Cocoa Beach Baked Oatmeal

Servings: 8–9
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole cane sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (not light)*
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, Virgin Coconut Oil, and cane sugar. Whisk together until well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Dump in the oats and 2 tablespoons shredded coconut. Don’t stir just yet. Place salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder in a small sieve and sift over the oats. Stir everything until combined.

Pour into a 9 x 9-inch baking pan greased with a little coconut oil. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons dried coconut over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve by itself or with regular milk or additional coconut milk poured on top.

*For the freshest coconut milk, make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Recipe and photo submitted by Melodie, Fort Mill, SC.

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Toasted Coconut and Basil Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk*
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (substitute whole sugar)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 6 egg yolks** – See Note below.
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

**Note – This recipe contains raw or undercooked eggs. Please make a substitution if you have concerns about consuming raw eggs.

Directions:

In a medium saucepan or pot, combine the coconut milk, half and half, milk, basil, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. With an immersion blender, puree the basil for about 30 seconds until it is mostly small pieces. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the milk mixture to a regular blender and blend until the basil is well incorporated, then return back into the saucepan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks continuously for about 2 minutes until a little frothy. Add about a cup of the hot basil coconut milk, slowly streaming it into the yolks, whisking until incorporated. Whisk the yolk mixture into the rest of the hot basil coconut milk to make the ice cream base; return it to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5–8 minutes until thickened slightly. If the texture of the ice cream base seems to be a bit chunky (most likely due to a lapse in whisking), use the immersion blender for 10 seconds to give it a final mix. Remove from heat and pour into a glass container and cover. Refrigerate until cooled completely (4–6 hours).

When the mixture is completely chilled, churn in the ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s directions. In the last 5 minutes of the churning process, add the toasted coconut*** and the dark chocolate pieces. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours before serving.

*For the freshest coconut milk, make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

***Little Yellow Note: To toast the unsweetened shredded coconut, spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe and photo submitted by Chrissy, San Diego, CA.

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No-Bake Coconut, Cookie Bites

Servings: 18
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Medjool dates, pitted and soaked
• 1 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut, medium shreds or chips (may need to add about 1/4 cup more if not using protein powder)
• 4 tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate, softened
• 2 tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil, softened
• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
• 1/3 cup vanilla egg white protein (optional, but adds some vanilla flavoring to the cookies)

Directions:

Once the dates have soaked for a couple hours, add them to a food processor along with the Coconut Cream Concentrate and coconut oil (add protein at this time.)

Process until mixture is well combined and cream and oil are fully melted. Add in the coconut and blend until consistency is doughy and moldable. Add the almonds at this time and blend until almonds are well incorporated.

Pack the dough into balls; you may need to press firmly.

I prefer to store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The Coconut Cream Concentrate and oil will harden when cooled and allow for a harder ball.

Recipe and photo submitted by Kate, Highlands Ranch, CO.

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