I have a confession. Secretly, I gave up sugar.
I know. Me! The cookie monster!
And not just sugar – that’s not that unusual – but also dried fruit, maple syrup, agave, honey, stevia, concentrated fruit juice…. You get the idea. It’s all out for 30 days while I let my tastebuds do a reset.
So that stuff I’ve been posting? Those cookies? Those truffles? That nutella? I did all that before I quit, and haven’t touched a bite since.
Did I mention it’s been 18 days?
The truffles and cookies are long-gone. But, that nutella? There’s still some in the jar in my fridge and every time I open the fridge, there it is. Staring at me.
No fair.
Last night, I’d had enough. And, with my already re-calibrating tastebuds, I determined to make my own version of nutella.
Except without the hazelnuts. Or chocolate.
It IS dark and creamy and goes really, really well on apples. Or bananas. And probably on pancakes. But, I’m not really eating those either….
(They’re just not worth it without maple syrup.)
Creamy, delicious and sugar-free carob cashew coconut butter
Cashew Carob Coconut Butter (vegan, high-raw, grain-free, sugar-free)
1 cup (58 g) unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/4 cup (26 g) carob powder *
1 1/2 cups (240 g) raw cashews
1/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. vanilla extract *
Place coconut in the bowl of a food processor. Process until coconut breaks down enough to stick to the sides of the bowl. Add carob powder and continue to process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until very smooth. This takes quite a while. Note that it will clump up into a ball and roll around. Don’t fret! Just stop, break it up, and continue to process. You’re almost there. When it’s done, you should have a very smooth and creamy spreadable butter – like commercial natural peanut butter. Transfer to a jar with a lid.
If you use stevia, I’m fairly sure this would be awesome with some NuNaturals Chocolate Stevia extract.
* Note: My carob powder is probably the roasted variety. If you want to be totally raw, look for raw carob powder and raw vanilla extract, or use a small piece (1/2 inch) of vanilla bean and process that with a coffee grinder first.
For more wonderfully healthy recipes, visit Wellness Weekends at Diet, Dessert and Dogs.
The Mommy Bowl 
Wow, good for you! Keep up the great work on your sugar free-dom. Snacks like this must make it easier, at least. 🙂
Wow, that’s awesome, Deanna! Congrats! 🙂 I’m trying to imagine what this butter tastes like. It looks wonderful!
Shirley
Thanks Amber Shea and Shirley.
The kiddo’s dad tried it and he said it was delicious, too. But he also said, “this tastes nothing like I was thinking it would taste.” The cashew flavor isn’t strong, even though it’s the main ingredient. The coconut and carob are the more dominant flavors.
This looks great. I’m supposed to be giving up sugar as well because of a candida issue, but admittedly, it’s been hard. But knowing that you did 18 days so far gives me a great model. Thank you! Plus this recipe looks great. Gonna try it tomorrow!
You can do it, Ellen! I think if I had to give it up forever, it’d be really hard. But, I just keep saying, “30 days. It’s only 30 days.” Maybe at the end of 30 I’ll want to go on. We’ll see. I do feel good, that’s for sure.
I hope you try it and like it. LeAnne at Healthful Pursuit just posted a coconut bark recipe that looks great, too.
http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/12/sugar-free-coconut-almond-bark/
Next time I get a massive sugar craving, I’m going to try that recipe.
Congrats! Do you feel great? That spread looks just like the kind of thing I make all the time. I love cashew butter. . . so far my preferred nut for flavored nut butters has always been walnut, but I bet this is just delicious!
Wow, this look fab. My daughters have been after me to give up all sugars as well. I have had alot of bloating for way too long. I have battled candida off and on through the years. I thought it would of all stopped once I had my hysterectomy several years back. It amazes me all the many ways raw cashews can be used. Seeing and reading your post, gives me hope that perhaps I can take my girls challenge… I keep telling them give me till Jan. 1 to get my sugar cravings at bay. The cashew butter looks fabulously delish.
Thanks, Dee.
I think everyone should try it every once in a while. It’s amazing to me how many things taste really sweet now, even just after this long. I’m not, however, following the Candida diet. I’m still eating bananas, for example. They’re a pretty high sugar fruit, and boy can I taste it when I eat one, now. But, since I’m only eating them in whole form, and almost always in combination with some nuts to slow down digestion, I’m not feeling a sugar crash after eating them – which is what I’m mostly trying to avoid.
I do feel great, Ricki. Much more even. Fewer cravings (or cravings for things like brussels sprouts and broccoli slaw, instead of cravings for chocolate and peanut butter).
I’ve done walnut butter, too: https://themommybowl.com/2010/11/04/maple-walnut-butter/
But that one had maple syrup in it. I should try another one sans sweetener.
