I ground toasted coconut the other day into what I thought would be a fine powder to sprinkle on top of a cake. When I lifted the cover from my grinder, an amazing smell greeted me. Instead of powder, there was a mass of sticky paste. I changed plans, as any good chef must do from time to time, and made these cute bonbon balls of goo instead.
You’ll notice lakanto listed in the ingredients. This natural sweetener does not feed harmful yeast or bacteria, which makes this a perfect recipe for those on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). Diabetics too, because lakanto doesn’t influence blood sugar or insulin release.
This recipe is gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free.
Recipe
Makes: 16 small balls
Ingredients
3 cups dried coconut, shredded*
2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
3 tsp lakanto or xylitol, ground into a fine powder
2 tsp dried orange zest, minced
1/2 tsp almond extract, alcohol/sugar free
1/2 tsp orange extract, alcohol/sugar free
3/4 – 1 tsp white stevia powder (or a few drops of liquid stevia)
2 pinches of sea salt
Method
Toast coconut in an iron skillet over medium heat until light golden – reserving 1/3rd cup for rolling the balls in.
Grind toasted coconut in a Vita-Mix or other high-powered blender (coffe grinder works great) until it begins to form a paste.
Melt coconut oil in the warm iron skillet.
Place coconut oil, ground coconut, and all other ingredients into a bowl – mix well.
Let batter sit for a few min. to cool off (but make sure to roll while still warm).
Form batter into small balls with moist hands.
Roll balls in remaining 1/3 cup of toasted coconut.
Store in refrigerator or freezer until hard – in minutes they’ll be easy to nibble on.
Tips & Tricks
- Be careful not to burn the coconut when you toast it, because it turns golden quickly.
- Gently melt the coconut oil until slightly liquid so you don’t harm beneficial fatty acids.
- Make a bunch at once and store in the freezer.
- Perfect for an occasional treat on Stage 1 of B.E.D.
Closer Look at Ingredients
Shredded Coconut is the grated flesh of mature coconuts. Most of it is in the form of carbohydrates as coconuts are fiber-full and keep the gut healthy. Fiber feeds friendly flora and when friendly flora live in your gut in large populations, they can help keep health issues (i.e. Candida, thrush, GBS+) at bay. Buy organic.
Coconut Oil is high in a saturated fat that doesn’t have negative effects on cholesterol level. Benefits gut by ‘healing + sealing’. Is antibacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory. Buy organic, extra-virgin, and cold-pressed.
*When it comes to dried coconut and B.E.D., I’m on the fence and recommend using dried coconut on an occasional basis, watching for negative reactions. I agree with Donna Gates, that it shouldn’t be a staple on stage 1 and avoided it myself when I was on the healing stage (unless cultured by covering wide coconut flakes with yck/milk kefir and let sit for 8-12 hrs. in warm spot; and rinsing in strainer and dehydrating it).
Almond Roll-Out Cookies
Snacks on The Body Ecology Diet
Nutritional Consultations with Tara, NC.
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May all bellies be happy!
