Our 5 Favorite Low- and No-Sugar Chocolate Chips For Baking | Ochsner Health (2024)

Mar 6, 2024 |

With trade-outs like almond flour for white flour, coconut oil for butter and plant-based sweeteners for sugar, it’s entirely possible to create legitimately good-for-you baked goods. And now, the array of low- and no-sugar chocolate chip options makes it even easier to create a wholesome sweet treat.

Of course, if we’re only adding just a few chocolate chips per serving, it doesn’t really matter which variety we use. But since we have better options available, we can (and should) do better. Every little bit adds up.

These aremy top picks for chocolate chips:

Best Picks for No-Sugar Chocolate Chips

Lily’s Baking Chips

• Varieties: semi-sweet, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate salted caramel, butterscotch and white chocolate chips
• Per tablespoon (semi-sweet variety): 50 calories, 2 grams net carbs, 4 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar
• Ingredients : Unsweetened chocolate, insulin (prebiotic fiber), erythritol (plant-based sweetener), rBST-free milk fat (rBST is a type of artificial growth hormone), cocoa butter, stevia

Choc Zero Chocolate Chips

• Varieties : dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter chips
• Per tablespoon: 70 calories, 6 grams net carbs, 5 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar
• Ingredients :Milk chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder), soluble corn fiber (Non-GMO Resistant Dextrin), sunflower lecithin, monk fruit extract, natural caramel flavor, Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans

365 Whole Foods Brand Sugar Fee Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

• Per tablespoon: 50 calories, 6 grams net carbs, 2 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar
• Ingredients: Chocolate liqueur, erythritol, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, stevia

Best picks for low-sugar chocolate chips

Guittard Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

• Varieties: White chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, bittersweet, dark chocolate, and extra bittersweet
• 72% cacao
• Per tablespoon: 80 calories, 8 grams net carbs, 3 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar
• Ingredients:Cacao beans, cane sugar, sunflower lecithin, vanilla

Missy J’s Sweet Aussie Carob Chips

• Varieties: Sweetened and unsweetened carob chips
• Dairy free
• Per tablespoon: 80 calories, 6 grams net carbs, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams sugar
• Ingredients:Missy J's Carob Chips (organic palm oil, organic Australian carob powder, organic coconut sugar, organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt)

Allergy-friendlychocolate chips

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

• Varieties: Semisweet and dark chocolate,
• Per tablespoon: 80 calories, 9 grams net carbs, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams sugar
• Ingredients: Cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter
• Gluten, dairy, nut and soy free

Traditional chocolate chips

Traditional brands like Hershey's and Nestle Toll House are OK choices if chocolate chips are an occasional treat. Here's a nutritional breakdown:

• Per tablespoon: 80 calories, 8 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams sugar
• Ingredients: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, milkfat, nonfat milk, natural flavor

If you're eating chocolate chips consistently, or need to be mindful of carbs, sugars and glucose, it's best to limit the traditional brandsand opt for one of these other picks.

Editor’s note: Registered dietitian Molly Kimball offers brand-name products as a consumer guide; she does not solicit product samples nor is she paid to recommend items.

To schedule a nutrition consult, whether virtually or in-person, contact us at nutrition@ochsner.org or call us at 985-898-7050.

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