Quick Answer
Yes, you can eat chocolate chips on a keto diet, but in moderation. The key is choosing a brand that is low in sugar and carbs. Look for chocolate chips made with at least 70% cacao and containing 3g net carbs or less per serving. Track your portions carefully, as even keto-friendly chocolate chips are calorie dense.
What Are Chocolate Chips?
Chocolate chips are small pieces of chocolate made for baking and eating out of hand. Traditional chocolate chips are semi-sweet and contain sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, and vanilla extract. Many brands also add milk or milk powder.
The cocoa solids give chocolate chips their rich chocolate flavor, while the added sugar makes them sweet. Sugar is typically the third most abundant ingredient after chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. This gives most conventional chocolate chips a high carb count compared to dark chocolate.
Are Chocolate Chips Keto-Friendly?
Chocolate chips can fit into a keto diet plan, but you have to be choosey about what you buy. The keto diet limits carbs to 20-50 grams per day. Most chocolate chips have around 15-18g carbs per serving, which uses up a large share of your daily carb budget.
However, some brands now offer keto-friendly chocolate chips made with alternative sweeteners like stevia and erythritol. These chips have significantly fewer net carbs, making them a smarter choice for keto.
Let’s compare the nutrition facts of regular semi-sweet chips to keto-approved Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips:
| Nutrition Facts Per 1/4 Cup (28g) Serving | Regular Semi-Sweet Chips | Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | 160 |
| Fat | 8g | 14g |
| Carbs | 18g | 8g |
| Sugar | 13g | 1g |
| Fiber | 1g | 6g |
| Net Carbs | 17g | 2g |
As you can see, the keto-friendly chips are much lower in sugar and net carbs. This makes them a great option for staying under your daily carb limit on keto.
What to Look for in Keto-approved Chocolate Chips
When shopping for keto chocolate chips, read labels carefully and look for these markers of a quality low-carb product:
– Minimum 70% cacao – Chips with higher cacao have lower carbs and sugars. 70% is ideal for balanced flavor.
– Alternative sweeteners – Sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol have negligible effects on blood sugar.
– 3g net carbs or less – Net carbs account for fiber, so aim for under 3g per serving.
– No added sugars – Avoid corn syrup, cane sugar, etc. Sugar alcohols and stevia are okay.
– High fat and fiber – These nutrients slow digestion and lower the glycemic impact.
– Positive reviews – Be sure the chips taste good too! Reviews from keto dieters can help identify the best-tasting options.
Brands that meet these guidelines include Lily’s, Choc Zero, Fat Snax, and Baker’s Unsweetened. You can usually find at least one keto-friendly choice in larger grocery stores, and online specialty retailers offer even more variety.
Portion Control Is Important
Even when choosing low-carb chocolate chips made with no sugar added, portion control remains critical. Keto chocolate chips are extremely calorie dense, with upwards of 150 calories in a small serving. It’s easy to overeat if you mindlessly snack straight from the bag.
Stick to a single serving size, which for chocolate chips is usually:
– 1-1.5 ounces or 1/4 cup chips
This provides 3g net carbs and roughly 150 calories. Pre-measure portions into snack bags or containers so you aren’t tempted to eat more.
Tracking your food intake can also help ensure chocolate chips don’t sabotage your macros. Log them alongside other carb-containing foods each day to stay under 20-50g total net carbs.
How Much Chocolate Can You Eat on Keto?
There’s no single “magic number” for how much chocolate you can consume on keto. The amount that fits your macros will depend on factors like:
– Your total daily carb allowance – Lower carb limits mean smaller chocolate portions.
– Your activity level – Active individuals may tolerate more carbs.
– Your health goals – Are you trying to lose weight or maintain?
– Your sensitivity to sugar alcohols – Some people experience digestive issues if they eat too much.
A good rule of thumb is to treat chocolate as a occasional treat rather than a daily habit. Limit yourself to 1-2 servings max per day, and avoid chocolate that contains sugar alcohols if you experience GI upset.
Here are some examples of reasonable chocolate portions:
| Food | Serving Size | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate bar (85% cacao) | 1 square (1 oz) | 3g |
| Chocolate-covered nuts | 1⁄4 cup | 3g |
| Keto chocolate chips | 2 Tbsp (1/4 cup) | 3g |
| Cocoa powder | 2 Tbsp | 2g |
These portions contain around 3g net carbs each. You could choose one serving per day and remain within limits on keto. Just watch your saturated fat intake from chocolate, and account for carbs from other foods you eat.
