The Nourishing Gourmet

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Grain Free

Mocha Dark Chocolate Bombs (low sugar)

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hot chocolate bomb in cupcake liner on a snowy background

These low-sugar, dark hot chocolate mocha bombs create a luxurious and thick hot chocolate mocha drinking experience. You can make this low-sugar or sugar-free using the options below. It’s perfect for gift giving! 

What are hot cocoa or hot chocolate bombs? These sphere-shaped chocolate treats are full of hot cocoa mix and whatever else you want to add (in this case, sugar-free marshmallows and coffee) that “explode” when hot milk is poured over it. Most of the versions out there are double or even triple the amount of sugar content of a regular cup of hot cocoa, which is not kind to some of us who are sensitive to that amount of sugar. This version remains quite sweet, without tons of added sugar. 

A quick note on alternative sweeteners: I personally don’t use many of the alternative sweeteners. One of my favorites is allulose, which is a “rare” natural sugar. THM Gentle Sweet is another favorite. Xylitol and erythritol are also good options. WARNING: xylitol is very dangerous to dogs. So please use utmost caution if you have pets (Max Mallows are also sweetened with xylitol).

No Alternative Sweetener Version: While traditionally hot chocolate/hot cocoa bombs are stuffed full, your bomb will be super delicious with only the chocolate shell and the instant coffee powder inside. Why? The chocolate in the shell is more than adequate to flavor and sweeten your cup. To make this a low sugar version, just use the darkest chocolate you can find. 

Why Dutch Process Cocoa? This recipe uses dutch process cocoa, which is important because this version of cocoa will stir in easily. 

Sugar Free Chocolate Chips:

Low Sugar NO Alternative Sweetener Options:

Other ingredients: 

Kitchen Tools Needed:

hot cocoa bomb on a snowy background

Low Sugar Dark Chocolate Mocha Bombs

Printable PDF, Makes 3, double to make 6

  • 1 cup chocolate chips (6 ounces)
  • 4 ½ teaspoons instant coffee (I used organic decaf) 
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice (I used THM Gentle Sweet, but you can also use allulose, or xylitol or erythritol) 
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder 
  • 6 Max Mallow Marshmallows 
  • ¼ cup (2 ounces) white chocolate (Lily’s for a sugar-free and delicious version), optional for decoration

Melt Chocolate: Microwave version: In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, melt chocolate chips, stirring after every 20-30 seconds until just melted. Double Boiler: Set up a double boiler, being careful to never allow moisture into the chocolate as it melts. Melt over medium heat, stirring until just melted. 

Brush melted chocolate into the 6 cavities of your mold, making sure that it’s even and goes all the way up the sides. Put in freezer for five minutes, remove, and then add a second coat. Two weak areas are the bottom and the very top. Ensure those all have plenty of chocolate. You should have very little chocolate left at this point. Put back in the freezer to set for at least five minutes.  

Meanwhile, combine the dutch process cocoa and the sugar of choice for your hot cocoa mix. 

Once chocolate is hardened, remove from freezer. Check for any holes, and patch up if needed with more chocolate (and then refreeze). Gently remove from mold, but then place back in the mold for the next step. On one side, spoon the DIY hot cocoa mix evenly into 3 of the half spheres. Add 1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee to each sphere. Add 1 or 2 max mallows on top. Now, heat a small pan over medium heat until warm. Remove from heat. Take the other (empty) half of the spheres, and place rim down on the pan to JUST begin melting the rim. Now that you have some melted chocolate, gently press down on the filled sphere half. It should adhere. Repeat process with other two spheres. Put back in freezer to harden for five minutes. Remove when hardened. 

Problem Solving: Sometimes there were gaps in the sides when I joined the two sides. To fix these, use a little melted chocolate and brush on. You can also brush a little chocolate around the rims of the two halves if they didn’t probably stick together.  I found it helpful to re-freeze first before doing this step. Keep your kitchen cold, and wear plastic food prep gloves if your hands are very warm. 

Melt ¼ cup white chocolate in a small cup in microwave until just melted, and using a fork, drizzle over the top of the chocolate bombs. Let set. Package by placing in a cupcake liner, and then into a small candy bag. 

To Serve: Place hot chocolate bomb in a large mug, and pour over approximately 1 cup of milk of choice. The bomb should melt and the marshmallows should come to the top. Let sit for 30-60 seconds, and then stir well to finish melting the chocolate.

