Batches 76 – 78 Part 3: My Keto Indulgence – Flavour, Function & The Verdict
This is the final part of the Lab Batches 76–78 series. In Part 1, I shared the objectives and the 8 Pillars of the Dream Product. In Part 2, we went through the process of roasting, refining, tempering, and molding.
Now in Part 3, it’s time to evaluate the results. This is where purpose meets indulgence — flavour, texture, functionality, and lifestyle support all come under review.
Charge: Morning Energy Without the Crash
Purpose: Clean morning energy, extend fasting, and support gut health.
Evaluation:
- Flavour: Balanced. Coconut and macadamia come through, pleasant without bitterness or excess sweetness. Chia isn’t overpowering here — a big win.
- Texture: Currently more liquid than I’d like. With age, it thickens toward a buttery consistency, so a few more days might improve it further.
- Functionality: Outstanding. Provides satiety, supports fasting until 11 AM, stable gut feel thanks to soluble fiber and prebiotic support. Compared to MCT oils or bulletproof coffee, it’s both tastier and gentler on digestion.
Verdict: Charge is close to hitting the sweet spot between indulgence and purpose.
Balance: Daily Wellness Support
Purpose: Anti-inflammatory, insulin stability, gut and cognitive support.
Evaluation:
- Flavour: Scored around 6/10. Chia dominates, muting other notes and adding slight astringency. Needs reformulation to keep omega balance but reduce chia.
- Texture: Thickening nicely with age, showing potential.
- Functionality: Strong across the board — omega ratio corrected, inflammation support, almost no carbs, excellent gut benefits.
Verdict: A powerhouse in purpose, but flavor held it back. The next iteration will target balance without chia overpowering.
Delight: Evening Indulgence with Spice Variants
Purpose: An indulgent after-dinner treat that also delivers mood and health benefits.
Evaluation:
- Base Version (ginger-turmeric-black pepper): Pleasant but chia again overwhelmed the spice. Flavour ~7/10. Texture melted too quickly — more mousse than ganache. Needs firmer fat composition (adjusting cocoa butter and nut butter ratios).
- Cinnamon-Nutmeg Variant: Warming spices show through but still masked by chia’s strength. Mouthfeel was excellent, but structure too soft to stand alone.
Verdict: Strong on functional health support (anti-inflammatory, calming), but didn’t yet deliver on indulgent evening replacement for chocolate or ice cream. Adjustments needed in spice balance and fat ratios.
Lessons Learned
Across all three products, one theme stood out: chia is powerful — both nutritionally and in flavour dominance. Charge managed to integrate it well, but Balance and Delight suffered in taste because of it.
Still, every iteration is progress. Functionally, all three products are strong. Flavour and texture refinements are the next frontier.
The Road Ahead
- Charge: Stay the course, fine-tune texture.
- Balance: Reformulate to reduce chia without losing omega balance.
- Delight: Adjust fats for firmer texture, rebalance spices to shine through.
The evaluation stage confirms where we’ve improved and where we need to push further. This isn’t failure — it’s iteration. Each batch takes us closer to the Dream Product, where indulgence and purpose align.
👉 Follow along for the next series of lab batches, as we continue to refine flavor, function, and experience from the chocolate garage.
