Chocolate is something we all love, and often we are told that it should be seen as a treat you have ‘once every now and then’ if you want to remain healthy. However, we are here to tell you that there is in fact no longer a need to restrict yourself around this sweet treat, quite the opposite!
What are the benefits of eating dark chocolate?
Now when we talk about chocolate, we are specifically speaking about dark chocolate, for the closer the chocolate is to its original coca bean the more loaded in benefits it will be. Dark chocolate is loaded in antioxidants, in fact it is one of the foods with the highest concentration of them, and multiple healthy nutrients needed for your body, for example in a 100g bar of 70-85% cocoa there are:
- 11 grams of fiber
- 7.9 grams of protein
- 73.7 mg of calcium
- 67% of the DV for iron
- 98% of the DV for manganese
Much like the fat content in Olive Oil, dark chocolate contains a fat source of mainly oleic acid, the same one found in olive oil, which is known to be a good source of fat for our hearts. Dark chocolate is also packed with phytonutrients known as flavonoids, these are plant chemicals that have the same effect as antioxidants and help lower risks of cancer as well as improving general heart health.
Baking with Olive oil and chocolate
Seeing as both dark chocolate and olive oil have similar health benefits, it makes the combination a healthier way of filling a sweet craving. So, when a recipe calls for butter and chocolate, it would be much more beneficial, and in our opinion more delicious, to switch the butter out for Olive Oil. You are then ensuring that whatever yummy treat you are preparing will be packed full of antioxidants and healthy heart fats that will reduce your risks of having a higher cholesterol.
RECIPE : DARK CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE
What happens when I substitute butter for Olive oil?
Although the thought of putting olive oil in a cake may seem alien, it really shouldn’t be! Olive oil in baking is often said to improve the whole taste and texture of a cake or any baked good. When you substitute butter for olive oil, you will end up with a much lighter and less claggy result. Olive oil also carries the benefit that in a cake, for example, the texture will remain moist for a longer period as opposed to a cake made with butter.
When making a chocolate cake you may often find that the result is dry and crumbly, however if you add in olive oil, you will find that the result will be much gooier and moister. It is a super easy substitute to make, and not only will it help with your health, but you’ll also find an improvement in the taste of your baked delicacies!
Discover our baking recipes made with olive oil here
Butter to olive oil conversion table
Use this table whenever you need to switch butter out for Olive oil in a recipe.
|
Butter |
Olive Oil |
|
1 teaspoon |
¾ teaspoon |
|
1 tablespoon |
2 ¼ teaspoon |
|
¼ cup |
3 tablespoons |
|
½ cup |
6 tablespoons |
|
1 cup |
12 tablespoons |
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