While it is not too difficult to modify a typical Mexican “dinner” to be low carb, low carb Mexican desserts are challenging. Churros, tres leches cake and sopapillas just don’t work well for low carb options.
However these awesome Mexican Chocolate Pots de crème, are relatively low on the sugar and carb scale. And they are delicious!!
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Pot de Crème | Which Chocolate to Use | Which Dairy to Use
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What are Chocolate Pots de Crème?
Chocolate Pots de Crème is a classic French custard, baked in a water bath and typically served in small elegant little pots.
They are quite rich, and deeply chocolatey, made with only a few ingredients, including heavy cream, chocolate, sugar and eggs.
Pot de crème is sometimes compared to chocolate mousse, but chocolate mousse is lighter and airier and not baked or steamed like the Pot de crème.
Testing for the Best Chocolate for Low Carb Chocolate Pots
I tested these chocolate pots with 3 different kinds of chocolate to see which made the tastiest dessert. Here are the pros and cons of each chocolate that I tested:
#1: Mexican chocolate discs
The Mexican version of these chocolate custards would typically use the Ibarra chocolate discs. This is the chocolate most often used in Mexican hot chocolate. They are heavily flavored with cinnamon and they are rich and wonderful.
The problem is… there is 15 grams of sugar in .78 ounces and a typical recipe for Mexican Chocolate Pots calls for 6 ounces. That’s a lot of sugar and definitely not low carb or keto!
I did make the first round of Mexican chocolate pots with Ibarra chocolate however (just so I could have a control batch for the cinnamon and spices lol). They were great but I had to give them away as quickly as possible to get them out of my kitchen and out of my sight before I went on a sugar binge.
#2: Bittersweet Chocolate with no Sugar
The next round of chocolate pots de crème was made with bittersweet chocolate and no sugar but a lot of vanilla and spices to try and make up for the lack of sugar.
These were “OK” but fairly bitter and nothing to write home about. The bittersweet chocolate was so strong that it was difficult to taste the subtlety of the cinnamon, vanilla and chile pepper spice.
#3: Bittersweet Chocolate with a Sugar Substitute
Finally the third round was a major hit, both in taste and in being low carb/low sugar. I used the bittersweet chocolate again, but this time I added 1/4 cup of Truvia (sugar substitute made of Stevia and erythritol; both natural).
I also upped the ante on the cinnamon, vanilla and chipotle spice. Simply divine I must say! Magnificent would be another word. These did not leave my house.
The Truvia tamed the bittersweet chocolate enough that the bitterness was almost gone and the spices really shined.
**Tip: I added a little more vanilla to the whipped cream topping, but you could add almond, cinnamon or more chile spice if you wanted to increase a particular Mexican flavor.
They are definitely not low calorie, but they are very low in carbs, and they are a treat for the table that all would enjoy.
And one last plus to these Mexican Chocolate Pots……they are EASY! Of course they got easier each time, but really they didn’t take much effort at all and they are hard to mess up.
High Fat Cream for Keto Desserts
Pots de Crème are basically European custards, so you will often see a recipe that calls for double cream or crème fraiche. The typical cream used in American custard is heavy whipping cream.
Here are a few differences between crème fraiche and whipping cream:
- Heavy cream is an American term which refers to cream with 36% (or more) fat. Most American grocery stores sell 36% fat heavy whipping cream, but I have seen some that are 40%
- Double cream has a higher fat content – around 48-50%, and it’s not commonly available in American grocery stores.
- Crème fraîche, on the other hand, is cream that’s had a culture added, making it slightly sour in flavor. I love the Mexican crema and use it for anything that calls for sour cream. It’s around 40% fat.
- Keto desserts are often high fat so these creams are not an issue. If you are trying to go lower in fat you can use a combination of whipping cream and low-fat yogurt.
