Low carb and grain-free, these chocolate fudge crumb bars are my healthy answer to Starbucks’ oatmeal fudge bars. A delicious keto recipes you won’t want to miss.
Getting married is a really big deal. Even in this day of dating for years and living together before marriage, it’s still a really big deal. And it’s exciting. You enter into it with glorious thoughts of your future together, so many of your hopes and dreams pinned upon your betrothed. It’s a beautiful thing when two people who love each other decide to make that deep and lasting commitment. I didn’t cry at my own wedding, I was far too happy and excited for that. But I inevitably tear up at every other wedding I attend, whether I know the couple very well or not. There’s just that deep sentimentality for all things wedding, because you know everything it is meant to symbolize.
The planning for a wedding can be unbelievably stressful, unfortunately. We get far too caught up in the little details in our efforts to make the day “perfect”. Looking back on my own wedding, I wonder why we let ourselves do this. Yes, okay, you need to time things really well to keep the show moving along according to schedule. And yes, the seating arrangements can be tricky, especially if there are any estranged family members. But the reality is that if you are marrying the right person, the day should be perfect regardless of how the plans unfold. Really, a wedding is just a big ol’ party, meant to bring all the distant factions of your family and friends together in celebration of YOU! How fun is that?
The best advice I ever received, a few days before my own wedding, was this: no one knows exactly what you were planning, so no one will notice if all the little details don’t quite fall into place. In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff. Can’t find the perfect ribbons in your wedding colours to tie up all the napkins at the reception? Did the wedding favours not come out quite as you’d hoped? Let it go. Just breathe and let it go. No one will notice and no one will care. It’s your day, your time to shine. Just marry your beloved and have a great party afterward. That’s all that truly matters.
So, to my fellow blogger, Stephie of Stephie Cooks, who is getting married in April. SURPRISE! Happy Virtual Wedding Shower! Have a blast, my friend, and don’t sweat the small stuff.
I brought these delicious and healthy crumb bars to the party. It’s my low carb, sugar-free take on a treat I used to love from Starbucks. I daresay mine are just as tasty and they won’t send your blood sugar soaring. Win-win, I’d say.
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 2/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
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Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut, sweetener and salt. Stir in butter and vanilla extract and toss until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
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Press 2/3 of mixture firmly into bottom prepared baking pan. Bake 8 minutes, until just golden on the edges and then remove (it will not be baked through).
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In a large saucepan, heat whipping cream and powdered sweetener over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to barely a simmer and remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and let sit 5 minutes to melt.
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Whisk filling until smooth, then add vanilla. Sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine. Pour filling over crust and spread to the edges.
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Sprinkle the surface with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.
Serves 20. Each serving has 7.27 g of carbs and 4.02 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.25 g.
Food energy: 238kcal
Saturated fatty acids: 13.06g
Total fat: 22.50g
Calories from fat: 202
Cholesterol: 24mg
Carbohydrate: 7.27g
Total dietary fiber: 4.02g
Protein: 4.32g
Sodium: 82mg
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I loooove decadent desserts that are on the healthy side!!! These look delish and are such a great way to celebrate Stephie! As an engaged lady myself-I loved your advice!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Kayle!
Julia says
So happy to be joining you in this lovely celebration! I loved your advice to Steph – I know she’ll definitely heed it on the big day! These crumb bars look absolutely fabulous and since they’re healthful, I bet they’re way better than the real thing! I’m all about un-processed sweeteners and have never heard of swerve, so I’ll have to give it a try!! Have a wonderful Monday!
Lori says
I am so happy to find your site. These fudge crumb bars look and sound amazing. Appreciate the healthful approach, too! Never heard of Swerve – enlighten me please. Also, any suggestions for a sub on the whipping cream? I am lactose intolerant. : – (
Carolyn says
Hi Lori. Swerve is a very popular sugar alternative made from erythritol (a sugar alcohol with none of the side effects of most sugar alcohols for most people). It technically has carbs but they never enter the blood stream. I see this on myself because i test my blood sugar regularly. So it’s a great way to get a sweet treat without the sugar! And yes, for whipping cream you can use full fat coconut milk, the kind from a can.
Jean says
I have a corn I tolerance. I have heard some erythritol is made from corn, and some made from birch. Do you know if this brand contains corn? I would love to try it, but have to be sure it is corn free. TYIA
Carolyn says
I have no idea.
Diane says
Looks simply delish and can’t wait to make them, Carolyn. Are these ok to freeze? I’m afraid I’d devour them and need a safety net – aka the freezer! Thanks for doing all the hard work for us and coming up with fantastic delights!
Carolyn says
I didn’t try freezing them but I think they’d be fine.
Susan says
Hi Carolyn,
I frequently see shredded coconut in ‘healthy’ dessert recipes, but I don’t like shredded coconut. Would you suggest an alternative? Thanks!
Carolyn says
In this case, it gives the right texture for the crumb crust. But you could use flax seed meal instead, that would help.
Rachel says
Does the coconut in the crust give a noticeable taste? I don’t like coconut but wouldn’t want to mess up the texture!
Carolyn says
No, it just gives it the right texture.
Joan E says
I didn’t have any problem when I froze mine. I cut into small bite size pieces and when I need a quick treat these are perfect. They are rich and just what I need to get thru a “snack attack”.
Julia says
These would be the end of me! I love the fudge in there.
Patti says
Carolyn, I found your site recently and have to say it’s become my favorite of all the recipe blogs with all your low-carb and sugar-free recipes and tips. I am excited whenever I see your email in my inbox. I melted Lily’s SF chocolate bars today to encase cream cheese & almond butter filled chocolate mini-cups (added toasted pecans in the cheese/butter filling)–then froze them to avoid temptation after one. I love all your chocolate desserts so will have to try this one, too, looks great! Thanks again for recipes and nutritional net carb info!
Carolyn says
Thanks for your kind words, Patti!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
Forget Starbucks when you have these!!! Yesss! Great wedding advice. It was drizzling at my outdoor wedding but I really think that me not caring made it go away sooner! I also cry at every wedding except my own haha, so you’re not alone in that!
April says
These look amazing! I always have almond flour around because I make almond milk but I don’t have xanthan gum. Is there something I can use instead? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I just used the xanthan to help thicken the sauce a bit, as it was a bit too runny. You could maybe do a tbsp or two of cocoa powder, making sure to whisk it in well.
Debbie T says
I don’t have xanthan gum either but I do have glucomannan powder that I use to thicken gravy. Would that work as a substitute? I would have to order xanthan gum online and wait for delivery (little or no shopping choices on the Oregon coast!). Thanks for the great recipe!! Can’t wait to try it.
Amy @Very Culinary says
Yay for Stephie! These look awesome. Serving size, 1 bar. Bwahahahahaha.
Tess Harris says
Thanks for all the grain/carb alternative recipes. I have recently gone grain free and you are a BIG help.
Stephie says
I am just so blown away by everyone’s love and kind words today! Thank you so much for celebrating me – I am so grateful and so touched! Ill be sure to try to keep your words in mind in a couple of weeks and know that, at the end of the day a long as we are married it is a win. 🙂 xoxo
Carolyn says
Congratulations, Stephie and remember to just relax and enjoy the day!!!
Jackie says
I love your recipes! 🙂 But I often hesitate to make them because they call for butter, and I’m sensitive to dairy. (I am not sure if butter would have the same effect as cheese, yoghurt, milk, etc, but I don’t really want to find out).
Can coconut oil be used to replace butter in your recipes pretty standard? Is there something that needs to be done to make the alteration effective? I’d love to try making these bars but obviously can’t due to the whip cream. However, in other recipes I’m wondering re: butter and coco oil swap.
Thanks for your advice (and your consistently lovely blog posts)!.
J.
