Coconut-Almond Crunch Balls

Ever since I was introduced to the concept of "low carbohydrate density" nutrition I've been on a mission. The goal: to create a low-carb, low-sugar, grain-free and, most importantly, delicious dessert.

The low-carbohydrate density diet aligns beautifully with the evolution-based diet that I recommend. It eliminates flour and sugar, includes but minimizes whole grains and fruits, and emphasizes vegetables, seeds, animal protein (not necessarily meat—think pastured eggs and raw goat cheese) and healthy fats like coconut oil. The benefits of avoiding refined grains and sugars include improved blood sugar balance, yeast control and intestinal comfort (i.e. reduced gas and bloating, a big bonus for IBS people like me). However, there isn't much to offer the sweet tooth contingent. Hence my mission.

I started off very simply: grated carrots (carrots are sweet, right?) mashed with nut butter and cinnamon. (I told you it was simple.) I know: not exactly blog-worthy—but it's darn good, trust me!

Anyway, in terms of a real recipe worth sharing, I am proud to present these adorable Coconut-Almond Crunch Balls. 

They're made with naturally sweet raw coconut butter, and naturally sweet raw almond butter, with only a hint of concentrated natural sweetener added. (I used agave, but maple syrup would be scrumptious, too.) The crunch comes from homemade Buckwheat Crunchies (soaked, sprouted dehydrated buckwheat groats), which I had on hand from a previous dehydrating day.

Buckwheat Crunchies are REALLY easy to make (instructions below). But if you don't have a dehydrator or the time, consider substituting finely chopped almonds. (Alternatively, forget the crunch aspect altogether and use this recipe, sans crunchies, to make creamy Coconut-Almond Truffles instead! Guaranteed they would be totally yummy, too.)

P.S. This dessert is gluten-free. I know buckwheat sounds like it must be related to wheat, the mother of all gluten-containing grains, but it isn't. In fact, buckwheat isn't even technically a grain. It's a fruit! Read more here.

Coconut-Almond Crunch Balls

1 cup raw coconut butter
1 Tablespoon raw coconut oil
1/4 cup raw almond butter
4 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or fine sea salt
1 cup buckwheat crunchies
shredded coconut for coating - about half a cup

In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, process coconut butter, coconut oil, almond butter, agave or maple syrup, vanilla and salt until a smooth dough is formed. Transfer to a medium bowl and use a soft spatula to gently mix in buckwheat crunchies.




Use a teaspoon or the spatula, and very clean fingers and hands, to separate out small chunks of dough. Roll and press them into little bite-sized balls, or medium-sized balls if you like more of a mouthful.

Roll each ball in shredded coconut and set aside until all the dough is used up. You'll get about two dozen balls or more, depending on their size.

If you prefer a flatter profile, that works, too.

I recommend eating Coconut-Almond Crunch Balls at room temperature for best flavor, but do store them in the refrigerator to keep firm and fresh. Miraculously, these balls hold their crunch for at least two weeks! (It wasn't easy to keep them around that long—hence the miracle—but I wanted to be sure my Crunch Balls lived up to their name over time, before going public with this recipe.) Enjoy!


Buckwheat Crunchies
To make these, you will need a dehydrator and a supply of raw buckwheat groats, which can be hard to find. I ordered a five-pound box directly from my local food coop.

To begin, soak two cups of buckwheat groats in four cups of water for eight hours or overnight.



Drain and rinse very well, several times, to thoroughly remove slippery foam. Allow soaked buckwheat to sprout in a strainer for 12-24 hours (as pictured below), rinsing at approximately six-hour intervals so that the soaked buckwheat doesn't dry out prematurely. (If sprouting overnight, you don't need to wake up to rinse your groats; just loosely cover strainer with a clean damp towel at bedtime.)

Spread sprouted buckwheat in a single layer on mesh dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 110 degrees for 12 hours, or until very crisp.

