Eating Evolved, LLC
Almond Butter Keto Cups
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 4.93 oz. (140 g.) in total package
Calories: 260 calories in 2 cups (2 servings)
Cost: $13.49 for 1 package of 7 cups
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA
Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week(s), featuring 1.) chocolate bars with almonds, 2.) almond butter chocolate cups and 3.) chocolate covered almonds.
The almond butter chocolate cups sampled thus far have been refreshingly different than traditional, sugar-laden confections often laced with salt as well. Many are organic as well, and contain fewer ingredients. And while they are almost all more expensive, most offer a healthier, simpler/shorter list of quality ingredients.
Today's organic, vegan, paleo and gluten free Almond Butter Keto Cups, from Eating Evolved, LLC (Hauppauge, NY), contained no traditional sugars (they were sweetened with monk fruit extract), dairy or soy, and contained no salt.
Keto in this case meant 10 grams of fat and only 2 grams net carbs in each cup/serving--a bit higher in fat (the fats used are healthier than hydrogenated/trans fats, and certain heavily processed oils). Perhaps more significant, these contained 1/6 of the carbs present in popular, commercially sold chocolate covered nut/peanut butter cups.
When I read the tagline: "Chocolate: It's food, not candy." (tm), this slogan seemed to promise a less processed, less sweet version of the traditional chocolate covered nut butter cup. And indeed this was true.
Each individually-wrapped cup I tried had a very subtle chocolate and nut aroma. And they had a luxe fatty and creamy mouthfeel and texture (cacao butter, MCT* oil).
At first, there was a natural, sweet taste; and then the initial, gentle sweetness ebbed relatively quickly. The sweet "fade" enabled the ground almonds (almond butter) to shine for a moment, along with very slight green (seed/nut/vegetable) notes.
These cups had a pleasant clean finish with a faint, light roasted nut note.
Ingredients: Organic almonds, organic cacao, organic jerusalem artichoke fiber, organic cacao butter, organic medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, organic monk fruit extract.
Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds. May contain traces of cashew, coconut, hazelnut and macadamia nuts." ("Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free")
*MCT oil is short for Medium-Chain Triglycerides, a form of fat thought to support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Other claims include support for better brain and memory function, and physical/athletic performance (endurance), and weight loss as part of a Keto diet (that can be very low in carbohydrates and relatively high in fat).
As with all new/good things, moderation is advised, particularly if you have certain liver issues. Personally, I find I eat less (smaller portions) of snack foods with less sugar and salt and more fat; and find them quite satisfying as well.