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Coconut Macaroon Granola

Coconut Macaroon Granola recipe photo
Coconut Macaroon Granola
photo by recipe author

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flax, wheat germ, coconut, salt and almonds. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil with honey and extracts. Add oil mixture to oat mixture and stir until moistened. Add scraped vanilla beans and coconut cream concentrate, mixing thoroughly.

Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes, or until golden brown and toasty.

Recipe submitted by Jessica, Pittsburgh, PA

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Red Lentil Stew with Fried Onions

Red Lentil Stew with Fried Onions recipe photo
Red Lentil Stew with Fried Onions
Photo by recipe author

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Rinse red lentils and place in pot. Add water and bay leaves and boil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes not allowing all liquid to evaporate.

Meanwhile, heat sauce pan with coconut oil. Sauté diced daikon, celery and onions for 8-10 minutes, then add minced garlic and chard. Do not overcook.

Remove pan from heat and add vegetables to cooked lentils. Add spices and tomato sauce and cook for another 5-8 minutes.

Add cooked bulghur at the very end and simmer until hot to serve.

The point is for this dish not to be too salty, but if you need it you can add another 1 teaspoon salt.

If your vegan, add 1 -2 teaspoons of Gomashio for nutritional seasoning or pickled radishes.

Serve while hot and decorate with 3 teaspoons of fried onions.

Recipe submitted by Noelle, East Lansing, MI

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Triple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are great. They are very chewy and moist, and as far as cookies go, I’d say they’re pretty healthy.

I really recommend using the whole sugar if you have it on hand as it gives the cookies a bit of a caramel-like taste. But if you don’t, regular brown sugar will work.

You can use dried coconut chips, flakes, or even shreds with this recipe. I used the chips and no walnuts. And just in case you were wondering, no, I have not tried using all coconut flour for this recipe.

Please pass the milk. The cookies need to be dunked.

That is all.

Enjoy!

Sarah:)

Triple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Triple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies recipe photo
Triple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Servings: 3 dozen cookies
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine brown rice syrup, sugar, butter, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix flours, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet mixture and stir well. Stir in oats, walnuts and coconut.

Drop by (serving) teaspoons or a cookie scoop onto greased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes (edges should be golden brown). Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet before removing.

Recipe submitted by Gail, Alpharetta, GA

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Coconut Chai Smoothie

Coconut Chai Smoothie recipe photo
Coconut Chai Smoothie
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Blend together everything except the ice or banana for about 1 minute. Then add ice or frozen banana and blend until smooth.

If you do not have Garam masala on hand, make your own by combining: 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Recipe submitted by Anna, Robins, IA

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Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Cupcakes

If you love chocolate, then these cupcakes are for you. Even if you don’t love chocolate, I’m sure you’ll like these.

These dense, fudge-like cupcakes are topped with a fluffy, creamy, whipped cream-like frosting flavored with vanilla. The two are total opposites, but they get along nicely in this cupcake. And the best thing is neither the cupcakes nor the frosting has an overload of sugar. Who wants a mile of sugar fluff on their cupcakes anyway?

The cupcakes can be kept cold or on the counter at room temp, but I recommend storing them overnight in the refrigerator (if they even survive that long). Then, you can take them out to come to room temperature or eat them cold. I like them cold. Make them yourself, then tell me which way you like them.

Oh, and by the way, don’t worry if the cakes fall and crack in the center during cooling. That’s normal. It makes a great little bowl for the frosting.

The cool thing about these little guys is that they get better with age. I thought they tasted best 2 days after they were baked. But the best thing is: they’re gluten free, and completely foolproof. No one will ever know…

What’s your favorite cupcake flavor, and what kind of frosting do you like on them?

Until next time,

Sarah:)

Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Cupcakes
with Whipped Vanilla Cream Frosting

 Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Cupcakes recipe photo
Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Cupcakes
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 18-20 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.

Melt the butter and chocolate together over a double boiler or over very low heat. Set aside to cool.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the eggs, water, sugar and vanilla on medium high speed for about 3 minutes. Mixture should be foamy, pale in color and doubled in volume.

With mixer on low, slowly add the chocolate mixture. Increase speed to medium high and beat until well blended, 30-40 seconds. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula once or twice as needed. Add coconut flour and cocoa and beat again for another 30 seconds. Scrape down once, if needed.

Fill the cupcake papers with the batter and bake in the preheated oven for 10-20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out wet with gooey chocolate clumps.

Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks. Chill until cold in the refrigerator if desired and frost with Whipped Vanilla Cream Frosting and top with coconut flakes. Store overnight in the refrigerator.

