Moist, chocolate speckled zucchini bread - Gluten free

I love coconut flour. Wow what a revelation. It gives a certain fluffier texture to baked goods while staying light and moist. Perfect for this recipe.

I sweetened with dates, no additional sugar used. The chocolate also helps add sweetness but I believe the coconut flour also gives a little sweetness of its own.

Truly addictive, and I only say this after sharing some of the bread with friends and they praise was high enough for me to feel free to.

Coconut flour is made from coconut meat. It's gluten free and high in fiber, which we all know in turn is good for our digestion, helping move unwanted cholesterol and other bad fats out of our system which in turn protects us from clogged blood vessels and other cardiovascular diseases. Fiber has also been found to help combat colon cancer, again as the fiber helps speed up the expelling of toxic wastes from our metabolism.  

Ingredients needed for one loaf: 

100-150 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped 

4 eggs 

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

4-5 dates (soak for at least 30min)

1 dl yoghurt (sheep, coconut or cows)

1,5 dl oat, rice or other nut milk

2 dl coconut flour

1 dl oat flour (gluten free)

1/2 medium sized zucchini, grated

choose between 1/2 grated apple or 1 mashed over ripe banana

2 tsp baking powder 

pinch of salt 

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

optional - 1 dl walnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds (I used pumpkin)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. 
2. Cook the dates in the water, to loosen them up and then puree into a sauce
3. Whisk the eggs till fluffy, add the date puree once cooled
4. Same goes for the coconut oil, heat so it melts, then add to eggs once slightly cooled
5. Now add the milk, zucchini and apple/banana
6. Add all the dry ingredients, mix. 
7. Add the chocolate, mix. 
8. If the dough is looking dry (it needs to be some what loose, sticky), add a little more milk
9. Transfer the dough to a baking tine lined with baking paper or grease the pan before hand
10. Bake for 45min-1hour. You will know its ready when you can poke a form in the middle and it comes out dry. If while baking the top of the bread starts to look a bit too dark, cover with some aluminium foil. 

Allow the bread to cool and then dig in and enjoy!!

Coconut flour pancakes

I am well aware that I have posted multiple pancake recipes at this point. Perhaps you're catching onto my love of these dense, yet fluffy, sweet and inner child pleasing pillows of heaven.

I recently discovered coconut flour so I decided to give it a go on my favourite breakfast item. I can tell you it was a success! The coconut flour has a certain graininess or perhaps better explained as a rougher texture than regular flour. However it brings lots of moisture and fluffiness in place of the denseness other flours can give. The great thing is it's gluten free and full of good nutrients (to read more on nutrients see my post on zucchini bread).

Ingredients for 4 pancakes:

2 eggs
2 dl coconut flour
1,5 dl oat flour
pinch of salt
1,5 tsp baking powder
2,5-3 dl oat/nut/soy/dairy milk
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

optional - 1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamon or zest of lemon or lime (perhaps even orange could be nice)

1. Begin with mixing the milk and eggs till combined
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the milk egg mix. 
3. Heat pan and melt the coconut oil, add to the batter. Keep the pan and the left over coconut oil and when you know the pan is hot, but not searing hot, using a soup ladle or dl cup scoop out enough for each pancake into the pan. Make sure there is room for the pancake to ooze a little to each side. Turn down the heat. Allow to cook on the first side for approx. 2-3 minutes, then flip and allow for the same time on the other side. If you touch the middle of the pancake it should feel bouncy, if not allow to cook further on a low heat. 

Serve the pancakes with your choice of berries and or fruits, maple syrup or honey, nuts or seeds. My favourite always remains slices of banana, blueberries and or raspberries and toasted walnuts topped with a good splash of maple syrup.