Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts

Tasty Tuesday: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with coconut products

Hey there you Tasty Tuesday loving dolls! I've got another recipe to share with you today. You may notice a theme for the last few weeks, and if you said 'chocolate peanut butter' you would be correct. It's probably my favorite flavor combination, so of course you will see many recipes from me using them. Remember to check out my friend Cassie's blog to see what she is cooking up for Tasty Tuesday as well!
There are just some days where everything can be made better by chocolate chip cookies. Last week, Billy and I had one of those. A childhood friend whom Billy loved, respected and looked up to lost his battle with cancer. The mood in our home was heavy, to say the least, so I was itching to make my favorite comfort food, which happen to be warm gooey Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies in an effort to cheer us up.

Unfortunately, that recipe uses white and brown sugar, both of which are on the no go list in my life now {except once in awhile in very small amounts}. I've been making an effort to use more coconut products in my diet after writing this post, and trying to figure out how to bake without using refined sugars a la this post, so I decided to experiment  and came up with a darn good cookie you can feel better about eating! 

Healthier ingredient peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
1 cup coconut oil {or use 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup butter}
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix {can be omitted, I just love adding to my  cookies}
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 10oz bag of Enjoy Life mega chocolate chunks {this brand is soy, dairy & nut free, using evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar}

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray. 
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk and set aside. 
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine coconut oil, sugar and peanut butter until thoroughly mixed. 
  4. Add in vanilla pudding mix, beating to incorporate. 
  5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between. 
  6. Scrape down sides and bottom, then add vanilla. 
  7. Slowly add in dry ingredients, mixing between each batch. 
  8. Fold in chocolate chunks. 
  9. Place onto cookie sheets using a medium cookie scoop to get uniformity. I placed them 3x4 in case they spread out too much and got stuck together. 
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until centers are set. Makes about 44 cookies, serving size 2 cookies.
  11. Serve with a nice glass of coconut milk if you want!
Nutritional info: 287 cals, 5g protein, 29g carbs, 18g fat, 3g fiber, 17g sugar

Billy said he thought these tasted "a little coconut-y" but he liked them, which is saying a lot since he hates coconut. I thought they were a pretty good cookie for not being my favorite Tollhouse chocolate chip recipe. The peanut butter added moisture and a little flavor, without being overwhelming, and the texture is just a tad more grainy than normal cookies, which I can live with.

Like any cookie, these should be eaten in moderation. They are by no means low calorie or low fat. However, I feel better eating them knowing the coconut products I used are keeping them lower GI, so my blood sugar levels won't spike and insulin won't cause these to be stored as fat. Pretty nifty, eh?

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts!

I am sure many of you have started to see people using more coconut products in their diets these days; ranging from the versatile coconut oil, to coconut flour, coconut milk, and even coconut sugar.
There is a lot of attention being given to the many great nutritional properties that coconut products bring to your health, so it's worth a shot to learn more, then start incorporating these products into your own diet. I have found many articles that give you a great explanation on why these products are good for you, so a nice place to start is by reading this extensive article here.

Something neat to know: coconut oil slows the digestive process, and lowers the overall glycemic index of your meal. When you add coconut oil to your carbohydrates, the carbs are broken down into glucose slower, so blood sugar levels remain steady even after you eat.

This. is. huge.

When your insulin levels spike, your body stores more fat, especially in the belly area. Obviously, this is a problem when you want to lose weight. I found this info in a great article about the benefits of adding coconut oil to your diets, you're welcome to read the whole thing for yourself here!

If you prefer a more streamlined way to get your information, I also found an article using bullet points to highlight the positive affects of adding coconut products to your diet, which you can read here.

I have begun using coconut sugar, oil and milk in my own diet, and plan on finding some coconut flour to use for baking as well. I really like the flavor of coconut, but Billy does not, so I will have to get creative when baking and cooking to make sure his preferences are taking into account. I also love the idea of using a product with a low GI so as not to raise my blood sugar and insulin levels.

Have you considered or started using coconut products in your own diet? I would love to hear how things are going, and if you have some good recipes, please share!
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