How to Make Homemade Diabetes-Friendly Chocolate Treats for Valentine’s Day

Commercially made, sugar-free chocolates often contain maltitol, which can raise blood sugar. Avoid the spike with these homemade, blood-sugar-friendly filled chocolates.

Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate, which is hands down my favorite food. Thus, when the heart-shaped candy boxes start appearing on store shelves right after Christmas, I’m always tempted to pick up 1 or 100.

But, while chocolate — particularly dark chocolate with high levels of cocoa — contains healthy minerals and antioxidants, eating too much chocolate candy guarantees a blood sugar spike for me.

So, I prepare for the temptation by keeping a stash of homemade blood-sugar-friendly chocolates. Here’s how I make them.

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A note on sweeteners

You may wonder why I’d go through the trouble of making my own chocolates when there are so many commercially prepared sugar-free versions on the market.

But many store-bought sugar-free chocolates are made with maltitol. While maltitol has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, it still has an effect, so most sugar-free chocolates aren’t really sugar-free.

Perhaps even more, maltitol has a laxative effect that upsets most people’s stomachs. So, I avoid all products made with maltitol. And that means avoiding most store-bought chocolate.

Zero-carb sweeteners like sucralose (brand name Splenda) may impact your stomach as well. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can induce gut dysbiosis, and research has shown that the gut microbiome has an impact on type 2 diabetes.

While all bodies are different, I personally experienced that healing my gut microbiome positively impacted my blood sugar.

Alternatively, you could use sweeteners like xylitol and erythritol, which have minimal impact on blood sugar and gut health. Take note that they’re sugar alcohols, which can upset some people’s stomachs. And neither really acts or tastes like sugar. Erythritol, for example, crystallizes in caramels.

My favorite sweetener for candy-making is a powdered allulose and monk fruit blend. Both monk fruit and allulose have zero carbs, so they don’t raise my blood sugar. And research has shown positive effects on gut bacteria from allulose and no adverse side effects.

Further, allulose, a natural sugar found in some fruits like figs, tastes, bakes, and freezes the most like sugar, making it ideal for candy-making. But it’s slightly less sweet than table sugar, so blending it with monk fruit helps it measure 1-for-1 like sugar.

A note on chocolate

The same applies to most commercial sugar-free chocolate chips as chocolate candy — they often contain maltitol. Two brands that are more blood-sugar-friendly are Lily’s and Choczero.

Lily’s contains stevia and erythritol, so you may want to limit it if you’re sensitive or have stomach-related issues. If you’re OK with erythritol, you can find the brand’s chocolate chips and baking bars in grocery stores like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods.

Choczero is sweetened only with monk fruit. The drawback is that it’s not widely available in stores. You can find some Chocozero products in Whole Foods or order them online.

How to make filled chocolates

Filled chocolates are a Valentine’s Day staple and are what you’d typically find in those heart-shaped candy boxes you can buy. Make your own using inexpensive Valentine-themed chocolate molds from your local dollar store, Target, or Walmart. Line them with chocolate, and then fill them with your favorite flavors.

Start to finish: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Serves: 25, depending on the size of your molds

Ingredients and supplies

• 16 oz. sugar-free semi-sweet baking bar (chopped) or chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of dark, white, or pink-colored sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)
• Prepared filling (see below)
• A double boiler or bain-marie
• A candy thermometer or spatula thermometer
• Small Valentine’s Day-themed chocolate molds (such as these)
• A food-grade decorating brush
• Piping bag (optional)

Directions

1. Temper the chocolate: In a double boiler, melt half of the semi-sweet chocolate over low heat. If you don’t have a double boiler, make a bain-marie by adding an inch or 2 of water to a small saucepot and bringing it to a simmer. Add the chocolate to a metal bowl that fits snuggly on top of the saucepot without touching the water. Place it on top of the pot. Be very careful to avoid getting any water in the chocolate, as a single drop can ruin the batch.
2. Stir the melting chocolate until smooth. Heat until it reaches 115°F (46°C). Use a candy thermometer to ensure the correct temperature. Remove from heat.
3. Temper the chocolate with the “seeding” method. To do this, gradually add unmelted chocolate chips and stir until smooth with each addition until the temperature reaches 89°F (31.6°C). Make sure to reserve some chocolate to make the shells’ backing.
4. Fill the molds. Put just enough melted chocolate in each mold cavity to coat the bottom and sides. Use the decorating brush to bring the chocolate up the sides of each mold cavity. You’re making a hollow chocolate shell so you can fill it.
5. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden the chocolate.
6. Fill the shells. Fill each chocolate shell 3/4 full with your prepared filling. If using a softer filling, such as caramel, a piping bag makes the process less messy than a spoon. Make sure not to overfill, as you need to leave room for the chocolate backing. Use the back of a metal spoon or the flat of a table knife to flatten and smooth out the filling.
7. Make the backing. Temper the remaining chocolate to make the backings, following the above steps. You can reuse the same bowl without cleaning it, as any hardened chocolate will simply remelt.
8. Cover the filled shells with the remaining tempered chocolate. Smooth the back with the flat side of a metal spoon or a table knife until the filling is completely covered and the chocolate backing connects with the front shell.
9. Place your chocolates back in the fridge for 30 more minutes.
10. Remove from the molds: Remove the chocolates from the fridge. If they’re ready, they’ll easily pop out of the molds. If they don’t, return them to the fridge until set.
11. Decorate (optional). Melt some white, dark, or pink-colored chocolate chips. Dip a metal spoon into the melted chocolate and drizzle over the tops of your prepared chocolates to decorate.