The Great Big Holiday Salad

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large salad bowl full of salad and toppings

This holiday-worthy salad is bursting with a variety of flavors and textures with dried cranberries, crunchy pumpkin seeds, fresh apples, crispy sweet potato slices, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Its colorful appearance hints at the wide range of antioxidants and nutrients it brings along with its flavor. Topped with our favorite balsamic vinaigrette, we decided we wanted this salad more often than just special occasions.

I made this for Thanksgiving, and it would make the perfect salad for a Christmas meal as well, but I think we will make it regularly! You can easily turn it into a main dish event by adding another protein (chicken, turkey, crumbled cheese, or even beans)! 

You may find that you have plenty of these ingredients on hand after Thanksgiving, so this could be a great time to try this recipe out.

Notes:

  • You can air fry the vegetables and cut the cooking time in half. 
  • Variation: Use pomegranate seeds instead of dried cranberries
  • Use whatever apple you love to snack on (honeycrisp, pink lady, or gala are some of our favorites) 
  • You can use sprouted pumpkin seeds or soaked and dried ones, if desired

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:

The Great Big Holiday Salad

PDF to print

Ingredients:

  • 2 small (or 1 large/medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and then thinly sliced. 
  • 8 ounces (about a heaping cup) Brussels sprouts
  • 8 cups of lettuce (I like a mixture of chopped romaine and spring mix) 
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (optional) 
  • Salt 
  • 3-4 tablespoons oil or fat of choice (I used extra virgin olive oil) 
  • 1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced 
  • ½ fresh lemon (optional) 
  • ⅓ cup of pumpkin seeds 
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (you can use fruit sweetened, if desired) 
  • 1 recipe balsamic vinaigrette (below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Put parchment paper on a sheet pan. Prepare sweet potatoes by peeling, then cut in half lengthwise (for small sweet potatoes) or cut into quarters for a large sweet potato. Then, thinly slice. Cut thin so that they will get browned and crispy when roasted. Rinse Brussels sprouts, and cut the woody stem off. Cut each Brussels sprout into quarters. Place sprouts on one half of the prepared sheet pan and drizzle with one tablespoon of oil/fat, one tablespoon of the optional fresh thyme, and salt. Toss to evenly coat. If the sprouts aren’t well coated with oil, add a second tablespoon and toss again. Do the same with the sweet potatoes on the other side of the sheet pan with the other 2 tablespoons of oil/fat, salt, and optional fresh thyme. 

2. Put in the middle of the oven and roast until the sweet potatoes are starting to crisp and brown (around 25 minutes). Remove from oven and cool. 

3. While the vegetables are cooking, make the balsamic dressing, and core and cut the apples. If not serving right away, toss apples with lemon juice to prevent browning. 

4. To serve: In a large bowl, place all of your greens, and then add the rest of the toppings. Drizzle with the dressing, toss to coat well, and serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¾  cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dijon style mustard
  • 1 teaspoon unrefined salt
  • 1-3 garlic cloves, peeled, and finely minced or put through a garlic press

Directions: Put all the ingredients into a mason jar, put the lid on, and shake until well mixed (or, whisk with a small whisk in a bowl).

Spicy Korean Beef and Cabbage

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A bowl full of spicy Korean beef and cabbage.

This simple main dish is not only full of healthy protein and vegetables, but is also bursting with flavor! Even better, it is a fast main dish to make on busy nights and is incredibly frugal. We usually eat this once a week on a night when I have 30 minutes or less to make dinner. 

With food costs where they are right now, I am loading our menu with meal options that fill us up for less, and this fits the bill. My kids and husband eat this over rice, and I usually eat a bowl of it plain or served over konjac noodles for a grain-free option.

One of the secrets of this meal is using the Korean spicy fermented red chili paste called gochujang. This spicy paste is the secret to many Korean dishes, and I always keep it on hand. (Many of them contain gluten, but this brand is what I use and is gluten-free. Unless you like things really spicy, I recommend buying mild or medium.) I even noticed that Trader Joe’s was carrying gochujang for a great price recently! 

However, if you are not a K-drama junkie like we are (and don’t usually cook Korean-inspired meals), you can easily substitute red chili flakes or sriracha sauce instead. (I really love this organic sriracha sauce, and we use it to top this dish to add more flavor when serving!)

Note: While I am calling this recipe “Korean” because of the gochujang sauce, this is not a traditional Korean dish.

