(Gluten Free) Quinoa Fudge Greek Yogurt Cake from Coconut Oil!

The trademark Heart Hand gesture is called the HeartMark! May you take the time to HeartMark and think about what goes into your body today!

I recently read about the health benefits of pure coconut oil, coconut crystals (sugar), and coconut milk. When it is not cooked above 350 degrees, coconut oil might prevent and even reverse alzheimer’s, according to the latest research. The article explains that the brain cannot use sugar in Alzheimer’s. This makes the brain cells die. The coconut gives the brain ketones which the cells use instead, so they don’t die. Coconut oil is versatile—read the label and explore its uses. It’s worth having in the house. It doesn’t spoil at room temperature, and it works as a health supplement in many recipes.

My real surprise was when I discovered coconut sugar crystals. They smell like freshly ground coffee. They taste like caramel—by themselves. They look like brown sugar. They are super sweet. Unlike table sugar, the sugar from coconut comes loaded with 16 amino acids, as well as many other vitamins and minerals. For every bite of sweetness, the body earns a lot of nutrition. Best of all, the sweetness is less dangerous for people who need to watch their sugar. Its glycemic index is 35 compared with table sugar which is 100. In my opinion, all people need to eat like diabetics. So coconut crystals are a great sugar for everyone!

This is my first recipe using the coconut oil as well as the coconut crystals. Feel free to add to it shredded coconut, and any other touch or ingredient that you wish. The following recipe filled my house with a very deep, delicious chocolate aroma.

Dry Ingredients:
• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flour (or Teff flour, or a combination of quiona/soy/oat, or your favorite combination, or quinoa and teff mixed!)
• ¼ chocolate chips or cocoa powder (for sugarless cocoa, calculate the sweetness level accordingly)
• 1 cup sugar from coconut crystals, xylitol, erythritol, or other natural healthy sources.
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• Anything you want for decoration

Wet Ingredients:
• ½ cup milk from cow, coconut, or other product—make sure it has calcium to maximize nutrition.
• 2 eggs, separated
• ¼ cup coconut oil (or substitute other healthy essential oils/butter substitutes, or substitute with more calcium rich liquid like milk, or substitute with ground flax seeds and add more liquid like milk, or substitute with apple sauce but keep in mind the added fruity tangi-sweetness)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup Greek Yogurt like Fage 2% or 0%, or instead ¼ cup coconut yogurt (drinkable with good bacteria)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 370 degrees.
Pour milk into a pan on high heat, add the coconut oil, add the chocolate chips (or chocolate powder) and stir to melt evenly. Add the vanilla, Greek yogurt, stir, and turn off the heat. When cool, add the egg yolks and mix.

While the wet ingredients cool, proceed to combine the dry ingredients in a separate container. The dry ingredients are the quinoa flour, baking soda, baking powder, a few additional chocolate chips if you want, the coconut sugar, and salt. If you used substitutes that are dry (such as the ground flax seeds), include them here.

In another container, beat the egg whites. Fluff them up until they are stiff. Fold the fluffy egg whites into the wet ingredients that are no longer hot and mix.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just enough so that all are equally wet. Now pour batter into a greased pan or into individual cup cake containers.

Cook in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. While this will work, you may also try cooking at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Please experiment, stick a fork and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready. I cooked mine at 375 degrees for 10 minutes and 350 degrees for ten minutes and it came out perfect. Coconut oil is best cooked at no higher than 350 degrees for maintaining its nutritional quantity. Please test it with your oven, as ovens vary.

Enjoy!

Heart Healthy Gluten Free cake! Starring Quinoa, Coconut crystals, and more nutritional ingredients!