I’ll admit it—I’m a chocoholic. So when I gave up sugar I was really missing chocolate, but then I found this easy 3-ingredient recipe for ‘raw chocolate bark’, and once again all is right with the world!

This has now become my go-to chocolate, and I don’t even miss the store bought stuff—plus this has the many health benefits of coconut oil and cocoa.

Enjoy!

                        Easy Raw Chocolate Bark

            ½ cup organic virgin coconut oil, softened (but NOT melted!)

            ½ cup organic cocoa powder

            2 teaspoons organic honey (or to taste)

• Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well. I do this by hand using a spoonula—takes a bit of elbow grease, but trust me…….it’ll be worth it!
• Taste to adjust sweetness if desired, then add any additional ingredients.
• Line a flat plate or platter with parchment paper (I use the tray from my toaster oven). Transfer chocolate mixture to tray and smooth out with spatula or back of a large spoon. You can also use your fingers / hands to smooth, but work quickly as the warmth of your skin will start to melt the coconut oil.
• Immediately place in the freezer to set for at least 20 minutes, then you can either cut into bite-sized pieces with a knife, or try a pizza cutter. Alternatively you can just break into pieces with your hands. 
• Store in an airtight container and serve (or eat!) frozen, directly from the freezer (coconut oil starts to soften and melt above 76 degrees).
• Here are a few tips and suggestions:
  

 Make sure your coconut oil is softened, but not melted—if melted it separates from the cocoa powder.

I use raw organic honey, which takes a bit more work to mix in.

I haven’t tried it, but apparently people have successfully substituted Stevia for honey.

Get creative with additions! My favorite is chopped raw almonds (sometimes I lightly toast them).  I’ve also added crushed, freeze-dried raspberries. You might also try chopped, dried fruit. Next batch I’m going to try adding a couple drops of essential oil of peppermint!


Resources:

“The Detoxinista….healthy living is easier than you think”
Original recipe by Megan

“Coconut Oil: This Cooking Oil Is a Powerful Virus-Destroyer and Antibiotic”
By Dr. Joseph Mercola

“How to Help Your Thyroid with Coconut Oil”
By Dr. Joseph Mercola

“The Rich Benefits of Eating Chocolate”
By Dr. Joseph Mercola

If you’re looking for a healthy fix for your sweet tooth, try these gluten-free, sugar-free, easy-to-make cookies (I don’t even measure the ingredients!).

Here’s how to make them:

Peel and slice 4 large ripe bananas into a bowl and mash them up well (it’s okay if there are some small chunks).

Add up to 2 cups of gluten-free quick rolled oats*. The amount of oats needed depends on the size of bananas used.

Stir together until oats are well incorporated with bananas (I use a spoonula for mixing). You want a consistency that’s moist yet holds together well—much like regular cookie dough except maybe a tad moister.

You can add extras at this point and here are some I’ve tried in various combinations and can definitely recommend. Feel free to get creative with your extras! If not adding extras, skip ahead to the next step.

·      Chopped walnut pieces (add a handful)

·      Raisins (add a handful)

·      Cinnamon (1 or 2 teaspoons)

·      Chocolate chips (add a handful) Delicious, but of course this addition nullifies the ‘sugar-free’ aspect!

Fold in extras (don’t add too many or the dough won’t hold together well).

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper (alternatively you can grease the cookie sheet very well—if going this route I’d use coconut oil). Don’t skip this step or you’ll be sorry—the cookies will stick like crazy and your cookie sheet will be very hard to clean!

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheet. These cookies will not spread out when they bake, so you can place them close together (I fit about 24 cookies on the sheet). I smash each mound down a little and shape them a bit because however they look when you drop them on the cookie sheet is exactly how they’ll look when they come out of the oven.

Bake at 350º for about 15 minutes until cookies are firm to the touch. They will not brown up like regular cookies, but don’t worry—they may look a bit strange but they taste delicious!

Eat them warm from the oven, or once cooled store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This recipe was adapted from the one noted in “Resources” below. Check out this link for pictures and additional helpful tips.

*You can also use regular quick cooking oats if you’re not concerned about gluten-free, but either way you definitely want to use quick-cook as opposed to regular oats.

Resources:

This recipe was adapted from: Two Ingredient Cookie Recipes @ The Burlap Bag
http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/07/2-ingredient-cookies-plus-the-mix-ins-of-your-choice/

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Rolled Oats:
http://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-gluten-free-quick-rolled-oats?csrc=GPF-PA-Food-039978003768&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=039978003768&gclid=CKf-3tio_rwCFcURMwodTnQAtg

Spoonula:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/14-high-temperature-spoonula-with-silicone-head/407RSP14HR.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CLfkh4ax_rwCFYZcMgodzR0ABA