Caramel filling recipe

This filling makes delicious chocolates with gooey centers. Plus, using allulose results in a sugar-free caramel nearly indistinguishable from the sugar-laden kind.

Start to finish: 40 minutes

Serves: 25

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup allulose and monk fruit blend
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. blackstrap molasses
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Add butter and sweetener to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until butter is melted and smoothly combined with the sweetener.
2. Add in the heavy cream, molasses, and salt, stirring until combined.
3. Once the caramel begins to simmer, stop stirring and turn the heat to low.
4. Allow it to simmer without stirring for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the caramel turns a dark amber brown. Note: The caramel will bubble up quite a lot at first, even on low heat, but will gradually settle down as it thickens.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling your chocolate shells, or else the chocolate will melt. You can speed up the process by placing it in the fridge. If the caramel becomes too thick, gently reheat it and add more cream. Then allow it to cool again before filling your chocolates.
6. To make filling your chocolate shells easier, add the cooled caramel to a piping bag, snip off the tip, and pipe the caramel into the shells.

Peanut butter filling recipe

This peanut butter filling tastes like the inside of a peanut butter cup without all the added sugar.

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Serves: 25

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter (salted)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut flour (optional, adds more flavor)
• 1 cup powdered allulose and monk fruit blend

Directions

1. Blend peanut butter and melted butter until smooth using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
2. Add peanut flour and blend until fully incorporated.
3. Add powdered sweetener, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Powdered sweetener is a must in this recipe, as the crystals won’t dissolve since you’re not cooking the sweetener. If your sweetener isn’t already powdered, you can powder it yourself using a high-speed blender.
4. The peanut butter filling will be very thick. Use your fingers to press it into the chocolate molds.

Buttercream filling recipe

You can make this buttercream filling in a variety of flavors. It’s a similar base to the familiar orange- or strawberry-filled chocolates in Valentine’s Day candy boxes.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Serves: 25

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered allulose and monk fruit blend
• 6–8 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1/2–1 tsp. flavor extract (vanilla, orange, strawberry, etc.), to taste
• food coloring to match the flavor extract (optional)

Directions

1. Cream the butter until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes using a stand or electric hand mixer.
2. Add your desired flavor extract and mix until incorporated.
3. Add the sweetener, a little at a time, until fully incorporated, alternating with the heavy cream. Powdered sweetener is a must in this recipe. If your sweetener isn’t already powdered, you can powder it yourself using a high-speed blender.
4. Continue alternating sweetener and heavy cream until all of the sweetener is incorporated. Use more or less heavy cream to reach your desired consistency.
5. If desired, add food coloring to match your flavor extract (i.e., pink for strawberry). Mix until the color is uniform.
6. Add the filling to the chocolate shells using a piping bag or press it in with your hands, depending on the thickness of your buttercream.

Coconut cream filling recipe

Not everyone is a fan of coconut, but this is one of my personal favorites. Lucky for me, that means I get to eat all the coconut candies if no one else wants them!

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Serves: 25

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tbsp. coconut butter (pureed coconut), softened
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups powdered allulose and monk fruit blend
• 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Directions

1. Cream the butter until smooth, about 3–5 minutes using a stand or electric hand mixer.
2. Add the coconut butter, coconut extract, vanilla, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
3. With the mixer running, slowly add the powdered sweetener until completely incorporated. Powdered sweetener is a must in this recipe, so if your sweetener isn’t already powdered, powder it yourself using a high-speed blender.
4. Add the shredded coconut and mix until combined.
5. This mixture will be very thick, so press it into your chocolate shells using your fingers.

Hazelnut filling recipes

Sugar-free hazelnut spread makes a smooth and creamy, truffle-like filling for chocolates. Make your own following the recipes from Wholesome Yum or All Day I Dream About Food.

Alternatively, you can buy pre-made hazelnut spread from a brand like Choczero to fill your chocolate shells.

The bottom line

Participating in holiday celebrations can be tricky when you have type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, there’s no need to forgo chocolate.

To make your candy special for Valentine’s Day, fill a heart-shaped candy box or tin with your homemade chocolates. You can find these boxes in the holiday aisles of dollar stores or big box stores.

And for an extra special presentation for yourself or a loved one, place your chocolates in mini-cupcake liners before arranging them in the box or tin. It will look just like a box of gourmet chocolates from the store.