Showing posts with label Food Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Review. Show all posts

Saturday, January 27, 2024

A Review of Hawaiian Kona Coffee

 Hawaiian Kona Coffee ~ the best coffee I ever tasted!


Kona Coffee Coffee Plantation in Hawaii


History of Kona Coffee


Coffee Plantation in Hawaii
Coffee Plantation
Pixabay Image

Coffee was not an original crop in Hawaii.  It was brought to the islands in 1828 from Brazil and planted in the Hilo area. Later, some of those coffee tree seedlings were planted on the westward volcanic slopes of the Kona region of the Big Island of Hawaii. Thus, the name Kona Coffee.


The coffee grown in Kona, Hawaii ~ today considered it's own variety called Kona Typica ~ is probably the most expensive coffee you can buy. And it is well worth it. The taste is outstanding and has become my absolute favorite. The climate in Hawaii's Kona region combined with the mineral-rich volcanic soils of Mauna Loa's steep slopes, gives exceptional conditions for growing some of the world's best coffee.


I was first introduced to Kona Coffee on a visit the Hubs & I made to Hawaii in 1989. We went to visit former California neighbors who had moved to Oahu. During our 10-day visit, we daily went to a nearby coffee house and it was there I had my first (of many, many hundreds since) cup of Kona Coffee. 


Personal Coffee Story


Coffee Cup and coffee beans
Image Source: Pixabay

When I was leaving for collage, I told my dad (a big coffee drinker) I planned to learn to drink coffee once I got to school. To me, it was a very 'grown-up' thing to do.  Dad told me I should learn to drink it black because there would be times in life when cream and/or sugar might not be handy. (I believe his thinking went back to his remembered years of World War II when things such as sugar were severely rationed). Nonetheless, his advice made sense to me.


My first dinner in the freshman dorm I ordered coffee, black. It was terrible! The next night I tried it with sugar (nope), then with cream, then with cream & sugar. I didn't like coffee in any form! But, I persevered, realizing that coffee is an acquired taste. 


Today, coffee is a absolute necessity to me first thing in the morning!  And I always drink it black. :) 


Summary



Since 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee is so expensive (due to labor costs, limited supply, high demand and transportation costs), it is a treat obtained only occasionally. (Unless, of course, if you live in Hawaii). But the exceptional taste and quality are too good to pass up. Therefore, I have discovered a tasty compromise of the 10% Kona Coffee Blend for my daily intake of cups of Kona coffee. 


My latest 'treat' was given to me this past Christmas by my kids – probably the most expensive 100% Kona Coffee of all – the Royal Kona Coffee for Royalty. It is a private reserve medium roast whose unique flavor and aroma caused it to become the favorite coffee of the Hawaiian Royals. (This non-Royal grandma is enjoying it very much!). 



Bag of Kona coffee with coffee pot
Image by Wednesday Elf
Other brands of 100% Kona Coffee are less expensive and 10% Kona Blend coffee is very affordable. 


So, if you are a coffee connoisseur (or just enjoy a good cup of coffee), try either the 100% Kona Coffee or the 10% Kona Blend Coffee for a delicious cup of coffee! 





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*Kona Coffee Review written by Wednesday Elf


 





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, January 17, 2024

The Best Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs — An Outstanding Low-Carb Treat

We're in the thick of winter snowstorms here in New England. Since I have a bad back, my husband does the snow shoveling. I always greet him upon his return with a steaming cup of hot cocoa to warm him up and show my appreciation.

Since we both stopped eating sugar a few years ago (and feel so much better as a result), now I make sugar-free hot chocolate. If it's the weekend, I usually prepare my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe, which is rich and decadent and has pretty much spoiled commercial hot cocoa mixes for us, but takes a bit more time and effort than using an instant hot cocoa mix.

However, when sugar-free ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs launched a few months ago, I was anxious to try them. Fortunately, they did not disappoint!

Now, if I want to make delicious hot cocoa with mini marshmallows quickly and easily, I just heat some almond or macadamia milk, drop in a ChocZero hot cocoa bomb, and stir until dissolved. Here's my product review of this outstanding low-carb treat.

