Vegan Carob Mylk Easter Eggs (two ways)

|Katie Layland
Vegan carob Easter egg recipe
Easter is just around the corner, and the supermarket shelves are already stocked with hot cross buns and endless varieties of sugar-laden Easter Eggs.
         
This Easter, I wanted to make sure our sensitive folk (who can merely look at a hot cross bun and feel a flare coming on) had some yummy alternatives to enjoy. So we have two Easter egg options which use ingredients from Karen Fischer's Eczema Detox programs.
       
These two recipes feature carob powder which I love as an alternative to cocoa (or cacao powder) for those prone to skin issues.

The health benefits:

Carob powder is caffeine-free and low in both salicylates and amines. It is naturally sweeter than cocoa powder and also contains twice the amount of calcium. Carob powder is rich in vitamins and minerals, high in fibre and gentle on the gut. I like using this as an alternative to cocoa powder, which is very rich in amines, AND can be quite drying to those prone to dry skin. 

For the Carob Mylk Easter Eggs

This recipe is the same as our Carob Mylk 'Chocolate' recipe (as we have found this method to work the best). Instead of making this into a chocolate block you can create cute Easter inspired shapes. For the moulds, we used a silicon easter egg shaped mould which was found at a local supermarket (I have also seen these online). This recipe makes about 12 medium sized eggs. 

Types of sugars you can use

We recommend Maple Sugar for this recipe (NOT maple syrup or other liquid sugars as we found they curdled or separated the mixture). You can find maple sugar from some health food bulk stores or online, however often it's hard to find so here are some alternatives:

  • Soft brown sugar (ensure it's fine) - this type of sugar may contain some salicylates so it would not be suitable on a low salicylate program. 
  • Some people use icing sugar when making homemade chocolate (and it is low salicylate), so that is an option that some people find convenient, but I don't really like icing sugar, and we don't recommend it as a healthy option.
  • Make it sugar-free! It actually tastes like dark chocolate without the sugar. Carob is naturally sweet, and with the cocoa butter it is quite lovely without sugar ...  this is a great option for people who want to avoid sugar but probably not for children. 
A note on Cocoa butter 
This recipe uses cocoa butter (which helps to turn the eggs into a hard, chocolate-like texture). Both are a pale buttery colour and smell divine like chocolate. But they are different from the brown powder called cacao powder and cocoa powder. The good news is, cocoa butter is classed as low in amines and salicylates and has only trace amounts of caffeine and theobromine, so it is unlikely to affect blood vessel dilation. As always you will need to test the skin's tolerance to cocoa butter, but this is a good alternative if you are not able to tolerate cashews (which is included in the next Easter egg recipe).   
                                                           
NOTES: 
For variety, you can add half of the carob mixture into the mould, add a dollop of cashew butter in the middle, then cover with the rest of the carob mixture to create a chewy centre.
    
If you are following the FID (Food Intolerance Diagnosis program from The Eczema Detox), this recipe could be trialled in small amounts if you wish. Cocao butter is low in amines and salicylates, however, may still cause flares in some so consume with caution during the FID testing phase. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup cocoa butter or cacao butter (from health food shops... if ordering online, check it is food grade, not the ones used for skin care making)
  • 1/2 cup carob powder, (roasted usually works best as it’s darker)
  • 2 tablespoons maple sugar (see notes, above, for alternatives)

METHOD:

Add the cocoa butter to a small saucepan and heat it carefully on low to medium heat until it becomes liquid. We used the double boil method which involved using a small saucepan with about an inch of water (or a touch more) and a bowl on top of it to hold the butter away from the direct heat. Not sure if this is really necessary, but it worked well. 

Then add the maple sugar and sifted carob powder and mix until almost dissolved. Let it cool slightly and add it to a high-powered blender (or use a stick blender*) and mix until smooth. If you are not using sugar, blending is not necessary. *Be safe and careful not to splash hot liquid onto yourself!  

Pour the mixture into the Easter moulds and leave it on the bench to cool down.... don’t refrigerate it yet, as a fast cool-down will discolour the chocolate, so it looks a little white on top. Once it has cooled, pop the moulds into the refrigerator briefly until they are cold and hardened. Once the moulds are firm, you can push them out carefully and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For the Carob Cashew Easter Eggs

Tips

A small amount of PM can be added to these carob eggs if you like. I always add calcium powder (Skin Friend PM) when I bake anything sweet that might be acidic because calcium and magnesium are highly alkalising and create an acid-alkaline balanced recipe. It stops me from adversely reacting to the maple syrup (I don't react to rice malt syrup as it is an alkaline sweetener). The calcium and magnesium are also good for anyone with eczema, TSW, arthritis or psoriasis and other acid-prone conditions, but you can leave it out if you like, as it is an optional ingredient. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup of raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons of roasted carob powder 
  • 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown rice syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon of real vanilla
  • 1 pinch of salt

METHOD:

Place the cashews in a food processor and process until the mixture begins to look like moist breadcrumbs (as pictured). Stop processing and add the remaining ingredients.

 

Process all ingredients until the mixture is well combined and holds together well (as pictured). Adjust taste if needed.

Roll the mixture into tiny easter egg shapes (this recipe will make 9-10 small easter eggs) and store in the fridge (or freezer for a short period of time to make them really firm). 

For the kids, these eggs can be covered with some foil and hidden around the backyard for an Easter Egg hunt. 

Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

    

Recipe food photos by Katie Layland, and recipe by Karen Fischer and Katie Layland  

 

 

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Frequently asked questions

Does food allergy trigger eczema?

Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
Do food allergy tests help eczema?

Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
About the authors

Ren Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, mother of two, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestsellers The Eczema Diet and The Eczema Detox. Fischer is also a peer-reviewed published researcher, and is currently undertaking eczema research as part of a Master's by Research at Bond University. Combining clinical research with real-world experience, she is dedicated to advancing evidence-based care for eczema.

Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment.