Prebiotic No Added Sugar Sticky Toffee (Microwave) Pudding

The colder months of the year can often have an impact on our hormones, endo symptoms and endo belly. Comforting sugary bakes, more alcohol and late night celebrations can cause issues like increased blood sugar spikes and gut inflammation.

Now, I am not here to tell you to not enjoy yourself this winter so please do go ahead and have your fav sticky toffee pudding if that’s what you want to do - but of course, I am here as an endo (and SIBO) health coach, so if any of you are interested in still enjoying your autumnal delights with less endo drama, here’s my latest creation...

We’re currently in Turkey, so we’re not enjoying those seasonal changes right now, but it hasn’t stopped us from wanting to bake some comforting desserts, and in fact, we’ve been inspired by new ingredients we’ve discovered here. I’ve been obsessed with carob powder for a few years now, I use it as my chocolate alternative because too much cacao really affects my histamine issues and heart palpitations. However, I had never discovered carob extract before (also known as carob molasses or carob syrup) until now.

Carob extract is a syrup derived from concentrated carob extract - it is naturally sweet, and tastes like molasses or treacle. As soon as we tried it, we both said to each other “sticky toffee pudding” and - well, you know the rest!

I absolutely love this pudding, and hope you do too.

This recipe is:

• High protein to help stabilise blood sugar and keep hormones at healthy levels.

This recipe delivers 13g protein, which may not sound like much in comparison to say, a piece of salmon, but for a dessert, it packs a punch, especially when your average sticky toffee pudding provides a whopping 2.8g.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms.

Additionally, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.

Protein helps to slow down the release of glucose to the blood stream because it takes longer to digest than carbs, so eating together helps to slow down digestion and therefore releases glucose more gradually. Protein also helps to keep us fuller and more satisfied, so this keeps us from being so much at the mercy of sugar cravings.

We also need adequate protein to make enough hormones - our hormones are produced by cholesterol and the StAR protein, and under eating can cause us to struggle to make sufficient amounts of both.

• A source of good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated dietary fats from the almonds and olive oil, which help reduce inflammation.

This recipe also contains some saturated fat and omega 3 fatty acids from the egg yolk. Saturated fats help to make the good cholesterol which forms our hormones, whilst omega 3 fats play a major role in lowering inflammatory prostaglandins (the suckers which worsen endo pain) and reducing/managing endometriosis symptoms.

• Rich in minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are found in high levels in carob.

Calcium and magnesium are both shown to aid with preventing PMS and period pain, whilst potassium can help ease water retention (which many experience in the luteal phase).

Low levels of calcium has been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain (because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions).

Magnesium helps reduce PMS symptoms, supports healthy oestrogen metabolism (clearance) and is a treatment for period pain, because it lowers prostaglandins, the suckers that drive up menstrual pain.

• Contains only naturally occurring sugar and is low glycemic with a moderate glycemic load due to the wonders of carob (preventing blood sugar spikes)!

Your average sticky toffee pudding contains about 40-45g of added sugar - yes, I am serious, check out this and this. Unfortunately, this amount of sugar in one sitting, especially in a pudding with very little fibre, a lot of starch from the flour and very little protein, is definitely going to cause a blood sugar spike for most of us (if it doesn’t spike you, you’re some sort of super human!).

Excess sugar consumption can not only cause inflammation in the body as shared above, but it can also feed unhealthy gut bacteria and cause intestinal inflammation too. People with endo may have higher levels of pathogenic bacteria and lower levels of beneficial bacteria, so eating in a way that will help the good guys thrive (high fibre) and not in the way the bad guys want (high sugar) can help us pave the way for endo belly healing.

Carob extract is naturally sweet, and despite being relatively high carb/high in naturally occurring sugar, it actually appears to have very beneficial effects on blood sugar. This is because it contains fibre (the good gut bug feeder!), which slows down the release of the natural sugars to the blood stream by slowing down digestion.

Additionally, carob is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, which in studies, have been shown to have beneficial effects on metabolism and blood sugar.

Carob extract is also classified as low glycemic index (and so are other carob products like powder), meaning that it doesn’t have a dramatic impact on blood sugar (high GI = blood sugar spikes). Glycemic load looks at both the GI index of the food and how much of that food you’re eating in one sitting, and how that can impact blood sugar. Due to the fibre content and the blood sugar benefits of the carob, plus because of the fibre, fat and protein content of the other ingredients, this recipe is estimated (by AI) to have a moderate glycemic load of 14 (moderate rather than low due to the higher carb/naturally occurring sugar levels). This means that it may create a mild-moderate and gradual rise in blood sugar - in contrast, your average sticky toffee pudding would quickly create a big, and dramatic spike as it has a glycemic load of about 45 (again, AI generated).

Now that being said, the naturally occurring sugar content in this recipe is high (about 22-25g), and yes, this does have a moderate glycemic index, but everyone’s response will be individual, and if you have diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, you might find this recipe has more of a dramatic effect than we would expect it to (though carob is generally considered safe for diabetics). If you feel like you crash after this, it could indicate that it spiked levels for you (though testing would be most accurate), so you can reduce the serving size, or next time pair it with full fat greek yoghurt or follow it with some movement, or a walk, etc. to help use up the glucose and prevent any spiking.