Store crunchies in an airtight glass jar. Use in place of dry cereal (delicious with coconut milk!) or in recipes that call for crunch, such as my delectable Coconut-Almond Crunch Balls. ♥

Lemon-Ginger Granita

Here's a simple, lively and refreshing drink/dessert made with just four ingredients: lemon, ginger, agave and ice. The Granita is, according to Wikipedia, a traditional Sicilian sweet, whose influence is apparent in the three S's of my childhood fruit-ice experience (Slushie, Sno-Cone, Sorbet).

The thing about the Granita is, it's fresh. Very fresh. As in one whole peeled lemon fresh. Per serving.

I'm totally improvising with this recipe, but with temperatures going up into the 90's tomorrow, I thought it best to be prepared, and I know I'm on to something. Bottom line: nothing cools a body down like like ice. Even dogs know that.


Lemon-Ginger Granita
serves one

1 whole, organic lemon, peeled, pitted and quartered
1 tsp minced, peeled ginger
6 ice cubes
generous splash (1-3 tsp) clear agave nectar, or sweetener of choice
splash of ice water

Put all ingredients into high speed blender and buzz on high about one minute, or until ice is well-chopped and contents are frothy. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Pour granita into an 8-ounce glass and eat with a spoon until ice chips pass the melting point of no return... then enter your favorite straw, sip, and pucker away, happily, till done.

Agave Blues

Still confused about agave? Don't worry - you're not alone!

Honestly, over the past year or so, "Tell me the truth: is agave good or bad, Diana?" is among the most frequently asked questions I've received as a nutritionist.

Turns out a lot of people in the raw food community got upset after they learned that agave, initially promoted as a 100% raw sweetener, actually wasn't raw.

No one likes being misled...or lied to intentionally. But just because agave isn't raw does not make it the devil. The truth is that raw agave juice would ferment in days, if not hours, so it needs to be processed to be used as a shelf-stable sweetener.

I describe how agave nectar is made and discuss its pros and cons in my booklet Natural and Healthy Sweeteners, which features an entire chapter on agave. To learn more about agave and other natural sweeteners, I really encourage you to read my book! Or you can read this article by raw food nutrition expert, David Wolfe: The Agave Blues. (David references my booklet in the article - exciting!)

In the meantime, here's the sweet low-down on agave:

Agave Pros: low glycemic, pure sweet taste, convenient to use, mixes easily into cold or hot liquids, may contain pre-biotic inulin

Agave Cons: moderate to highly processed, may not be "pure" (some brands spiked with corn syrup or other adulterants, including colors), higher in calories than sugar

Ideally, we wouldn't use ANY sweeteners, ever. Ideally, we'd be living in a tropical paradise: swimming in fresh water all day, soaking up the ozone layer-protected sunshine, sipping young coconut water on the sand and enjoying ripe juicy fruits when we were hungry. (mmmm...Calgon, take me away!)


Back in the real world (which has its Paradise moments, don't get me wrong!) most of us can use sweeteners in moderation and still be healthy. (Moderation means up to a couple of teaspoons of sweeteners per day; some days not at all.) Raw honey and maple syrup top my list. Stevia would be a strong contender if I liked the taste. (I'm just not a licorice person.) And yes, agave is on my shelf. It's great to have on hand and fits the bill perfectly for some recipes.

Personally, I only use and recommend Ultimate Superfoods Ojio brand Organic CLEAR agave because it is the most reliable, best quality, unadulterated (high inulin, moderate fructose, low glucose) organic agave product I have found. Now bottled in a beautiful GLASS jar instead of plastic.

You can buy Ojio Agave at my ✪community superfoods✪ store, at 15% off regular retail price. Open Wednesday nights from 5-7. See you there!

In sweet joy, Diana

The Sweet Life

Dearest Friends,

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my new booklet Natural & Healthy Sweeteners! It's a compact, 42-pages of cutting edge information on some of the most delicious healthy sweeteners on the planet, including what I consider to be the Low Glycemic Superstars: Agave, Stevia and Yacon (natural sweeteners derived from plants native to Central and South America).

