You know those times when you just crave something sweet and satisfying? Yeah, that hits me tough sometimes, especially as I continue to transform my diet into one that is more beneficial for my overall health and growth. Making and eating healthy meals is fine, but every now and then I definitely still need some dessert!
Gluten and dairy typically create a lot of mucus for me, so those are definitely two things I try to take in minimally, or not at all; therefore, I’ve been working on finding alternatives, particularly for baking, because that’s something that I really do enjoy. Over the past year, I’ve switched to coconut flour, which I substitute for wheat flour. Baking is like a science, so one thing I had to learn is that I can’t find a recipe that uses regular flour and just trade it out for coconut flour – trust me, I have tried, and you will absolutely not get the desired outcome.
Coconut flour is also low-carb and high-fiber, and is made from coconut meat – which is already delicious in its own right.
Anyway, for this recipe, I used:
*1/3 cup of coconut flour
*Cinnamon
*Nutmeg
*Pure vanilla extract
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/4 teaspoon sea salt
*2 (over-ripe) bananas
*2 eggs
*1/4 cup coconut oil
*chocolate chips – I used 61% cacao because I love dark chocolate
*And I also added walnuts and coconut shavings
Continue to note in all of my recipes, if there is no measurement, I do it to taste and encourage you to do the same because the ancestors will tell you when to stop. By the way, depending on your diet, you can substitute bananas for things such as honey or maple syrup.
a) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
b) Combine the dry ingredients on one large bowl: coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine
c) In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and whisk together with the eggs, oil and vanilla extract
d) Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together
e) Add all the extra goodies: chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut flakes; Mix well into the dough
f) Scoop out and shape little balls onto your baking sheet and smash them with the palm of your hand. This recipe makes about 12 cookies
g) Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cookies start to brown
h) ENJOY!!!
Recipe adapted from Moon and Spoon and Yum