Coconut Dessert Recipes

Lemon Coconut Meringues

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photos by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Servings: 24 meringues
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

4 egg whites, at room temp
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 slightly rounded cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons lemon zest
Shredded dried coconut

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Gradually sprinkle in sugar 2 tablespoons at a time at high speed. After all the sugar has been added you may beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest or gently fold in later. Beat until meringue stands in stiff, glossy peaks. Add vanilla and lemon zest now if you didn’t add it earlier.

Drop meringue by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with a bit of shredded coconut.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until dry to the touch. Remove to rack to cool.

Recipe courtesy Sarah Shilhavy

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Coconut Chocolate No-bake Macaroons

These macaroons are one of the easiest and most delicious quick sweet treats I’ve made in a while. The ingredient list doesn’t make them look like anything special, but believe me, they are.

The secret to the fudgy texture is the almond flour. The stuff just melts right into all that chocolaty goodness and turns the whole thing into a fudgy batter just begging to be eaten. I ate this stuff before it even made it to the refrigerator. And I ate some more once it came out of the refrigerator!

Feel free to cut back a little on the maple syrup if you don’t like it too sweet. And just a tip for grinding your own almond flour: stop as soon as it turns into a powder. Scrape the corners of the canister down and shake the big bits into the center as well. Too much grinding and you’ll end up with almond butter. Not cool. Not for this recipe anyway.

Enjoy!

Sarah 🙂

Coconut Chocolate No-bake Macaroons

Coconut Chocolate No-bake Macaroons

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Servings: yields about 40 macaroons
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

3 cups unsweetened dried coconut flakes
3/4 cup almond flour*
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together well. Form into small balls using a spoon or cookie scoop and refrigerate until firm.

Recipe submitted by Stephanie, Goodyear, AZ

*You can grind your own almond flour by placing whole almonds in a blender/food processor and blending until a fine meal.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Oil Protein Bars

Photo by recipe author

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes

1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins (or date chunks, cranberries, craisins, dried cherries/mangoes/apricots/etc. Any dried fruit will work)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or carob, butterscotch, white chocolate chips, etc.)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup peanut putter (or any nut butter, i.e. almond, pecan, cashew, coconut peanut butter from Tropical Traditions, etc.)

The following ingredients are optional but I used them all:

2 to 4 scoops protein powder
2 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mash the banana with a fork, then add all the remaining ingredients, stir till combined.

Press the mixture into a plastic container with a lid or 8×8 Pan (or use whatever you want, even a cookie sheet with a raised edge will work) and freeze for a few hours.

Remove from freezer and slice into bars. Wrap individually for on the go snacks.

Recipe submitted by Averie, Phoenix, AZ

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Toasted Coconut Ginger Blondies

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

1 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/3 cup butter, coconut oil, or palm shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan with extra fat of choice.

Sift the sifted flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together into a small bowl. Stir in the crystallized ginger.

Melt fat of choice gently over low heat in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar, mixing well. Let cool slightly if warm.

Whisk egg and vanilla extract into the sugar mixture. Mix in flour mixture in stages until well combined.

Spread batter into prepared pan and sprinkle flaked coconut on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes.

Recipe Submitted by Sarah Shilhavy

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Healthy Simple Coconut Macaroons

Photo by recipe author

Servings: 12

6 egg whites (save the yokes to add to scrambled eggs)
Pinch salt
2/3 cup honey (run your honey under some hot water if it has crystallized, it needs to be liquid)
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets with coconut oil.

Beat egg whites until almost stiff peaks form. Add salt. Slowly pour in honey while whipping the eggs.

Fold in the shredded coconut with a spatula until it’s thoroughly mixed. Be gentle, you don’t want to deflate the eggs.

Using a large cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheets spacing about 1 inch apart.

Time will vary depending on how big your cookies are. These took about 50 minutes. Allow to cool briefly on the cookie sheet. Remove with a thin spatula and cool completely. They will continue to harden and dry as they cool.

Recipe submitted by Cara, Billings, MT

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Coconut Ice

Photo by Recipe Author

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus the ice cream maker time
Servings: 2

Almond Milk:

1/2 cups raw almonds
1 1/2 cups coconut milk*

Ice:

2-3 frozen bananas
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
1/4 cup organic pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend almonds and coconut milk in a high-speed blender until smooth.

Add other ingredients and blend until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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

Recipe submitted by Kelly, Grandview, MO

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Chocolate Balsamic Truffles

Vinegar in chocolate?? I scratched my head at the idea, but this is a fantastic combination. The unique, tart-ish flavor with the silky smooth and creamy chocolate was just meant to be. You’ll love it.

Truffles are pretty simple and easy to make. It’s all in the ingredients. Use high quality everything in this recipe as every single ingredient stands out. Use a nice tasting, high quality dark chocolate and a rich, dark, high quality balsamic vinegar especially. This is one recipe that you really don’t want to skimp on.

Another fun thing about truffles is that you can coat/dip them in so many different things! Nuts, chocolate shavings, dip in different melted chocolates, etc. Let the imagination run wild.

The next important thing is the chilling. The mixture has to be at the perfect temperature to roll into balls as well as for eating. You don’t want to eat a truffle straight out of the refrigerator when it’s all hard. Let them come to room temperature first. Then enjoy the tiny little melt-in-your-mouth candies all you like.

Enjoy!

Sarah

Chocolate Balsamic Truffles

Chocolate Balsamic Truffles

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Servings: approx. 45 truffles
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

8 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (semisweet, bittersweet, or combination)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
cocoa powder
shredded coconut
other coatings of choice

Pour the heavy cream into a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Turn heat off as soon as you place the bowl on top. Stir in the chocolate and coconut oil in with a rubber spatula.

Once the chocolate has melted, remove bowl from the pot and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Refrigerate the chocolate for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until firm but moldable.

Place coatings of choice into shallow bowls, starting out with about 1/4 cup. Using a teaspoon scoop out measuring teaspoon sized balls of the chocolate. Use your hands to form into tiny balls. Drop the balls into the coatings of choice and roll until coated.

If the truffles are too soft after forming refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or until a littler firmer.

To store, refrigerate overnight and store at room temperature. The truffles will keep for about 1 day at room temp.

Submitted by Sarah Shilhavy

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Raw Chocolate Coconut Snowball Cookies

Photo by recipe author

Servings: 20
Preparation Time: about 15 minutes

2 cups total mixed raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios, dried cranberries, and dried cherries
1/2 cup whole dates
3 tablespoons protein powder
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
enough dried shredded coconut or flakes to cover rolled cookies

Combine all ingredients (except for the shredded coconut) in a food processor and process to make a smooth paste.

Roll paste into small balls (the size of Russian Teacakes if you are familiar with those traditional cookies). Roll cookie into dried shredded coconut flakes. Chill slightly before serving.

Recipe submitted by Julie, Colorado Springs, CO

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