Carob is a naturally sweet ingredient made from the pods of the carob tree and is commonly used as a caffeine-free alternative to chocolate. Unlike cocoa, carob does not naturally contain caffeine and is often chosen by people looking for gentler alternatives.

People often search for carob when looking for:

• chocolate without caffeine
• cocoa-free chocolate
• lower sugar alternatives
• gentler sweet snacks

Why Do People Switch from Chocolate to Carob?

Consumers choose carob for many different reasons.

Some people simply enjoy the flavour, while others are looking for alternatives due to:

• caffeine sensitivity
• migraines
• acid reflux
• sleep disruption
• dietary preferences

Unlike cocoa, carob contains no caffeine.

Carob comes from the Ceratonia siliqua tree and is from the legume (which put simply, means bean) family and is cultivated by us humans for it's edible pods, which are technically a fruit. Native to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions, our lovely Carob likes a warm climate and being by the sea (as do we). Each carob tree is a single sex, so it takes a male and female tree to produce carob pods. The trees take up around 6-7 years to reach maturity but once fertilised the female tree produces our lovely carob pods, sometimes by the ton! Traditionally the pods are collected by laying out nets on the floor and knocking the branches with a large stick, yes really, waiting for the wonderful crop to fall and gathering them up to make into lovely chocolatey treats.

Labelled a 'superfood', carob is known for many fab reasons including being; gluten free, full of calcium (but no oxalates), high in fibre, naturally low in fat and a good source of antioxidants. In the past carob has been used for many different things, including digestion issues, heartburn and even to help ease morning sickness! In the 19th century the pods were often sold to singers to help soothe and maintain the health of their vocal chords.

Unlike cocoa, it is naturally sweet with no refined sugar, no caffeine and no theobromine, it is perfect for creating our indulgent cocoa free chocolate bars to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Whilst being abundant in natural sugar carob still packs a punch with high levels of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A and B, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc!

Carob can be an awesome alternative to chocolate especially if you are sensitive to caffeine too! We regularly win new customers who haven't been able to eat chocolate for years because of the Theobromine usually found in chocolate but our Caroboo bars don't contain any of this!

Carob Chips for Baking

When it comes to making and baking, carob tends to commonly come in two forms, powder and chips. The chips are made from the powder which is in turn is made by de-seeding the pod, drying out the pulp, roasting it and then grinding it down into a fine powder. In both forms it is similar to the famous cocoa, but has a distinctly mellow, slightly nutty flavour which makes it great for cooking. If you are looking for carob chips for cooking, you can chop our carob bars up and voila!  Caroboo carob chips!

What's the difference between carob and chocolate we here you cry?

Carob chocolate is usually made with carob powder and vegetable fats whereas chocolate is a combination of cocoa powder and cocoa fats.

Carob is a perfect alternative to chocolate when it is made with high quality ingredients! We use cocoa butter and coconut sugar in our bars which perfectly compliment carob - so many of our happy customers can't actually believe our bars are not chocolate!

Is carob better than chocolate?

That's up to you to decide! We love carob especially when it has been perfectly blended into our Caroboo bars and we think you will too.  We have arguably created the most chocolatey and delicious carob bar  you have tasted to help you look after yourself and our planet.

FAQs