**Tip: Dessert recipes that have whipped cream toppings often tell you to whip it into ”soft peaks” vs ”stiff peaks”. Check out these illustrated steps for distinguishing between soft peaks and stiff peaks
More Custard Dessert Recipes
- Orange Flan. (see above photo)
- Columbian Natilla without eggs
- Low carb crustless rhubarb custard
- Low Carb Cherry Clafoutis Custard
- Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce
- Low Carb Crustless Apricot Frangipane
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, in fact some people prefer them frozen (like a fudgesicle). Chill the pots in the freezer safe containers until cold, then place in the freezer, covered in plastic wrap. Once frozen, they will be quite hard; remove them from the freezer about 30 minutes before you want to serve.
A custard is made by cooking the milk and sugar base and adding whole eggs to thicken the mixture.
Pot de crème is a cooked custard that contains heavy cream and egg yolks. Most often pot de crème is steamed or made in a water bath.
A mousse is typically uncooked, with a lighter texture than a pot de crème or custard. A mousse is usually made by folding beaten egg whites or whipped cream in a cold milk and sugar base. The addition of air to the mixture leads to a fluffier consistency and lighter texture than a pot de crème or custard.
Most often you will see recipes that add fresh raspberries to the chocolate pots, with or without whipped cream on top.
Orange and chocolate are also a great pairing of flavors and you enhance chocolate pots with a bit of orange-flavored liqueur like Grand Marnier
If you enjoy all types of Mexican food, check out this category of ALL Mexican recipes, where you will find over 40 Mexican recipes, from casual, to low carb, to fancy.
Mexican Chocolate Pots
Equipment
- baking dish 13 x 9”
- stainless steel pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups whipping cream additional 1 cup if you want a whipped cream topping
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ¼ cup Truvia granulated
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 6 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon chile spice (I used smoked chipotle spice)
- heavy cream 1 cup for topping
- pistachios crushed, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pour the 2 cups of cream into a stainless steel pot, add the espresso powder and Truvia and bring to a simmer, stirring the mixture until the espresso powder and sugar substitute is dissolved (about 2-4 minutes).2 cups whipping cream, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1/4 cup Truvia
- Turn the burner off and add the chocolate bars to the warm cream mixture to melt. Stir in chocolate until smooth and creamy (bring back to a slow simmer if the chocolate is not melting).6 oz bittersweet chocolate
- Lightly beat eggs in a bowl. Add the salt, vanilla, cinnamon and chile spice to the eggs and whisk together. Stir the entire egg mixture into the warm espresso cream mix and whisk to combine.6 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla, 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon chile spice
- Put some hot water on to boil, either in a pot or a kettle. Pour the chocolate-egg mixture into small ramekins, 3/4 of the way to the top. Place the ramekins in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and pour the hot water around the ramekins until it goes at least half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Edges should be set and the middle should be a little wiggly. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and set on a towel as soon as you can handle them. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
For Whipped Cream/Pistachio Topping for Mexican Chocolate Pots
- Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream in a mixer and beat until it has soft peaks (add vanilla if you wish). Place a dish towel over the pistachios and crush with a heavy mallet or bottom of heavy glass.heavy cream, pistachios
- To serve: Dollop the whipped cream over the chocolate pots and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Notes
Nutrition
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The varb count listed was 15 g, was that for the whole recipe,?
Sorry it took so long to answer! I redid the numbers and put in correct amounts. The recipe makes 6 small servings and yes, the carb count would not be considered keto by many. In the end, this is a rich chocolate dessert using keto ingredients, but the calorie count is high. For a recipe lower in calories & carbs try https://farmtojar.com/low-carb-chocolate-truffles/ I’ll upload the nutritional data there soon (I’m re-working older posts)
At what point in recipe do you add Trulia Sweetener?
@Catherine McCabe Wow, I must have been high on chocolate as I certainly left out that detail. You could add it when you add the salt to the egg mixture, but I think the best place to add it is to when you add the espresso powder on the stovetop. That way the granular texture of the Truvia will dissolve.