Sugar-free candy recipes

[Kathy]

Does anyone have any candy recipes that they could share? My mother makes two recipes during the holidays that are family favorites. One recipe called Peanut Butter Balls uses peanut butter, rice crispies, and confectioners sugar rolled into balls and dipped in dark chocolate and wax. The other is a Martha Stewart recipe called Peppermint Bark, which can be found here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe1176

If you can think of any way to make these sugar free, I'd appreciate the input. Thanks!

[LisaS]

are the rice crispies OK with you and you just want no-sugar - or do you want to go low-carb entirely?

[scott123]

For the rice crispies, you can use Dixie Diner Smaps Cereal (http://www.netrition.com/dixie_smaps_cereal.html). That's what Kevin uses for his rice crispie treats.

As far as the confectioner's sugar goes, you could sub splenda, but texturally, it'll be missing something as splenda provides no sugary texture. Ideally, you want a sugar sub that provides the texture of powdered sugar. If you can tolerate isomalt, that's what I'd recommend. Isomalt works very nicely as a powdered sugar sub. As does maltitol. If you have issues with both isomalt and maltitol... then you might want to give Thickenthin Not/Sugar a shot.

There's lots of sugar free chocolate available- some sweetened with maltitol, others polydextrose and one with inulin. One of those should work beautifully for the dark chocolate coating.

It's been a long time since I've seen sugar free white chocolate. Trader Joes used to sell it for a while, but I guess the demand wasn't sufficient so they stopped. It wasn't really that great anyway. I think your best bet would be an online purveyor. Callebaut, a high end Belgian chocolate manufacturer makes a sugar free maltitol sweetened white chocolate. Regular (sugar based) Callebaut white chocolate is, hands down, the best white chocolate on the market. Although I have yet to try it, I'm extremely confident the sugar free version is of comparable quality. Here's what I'd order:

http://yourchocolateshop.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=13&products_id=231

It's a huge overall expenditure, but you get a LOT of chocolate for your money. Even if you find individual sugar free white chocolate bars, they'll cost you quite a bit more per pound than this will. And I'm certain they won't taste as good. The one hitch, though, is that you have to tolerate maltitol well. If you can't do maltitol... I'd pretty much cross the Peppermint Bark off your list.

The names escape me at the moment, but I've seen quite a few brands of sugar free mint hard candies (estees or sweet n low perhaps?), both at walmart and the supermarket. Those are what I'd use for the candy canes. If you wanted to go the extra mile, you could make your own peppermint candy with peppermint oil and isomalt, but it probably isn't worth the effort. In addition, if you google "sugar free candy canes" a handful of online sources come up. I can't find any ingredient listings, but I'm certain they're either maltitol, isomalt or sorbitol based.

I'm really glad you asked this question. I've been craving white chocolate like crazy lately, and, although I wouldn't shell out $70 for 11 pounds of chocolate during the rest of the year... I might think about treating myself for the holidays. Who knows, if I store it right and watch my portions, I might even get a full year out of it (or maybe not :evil:)

White chocolate is SO GOOD and white chocolate + mint is phenomenal.

[Kathy]

are the rice crispies OK with you and you just want no-sugar - or do you want to go low-carb entirely?

Sugar free is fine-these are holiday treats so I'll probably have a few carb splurges here and there throughout the season.

[Kathy]

Scott,

Thank you for the great suggestions. Maltitol is the devil, yet I keep forgetting until I've overindulged and I'm doubled over with cramps. :crybaby:

I'll check out those Smaps for my peanut butter balls. Thanks again!

[kevinpa]

I'll check out those Smaps for my peanut butter balls.

Although Smaps look vey much like rice krispies there are two distinct differences. They have a noticeable maple flavor and are quite a bit crunchier.

This was a mock rice krispie treat I made with them and sf marshmallow.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m273/kevinpa1/rkt3.jpg

[Kathy]

Those bars look great, Kevin. Thank you for the info about Smaps. I may just use nuts in addition to chunky peanut butter in the recipe so the maple tast won't throw the recipe off.

[LisaS]

I don't know why this didn't occur to me - if you want to try something other than your family favorites - make chocolate truffles. Delicious and easily made low-carb. just make a ganache, form the balls, enrobe them in chocolate (or not) and then roll in cocoa or whatever.
here is an example recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233316