Carolyn says
I think coconut oil is going to make these too soft. But what about ghee? It has most of the milk solids removed. Another possibility is that i discovered goat’s milk butter the other day, that might work. For the filling here, you can use coconut milk.
stephanie says
These look delicious! I wonder if it’s a regional Starbucks item, because I’ve only ever seen blueberry oat bars. They look really similar to your bars, just blueberry instead of fudge. Anyhoo, I’ll def try these! Thanks for the recipe!
Terri says
PLEASE help a desperate girl who has food allergies to gluten, dairy, egg, rice, and potato among others. I have a disabling genetic connective tissue and joint disorder that makes cooking or anything standing up, difficult, but I have to cook all of my own foods. I see you have suggested full fat coconut milk for the dairy, what about using regular sugar instead of swerve? You have almond flour recipes which I need, but not sure if your other recipes are conducive to substitutions with flax eggs, and dairy substitutes. Thank you so much!
Carolyn says
Many of my recipes would hold up to dairy substitutes but I really don’t know about the flax eggs at all. Sorry, I haven’t tried that in most recipes because they rely so much on eggs to rise. But I think regular sugar would work well in this recipe.
Jennifer says
I substituted 1/2 almond meal (the other half blanched almond flour) and canned full fat coconut milk and the result was a rather runny filling with a slightly mushy base. I also Used reg erythritol with a few drops of Stevia Glycenate and the filling had an initial bitterness. I took them on a work trip and they were delicious and held the shape better on the second and third day.
Nancy says
These were absolutely AMAZING!! I can’t believe they are low carb. No one would ever suspect. The only thing I did differently was add extra sweetener because the chocolate was pretty bitter and I’m not a fan of extra bitter chocolate. Thank you once again, Carolyn, for a marvelous dessert!
Estelle says
You are a genius and I couldn’t be happier with the result of my effort, considering all my substitutes! Almond flour is just too expensive in SA and we don’t have swerve… The top of my squares didn’t look as pretty as yours but it tasted AMAZING ! All the recipes I tried from your blog have been successful. You are truly a gifted lady. Thank you for making our lives so much easier and tastier, being a chocoholic is tricky when a person is avoiding sugar. Have a blessed Easter !
katya says
Yum these look delicious! I really want to make these for an Easter dessert 🙂 I’m just wondering, does the chocolate filling firm up after they’ve cooled? Do they need to be refrigerated before eating them? I just want them to turn out perfect and I knew I’d find the perfect holiday treats on your blog 🙂 Thank you!
Carolyn says
No need to refrigerate and yes, the chocolate filling firms up well.
laurasmess says
Omg. These look so incredibly chocolatey!!! Such a gorgeous recipe Carolyn. I love the fact that this bridal shower for Stephie has brought such a lovely group of women together – it’s a privilege to be a part of it and to ‘meet’ you all! Definitely want to try these soon. So excited for our friend Stephie! 🙂 x
Christina says
Mine looked just like yours, it looked really great. It was not sweet enough for us and I had put in 1 full cup of powdered erythritol. I used high quality organic unsweetened chocolate. I only had organic half and half on hand so I used that. still, I don’t think this recipe will be sweet enough for most people.
Carolyn says
Actually most people are giving it rave reviews. You may want to try adding 1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract to things to up the sweet factor. But I’ve had tons of people make this and say they love it, so I think it’s fair to say that it will be sweet enough for most.
Judy Menting says
Just found your site and tried the “slow cooker dark choc. Cake” OMG it’s fantastic. Going to try fudge crumb bars next. Thank u so much, needed to get back to low crab & sugar free.
Jenny says
Everything I make from your site always turns out absolutely wonderful, and these are no exception. Next time I think I might try to add in some hazelnut extract or something for a little twist.
Thanks for working so hard to develop all of your low carb recipes! I know I certainly appreciate coming to your site for meal inspiration and low carb treats – it’s so hard to find GOOD recipes that actually turn out, and Swerve is a total revelation.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Jenny!
Ainsley says
Absolute noms. I had to freeze half to avoid eating them all in one day and added blueberries to one half and blackberries to the other. I know it increases the carb count but the random bursts were very worth it. Thank you for another excellent recipe.
Question though, I just got quite a few extracts in and was wondering if extracts would come through in a recipe like this one and if so how much would I use?
Carolyn says
What kind of extracts? Fruit flavours?
Ainsley says
Yes. I have a raspberry, orange, key lime and lemon ready to be used.
Carolyn says
All those flavourings will definitely come through nicely, depending on the recipe.
Donna says
I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t do sugar sub. How much sugar would this recipe call for in place? I can’t have aspertame. That is why I can’t use the substitute. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Just FYI, Swerve is not an artificial sweetener and it’s certainly NOT aspartame! Ick. It’s a naturally occurring sugar alcohol called erythritol, found in fruits and fermented foods. However, you can replace the Swerve in this recipe cup for cup. So it should still be great.
Donna says
I didn’t know that, thank you for the info. I have to make these….soon!
Carolyn says
No worries, not many people outside of the “low carb world” really know their low carb sweeteners. 🙂
Jan says
This a great treat to take to any gathering because it will be just as appealing and tasty as any sugary/starchy dessert on the table.
Mid-preparation I discovered I did not have enough cream. Instead I used 1 cup heavy cream + 4 ounces light cream cheese + 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. It takes extra time to dissolve the cream cheese into the cream and I used an electric whisk to smooth out the final lumps. Also added extra sweetener to make up for the tartness of the cream cheese versus cream. The fudge layer using cream cheese looks just like your pictures. Using light cream cheese saves some fat over all heavy cream. I did not have much erythritol on hand, and am happy to report for those who might be curious about subbing sweeteners in this recipe, that sucralose works just fine (no need to grind it to a powder as it dissolves readily). Guar gum subbed okay in place of the xanthum as well.
As always, thanks Carolyn for your research and experimentation that results in such fine recipes. You are acquiring many fans out there!
Carolyn says
Thanks for all the feedback, Jan!
Angela says
Just wondering if anyone has tried subbing coconut flour for almond flour and if so what adjustments are needed? I just cannot afford to bake with almond flour so I am trying to learn how and when I can use coconut flour instead. Thanks.
Carolyn says
Coconut flour would not work here, it’s too absorbent and it would be not very tasty. Your best bet is a different nut flour.
Pam says
Made these for Bunco last night, and they are FAB! Will definitely make them again! I may have to try to freeze because I will eat the ones I have left in one sitting 😉
Emily R. Smith says
These look so yummy, cannot wait to try them!
Thanks.
Ginny says
These were absolutely delicious. My parents visiting from Canada had no idea they were low carb. I got 30 squares out of my pan for 2 grams per square, a nice amount for my kiddo who is on MAD. The crust was quite crumbly – we mostly are eating it with a spoon. I’m not complaining, cuz it’s still so dang good – but I’m wondering if an egg might help to keep it together more?
Carolyn says
What brand of almond flour did you use? If it’s not the finely ground Honeyville, it may become more crumbly.
Ginny says
It was Wellbee’s super fine blanched almond flour. They did set up a bit more after cooling (OK, I admit I couldn’t wait for them to cool initially because they’re so good) and I think I’m going to freeze about 1/2 of them. Hopefully that’ll be ok. I think I might make the chocolate filling as a pudding separately also. Thanks!
Carolyn says
That one should work as well as Honeyville. Glad they set up a bit more!
Erica says
SO the rest of the virtual shower contributions are not low carb? They sound delightful and full off old favorites 🙁
Jeannie says
Looks delish! Please tell me your suggested conversion for swerve to super sweet or to gentle sweet. I can never seem to get it right even with that chart when I make your recipes. Thank you!!
Carolyn says
I don’t really use those. Work with it as if it’s sugar…because swerve is formulated to be as sweet as sugar.
Andrea says
I made these last night. At first I was nervous with how runny the chocolate filling was. The filling firmed up a bit after baking it. My son tried a spoonful hot and said he didnt like the taste. We put them in the fridge overnight and now half the pan is gone haha. Great dessert. The great part is that one or two bars is just enough. They are pretty rich. Thank you for the recipe!