Part One of Natural & Healthy Sweeteners introduces you to sugar metabolism - in plain English! - helping you to understand why it's natural to like sweets and what's wrong with refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Part Two spotlights a selection of healthy and natural sweeteners. You'll find chapters on raw honey (my all-time favorite antioxidant-rich sweetener), xylitol and other polyols, stevia, agave and yacon. If any of these sound mysterious to you, the veil will be lifted when you read my booklet! I discuss history, features and benefits, calories, glycemic impact and uses for all of the sweeteners profiled in Natural & Healthy Sweeteners.

Whether you're still dipping into the sugar bowl or hooked on diet soda (or know someone who is), this booklet is for you! Published by Woodland Publishing as part of the Woodland Health Series, you can find Natural & Healthy Sweeteners on amazon.com (click on the title of this blog to go directly to the order page) or ask for it at your local health food store. If you'd like a signed copy, please send me an email at eat2evolve@gmail.com and we'll set that up! Price is just $4.95 + shipping.

In sweetness and light,
Diana :)

Ode to Deaf

I know it sounds strange, but I woke up at three o’clock this morning and for some reason, started thinking about this delicious peanut butter I used to love (and I mean LOVE) back in the late 1970's and early ‘80’s when I was first getting into health food. Thing of it was, I couldn’t remember the name of the stuff. What was it called?

For the better part of a pitch black hour I lay awake in bed, watching my mind strive to unfold the knowledge I knew was in there. What was the name of that darn peanut butter? I knew it was somebody’s actual name. Dean something? Not quite, but getting nearer…

Finally, my memory center retrieved a name that sounded close: Deaf Mills. Knowing I was hot on the trail, I left the warmth of covers and hit up Google in the next room. And voila! The answer was revealed: Deaf Smith peanut butter, made by Arrowhead Mills from the finest Valencia peanuts grown West of the Mississippi.

I found links to Wikipedia entries that explained the derivation of the name (the historical man Deaf Smith fought in the Texas Revolution; the county in Texas named after him is famed for its naturally fluorine-rich soil and tasty Valencia peanuts). Another link led to a blog page where for the past four years, people have been stopping by to sing the praises of Deaf Smith peanut butter, and longingly bemoan the fact that it is no longer available. (See here: http://citycomfortsblog.typepad.com/cities/2004/07/deaf_smith_coun.html)

I must agree that Deaf Smith peanut butter was, indeed, something very special... the best ever of all peanut butters, IMHO. Crunchy and salted was my hands down favorite. I actually had a little "problem" with Deaf Smith peanut butter, in that it was so satisfying and delicious I could eat practically a whole jar in one sitting, tablespoon by luscious tablespoon. (This was not a good idea.)

Alas, there is no modern peanut butter to compare (a blessing in disguise no doubt). Instead, I'm now a fan of crunchy raw almond butter, which is not quite the same thing, but comparably tasty in its own sweet wholesome way, and healthier, too. Unlike acidifying peanuts, almonds are widely regarded as the most alkaline Queen of nuts...and they do not harbor the peanut-associated aflatoxin mold, a known carcinogen.

It’s tough today to find domestically grown raw almonds that are truly raw, as an unfortunate 2008 legal action caused all raw almonds to undergo a “pasteurization” process prior to sale. Organic almonds are pasteurized using steam, conventional almonds are gas-treated, so I think the organic are worth the extra cost. Raw organic almond butter is crazy expensive ($15 a jar!) so I buy it rarely and treat it as a precious commodity when I do. This Split Banana recipe uses only one teaspoon per serving, making it a rich and affordable indulgence. Enjoy as a between-meal snack, a quick dessert or a special occasion breakfast like I did this morning, following my wee hours Deaf Smith detective adventure.

Split Bananas with Chocolate Almond Filling

1 teaspoon each: raw almond butter, raw cacao powder, agave syrup
1 ripe banana
cinnamon and/or cayenne (optional)

Mix together the almond butter, cacao and agave until a thick paste forms. Split a banana lengthwise and remove top half. Cover the bottom half with the chocolate-almond paste, distributing evenly. Replace the top banana half and press down gently to seal. Slice into rounds and arrange on a plate; sprinkle with cinnamon and/or cayenne if desired… and eat! (Feel free to substitute regular cocoa or carob powder for the cacao, and honey, maple or yacon syrup for the agave.)