Chocolate Pots de Crème -lightened up
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If you love decadent chocolate desserts, you will be in heaven with this Lightened Up Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe. The Chocolate Pots are baked in the oven, resulting in a crisp top and a gooey, fudgy decadently rich chocolate center. And as a bonus? They’re lightened up, so you can enjoy your chocolate dessert without the guilt!
We stopped going out to dinner for Valentine’s day several years ago, it’s just not worth the hassle of babysitters, long waits, and having to eat from “special menus” – (special as in nothing I want, yet twice as expensive, lol.)
We now have a family tradition of a candlelit dinner with the kids. They love it and think it’s very special. Our menu of the last few years has been a heart-shaped pizza from a take n’ bake pizza place, salad, and a special dessert.
Lightened Up Baked Chocolate Pots for Valentine’s Day
This year, our dessert will be a lightened up version of Chocolate Pots de “Crème”. Though technically, these fudgy chocolate desserts aren’t Pots de Crème, they’re more like “pots de agua” since there is no cream or butter in this recipe.
I promise you, these little desserts are so rich and creamy, it’s very difficult to tell the difference. (I challenge you to eat an entire ramekin in one sitting, I could not finish it all at once, and I’m a pro!)
When it comes to desserts, I can’t seem to resist anything creamy, smooth and super sweet. (Like fudge, cheese cake, ice cream…) And if it’s chocolate too? You better hand me that spoon and don’t expect me to share!
Why These Lightened Up Chocolate Pots Need to be on Your Dessert Menu!
Many of the chocolate pot recipes are cooked on the stovetop and are basically a thick pudding served cold. This Chocolate Pots recipe is more of a baked chocolate custard. They’re baked in the oven and served warm, and since they are made without butter or cream, the calorie savings really add up!
The Lightened-up Chocolate Pots are moist, decadently fudgy with a crisp top you break to get to the soft fudgy center. These individual-sized chocolate desserts are sure to satisfy any chocolate craving!
You can serve the chocolate pots with a dollop of whipped topping (to save on the calories) but they are to die for with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Just look at the fudgy-ness… You’ll be in chocolate heaven!
Ingredients in this Chocolate Pots Recipe:
Want to give this amazing dessert recipe a try? These are the ingredients you will need. (Ingredients at a glance, get the full recipe in the card at the bottom of the post.)
- Baking cocoa
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sugar
- Flour
- 3 eggs
- Brewed coffee (or any flavored liqueur, like chocolate, Raspberry, Baileys or Frangelico.)
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
The chocolate pots are cooked until just set, though my guess is, if you continued to cook them, they would turn out more like a brownie.
Can I Use Sugar Substitute in the Recipe?
Yes, you definitely can use sugar substitute and the Chocolate Pots will Still turn out great. My favorite sugar substitute is Swerve. The recipe has two tablespoons of flour in it (The flour gives it that wonderfully crispy crust.) But with sugar substitute and sugar-free chocolate chips, the chocolate pots clock in at less than 100 calories and 4 net carbs.
How Many Calories in this Lightened Up Chocolate Pots Recipe?
Baked as written, this recipe comes in at 220 calories per serving, but if you replace the sugar with Swerve and replace the chocolate chips with something like Lily’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips, the recipe will clock in at less than 100 calories and +/- 4 net carbs. (I linked to Amazon for the Lily’s Chips so you could see what they are, but don’t order them online if you live in a warm climate – they will come melted. My grocery store actually carries these at a reasonable price.)
More Decadent Dessert Recipes Perfect for Valentine’s Day:
- Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
- Best Red Velvet Cake
- Baked Mini Strawberry Pies for Valentines Day
- Easy Strawberry Trifle with Pound Cake
- Sugar free Crustless Cheesecake (in the pressure cooker!)
How to Make the Lightened up Chocolate Pots:
Print
Chocolate Pots de Crème
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minues
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
Description
If you love decadent chocolate desserts, you will be in heaven with this Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe. These Chocolate Pots are baked in the oven, resulting in a crisp top and a gooey, fudgy decadently rich chocolate center.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbs semi sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbs all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbs brewed coffee (You could also use a dark rum or any flavored liqueur, like chocolate, Raspberry, Baileys or Frangelico. I just used coffee.)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine cocoa, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in water.
- Stir mixture over low heat until no lumps remain. Raise heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, coffee and vanilla until smooth.
- In a larger bowl, beat eggs until slightly thickened, gradually adding sugar, continuously beating until thick.
- Very slowly, adding just a small amount of the warm chocolate at a time, fold the chocolate into the egg mixture.
- Coat eight oven safe ramekins or other small serving cups with cooking spray and divide chocolate between the eight cups.
- Place ramekins in a baking pan and add about an inch of boiling water to the pan.
- Bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes or until centers are just set.
- Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th recipe
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Protein: 3
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