Carolyn says
The chocolate on its own can be intense for kids! My littlest doesn’t like it either. 🙂
Jackie k. says
Made these this weekend. I agree very rich and amazing after refrigerated . I’ve been putting a bit of sugar free raspberry jam on them and some whipped cream or some of that halo top ice cream and man are they even more amazing! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!!!
Erinn says
Just made these! Pretty good! The only thing I did different was use Half and Half and a little more Xanthan Gum – turned out fine 🙂
Erica says
I accidentally put in baking soda instead of xantham gum and they came out perfect! Ha 🙂
Jeri says
I made these for (diabetic) DH yesterday and I would defy anyone to guess they are sugar-free. They were a bit crumbly coming out of the pan, but firmed up fine after refrigeration. Am always looking for nice treats to share for family dinners, etc so DH doesn’t feel left out. These were amazing. Thank you Carolyn.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Luam says
Holy cow…I love this recipe. And my friends aren’t eating Keto or LC love these delicious chocolate squares too. My cousin (11years now) has diabetes- I’ll definitely surprise her with a batch. Maybe you have a recipe as well kids can easily make themselves. Thank you Carolyn! I love your blog!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it. Hope your cousin loves them!
Lori Kaumans says
Carolyn, I made these this weekend and THEY ARE SO GOOD!!! So easy to make and so delicious. These saved me from getting a Swig sugar cookie this weekend (a local soda shop here in Utah; their sugar cookies are a huge weakness for me). Thank you so much for all you do in developing these recipes for low-carb eating.
Carolyn says
So glad I could help!
Anne, Texas says
You are awesome and so are these bars!! I love your recipes 🙂
Maribel says
Is it ok to use gentle sweet? If so, how much?
Carolyn says
I am not sure that the filling will firm up properly but it’s worth a shot. Use the chart to tell you how much Gentle Sweet in relation to sugar, since Swerve measures like sugar.
Debra Jacobs says
Hi I know it late in the peace to be asking a question do you think it would work replacing the Almond flour with oat flour? in NZ Almond flour is $65.00 per kilo just cant afford to buy it .
Carolyn says
Ouch, yikes! That is expensive. Oat flour is finer, and not as fatty, so you will need to compensate for that, possibly with more butter. Also…oat flour will raise the carb count.
Debra Jacobs says
Yeh I know expensive I just cant afford to use it, I dont worry to much about the carb count I just try to keep to healthy wholefood diet I use organic buckwheat flour quite a bit and make a flour out of ground up seeds ( seed flour ) my thoughts being that its protein Im consuming not carbs thinking its healthier for me, just need to change things around to what we can get and afford, but hay girl I just love your recipes. :0)
Carolyn says
Okay so my thoughts are…sub the almond flour with oat flour and be ready to add more melted butter as needed.
Ashley says
I changed the recipe up by using coconut cream, coconut oil, stevia, and a little xylitol. It was a very thick, rich, dark chocolate, that tasted great. It set up well so next time I’ll add more coconut cream to turn it into a pie.
Margaret says
Several people mentioned using half and half instead of whipping cream. Do you think it would work as well? Just looking to keep some of the calories down. Would it just not taste as rich or would it alter the recipe? Looks delicious.
Carolyn says
I think it would be fine for this recipe.
Mary Fox says
This looks wonderful, but do I have to have Swerve Sweetner? I have THM Sweet Blend. Can I just exchange that for equal amounts of the Swerve Sweetner? I do have the POWDERED Swerve Sweetner for the filling
Carolyn says
Don’t do equal amounts, the sweet blend is much sweeter than Swerve. Swerve measures like sugar so figure out how much of the THM blend to add in relation to sugar.
Sue says
Just saw this recipe on Facebook. Looks delicious, but I’m not fond of coconut. Would slivered almonds provide the texture needed in the crust?
