Cacao Coconut Cookie Bites

Sugar is out, fat and protein are in. The perfect slightly sweet, decadent nightcap without the sugar or caffeine rush you get from a chocolate bar.

When we think of dessert, we often think of ice cream and sweet treats like cake or cookies.

These are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates that our body uses for immediate energy. The density of sugar and energy (calories) that they possess makes them especially good if you are going to exercise or expect to be out and about running errands, for example.

If we are eating these at night before we go to bed when we are less likely to exert energy, our body is more likely to store them as glycogen and often times, fat.

That is why I advocate focusing on two nutrients in the evening: fat + protein.

These nutrients are satiating, you don’t need a lot at once and they can even help sequester cravings.

That’s why I love these cacao coconut cookie bites as a night cap treat. Coconut adds natural sweetness, so you don’t need to add sugar. Cacao is high in antioxidants and is the unprocessed form of cocoa powder that retains the enzyme content and nutritional value that is lost in cocoa.

Additionally, because of the cashews and almond butter, these have the good-for-you mono and polyunsaturated fats.

These are the ones we want to seek out for a healthy heart. While coconut is a source of saturated fat, because of their structure (being medium chained fatty acids), they are thought to be metabolized differently than those saturated fats found in animal meats. For this reason, I like to incorporate coconut into my recipes in moderation. I find coconut to be an easy way to naturally sweeten recipes while reducing the amount of sugar.

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