Did you know that there have been at least 1500 studies proving the health benefits of coconut oil? (1) As we begin our discussion on the health benefits of saturated fats, Coconut Oil is definitely one of those to incorporate into your daily diet.

91% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. This superfood contains MEDIUM-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS (MCFA). These fatty acids provide our body with energy, because they are easier to digest then the long and short chain fatty acids normally consumed. (1) According to Dr. Axe.com, MCFA’s are: (1)

Easier to digest
Not readily stored as fat
Antimicrobial and antifungal
Smaller in size, allowing easier cell permeability for immediate energy
Processed by the liver, which means that they’re immediately converted to energy instead of being stored as fat

Here is Dr. Axe with some benefits, medically based, of coconut oil.

What type to buy: (2)

Most grocery stores now days carry coconut oil. Don’t just buy any old coconut oil though. Make sure your coconut oil has the following items on the label:

ORGANIC
EXTRA VIRGIN
COLD PRESSED
NON-HYDROGENATED

How to use coconut oil: (2)

The best way to use coconut oil is to simply use it for cooking, in place of any other cooking oil, especially super unhealthy vegetable oil. Here are a few other ways to use it:

Put it in smoothies
On toast in stead of butter
Mix it in oatmeal
Use it to make popcorn – then put it on top, instead of butter!
Make your grilled cheese with it, instead of butter!
Make salad dressing/mayo
Mix it with sugar for a body scrub
Face moisturizer
Leave-in overnight conditioner – spread in hair and wash out in the morning
Season your cast iron pans
Feed it to your pets

Now that I’ve got the wheels turning in your brain, I’ve scoured the internet to find some of the best recipes using coconut oil. There are 25 recipes total, with everything from baked goods, to meat glazes to spreads and pasta. I hope you have fun looking through them as much as I had finding them! (MY COMMENTS ARE IN RED)

OKAY, HERE WE GO….

Coconut Oil Apple Crisp

Taste of Yum

Ingredients:

For the apples

4 Opal apples, chopped
2 tablespoons almond meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the topping

¾ cups + 2 tablespoons coconut oil (in liquid form)
½ cup honey
1¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup almond meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK

Magic Hard Shell

The Coconut Mama

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder (I use raw cacao)
1/4 Cup Raw Honey or Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Sea Salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Blistered Green Beans with

Garlic and Miso

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

6 SERVINGS

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon coconut or agave nectar (DO NOT use agave, EVER!)
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1½ pounds haricots verts or green beans, trimmed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Flaky sea salt, freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Erika McKenna’s Thin Mint Cookies (Gluten free)

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

MAKES 36 SERVINGS

1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
¼ cup arrowroot
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup organic sugar (I’d use raw rapadura sugar instead.)
¾ cup virgin coconut oil, warmed, slightly cooled
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
2 tablespoons mint extract

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Green Curry with Brown Rice Noodles and Swiss Chard

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

4 SERVINGS

4 scallions, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3 green Thai chiles, coarsely chopped
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons green peppercorns in brine
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems, plus more for serving
⅓ cup mint leaves, plus more for serving
¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted, slightly cooled
2 13.5-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 lemongrass stalk, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed, bruised with the back of a knife
4 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from about 1½ bunches)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or honey
Kosher salt
8 ounces dried thin brown rice noodles
Lime wedges (for serving)

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Coconut-Oil Chocolate Freezer Fudge

Free Coconut Recipes

Ingredients

Servings: 24

2 cups virgin coconut oil (this is a good time to break out the Gold Label)
1 cup raw or natural unsweetened cacao powder
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup (you could also substitute honey)
1 1/2 cups walnuts (raw or roasted), roughly chopped

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Coconut Oil Brownies

(with gluten free option)

Handle the Heat

Ingredients

4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate
1 cup (209 grams) virgin coconut oil, measured solid
1 cup granulated sugar (I’d use raw rapadura sugar instead.)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (I’d use raw rapadura sugar instead.)
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (96 grams) all-purpose flour (Could also use cup-4-cup gluten free flour)
1 cup (80 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Gluten Free Coconut Oil Pie Crust

A Saucy Kitchen

Ingredients

1 teaspoon psyllium husk + 2 tablespoons warm water (not psyllium husk powder)
1 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour without xanthan gum (175 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
5 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil (65 grams) * see note
3-6 tablespoons ice cold water

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Rustic Gluten-Free Biscuits

with Coconut Oil

So-Delicious Dairy Free

Ingredients

2 C. Gluten-free flour
1 1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 C. Coconut oil, cold
1 Tbsp. Agave nectar
3/4 C. So Delicious Dairy Free Coconutmilk Beverage, Unsweetened
- (You don’t have to use this, regular canned coconut milk would be fine~ probably better in fact)

For the complete recipe, follow LINK.