ChocZero Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs
Image created using Canva generative AI

I have talked about ChocZero sugar-free chocolate and other sweet treats sweetened with natural monk fruit here on Review This Reviews, including ChocZero's mini marshmallows in my High-Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream recipe (still one of my favorites!); their regular sugar-free marshmallows in my Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats recipe; my review of the best sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spreads; ChocZero's fabulous truffles, chocolate keto bark, butter cookies, chewy caramels, jams, cookie spread, honey, and Rhea chocolate peanut nougat candy bars in my review of An Awesome Low Carb Gourmet Gift Basket Everyone Will Love; ChocZero's coffee syrups in my Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda recipe; their sugar-free strawberry jam in my Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes recipe; and more.

So, even though I have been somewhat disappointed in the low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa mixes I have tried, I knew ChocZero's sugar-free hot cocoa bombs would be worth a try.

What I Love About ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs

Awesome Packaging

The first thing you notice when you receive your order of ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs is the fabulous packaging.

The clear plastic box is printed with the ChocZero brand, product name, product image, and other pertinent information.

Because the outer box is clear, you can see through to the inside, where each hot cocoa bomb is snugly wrapped in festive bright gold foil that makes it look extra special.

There are four hot cocoa bombs per box. Inside the outer box, there is a protective molded plastic shell with four spherical depressions that cradle the foil-wrapped chocolate spheres and prevent them from being broken or otherwise harmed during transit.

The first two boxes I ordered were a gift for my husband since he loves hot chocolate so much.

Convenience

ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs in packaging

My husband and I really love my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe and if I have all the ingredients on hand, it's a special treat.

However, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs are the first low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa "mix" we've tried that we really enjoy.

They are also quicker and easier to prepare than my from-scratch recipe when we're looking for instant gratification.

And unwrapping each gold foil-wrapped ball really does add something special to the experience of making hot cocoa!

Rich Chocolate Taste and Luscious Mouthfeel

Like my ultimate keto hot chocolate recipe, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs include both cocoa powder and chocolate.

The chocolate shell creates a richer chocolate taste and a more luscious mouthfeel than the hot cocoa mix inside alone.

The chocolate shell also contains not only the sugar-free hot cocoa mix but also sugar-free mini marshmallows, which my husband and I both love in our hot cocoa.

Unlike most sugar-free hot cocoa mixes we've tried, we don't need to add anything to make this taste better, although we often enjoy adding a splash of one of ChocZero's flavoring syrups.

Sugar-free cocoa with mini marshmallows

How I Use ChocZero Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs

We start by unwrapping each hot cocoa bomb and placing it in a large mug.

Next, we heat the milk. Although you can use any kind of milk you prefer, we prefer to use either unsweetened vanilla almond milk or unsweetened vanilla macadamia milk to make our hot cocoa, since they are lower in natural sugar and carbs than dairy milk. We sometimes add a splash of heavy cream for added richness.

It's important to heat the milk very hot before pouring it over the hot cocoa bomb, and it takes a bit of stirring to completely melt the outer milk chocolate shell and dissolve the cocoa mix.

My husband and I love the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint, so we usually add a splash of the awesome ChocZero Sugar-Free Peppermint Syrup into our prepared hot cocoa.

We also enjoy our cocoa with a splash of other ChocZero flavoring syrups, especially caramel or hazelnut. They're fabulous and don't have the unpleasant aftertaste or questionable sweeteners used in other brands of sugar-free syrups.

This flavored hot cocoa makes such a satisfying, sweet, low-carb treat that we often enjoy it for dessert.

What's Next?

I noticed the packaging includes the descriptor "Milk," so I'm hoping that ChocZero will be adding dark chocolate hot cocoa bombs in the future. 

One of the things I love about this brand is that they are always improving their products and adding new ones based on customer feedback. 

So, ChocZero, if you're reading this, I hope you'll consider making dark chocolate hot cocoa bombs next! 💓🍫


The Best Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs — An Outstanding Low-Carb Treat by Margaret Schindel


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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, January 13, 2024

National Bagel Day Review

 

For Bagel lovers (of which I am one), having a special day to celebrate the tasty bagel is delightful.


National Bagel Day is celebrated yearly on January 15. 


A collection of bagels


History of Bagels


Bagels have a long history extending back nearly 500 years to the Jewish families of Poland in the 1600s. They were brought to America by the large Polish-Jewish immigration in the 1800s and thrived in New York City where many of the immigrants settled. 


