But I will not be deterred. I will find a way to satisfy that sweet tooth and that therapeutic, almost hypnotic process of adding ingredients, mixing, stirring, tasting...yeah, tasting might be the best part.
I've been experimenting a lot with coconut flour and coconut oil. My picky 18 month old daughter ironically likes coconut flour anything: muffins, pancakes, cookies, you name it. She even eats the batter of my egg-free pancakes like I might have eaten cookie dough back in the day. My son, on the other hand, the one who eats salad without balking and requests kale pesto for dinner, says my new baking experiments taste funny and offers to share with us (a sure sign that he doesn't like something but doesn't want to be rude).
While I've found a few decent grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free treats, it's hard to find much that is truly satisfying and feels decadent. A girl can only eat so many frozen bananas.
I am starting to understand the frustration of people and parents of little people with food allergies/sensitivities. There are a plethora of paleo baking recipes out there (just search Paleo desserts on Pinterest), but a lot of the good ones use almond meal or almond butter. No bueno for my tummy.
What I have discovered is that my tummy is a fan of sunflower butter. And my mouth? Also a fan - although I strongly prefer the Trader Joe's brand over any other. Nope, not getting paid with a lifetime of free sunflower butter to say that. Just my preference. The consistency is nice and it has a good balance of salty and sweet. (Of course if you don't have any issues with nut butters, you can just as easily substitute those, as I do for my husband and kids. But these taste so good that really there is no need, unless you are a sunbutter hoarder, like me.)
That's why I was so excited when I came up with these energy balls, a high protein, grain-free/dairy-free/nut-free, no refined sugar snack that actually tastes really yummy! They take less than five minutes to mix up, store well in the freezer, and everyone in the family can enjoy them - assuming I share. Bonus: they are no-bake. It's like making the batter and then eating it!!
1/4 c sunflower butter
10 pitted dates
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
optional add ins: mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, flax seeds
Directions:
Add all ingredients to food processor. Process until fully blended. Shape into 1-in balls. Refrigerate or freeze. Makes about a dozen.