Carolyn says
If you can use sliced almonds, that works best.
ashley says
Hi, foolish question but is whipping cream the same thing as heavy cream?
Carolyn says
Yes and no. Heavy cream must have a milk fat percentage of 36% or higher. Whipping cream is anywhere between 30 and 36%. They can both be used here, though.
Y. Destasio says
Carolyn!!
Thank you, thank you thank you for this recipe. Low carb sweets have been my nemesis. But, THESE! They got rave reviews from the kids and hubby. I’m not a fan of coconut and it does have a slight taste of coconut in the crust but I loved it. It reminded me of chocolate cream pie in bar form. I followed the recipe exactly as written except I halved the recipe and baked in a 8×8 pan. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to give us healthy and yummy food! 🙂
Carolyn says
Delighted it hit the spot!
Karen LoPinto says
Just made these for the first time. They were a huge hit! I followed the recipe exactly so the flavor was perfect. They didn’t set up real well in our 100+ degree weather in Arizona so I refrigerated them. Would they set up better with a little extra Xanthan Gum do you think?
Carolyn says
That might help a bit!
Cynthia says
Carolyn, i love your food! I am not a baker so it intimidates me. I just made this recipe, my chocolate was thin even after beating for what i felt like was long enough ? and my crumb mixture was wet sorta so it sank. On the positive side it smells yummy, not sure what it’s to look like when i take it out ? i will let you know how it tasted. Thank you for sharing all your yummy stuff with us wanna be cooks/bakers ♥️
Carolyn says
What brand of chocolate did you use?
Ashley says
Can I use Lily’s chocolate for this recipe?
Carolyn says
No, it doesn’t have enough fiber and the filling won’t set as well.
Carol says
Carolyn,
We LOVE all your recipes – this one included! If I were to make this into a more Christmas dessert by adding mint to the chocolate, do you have any idea how much peppermint extract I would add to a recipe?
Thanks,
Carol
Carolyn says
That depends a bit on your peppermint extract and how strong it is but I think 1 tsp.
Kortney says
Do you use sweve granulars or powdered?
Carolyn says
If it just says Swerve, that’s granular.
Christine says
Can I use cocoa powder?
Carolyn says
That won’t work in this recipe. It won’t thicken enough and will be quite gritty.
Nicole says
Carolyn,
What type of chocolate do you recommend using? I have a couple of Lindt 85% bars and also 99% on hand but worry the 99% will be too bitter. Unfortunately they do not sell Ghirardelli in my region. Can I add some extra swerve or liquid stevia drops? I like it a little on the sweeter side but not too sweet. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Don’t add extra Swerve, it will be too thick. But some stevia drops should be fine. I think you need the 99% because the fiber in the chocolate helps it set properly.
Nicole says
Thanks again Carolyn!
Sarah says
Sprinkled these with crunchy Icelandic sea salt. Amazing <3
Erin says
That fudge layer in the middle is perfect!
Julie Blanner says
My mouth is watering, and low carb? love it!
Kristyn says
Oh, these would be so dangerous for me!! I’d eat them all! Love fudgy bars & love the options! Thanks!
Toni says
My kids really loved it!! Such a perfect treat for everyone!
Anna says
These bars were a huge hit! So delicious!
Nicole says
Hi Carolyn,
I’ve got these in the oven now…is the chocolate sauce supposed to be on the runnier side? I used 90% Lindt chocolate and added an extra few drops of liquid stevia. Not sure if I did anything wrong. I can’t wait to try it. Anyway to get the sauce to thicken up? Thanks!
Carolyn says
This recipe very specifically uses unsweetened chocolate and powdered Swerve, because both of those things have fibre which helps thicken the chocolate. I am afraid yours may not thicken.
Nicole says
Thanks Carolyn for your response., I did use the powdered swerve but added a few liquid drops of stevia. I got the chocolate to firm up after putting it in the fridge overnight. My husband wanted these for breakfast when he saw them! They are soooo good!!! Thanks for all your efforts!
Carolyn says
Glad it worked out!