Sugar-free chocolate is arguably one of the best creations this decade, imagine that creamy chocolate taste without the sugar or the guilt. Yep, that’s right, it's possible.
The sector has grown rapidly over the past years with new players entering the market every year as South Africans fall in love with chocolate (without sugar).
Our favourite brands that you can try if you are health-conscious:
Afrikoa
A well-balanced bar with an incredibly smooth finish, its sugar-free chocolate is made with a special blend of Xylitol and Erythritol. The 80% chocolate has fruity flavours of raspberry and hazelnuts.
There’s a low bitterness and no weird aftertaste. It has been laboratory-tested, so it's suitable for diabetics.
What makes the brand even more special is that it became the first chocolate brand in Africa made with fair-trade heirloom cacao beans, the first bean-to-bar company in South Africa to produce chocolate made from cacao sourced directly from African farmers.
Nova chocolate
These are sugar-free, gluten-free, and most are dairy-free and vegan-friendly, made of the best quality ingredients.
The company is passionate about creating and supplying healthier chocolate products that are delicious and moreish, so we can enjoy a rich and decadent treat without the guilt, sugar rush, and intolerance.
De Villiers Chocolate
In a kitchen during Covid-19 lockdown, artisan African chocolate brand De Villiers Chocolate created, from scratch, a sugar-free and dairy-free range of sustainably sourced chocolate.
The range of plant-based chocolate does not cause negative reactions, such as blood sugar or insulin spikes and gastrointestinal side effects, and is also Rainforest Alliance and Keto certified, as well as registered with the Vegan Society.
Chief executive and master chocolate maker Pieter de Villiers said that while there were many no-added-sugar chocolates on the market catering to health-conscious consumers, diabetics, and those following the ketogenic, vegan, and low-carb diets, most of the options were cheerless substitutes for the real deal, that is until now.
“We have been trying to perfect a no-added-sugar De Villiers Chocolate option for several years, and we're proud to say that this new range of sugar-free, dairy-free and vegan chocolate meets the taste, texture, quality, and health benefits that we've been wanting to bring our customers,” De Villiers said.