Bagel with lox, cream cheese,  capers, tomatoes and red onions
The 'bagel brunch' we still enjoy today began in the early 1900s. It's nearly the same as it was then, consisting of the popular lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onions. Other flavors and toppings have evolved over time. It began as a plain bread roll made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a ring, briefly boiled in water, then baked, resulting in a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned exterior. Today the basic plain bagel also comes in a variety of flavors, including poppy seed, sesame seed, cinnamon raisin, bagels with berries, and the Everything Bagel. 

 

A Bagel

A Few Fun Bagel Facts


  • The first bagel began in the 1300s as a Polish obwarzanek, which was a thin, boiled, then baked ring of dough.
  • In 1610, The first written records about bagels was traced to Krakow, Poland, stating that bagels should be gifted to women soon after childbirth. (A new baby, a new bagel). 
  • By the early 1900s, bagels became wildly popular in the Jewish-immigrant communities of New York City. 
  • By the 1950s, Bagels became an American Staple. Today Bagels are sold in supermarkets everywhere and surpass the donut as an essential breakfast item. 


Summary


The original bagel today is still most popular acquired fresh from a bakery the day you wish to eat them.  But it is also handy to buy store-bought packages to have available anytime a bagel is desired.


Since bagels have their own special day, be sure to have some bagels on hand for January 15th to celebrate the official 'Bagel Day'. 




For more Holiday Reviews, check out ReviewThisHolidays.com


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*Bagel Day Holiday Review is written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, December 30, 2023

What is Chantilly Cake? A Food Review

 Admittedly, I am not much of a cake eater, preferring pies & puddings to any cake-like dessert. With one exception – the whipped cream cakes that a Rochester, New York department store my dad worked for used to feature in their bakery. They also made an eclair filled with real whipped cream that was to die for!  But I digress! 


Chantilly Cake


Chantilly Cake


After dozens of years, I have finally found a cake every bit as good as that department store's whipped cream cake.  It's called a Chantilly Cake and is exclusively found in the Whole Foods Markets throughout the countries of the United States, Canada, and the U.K.


The reason Whole Foods features this Chantilly cake is it was created for Whole Foods by Chaya Conrad when she was working in one of their New Orleans stores in 2005. Chaya now runs the popular Bywater Bakery in New Orleans. 


Chantilly Cake ~ sometimes called Berry Chantilly Cake ~ is composed of white sponge layers with berries and sweetened whipped cream. The cake's name comes from Chantilly cream, which is a French term for sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla or liqueur.  For the frosting, a combination of whipped mascarpone and cream cheese is used, with berries such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries folded in and placed on top. 


Chantilly Cake Recipe to Make Your Own Homemade Delight


There are several recipes online for making Chantilly Cake from scratch. My favorite is on the Preppy Kitchen website (PreppyKitchen.com), a blog filled with kitchen creations by John Kanell. John describes himself as a husband, dad to twin boys and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious. John lives in Los Angeles. 


Personal Reflections of Chantilly Cake


My first introduction to Chantilly Cake from Whole Foods was a year and a half ago at a birthday celebration for one of my grandsons. Since it is my son's favorite cake, it is frequently served at most of the family celebrations, as you can see below. 


Chantilly Cake for a birthday party

Chantilly cake for grandson's birthday party


Summary


Once you have tasted a Chantilly Cake, you will wish to have it often. There is nothing like a whipped cream cake, especially one filled with fresh berries. The sweetness of the whipped cream/cream cheese/mascarpone frosting, combined with the tartness of the fresh berries, is an unbelievably delicious taste treat. Why not give Chantilly Cake a try for your New Year's Eve celebration?  


Chantilly Cake


Happy New Year!
Happy Eating! 


For more Food Reviews on Review This Reviews, click here



*Chantilly Cake Review written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, November 22, 2023

An Awesome Low Carb Gourmet Gift Basket Everyone Will Love

Food gifts are always popular for the holidays. Unfortunately, traditional gourmet gift baskets aren't as popular as they once were. There is so much feasting between Thanksgiving and New Year's that a basket of typical high-calorie, starch- and sugar-laden holiday treats can be an unwelcome way to pack on even more unwanted pounds. Recipients may give away the high-calorie, high-carb items in the gift baskets they receive (or eat them and feel bad afterward).

