Keto Mole
Published May 7, 2021 • Updated March 11, 2026
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I started making this because I missed the mole my family used to order at a local Mexican restaurant. The traditional version is loaded with sugar and takes hours, so I spent a few weeks testing shortcuts that actually work.
The key is three ingredients: sugar-free chocolate chips, almond butter, and adobo sauce. The chocolate doesn’t make it taste sweet. It adds body and rounds out the chili powder so the sauce doesn’t come across one-dimensional. I tested a batch without the adobo sauce once and the whole thing fell flat, just heat and chocolate with nothing holding them together. The adobo is what gives it that smoky depth you keep tasting and wondering about.
Almond butter thickens the sauce without any dairy. You won’t taste it directly, but take it out and the sauce goes thin. I’ve also tried cashew butter after a reader mentioned it, and it works beautifully. Creamier than almond, less bitter. I might switch to it permanently.
The blooming step matters more than you think. If you skip it or rush through it, the spices stay gritty. I sauté the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon in avocado oil for a solid minute before adding anything else. That’s the difference between a smooth sauce and one that feels sandy on your tongue.
If you’re looking at the ingredient list thinking this seems too simple for mole, I get it. Traditional mole negro can have 30+ ingredients. But I’ve made this dozens of times and the flavor hits the same notes that matter: smoky, warm, slightly sweet from the cinnamon, with enough heat to keep it interesting.
The whole recipe takes me about 10 minutes from start to finish. I use homemade chicken bone broth as the base, which adds more flavor than store-bought, but either works. If you already make your own taco seasoning, you’ll have most of these spices on hand.
I serve this over chicken thighs most often, but it pairs well with cilantro lime chicken too. My family goes through it fast enough that I usually double the batch and freeze half. Three months later it thaws and tastes exactly the same. Ground beef with this sauce over cauliflower rice is our Friday night staple.
The sauce is naturally dairy-free and paleo-friendly. No grains, no sugar, no dairy. If you’re cooking for someone with multiple dietary restrictions, this low carb sauce covers a lot of ground without tasting like a compromise.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons avocado oil -
3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon chili powder
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1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/2 cup tomato sauce
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1/2 cup chicken broth
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1/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips
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2 tablespoons adobo sauce, optional
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1 tablespoon almond butter
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1/2 teaspoon salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Bloom spices
Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook while stirring for 30 seconds to bloom the spices and develop their flavor.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cashew butter instead of almond butter?
I tried cashew butter after a reader suggested it, and it works beautifully. It's creamier than almond butter and less bitter. The sauce comes out slightly richer. I might switch to it permanently, but either one disappears into the sauce and you won't taste it directly.
What if I don't have adobo sauce?
I tested this without adobo once and the whole sauce went one-dimensional, just heat and chocolate with nothing connecting them. If you can't find canned adobo, chipotle powder works as a backup. I'd start with half a teaspoon and taste from there. You lose a little of the smoky depth but it's still good.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
I haven't done a full slow cooker version since the stovetop only takes 10 minutes, but I've added this sauce to a slow cooker with chicken thighs and let it braise for 3-4 hours on low. The chicken falls apart and absorbs all that smoky flavor. Just bloom the spices on the stove first, then dump everything in the slow cooker.
Why is my mole sauce gritty?
I've dealt with this. The grit comes from the spices not fully blooming in the oil. I sauté the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon for a solid minute in the avocado oil before adding anything liquid. That extra time is the difference between a smooth sauce and one that feels sandy.
What's the difference between mole sauce and enchilada sauce?
I think of them as cousins with very different personalities. Enchilada sauce is thinner and built on tomatoes and chili powder. Mole is thicker, richer, and gets its depth from chocolate and nut butter. My enchilada sauce takes five minutes. This mole takes ten but the flavor is a completely different league.
Can I use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce?
I've done this when I ran out of tomato sauce. I use about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with a quarter cup of water or broth. It concentrates the tomato flavor a bit more, which I actually liked. The sauce comes out slightly thicker, so you may need an extra splash of broth.