Tips for Incorporating Chocolate Chips into a Keto Diet
Here are some clever ways to add chocolate chips into a keto eating plan:
– Use them to make keto-friendly chocolate chunk cookies or muffins. Replace sugar with low-carb sweeteners in baking recipes.
– Add a few chips to keto ice cream or smoothies for a chocolatey twist.
– Melt them over strawberries or banana slices for an easy chocolate-dipped treat.
– Stir them into chia seed pudding or plain Greek yogurt. The chips add crunch and sweetness.
– Mix with nuts and a little peanut butter to make homemade Kind-bar style energy bites.
– Drizzle melted chips over baked keto desserts like brownies and cakes. Let them harden again before serving.
– Blend them into homemade nut butter for a flavored spread.
The possibilities are endless! With a little creativity, you can work chocolate chips into just about any keto recipe.
Potential Downsides of Keto Chocolate Chips
While chocolate chips can be part of a keto diet, there are some potential downsides to be aware of:
– May trigger food cravings or overeating for some – Chocolate is easy to over-indulge in.
– Can cause digestive discomfort if you eat too many sugar alcohols – Excessive amounts can lead to bloating, gas, or diarrhea for sensitive individuals.
– Adds more saturated fat to your diet – Chocolate is high in saturated fat, which some people try to limit for heart health.
– Spikes blood sugar in certain individuals – People with diabetes or insulin resistance may experience elevated blood sugar levels after eating chocolate chips, even if they are labeled low carb or sugar-free.
– Availability of certain brands may be limited – Not all stores carry low-carb chocolate chips, so you may have to shop online instead.
– Can be expensive compared to regular chocolate chips – Specialty keto-friendly brands often cost more money.
To sidestep these downsides, consume chocolate chips in moderation as an occasional treat in your diet rather than an everyday habit. This prevents overconsumption and potential side effects.
Healthy Keto Chocolate Chip Recipes
Here are a few healthy recipes using low-carb chocolate chips:
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chewy cookies have just 3g net carbs from chocolate chips and low-carb sweeteners.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup powdered monk fruit/erythritol blend
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Lily’s dark chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, baking soda and salt.
- Add butter, egg and vanilla. Mix until a dough forms.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on sheet. Slightly flatten each ball.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool before serving.
Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins
Whip up these muffins for a quick high-protein breakfast or snack.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup powdered erythritol
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Lily’s chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with liners.
- Mix together dry ingredients: almond flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk wet ingredients in another bowl: milk, egg, coconut oil, erythritol, and vanilla.
- Pour wet into dry and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 15-18 minutes.
- Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Chocolate Chip Keto Smoothie
Blend up this creamy, frosty smoothie for a refreshing treat.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp monk fruit/erythritol blend
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup ice
- 2 tbsp Lily’s chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a glass and mix in chocolate chips.
- Drink immediately before chips fully melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chocolate chips spike insulin?
It depends on the brand. Conventional chocolate chips made with sugar will spike insulin more due to their high carb content. Keto-friendly chips made with stevia and erythritol typically won’t spike insulin much, but they may still trigger a small insulin response. Portion control is key.
Can you substitute chocolate chips in baking recipes?
Yes, you can swap sugar-free chocolate chips into most cookies, bars, muffins, and cakes that call for traditional chips. The texture remains similar. Just avoid recipes heavily reliant on the sugars in chips for proper structure.
What are the best keto chocolate chip cookie recipes?
Some popular recipes include:
– Almond flour chocolate chip cookies
– Chocolate chip cookies with nut butter
– Keto oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with grated zucchini
– Egg white chocolate chip protein cookies
– Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Do I have to give up chocolate on keto?
No, you can still enjoy chocolate on keto! Just opt for higher cacao, low sugar varieties like 85% dark chocolate. Limit portions to keep carbs low. Keto chocolate chips can provide an occasional treat as well.
Will I get kicked out of ketosis if I eat chocolate chips?
It depends how much you eat. A single serving of keto chocolate chips likely won’t knock you out of ketosis by itself. But regularly overdoing portions may eventually bump you over carb limits and interrupt ketosis. Practice moderation.
The Bottom Line
Chocolate chips can fit into a keto diet when consumed mindfully and in moderation. Look for low-sugar, high-cacao chips that won’t blow your carb budget. Stick to a single serving size, and incorporate chocolate into keto recipes for a delicious occasional treat. Balance with healthy fats, protein, and low-carb veggies throughout your day.
With the right approach, you don’t need to say goodbye to chocolate on keto. Just opt for the most keto-friendly versions and remain diligent about portions. This allows you to satisfy chocolate cravings while still keeping your macros in check.