Fortunately, as more and more people are choosing to eat low carb, savvy manufacturers are creating an ever-increasing array of delicious foods that consumers can indulge in without negatively affecting their health or piling on the pounds. A gourmet gift basket filled with tempting low carb treats they can indulge in guilt-free is a present everyone can enjoy.

You can customize the contents of each gift basket to suit the recipient's taste, preferences, and dietary restrictions by choosing sugar-free, keto-friendly, gluten-free, or dairy-free products.

Have fun picking out the perfect low carb goodies for your holiday gourmet gift baskets!

Fill a fabulous gourmet gift basket with luscious low carb treats

The first thing you'll need to do is to choose your low carb gourmet treats. Then, you'll pick a suitable basket or another container to fill with the items you've chosen.

From luscious chocolates and caramels to festive cookies, savory meat sticks, high-protein pasta, low-carb baking mixes, and more, you'll find recommendations here to delight everyone on your holiday gift list. 

Festive (and Guilt-Free) Sweet Treats

If your gift recipient has a sweet tooth, the holidays are the time to indulge!

Chocolates for Connoisseurs

My favorite low carb chocolates hands-down are made by ChocZero and The Good Chocolate. Both these companies have extremely high standards for quality, flavor, and mouthfeel. Everyone on your list, regardless of dietary requirements or preferences, will love these luxurious, gourmet chocolate treats!

The ChocZero Royal Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles are absolutely divine. Silky milk chocolate sweetened with monk fruit enrobes a hazelnut center and crushed gluten-free cookies. No one would ever believe there's no sugar in these fabulous truffles!

Each truffle is wrapped in elegant metallic gold foil and nestled into its own depression in the custom-molded inserts in the clear, hard plastic presentation box beautifully designed for gift-giving to even the most discerning recipient.

These are no-added-sugar masterpieces from a truly talented chocolatier. A perfect pick that's also gluten-free and keto-friendly.

(Bonus: They also contain healthy prebiotic fiber to support gut health and help you feel full longer!) I'm so excited that ChocZero will be introducing additional flavors of truffles in the coming months!

I wrote an in-depth product review of The Good Chocolate bars that explains in detail all the reasons I love this company's terrific chocolates.

Although their products aren't inexpensive, this is a luxury product that any chocolate connoisseur would appreciate.

They have an excellent variety of flavors including some unusual gourmet options, such as Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Dark Chocolate with Coconut & Turmeric (which sounds weird but is absolutely delicious!).

I also love their Signature Dark Chocolate, Salted Dark Chocolate with Roasted Almonds, Dark Chocolate with Himalayan & Sea Salt, and Milk Chocolate bars.

I highly recommend adding an assortment to your low carb gourmet gift baskets so your gift recipient can find his or her favorites. For example, The Good Chocolate Keto Chocolate Bar Variety Pack includes one bar of each of the above flavors except the Dark Chocolate with Coconut & Turmeric.

Another terrific option for people who love Snickers bars but not all the sugar they contain is the new ChocZero Rhea candy bars. These are positively decadent! I defy anyone who tries them to guess that they don't contain any added sugars.

This is a real, good old-fashioned candy bar that tastes like that famous childhood favorite but contains no added sugars.

Each Rhea bar is yummy nougat topped with loads of chopped peanuts embedded in gooey caramel, and then the whole bar is enrobed in a coating of decadent milk chocolate.

An interesting tidbit: The Rhea in the name is ChocZero's wonderful Chief Growth Officer, who not only leads the brand's excellent marketing (which is both principled and transparent) but also is actively engaged with customers.

I really love this company, its products, and its people! It's no wonder they are growing so quickly and have such a loyal following.

ChocZero Chocolate Keto Bark is one of the brand's most popular products, and for good reason. It comes in a wide range of delicious flavor choices, with new flavors introduced from time to time and some occasionally retired. My husband and I really love these delicious squares of rich, luscious chocolate either filled or studded with flavorful additions.

Some of our favorites include Dark Chocolate Peppermint, White Chocolate Cookies & Cream, and Milk Chocolate Almond.

They are all sweetened with monk fruit and are the perfect size to satisfy a sweet tooth without overindulging.

