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cacao nibs

What exactly do cacao nibs taste like? Are they sweet? I assume they're crunchy? Are they really chocolaty? If you don't have any on hand, what would you use as a substitute?

Thanks! :)

Comments

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I have never bought cacao nibs. I do keep Carob powder on hand, and use it as a substitute. Anything I put it in comes out fine, but not having used the "real thing" I don't know if it's really a good substitute. I know this doesn't really answer your question. Maybe someone with more experience will jump in here and help out.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    cacao nibs aren't very sweet. whenever i stopped eating organic chocolate, i switched to cacao nibs. they taste completely different from chocolate and very crunchy. they don't melt in your mouth either. i'd recommend making your own raw chocolate or buying some.

  • Cacao nibs are not nearly as sweet as chocolate...they're slightly bitter but (in my opinion), still delicious. There is a definite chocolate flavor to them but quite different from the chocolate we all are used to. They are very crunchy and do not melt in your mouth. I find that they become quite addictive the more that I eat them :) It really depends upon what the recipe calls for if you're looking to replace them...if they're going in as something crunchy, you may have a difficult time finding something to mimic the taste and crunch but if it's cacao powder or ground up cacao nibs that a recipe is calling for, carob powder should do the job just fine. Hope this helps!!

  • Actually, I've never used cacao nibs but have heard about them left and right. I'm fairly new to the raw foods thing and was curious about them....how they're used? Their taste, texture, versatility, etc.

    Thanks for the heads up everyone.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    i sprinkle them on fruit salads and desserts a lot. my breakfast is usually a cut-up banana, raisins or goji berries, nut butter, and some cacao nibs. i just like their texture because you don't expect "chocolate" to be so crunchy.

  • Cool! I'll definitely be buying some of these soon. I just wish my local market sold them....bunch a yahoos! ...lol

  • bitter and gross when eaten plain.

    you have to pair it with something sweet or else it tastes like bakers chocolate.

    cacao is paired with the high fat eating raw fooders, it is the enemy in my eye!

  • "cacao is paired with the high fat eating raw fooders" Wow, that was a sweeping generalization. Some people actually like the slight bitterness of cacao nibs. It can make a nice counterpoint to sweet, low-fat things too, like a buckwheaties and dried fruit cereal or even sprinkled on a salad with a vinagrette or just over top of bananas with a drizzle of agave.... Cacao doesn't HAVE to be paired with high-fat.

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Plus, some of us need high fat otherwise we will lose too much weight. I can lose five pounds in two or three days if I don't watch it, and it is not pretty.

  • randommararandommara Raw Newbie

    I second the raw carob suggestion! It's so good! I get mine from Gold Mine Natural Foods. If you really want cacao nibs you can find Navitas at some vitamin stores. I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe. Carob is way better though and is naturally sweet so you don't have to add any sweetener at all! The flavor reminds me of Raisinetes , yum.

  • Hi...I'm just checking. I thought Carob wasn't really raw? I do happen to like Cacao when I eat it with Goji berries. I haven't tried Carob because the only kind I have ever seen in the health food stores is roasted. Is there a website where I can buy it raw?

    Thanks

    Cathy

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