Coconut Oil Fat Bombs

Paleo Hacks

Ingredients

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 T raw honey
4 ounces raw dark chocolate chips
1/2 t vanilla bean powder, optional

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Gluten-Free Coconut Oil Corn Bread

Make the Best of Everything

Ingredients

2 cups of cornmeal that has been ground in the food processor for 5-10 minutes
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of plain greek yogurt (Preferably, organic grass-fed, whole milk)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of sugar (I’d use raw rapadura sugar instead.)
1 cup of whole milk
4 tablespoons of melted coconut oil

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Gluten-Free Banana, Coconut

and Lemon Loaf

Nadia Lim

Screen Shot 2017-10-11 at 7.55.45 AM.png

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil or butter
½ cup honey (Raw)
3 large ripe, mashed bananas
2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup flour (e.g. plain, wholemeal, or gluten-free or buckwheat flour, or ground almonds to make GF)
1 teaspoon baking soda (check it is gluten-free if required)
4 free-range eggs
2, zested lemons
one pinch salt

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Paleo coconut Oil Hollandaise Sauce

Against All Grain

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coconut oil, heated to about 95 degrees F
2 med egg yolks (pasture raised or free-range)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Pumpkin Souffle (GF,DF)

Simply 123 Allergy Free

photo 5 copy souffle'.jpg

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
4 whole eggs (pasture raised or free-range)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons almond butter
5 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
pinch of sea salt

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Chocolate Black Cherry Tart

Unconventional Baker

Gluten-Free-Vegan-Chocolate-Black-Cherry-Tart_grain-free.jpg

INGREDIENTS

Crust

¼ cup coconut oil, melted or very soft
⅓ cup liquid sweetener of your choice (I used maple syrup)
½ tbsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup water
¼ cup apple butter (apple sauce would work too)
½ cup coconut flour
¼ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup cocoa powder

Filling

1 ½ cups black cherries, pitted and halved
1 cup coconut oil
½ cup cocoa powder
6 tbsp liquid sweetener of your choice (I used maple syrup)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Strawberry Mousse

A Girl Worth Saving

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup melted coconut oil
2 large ripe bananas
1 1.5 oz bag of Dehydrated Strawberries
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (Himalayan salt)
12 ripe strawberries
1 medium avocado
1 Tablespoon B grade maple syrup

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Tomato Soup

The Paleo Couple

Ingredients

5 large cloves garlic
2 1/2 C sliced and chopped sweet onion
1/2 C coconut oil
2 28-oz cans diced, fire roasted tomatoes
2 C beef broth
1 C red wine (we used a cabernet sauvignon)
2 bay leaves
1 C loosely packed, torn basil leaves

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Raw Sweet Potato Salad with

Curry Almond Sauce

Jesse Lane Wellness

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes
1 cup dried currants
1 cup chopped walnuts

Curry Almond Sauce

½ cup almond butter
½ cup melted coconut oil
6 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Easy and Delicious Coconut Oil

Chicken Glaze

Real Food

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp minced onion

For the complete recipe, follow this LINK.

Coconut Lime Chicken

Holistically Engineered

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (a soy sauce substitute)
Juice of 3 limes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock

Coconut Butter Spreads

(5 recipes)

The Lunch Box Bunch

Ingredients:

Cinna-Banana Coconut Spread
5 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
pinch salt
1 banana
2-3 dashes cinnamon
2 tsp maple or agave syrup

Espresso Cacao Chip Coconut Spread
5 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 shot espresso, warm (about room temperature)
1 tsp raw cacao nibs
1/2 banana
2 tsp cacao powder – or another tsp of nibs
dash cinnamon
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
pinch salt

Spicy Goji Coconut Spread
5 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
2 Tbsp goji berries, soaked in warm water for at least 20 minutes (drain water before adding)
1 banana
2 dashes cayenne (optional)
1-3 tsp maple or agave syrup

Simple Strawberry
5 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
5-6 strawberries
pinch salt
2 tsp maple or agave syrup

Almond Butter Coconut Spread
2 Tbsp almond butter
3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 banana
1-2 tsp maple or agave syrup
pinch salt
dash cinnamon

For complete instructions on how to make these spreads, follow this LINK.

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