They are available in bags and, new this year, in large, collectible gift tins that also bring down the cost per piece. We always have a good selection of flavors on hand at our house!

Chewy Caramels

Another of this year's sweet innovations is ChocZero's Soft Sea Salt Caramels. These soft, chewy candies have that yummy salted caramel flavor that is deservedly popular among foodies.

Sweetened with monk fruit and salted with fine Celtic sea salt, these individually wrapped, kettle-cooked, classic caramels will remind you of old-fashioned homemade caramel candies. These sugar-free treats contain no sugar alcohols or corn syrup.

A serving of three of these yummy caramels has just 100 calories, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 net carbs.

Bonus: You can also melt these down to make a luxurious sugar-free caramel sauce!

Marshmallows

Another exceptional sugar-free treat from ChocZero is their marshmallows. 

They make regular marshmallows, mini marshmallows, marshmallows in fun seasonal shapes, twisted rainbow Unicorn marshmallows, and freeze-dried mini marshmallows like the ones in many popular kids' cereals.

I haven't been able to stop eating them since they launched earlier this year! They're perfect for floating in hot cocoa, snacking, and using in recipes.

For someone who loves Rice Krispie Treats, consider including a bag of ChocZero Marshmallows and a copy of my recipe for Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats.

Low Carb Cookies

There are a lot of commercial keto and low carb cookies on the market. Frankly, very few of them are worth eating. Here are some noteworthy exceptions.

ChocZero Premium Butter Cookies look just like the wonderful Danish butter cookies we all know and love, right down to the round blue collectible tin, but minus the added sugars. They are crisp, sweet, buttery, and delicious!

They would make a great addition to your low carb gourmet gift baskets!

HighKey Snacks is best known for its delicious, bite-sized mini cookies.

HighKey Mini Cookies come in a wide variety of flavors, including Double Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Vanilla Wafers, Vanilla Shortbread, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Lemon, and Ginger Spice.

The Ginger Spice are definitely a holiday favorite and are great crushed to make a flavorful cheesecake crust. (I love them as a crust for pumpkin cheesecake!)

The Classic Variety 3-Pack includes one bag each of Double Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Chip, and Snickerdoodle mini cookies, so your gift recipient can try a few flavors.

I've also written an in-depth product review of HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies, which are my favorite Oreo alternative and a gift any Oreo lover who's trying to cut back on sugar would appreciate.

The newest HighKey cookie offering is also a winner and might be my favorite cookie from this brand!

HighKey Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies are very large, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies packed with a whopping 14 grams of protein per cookie.

They're individually wrapped to keep them soft and fresh, and they're as nutritious as they are delicious.

I love bringing these along in my purse or carry-on bag in case I need something to stave off hunger pains on the go.

I really hope HighKey decides to make these in additional flavors. They're a terrific addition to their product line!

Savory Goodies

If your gift recipients prefer savory to sweet, here are some tasty picks they're sure to enjoy.

High-Quality Meat Sticks

Meat sticks are a convenient low carb snack. They're high in protein, low in calories, and great to tuck in a purse or carry-on bag for a satisfying protein boost on the go.

My favorites are PaleoValley 100% Grass-Fed Beef Sticks. According to the manufacturer's website, "Paleovalley 100% Grass-Fed Beef Sticks are the only beef sticks in the USA made from 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef and organic spices that are naturally fermented." These delicious, individually wrapped, grass-fed beef sticks come in several tasty flavors: regular Summer Sausage, Garlic Summer Sausage (my personal favorite), Jalapeno, Teriyaki, and Original.

All the flavors except Teriyaki have 6 grams of protein, 0 grams of sugar, and 70 calories; the Teriyaki beef sticks have 80 calories. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free, soy-free, and dairy-free. 

I also love PaleoValley 100% Pasture-Raised Maple Bacon Pork SticksThese are made primarily from pasture-raised pork with organic spices and a touch of sweetness from organic maple syrup. They are naturally fermented to make them shelf-stable without the use of preservatives.

Each delicious maple bacon pork stick has 80 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 2 net carbs. They're gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, with no added sugar, no artificial nitrates, or nitrites.

The PaleoValley beef and pork sticks are soft and moist. If your gift recipient prefers a firmer, chewier, beef jerky-style meat stick, I highly recommend the CHOMPS Grass-Fed Beef Sticks.

