My relationship with coconut oil began with my grandmother. She would smooth the Indian beauty staple onto her hair almost every day, leaving the bathroom smelling like a tropical paradise. Since then, I’ve practiced my fair share of coconut oil beauty regimens — most recently = this coconut-brown sugar body scrub — but I needed to find a way to make a bigger dent in my big jar from Trader Joe’s.
Coconut oil has been so in vogue in food recipes these days, but I don’t love throwing it into just any dish. It has a distinct taste, and I don’t think it goes with everything. But I was on a mission to find (and share with you) three recipes that are totally awesome/totally delicious with the fragrant oil.
From breakfast to snack time to lunch, here are three coconut oil recipes you need to try right now:
Power bars sound like processed, artificially flavored slabs of tree bark. Not these! This raw version has just four ingredients: dates, walnuts, coconut oil and unsweetened cocoa powder (raw cacao powder is better nutritionally but also much more expensive). Blend in a food processor, press the mixture into a loaf pan and let chill. It’s stupid easy, and they make for a great afternoon snack.
For a savory recipe, you can try 101 Cookbooks’ avocado-coconut oil tartine. I subbed in pine nuts for macadamia — besides Hawaii folks, who actually has macadamia nuts on hand? — and basil for squash blossoms because my basil plant is dying a slow, painful death, and I wanted to honor its short lifespan. Word to the wise: I thought the suggested 1 tbsp portion of coconut oil was too strong for one tartine slice, but perhaps you like your bread with more tropical tang.
I also wanted to include a basic food item that could incorporate coconut oil. Enter: the banana muffin. These little guys — I used my mini cupcake tray — are moist, flavorful and easy to make. I didn’t have coconut sugar, so I used granulated, but I did cut it down to a smidge less than 1/4 cup. I rarely use the full amount of sugar a recipe suggests; it’s usually too much.
And if you’re curious, here’s a handy guide to decoding those “cleverly” worded coconut oil bottle labels. From my research, the Trader Joe’s brand is not only virgin and organic as the bottle indicates, but cold-pressed as well, which means a major thumbs up.
Any other recipes you’ve tried with coconut oil?
pinning all three recipes to try..I usually sub butter for coconut oil in baked goods and also make granola with it.
Granola with coconut oil sounds fantastic.