Whipped Vanilla Cream Frosting:

Pour a little milk into the corn starch to make a slurry. Add remaining milk to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. When milk is hot, add slurry, whisking constantly. Heat until mixture thickens, but do not let it come to a rolling boil. Milk should become extremely thick and almost paste-like.

Pour thickened milk into a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape bowl down and add vanilla. Beat for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the milk paste to the butter a spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition. When the milk has been added beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy and resembles whipped cream. Thin out with a little heavy cream if needed.

Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Sarah Shilhavy

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Coconut Oil Pie Crust

This recipe makes an excellent pie crust. It’s flakey, tender, crunchy and buttery all at once.

The key is to keep the coconut oil and butter super cold and handle the dough as little as possible. Once you measure the coconut oil (and butter, if using) stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Then, as you cut it into the flour and salt stop as soon as it begins to resemble irregular pea sized (or slightly bigger) clumps.

The water needs to be very cold, so use cold water with ice cubes. As you stir the water into the flour, stop once it forms into a crumbly dough. At this point turn it out unto a flour surface and knead just until it looks fairly smooth, but still shaggy (add a little more water if need be). At this point you can roll it out on parchment or wax paper dusted with flour, as I like to do since there’s no worry of the dough sticking or breaking as you pick it up. Once you have it rolled out, just flip the paper over into the pan.

That is all. Pie crust is simple, but it takes practice to make a good one. The recipe below is simple and classic, and truly shows you that coconut oil makes the BEST pie crust ever! This recipe makes a delicious old fashioned pie crust – just the way grandma used to make it!

Enjoy!

Sarah:)

Coconut Oil Pie Crust Recipe

Coconut Oil Pie Crust recipe photo
Coconut Oil Pie Crust
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy – Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy
Coconut Oil Pie Crust filled with Coconut Banana Cream Pie
Coconut Oil Pie Crust filled with Coconut Banana Cream Pie
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy – Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

This makes a delicious, flakey pastry and I have had many favorable comments on it.

  • 3/4 cup fat (1/2 solid coconut oil and 1/2 butter or all coconut oil)
  • 2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 – 4 tablespoons ice cold water

Cut the coconut oil and butter into the flour and salt with pastry blender or two knives. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix well.

Roll out on floured board. Pastry is very tender and may be partially rolled around rolling pin for ease of picking up to place in pie pan.

Recipe submitted by Charlotte, Salem, NH

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Gluten Free Coconut Flour Gingerbread

Gluten Free Coconut Flour Gingerbread recipe photo
Gluten Free Coconut Flour Gingerbread
Photo by recipe author

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup gluten free oat flour (you can also use buckwheat or even almond flour)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk*
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 + 1/8 cup raw honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

In a large bowl combine eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil and honey. Whisk together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly until all clumps have disappeared.

Grease an 8Ă—8 inch glass baking pan (or a small loaf pan) with coconut oil and fill pan with batter.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch, or when a toothpick or fork tine inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Top with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with extra ginger, cinnamon and organic sugar.

* For the freshest coconut milk make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Recipe submitted by Brandon, Dallas, TX

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Virgin Palm Oil Bread

Virgin Palm Oil Bread recipe photo
Virgin Palm Oil Bread
Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Virgin Red Palm Oil is one of nature’s most abundant sources of antioxidants, containing the full range of carotenes (precursors to Vitamin A) and tocotrienols (Vitamin E). Because it is unrefined, it has a strong flavor which is familiar to African cuisine. But when used in a home-made bread recipe such as this, it looses much of its strong flavor, and gives the bread a unique look and taste which is simply delicious, while adding significant antioxidants to your diet.

Servings: 2 loaves
Preparation Time: 2 hours

Put warm water in a large mixing bowl and add two teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle yeast over water and let sit for about ten minutes until bubbly. Then add in the rest of the ingredients in the order given, adding more flour as needed. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, then put back in bowl, greased or floured, and let rise until double, about 45 minutes. (Depending on where you live it might take longer or less time.)

When risen, punch down dough, then let rest while you grease two loaf pans OR two cookies/baking sheets with coconut oil. Shape loaves and place in/on baking pans or sheets. Let rise until double, about 45 minutes. {Again it varies.}

Heat oven to 350 degrees when loaves are nearly double. When risen (if doing loaves on sheets, score the top) bake for about half an hour, until the tops are a nice brown color. Remove from oven, then loosen sides of loaves then let cool 5 minutes. Then remove them from the pans to prevent a soggy crust. Let cool completely before slicing.

A note – the palm oil will make the bread an orange color. It reminded me of pumpkin bread. đŸ™‚ It has a bit different taste from the oil no doubt, but it’s very good and I love it!

Recipe submitted by Ra’chel, Heredia, Costa Rica

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