These individually wrapped, jerky-style sticks are made from grass-fed and grass-finished beef. They come in your choice of Original, Habanero, Jalapeño, Italian Style, Sea Salt, and Taco Beef flavors.

Each CHOMPS beef jerky stick has 9 grams of protein, 0 grams of sugar, 90 calories, and no gluten, soy, or dairy.

The flavors range from extra-mild to medium spicy to suit the recipient's preferred spice/heat level.

Pasta and Sauce

A low carb lifestyle can include pasta, as long as you choose the right kind.

Although low carb pasta doesn't have an identical taste or texture to conventional pasta, there are some satisfying options.

One of my favorites is Kaizen pasta made with high-protein lupin flour. It's available in a variety of popular pasta shapes including fusilli, ziti, cavatappi, and radiatori.

I recommend cooking it a bit longer than the package directions suggest, since otherwise, it can be a bit chewy.

Because the taste is a bit different than that of conventional pasta, I highly recommend pairing it with a robust low carb sauce. 

We really like Rao's Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce made with fresh basil.

It's more expensive than some other brands, but the taste is worth the premium price, and the ingredients are fresh and high quality, like those you would use to make your own marinara sauce at home.

Another good low carb option to try that's considerably less expensive is Yo Mama's Keto Marinara Sauce. It's a lesser-known brand that deserves more recognition.

Baking Mixes

I've reviewed several low carb and keto baking mixes here on Review This Reviews. Two of my favorite brands are Scotty's Everyday and Good Dee's.

Scotty's Everyday Keto Pizza Crust Mix is a fantastic option for enjoying fresh, homemade pizza. It makes a delicious crust that has 80 calories, 2.5 grams of protein, and an amazing zero net carbs per slice.

We like baking ours on a pizza stone to get a thin, crispy crust. It's the closest thing to real pizza dough that's also keto-friendly!

Read my in-depth product review of The Best Keto Pizza Crust Mix With 0 Net Carbs to learn more about why this baking mix is a winner.

I've reviewed Good Dee's Low Carb Cookie Baking Mixes here on Review This Reviews. We recently made a batch of my favorite (butter pecan cookies) and they were delicious!

I also love Good Dee's brownie mixes, cake mixes, and bread mixes. Good Dee's Corn-Free Bread Mix is a key ingredient in my Low Carb Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins recipe, which is delicious and one of my husband's favorite meals.

A package of the Corn Free Bread Mix along with a copy of my cheddar corn dog muffins recipe would make a great addition to a low carb gourmet gift basket.

This mix is the best alternative to cornbread for people who are avoiding corn and grains, especially when enhanced with additional corn flavoring, as I do in my low carb cheddar corn dog muffins recipe.

You really can't go wrong with any of the Good Dee's baking mixes. They also make sugar-free rainbow sprinkles that would be great paired with one of the cake mixes!

Livlō baking mixes are another great option. Livlo makes high-quality keto baking mixes, such as the biscuit and scone mixes I use in my yummy Low Carb Blueberry Biscuit Scones recipe. Check out my recipe to learn more about these excellent, easy-to-use mixes.

Another great addition to your low carb gourmet gift basket would be the Wholesome Yum Soft White Keto Bread Mix.

I've written a detailed review of this bread mix prepared both according to the package directions and according to the yeast bread recipe. Both methods make delicious loaves.

Read my Wholesome Yum Keto Bread Mix and Yeast Bread Recipe review and consider adding the bread mix and the yeast bread recipe instructions to your basket.

A good low carb pancake or waffle mix would also be a welcome treat. Scotty's Everyday, Wholesome Yum, Livlo, Good Dee's, and Nüsh Foods all make excellent ones.

Since my husband and I try to prioritize protein in our diets, especially first thing in the morning, we really like the Nüsh Protein Pancake & Waffle Mix, which packs a hefty 20 grams of protein and 8 net carbs per serving (three protein pancakes).

This protein pancake & waffle mix is gluten-free and high in flax fiber and Omega-3s. It's also quick and easy to prepare—just measure out the desired quantity of the mix and whisk in half as much water by volume (e.g., 2 Tbsp. water for 1/4 cup dry mix), and then cook on a greased, preheated pan.

