Gloria (Modern Family) said it best:

"Who doesn't love the coconut Jay? Who?"

This super versatile ingredient can play so many different roles in a recipe, from a virtually undetectable crust ingredient (as in last week's Lemon Cashew Cream Cake) to the main star of the treat as in today's

'No Bake Coconut Crack Bars'

sourced from Chocolate Covered Katie. Being that this weekend is a loooong weekend, and with the heat wave we've been having here in Toronto, there were 2 major things I was looking for in this week's sweet treat recipe (in addition to the usual simple + few ingredients + absolutely delectable)

Quick!
- I did not want to be spending my whole extra day in the kitchen
No Bake!
- If possible, I wanted to avoid using the oven and heating up the whole house!

Boy did I find a winner!

These 'Coconut Crack Bars' are unbelievably easy to make, require only 5 (with an optional 6th) ingredients and can be ready in as little as 15-20 minutes! Once again, my VitaMix blender came in super handy, doing all the 'hard labour' of the recipe in less than a minute. I have to say, I've become pretty fond of these 'throw all ingredients in a blender/food processor and go' type recipes! So without further adieu, here are the ingredients and directions to one of simplest and tastiest (and apparently most addictive) treats you can make!

Ingredients:

1 cup (80g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup agave or pure maple syrup
- I used maple syrup as I had it on hand and its my favourite!
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp of salt
options
- raw chocolate chips (You could also try Organic Cocoa Nibs!)
- lemon zest (I added this as I personally love the taste combo of lemon + coconut!)

*Yields 6-8 bars

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor
- As I mentioned above, I used my VitaMix blender and simply poured in all the ingredients and mixed on low for about a minute
- If going this route, you will have to continually push the mixture down/toward the blades or it will gather up along the sides of the container
Squish into any small container and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freezer for at least 15 min) before trying to cut

*these bars can be stored in the fridge or freezer for at least a few weeks!

A few extra thoughts

Another reason why I really liked this recipe was because Katie supplied the Nutritional Information per bar! She didn't provide the serving size, so I'm assuming its 1/8th of the recipe!

Calories: 100
Fat: 8 g
Carbs: 7 g
Protein: 1.5 g
Fibre: 1.5 g

Taking into consideration the consistency of these little treats, the taste and macronutrient profile, I think it could be really cool to try making Coconut Crack Balls -- rolling these little guys up into tbsp sized balls rather than bars. They would be a quick and tasty little treat to grab after a run. I'll post an update if I decide to give this option a try!

So blend, squish, cool..... go outside and enjoy the weather, knowing you'll have a tasty little treat waiting for you when you get home!

Last little tip: DO NOT TASTE THE RAW MIXTURE... I can almost guarantee it won't make it to the fridge and set phase if you do! So, so yummy!

Announcements!

In case you missed is there is 20% off site-wide this weekend with discount code 'HolidayCelebrate' in honour of the long weekend!
The August Cycle of Build and Burn begins this Wednesday Aug 3rd at The Underground Dance Centre! Grab your spot and lets get lean and strong together this summer!
- This program is a perfect cross-training match-up if you're training for a Half- or Full-Marathon this fall with a focus on glute activation and strength, mobility, and single leg strength!
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HAPPY LONG WEEKEND FRIENDS!

J

"Energy flows where attention goes.." -anonymous

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