We do a lot of Asian-inspired meals in our family, as they are flavorful, protein and produce-rich, and are naturally gluten and dairy-free with just a few tweaks (like using tamari instead of soy sauce). 

While I am avoiding grains most of the time right now, my family enjoys this meal with rice which is a very frugal carbohydrate. I also can get a 2 pound package of coleslaw mix at Sam’s Club right now for slightly over 2 dollars. Cabbage is on the Clean 15 list, a list of produce with the least amount of pesticide residue, making this a not only very frugal ingredient but also a safer one too! 

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Bowl of spicy Korean cabbage and beef

Spicy Korean Beef and Cabbage

Serves 4, Printable PDF

  • 1 pound coleslaw mix (slightly more, or slightly less cabbage will work too!)  
  • ⅓-½ cup water 
  • 1 pound of lean ground meat (I usually use lean grassfed beef, but ground turkey is lovely too.) 
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder 
  • 3-6 garlic cloves minced (or 2-4 teaspoon garlic powder) 
  • 1-2 teaspoons of dried ginger powder (or 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger) 
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (to add spice without gochujang paste, substitute 1 teaspoon or so of red chili flakes, or a tablespoon or two of sriracha sauce, to taste.) 
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (unflavored and unsweetened) 
  • 2 tablespoon tamari (GF soy sauce option) 
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 
  • Sesame seeds and/or chopped green onions, to finish (optional)
  1. In a large pot, add the coleslaw mix and the water. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium high heat, until water is mostly gone, and cabbage is wilted, stirring to prevent any sticking. Start with ⅓ cup of water and add more if needed. 
  2. Add ground beef, onion powder, garlic, gochujang, vinegar, and tamari. Stir, and break ground beef into small pieces, and cook until meat is cooked (no longer pink), and moisture is mostly gone again. 
  3. Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and stir to disperse. Now taste test, and add more tamari, vinegar, gochujang or sesame oil to desired taste. 
  4. To serve, eat in bowls with or without rice, and sprinkle with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds. We also like a drizzle of this sriracha sauce.

Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup

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This creamy, dairy-free soup is frugal and comforting on a cold winter’s night. Cumin, garlic, ginger, and curry powder all help give this soup a robust flavor profile, while the balsamic vinegar provides just the right tang. 

Red lentils cook up in a hurry, making this a wonderful last-minute meal. I love lentils as they are full of essential nutrients, a frugal source of protein, and are delicious too! 

I add gelatin to the soup to add more protein, but that’s optional. This soup is easily made with broth or water, vegetarian or not. 

Serve with muffins, bread, or over brown rice, and a large salad for a complete meal. For those on THM, this makes a wonderful “E” Meal.

Tips

For easy blending, use an immersion blender.

For more protein and collagen, use the optional gelatin. This is a good brand.

I like to keep all of the ingredients for this soup on hand. They are easily made into a variety of dishes, and I can also make this soup for last-minute meals!

Other Soup Recipes 

Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup

  • 1-2 tablespoons fat or oil of choice 
  • 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped 
  • 3 celery, thinly sliced 
  • 3-6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
  • 2 cups red lentils, rinsed in a fine sieve (remove any small pebbles, if there are any)
  • 8 cups broth or water 
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cumin 
  • 1 heaping teaspoon dried ginger or one tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder 
  • ¼ cup of gelatin in 1 cup of cool water, optional
  • Around 1 – 2 tablespoons of salt 
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

1. In a large pot, add the fat/oil (just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pot) and turn on medium heat until the fat is just hot. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Stir here and there, and cook until the vegetables start to soften (about five minutes) and add the garlic and cook for one or two more minutes. 

2. Add the red lentils and broth/water, turn heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Turn down to keep at a gentle simmer. Remove with a large spoon any foam that may come to the surface of the soup. 

3. Add the spices. Simmer for around twenty minutes, or until the lentils are soft. 

4. Stir together the gelatin and the water, soften for a few minutes. Stir into the soup, along with salt (to taste, you will need more if you used water) and balsamic vinegar. 

5. For a creamier texture blend part or all of the soup. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use an immersion blender, which you can put right into your pot for easy blending. OR, carefully scoop out some of the soup, and blend in a blender (follow procedures for your specific blender for how to do this safely. For my blender, I vent it, and only fill halfway, and blend on low to start). For blending in a blender, you will need to do at least several batches. I blend about half of the soup. 

6. Check the flavor, and adjust with salt, vinegar, or pepper, and enjoy!