with unsweetened coconut shreds and a little no-sugar-added chocolate sauce that has been sitting in my fridge. Delicious!
Coconut and Berries says
So pleased to hear it was a success with you Diana! A coconut and chocolate sauce topping sounds perfect 😀