Is this recipe dairy-free and paleo-friendly?
I built this recipe without any dairy. The richness comes from almond butter and sugar-free chocolate, not cream or cheese. I've served this to friends with dairy sensitivities and nobody missed it. It's also paleo-friendly if you use 100% cacao instead of sugar-free chocolate chips.
Does this work with turkey?
I've made this with turkey breast and it's excellent. Traditional mole was originally served over turkey, so it makes sense. The sauce clings to leaner meats really well because of the almond butter. If you're doing a whole turkey breast, I'd double the sauce recipe.
Made this last night and I keep thinking about that moment when the spices hit the hot oil (is that what blooming means? I think I finally got it right). I had no idea what mole actually was before this, which probably explains why I almost skipped the almond butter, it just seemed weird. But once everything came together it got this almost silky thickness I couldn't have predicted. My one issue, and maybe this is just me: the sugar-free chocolate chips took way longer to melt than I expected. I was stirring and pushing them around for more than ten minutes and started panicking a little. Next time I'll chop them smaller first. The sauce over chicken was genuinely good though, and it tasted even more like itself after sitting off the heat for a few minutes.
Served this over chicken thighs at a spring dinner and a friend who grew up eating traditional mole cleaned her plate and went quiet for a second. Said it all. Would go heavier on the adobo sauce next time, but this is already in my rotation.
That quiet is the best reaction. Chicken thighs were the right call too, the fat pulls the sauce in way better than breasts.
I almost skipped the almond butter, figured it would taste wrong in something this savory. It doesn't. Four stars because next time I'm doubling the adobo.
Almond butter disappears into it but the sauce goes thin without it. Double adobo yes, just goes smoky fast so taste at one and a half first.
I've made a few different keto mole recipes and the chocolate always feels forced, but the sugar-free chips here actually melt into something that belongs. The adobo sauce is what surprised me most, it adds this depth I kept tasting and wondering about.
Yeah, the adobo is what keeps it from tasting like chocolate stew. I tested this without it and the whole sauce went one-dimensional. That depth you noticed is all adobo.
Made this Sunday with chicken thighs and my husband, who picks apart everything keto I make, went back for a second bowl before I even sat down. He asked if I'd used jarred sauce. Told him about the chocolate chips and almond butter and he just stared at me. Didn't say a word.
That stare gets me every time. Nobody wants to believe it until they're halfway through the second bowl.
I used cashew butter instead of almond butter because it's what I had, and it worked freaking beautifully. The sauce came out so rich and smoky I couldn't believe it only took like 15 minutes. Pouring this over everything now.
Cashew butter in mole makes so much sense. Creamier than almond, less bitter. I might use it on purpose next time.
Just made this for my husband and I . Very good over chicken and cauliflower!! It was even good dipping the raw cauliflower in! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Raw cauliflower dip. Haven't tried that but yeah, the almond butter makes it creamy enough. Over chicken is how I do it most.
My husband and I truly enjoyed this! I'm doing a candida diet that is modified with keto aspects and looking for a specific recipe is work. I was craving mole for a few days and found and saved this recipe. Got ingredients at store and made it my own way (no adobo sauce so used chipotle powder/used cacao powder and added a few lilys stevia chocolate chips/no tomato sauce so used tomato paste/olive oil in place of avocado oil). It turned out great and surprisingly my husband liked it as well. Will keep this when I'm craving mole :) Thanks!!
Yeah, chipotle over adobo works fine. You lose a little of the smoky depth but not much. Cacao powder plus Lily's chips gives you more control over how chocolatey it gets anyway.
This was really good! We added a little stevia-based brown sugar substitute and a bit of additional salt. My husband used low carb spinach tortilla and some sour cream. The sauce was a little gritty and I think that might have been due to the spices, but not a deal-breaker. We’ll definitely make it again. Thank you so much for keeping our Keto diet from getting boring!
The grit is from the spices not fully blooming in the oil. Sauté them for a solid minute in the avocado oil before adding the tomato sauce and it smooths right out.