Introducing... Chubby Checkers ~ in delightful Pumpkin Spice! flavor :)

Okay, I admit it. I've been holding out on you. All the way back in October, I began working on a recipe for a sweet treat that is completely safe for SIBO and absolutely delicious! But I wanted to get the recipe as close to perfect as I could before I shared it with you.

I believe that day has come.

Anyone on a SIBO-specific diet knows one thing: there aren't a lot of legal treats involved. Back in my raw food days, a few Medjool dates with almond butter, some soft Turkish figs and raw cashews, or a row of organic dark chocolate after dinner were daily practice. Those days are gone, but not the desire for something sweet to delight the taste buds or finish a meal.

I call these delightful little treats Chubby Checkers. I suspect that they may be (*blushing*) my single greatest gift to the SIBO community. But of course that is for you to decide. 

Chubby Checkers are the Sexy Sibo version of a "fat bomb," essentially a carb-free, sugar-free candy containing mostly fat. Mine also contain some low-FODMAP protein powder for flavor and texture.

When it comes to low-FODMAP protein powder, there are just two choices: whey protein isolate or beef protein. (I know, gross. Just accept and move on.) Unfortunately pea protein, hemp protein, rice protein and other vegan protein powders contain FODMAPs, so we can't use them. It has to be beef protein or whey protein isolate. (Note: it's very important to use only whey protein ISOLATE, not whey protein concentrate, because only the isolate is lactose-free, and lactose is a FODMAP.)

The fat I use to make Chubby Checkers is raw, organic cacao butter—the best!

For protein powder, I've been using Pure Paleo from Designs for Health. Pure Paleo is created from something called Hydro-Beef and comes in Chocolate or Vanilla flavor. I've also used Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate from Bluebonnet, which is super high quality: cold processed, grass fed, the works. If you can't find Bluebonnet, it's fine to substitute with another whey protein isolate but read the label and, if the product is sweetened, make sure the sweeteners are strictly one of the following: stevia, erythritol or monkfruit (aka lo huan guo). No other natural sweetener is SIBO-safe.

If your protein powder is not sweetened, you can use one of the above sweeteners, or Lakanto. Crystallized sweeteners need to be ground up before adding to batter.

To create the "checker" shape you'll need a silicone mini-muffin mold, which you can buy online or someplace like Bed, Bath and Beyond for under ten bucks. If you don't have a silicone mini-muffin mold, you can still make this recipe using a shallow dish lined with waxed paper or parchment paper. When the candy hardens, just peel off the paper and cut or break the candy into pieces. I recommend you invest in a silicone mold, though. It makes a nice presentation and it's fun to use, especially when it's time to pop out the checkers!

Pop!

So far, I've got THREE yummy flavors of Chubby Checkers ready to share with you. But I wouldn't want to overwhelm. So today, I shall present to you just the latest: Pumpkin Spice!

Next up will be two different chocolate versions. I'll post a link from here to that page when it's up. Stay tuned! And enjoy. xo

Chubby Checkers - Pumpkin Spice!

This recipe makes 12 checkers.

Ingredients
2 oz raw cacao butter
1/3 cup Vanilla Pure Paleo powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
generous pinch of Himalayan pink salt (about one third of a quarter tsp measure)

Directions
Chop cacao butter into chunks if it isn't already broken up, and melt it in a Pyrex or ceramic dish, on VERY low heat, in your oven or toaster oven. My toaster oven has a low setting of 150 degrees F. At that setting, the cacao butter takes about 20 minutes to melt.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate dish. When cacao butter is melted, remove from oven and let it cool down a bit. Then, stir in the dry powdered ingredients using a whisk or fork. When batter is smooth and fully mixed, use a spoon to distribute it evenly between the 12 cups of a silicone mini-muffin mold. Transfer mold to fridge and allow candy to harden—this takes about an hour, tops.

Pop Chubby Checkers out of the mold (super fun part!) and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Recommended serving size: 2 checkers.

Pumpkin Spice! Chubby Checkers