Vanilla & Chocolate Spice Coconut Creme

06 Jun Vanilla & Chocolate Spice Coconut Creme

I think I should start by saying that I made this recipe and promptly ate half of it. All for recipe testing purposes of course. Ha! It’s delicious.  And sure, this stuff is a natural, dairy-free and refined sugar-free alternative to whipped cream, but it’s still made from high-fat coconut milk and insanely rich, so just a heaping tablespoon on your fave dessert is honestly more than enough.  I like a variety of flavors and a texture somewhere in between a creamy ice cream and an airy whip cream. Make sure to refrigerate the can of full-fat coconut milk (low-fat coconut milk doesn’t yield much)  overnight.  Or keep a few cans handy in the fridge just in case a craving strikes.   Yum.

Vanilla & Chocolate Spice Coconut Creme

makes about 1 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS FOR VANILLA COCONUT CREME

• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1 heaping tablespoon of organic agave nectar or honey
• wicked tiny pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE SPICE COCONUT CREME

• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1 heaping tablespoon of organic agave nectar or honey
• wicked tiny pinch of sea salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon cacao powder (unrefined cocoa)
• 2 dashes cinnamon
• 1 dash nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Carefully remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge and remove the lid (keep the can level as possible as you do this). Then with a spoon and steady hand, scoop the coconut fat on top of the can into a cold bowl (if the bowl isn’t cold, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes).
2. Beat with an electric hand-mixer for about 3 ½ minutes. I like my coconut crème to have the texture somewhere between ice cream and whipped cream (a little less airy than whip cream).
3. Gently beat in agave or honey, the teeny, tiny pinch of sea salt and either the vanilla (for the Vanilla Coconut Crème) or the cacao powder, cinnamon and nutmeg for the (for the Chocolate Spice Coconut Cream). Serve on your favorite dessert as a dairy-free, all-natural topping.

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This topping is mostly fat with a little bit of carbohydrates from the sweetener.  You know my philosophy on dessert; if you’re indulging here and there, don’t worry about making your dessert perfectly balanced. Just dig in and enjoy every bite! But if you eat dessert daily, aim to balance all of the carbs and fat in your dessert with protein.  Here’s how.  Eat a small dessert following a small balanced dinner of mostly protein, such as grilled chicken with a light salad.  Because dessert is mostly carbohydrates and fat, having protein at dinner (without adding a ton of carbs at dinner) can help to balance the meal and keep your blood sugar stable.  I’m not above mixing some protein powder with plain old water and guzzling that down before eating dessert to keep my blood sugar stable.  Weird, I know. But the protein can help prevent you from over-eating and from spiking your blood sugar and storing fat.