Although Nüsh also makes a blueberry protein pancake & waffle mix, we prefer to add our own fresh berries to the prepared mix batter. A mixture of fresh raspberries and blueberries is a favorite in our household.

Don't forget to include a bottle of high-quality sugar-free maple syrup! We love Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Maple Syrup and ChocZero Maple Syrup

Crackers

A lot of low carb and keto crackers taste like cardboard. Fortunately, there is one brand I can recommend enthusiastically.

My favorite, far and away, is Real Phat Foods almond flour crackers. They're made with simple, clean ingredients "with no artificial anything ever." They're grain-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, soy-free, and GMO-free, and all flavors except cheddar are also dairy-free.

A 1-ounce serving has 150 calories and only 1–2 net carbs per serving.

I've tried and enjoyed all the flavors, which include Rosemary, Cracked Pepper, Original, Cheddar, and Sweet Cinnamon Crunch.

The cheddar and cinnamon are my top picks, but the Original flavor is great paired with your favorite cheese or jam.

I suggest getting the assortment with one bag of each flavor so your gift recipients can find their favorites to reorder.

Jams, Spreads, and Honey

This is another category where ChocZero has been knocking it out of the park. ChocZero jams are the best quality sugar-free jams on the market, in my opinion.

They're sweetened with monk fruit instead of unhealthy artificial sweeteners, chock-full of real fruit, and taste fantastic. They're also thick and jammy, not watery or gummy like some other sugar-free jams I've tried.

ChocZero Jams come in Grape, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Orange Marmalade flavors and the brand-new Black Cherry jam should be coming to Amazon soon. These are great for PB&J sandwiches, with crackers, to fill thumbprint cookies, and lots of other tasty uses.

For the Nutella lovers on your holiday gift list, both ChocZero and Livlō make excellent sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spreads. 

My favorite is the ChocZero Dark Cocoa Hazelnut Spread, which is also vegan, but the closest to Nutella is the ChocZero Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (shown at the left) or the Livlō Zellō Keto-Friendly Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.

ChocZero Cookie Spread is also fabulous!

Sugar-free honey is a relatively new invention. ChocZero Keto Honey Substitute is a vegan clover honey alternative that comes in an adorable bear-shaped bottle. It has only 1 net carb per serving and packs 18 grams of dietary fiber per serving. It's sweetened with monk fruit instead of artificial sweeteners and tastes delicious! It's a 1:1 replacement for honey in any recipe and is delicious in tea.

The other low carb honey we love is Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey Substitute.

This keto-friendly honey alternative is sweetened with monk fruit and allulose and has only 15 calories and 0 net carbs per tablespoon. It also has 6 grams of dietary fiber.

It has the same consistency as honey from the bees and, like ChocZero honey, is designed to be used in recipes as well as drizzled on pancakes or toast, stirred into tea, etc.

The most notable thing about Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey Substitute is that it comes in different flavors: original, cinnamon, jalapeno, turmeric ginger, and orange. Imagine using the orange honey in a glaze or marinade for chicken or the jalapeno honey to make hot honey chicken wings!

Any of these jams, spreads, or honey choices would be excellent paired with Wholesome Yum Bread Mix, Livlo biscuit or scone baking mix, Real Phat Foods almond flour crackers, or Nüsh protein pancake or waffle mix.

Baskets and Other Container Ideas

Whenever I receive a gift basket, I always save the container to repurpose. That's what I did to make the low carb gourmet gift basket pictured below.

Low carb treats in a gift basket
I repurposed the wicker basket from a gift I received, wrapped the handle with fancy ribbon and a decorative pick, and filled it with delicious sweet and savory low carb treats.

If you don't happen to have one on hand, Amazon has a huge selection of wicker baskets for gifts in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to suit your needs.

You could get creative and stow your gourmet treats in a crockpot or air fryer for a more extravagant gift.

The easiest approach of all would be to tuck your low carb goodies into a festive holiday gift bag. My friend and fellow Review This Reviews contributor Raintree Annie has some great suggestions for Reusable Christmas Gift Bags.

Alternatively, if you want to give mostly smaller treats, you might use them to stuff a beautiful Christmas stocking.

An Awesome Low Carb Gourmet Gift Basket Everyone Will Love by Margaret Schindel


Read More Low Carb & Keto Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

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