Paleo Samoa Cookies!!

Paleo Samoa Cookies!!

I don't make desserts very often, but this time I'm so glad I did! I needed to make something for a Christmas party last night, and I figured it was my duty to show people how tasty treats can be without any sugar or grains...it was a success!! Samoas are Girl Scout cookies, also known as Caramel Delights...soft round cookies full of coconut, pecans, caramel and a chocolate drizzle.

These are sweetened only with dates, and there is a super awesome secret ingredient: sweet potatoes! They add a wonderful texture and flavor to the cookies, and also contribute some sweetness.  The almond butter and dates create the caramel effect and flavor, and the chocolate drizzle is pure, unsweetened dark chocolate. The bitterness of the cocoa is a nice balance to the sweetness of the rest of the cookie..I, of course, enjoyed mine with a nice cup of black coffee...like any good dessert should be!

Go make these immediately...you don't need a Holiday party as an excuse! They are even better the next day....

Paleo Samoa Cookies

(makes 2 1/2 dozen)

2 c shredded sweet potatoes (1 medium sweet potato, raw)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups dates, soaked in 1 c hot water for ~15 minutes

1/2 cup almond butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp coconut extract (optional)

2 eggs

3 oz dark chocolate --I used unsweetened baking chocolate 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or grease them with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, coconut, coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and chopped pecans. 

 In a food processor or blender, puree together the soaked dates and the hot water used to soak them. Blend well to create a smooth paste. Add the coconut oil and almond butter and puree until smooth.

Add date-almond butter mixture to the dry mix, along with vanilla, coconut extract and eggs. Stir dough together until well combined. 

Scoop out dough into balls about 1 1/2" in diameter. Flatten out balls to approximately 3" discs and create a small hole in the centers. Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm but not too hard or crispy. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.

While the cookies cool, melt the chocolate in a double boiler until liquid. Drizzle over the cookies and then refrigerate them to harden the chocolate. 

Now they are ready to be eaten! Or, place in an airtight container until ready to serve...I like mine chilled so the chocolate stays hard and a little crunchy!

These cookies have coconut bursting out of them....and that's something to celebrate! There's shredded coconut, coconut flour and coconut oil...tastes good AND good for you! Win! Coconut is good for heart health, high in fiber, loaded with healthy fats,  and has immune boosting benefits from its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut help your body's ability to burn fat and is a wonderful source of energy, and is powerful is helping brain health. So many reasons to enjoy these coconutty cookies!!

This recipe was shared on Real Food Forager's Fat Tuesday post! Go check out the rest of the great blogs shared there!