Wonder about using almonds??
I haven’t tried this particular combo with almonds. But, I have made my own plain almond butter lots of times. What I find with almonds is that I usually have to add some extra almond oil to get it creamy, and it still never gets as creamy as the store-bought kind, no matter how long I process it. So, if you want really smooth and spreadable, I’m not sure almonds would work. But, if you don’t mind a thicker, less creamy nut butter, then go for it.
Awesome!! So amazing and so inspiring that you did it during the holidays! Congratulations!
I’ve been enjoying reading your blog for a while now and wanted to pass on the Liebster Blog Award to you because — well you’re just amazing! http://flipcookbook.com/2011/12/tex-mex-queso-liebster-blog-award-love/
Wow, Raj. Thank you!
I did it now BECAUSE of the holidays. Usually I eat so many cookies that I start the New Year feeling like crud. This year, I decided to just get ahead of the curve. 🙂
Good for you! I’ve heard that eating things like stevia can still trick your body into thinking it’s eating sweet so it’s good you have a baseline for how it feels with none of that. I’d love to know what you ARE eating, other than just this. Do you have fresh fruit?
This looks great and will to make it at some point.
Yep, still eating lots of fresh fruit.
Typical day is usually fruit and nuts and cinnamon in a bowl with some almond milk or a green smoothie for breakfast. A piece of fruit for morning snack. Big salad or big bowl of broccoli slaw for lunch and some sort of cooked veggie dish for dinner. I’ve eaten a bit more poultry while doing this. No grains at all for these 30 days. I’ve made one dish with beans and had some on salads so far, but kind of limiting those, too. Nuts are my main protein source.
If I’m still hungry at the end of the day, I’ll have a bowl of banana ice cream.
The quantity of food is probably up. But, so is the quality. Most of it is food I don’t use recipes for – just throw it together. But, I realize that not everyone throws stuff together like that, so I should probably start posting some of my various and sundry veggie dishes, eh?
I HAVE to try this recipe. Cashew, carb and coconut together?! WOW!
Thanks, Laura. I’m eating some right now – on top of banana “ice cream.” 🙂
Hi There Deanna~
This recipe looks out of this world. I just had to share it on my monthly round-up!
http://www.thetastyalternative.com/2011/12/monthly-round-up-december-2011.html
Happy New Year.
Hugs,
–Amber
Thank you!
I am tempted!! This combo looks SO up my alley…and I have given up sugar like you too for the month I’ll let you know how this turns out, I’ll be trying it out!
Excellent! Let me know what you think. And, I’ll be checking your blog for other sugarless ideas. 🙂
Yes…there will be lots of salads, main dishes and soup for the month! (Although I haven’t cut out all sweeteners like you, you’re a rock for doing so!! Just NO TREATS!!
Congrats, Deanne! Giving up sugar in all kinds or forms,..It isn’t easy at all! But you made this tasty spread & it looks superb!
MMMMMM,…too! 🙂 I wish you tons of inspiration, good food & great health in 2012!! 🙂
I love the sounds of this! Do you know if it would work with unsweetened dried low fat desiccated coconut? That’s all I have at present…but I will go out and buy regular unsweetened dried shredded coconut if need be 🙂
I haven’t tried it with low fat. But it would be easy to try. Just blend the heck out of the coconut and carob first. If it doesn’t liquefy add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil.
Deanna, I truly admire you for going without during the holidays!! Also, I know you were nominated by Raj, but I also nominated you for the liebster award 🙂 I feel like your recipes are ones I really connect with on a food tolerance level. I, too am going high raw and giving up most sweeteners/ sugars for a while in Jan so I’m glad to see you have been at it for a couple weeks now! http://pumpkinspantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-in-review-and-liebster-lovin.html
Wow! Double Liebster Award. Thank you! I’m so glad that my recipes speak to you. 🙂
Yum – I was looking for a sweet and tasty new spread – this looks like just the thing!
Thanks, I hope you like it!
Amazing! I have to try this, looks sooo delicious.
This spread looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! Anything that’s sweet and naturally sugar-free is a winner for me! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! I just made this and it’s amazing! Can’t believe how sweet it tastes and there is no sugar, love that! It is a tad of a challenge to make, I don’t have a big food processor, just a small chopper, so it probably took me longer to get it all mixed than normal, but it was so worth it! So yummy! Just curious, do you keep it in the fridge? I’m guessing yes? So happy I happened to come across this, delicious!
So glad you like it! I did not keep it in the fridge, but it didn’t last long in my house, either. I think it will get a bit harder in the fridge, so if you keep it there, you may need to let it come to room temp before using it. And, yes, it would definitely be harder to do with a small hand chopper. Any kind of nut butter takes forever for me even in my food processor!
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