• A great source of prebiotic dietary fibre thanks to carob and can help heal endo belly dysbiosis.

  Carob contains polyphenols, which are some of our good gut bugs favourite foods and also help to lower inflammation. It is also rich in prebiotics galactomannans and pectin, fibres that feed good gut bacteria, which people with endo may be low in.

  But if that wasn’t enough, carob has a range or beneficial properties that can further benefit the gut, including gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory effects and anti-microbial effects. Whilst it’s unlikely that eating carob will completely wipe out any pathogenic bacteria (often we need high doses of antimicrobials), eating in a way that supports good gut bugs and helps to keep pathogenic ones at bay, is going to over time, support a healthier microbiome to begin forming.

  Finally, numerous research has shown that carob can help with diarrhoea, so if you’re having bad period poops (which is caused by elevated prostaglandins) this recipe or another carob recipe, could be helpful (though the research is mainly on powder and you may need higher or more frequent amounts, but see if it helps you!).

Important notes to help you tailor this toast recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)

This recipe isn’t low FODMAP

One important note however, is unlike all my other recipes, due to the prebiotics in this recipe (pectin and galactomannans), carob is not low FODMAP (unless at serves under 6g). Because this recipe relies solely on the carob to create that sticky toffee pudding flavour, not to mention, a big chunk of the benefits of this recipe too, I couldn’t lower its amounts to make it low FODMAP.

FODMAPS are types of carbohydrates that are rapidly fermentable. For people with SIBO, IBS or dysbiosis, some fermentable carbohydrates or certain serving sizes of them, may cause issues like bloating and gas. So, keep in mind that this recipe may or may not trigger bloating/IBS symptoms for you - it’s impossible to know which FODMAPS someone will respond to, because everyone is different, so try this with caution and see how you feel - if you’re worried, start with a half the amount to test your tolerance.

I will say that the rest of the ingredients are low, borderline moderate FODMAPS depending on the protein powder used, and I actually didn’t have any trouble with this recipe at all, and I have chronic SIBO! Of course, everyone is individual, so see how you feel.

How to make vegan

Whilst I haven’t tried this because I can’t seem to find flax where we are currently staying, you can make a flax egg as an alternative to the egg yolk. It will help bind, but it will probably make for a heavier, denser sponge, so just be prepared for that change!

Flax is a great beneficial food for the gut though due to its high polyphenol levels.

Where to get carob extract?

Whilst I never came across carob extract in the shops in the UK, you can actually find it on Amazon, and I suspect you’ll find it in Greek or Turkish delis and shops.

Almond alternatives

If you’re allergic to nuts, ground sunflower seeds (you could do it useful in a coffee/spice grinder) and sun butter would likely work well in this recipe.

Protein powder options

I don’t love it when I look up high protein deserts or cookies etc. and it turns out the main ingredient is some sweetened protein powder, I find it a bit lazy and as a lot of protein powders have added fillers and are heavily processed, I really try to avoid that where possible.

Instead, all of my recipes focus on protein from eggs, beans, seeds, nuts and so on. However, for this recipe, I wanted a really light sponge and I couldn’t achieve that with lots of added extras, so I went for a minimally processed 100% almond protein powder - with nothing else in it.

This means it’s better for the gut because it has less ingredients to react to (like gums and fillers), but also it doesn’t fall under the category of ultra processed because it doesn’t have lots of added extras.

Almond protein powder is really light and helps to create the delicious texture of this sponge, but if you can’t find any, I think rice would work well. I would avoid hemp or pea as they tend to be very heavy, quite gritty and strong in flavour. I couldn’t say how something like hydrolysed beef protein powder would work because I’ve never used it in any recipes, but let me know if you try it!

Why the microwave?

Whilst I am not against baking in the oven (let’s be clear, I love to bake!), we currently only have a stove top and a microwave in our Airbnb, so I am taking advantage of that for these recipes. For one, many people with endo don’t have the energy for long and labour intensive bakes, so microwave mug cakes are a bit more accessible. Two - microwaves produce less AGES due to their lower, moister and shorter cooking times. AGES cause oxidative stress, which raises inflammation and has been linked to endo.

If you want to understand if it’s okay to heat olive oil in the microwave, read this recipe and scroll down to “Is heating olive oil in the microwave inflammatory?”.

Further resources

If you’re struggling with your gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.

To understand more about the low FODMAP diet, start here.

Method:

Add all the dry ingredients to a mug, and whisk with a fork until well combined.

Add all the wet ingredients (for the pudding, not the sauce) and beat well until smooth.

Cook in the microwave on high for 1.40 seconds.

Remove and leave to cool for four minutes, whilst you whip up the sauce.

Add the carob extract and almond butter into a small cup or microwavable glass. Stir well until smooth and combined, then add the water. Mix again until smooth and thick but runny enough for pouring.

Heat in the microwave (again, on high) for 20 seconds, until bubbling. Stir again to and then pour over your pudding.

Enjoy!