Coconut and Berries

Healthy, Vegan Recipes by Emma Potts

Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites

Hello again everyone! I’ve missed posting here this last week but wanted to take break and disconnect completely over Christmas. Hope you all had a lovely holiday wherever you are in the world. Things are gradually getting back to normal here, although I’ve still got a week before I head back to my little flat in Bath for the next semester.

Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites

I may be one of the few who wasn’t eating cookies and desserts aplenty over Christmas, but I promise I’m definitely not feeling smug about it! I would have loved to be eating chocolate and Christmas pudding like everyone else. But I haven’t been feeling my best for a little while now and so I’ve been trying out an anti-candida diet to hopefully bring me back to balance. The diet doesn’t allow any sugars (the only sweeteners I can use are yacon syrup and stevia), including those from fruit,  as well as gluten, dairy, yeast, fungi and a bunch of other things.

For a major sweet tooth like me it has to be said it was a bit of a challenge figuring out what to eat, especially when it came to finding a replacement for my daily post-lunch dark chocolate fix.

Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites

These zingy little fudge bites are doing the trick of satisfying any sweet cravings nicely, and one is more than enough as they’re pretty rich from the coconut and almond butters.

After chocolate Lemon desserts are always my favourites anyway…

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Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites

Yield: 10 Bites

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C White Almond Butter OR Cashew Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Melted Coconut Butter
  • Zest of one Lemon
  • 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Liquid Sweetener (Agave nectar, Brown Rice Syrup etc.) I used 1T Yacon Syrup + 5 drops stevia
  • Shredded Coconut for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a glass bowl, except the shredded coconut, and stir well to combine.
  2. Divide between 10 mini silicone moulds OR pour into a dish lined with parchment paper and slice into cubes once set. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and freeze until firm.
  3. These are the perfect consistency straight from the freezer, in the fridge they’re a little too soft for my tastes.
http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/12/29/lemon-coconut-fudge-bites/

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends

Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites

Today I’ve actually discovered there might be another cause of my health problems so I’m praying that’s the case and I can go back to eating normally soon!

In the meantime, what are your favourite  SAVOURY snacks?

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Comments

  2. These are great girl! I’ll have to make a batch soon. I love coconut butter and adding it to Greek yogurt. I can’t imagine living without that or my 100% chocolate each day. I will say, I’ve struggled with Candida all my life, but so long as I stay away from sugar, gluten and fruit, I’m fine. I hope that’s the case for you!:)

    • Thanks so much Heather. Although I don’t wish this on anyone it’s reassuring to know there are others out there who lead a healthy lifestyle and still deal with this. I hope to be eating my favourite dark dark chocolate again before toooo long…

  3. Oh dear, I hope you find out what’s wrong soon. I’ve been feeling a bit sugar-overdosed myself lately, but I can’t bring myself to give up sugar before January 1st. What on earth can you eat if you’re not allowed (natural) sugar, gluten, fungi, etc.??

    • Haha, it’s fun to start afresh in the New Year isn’t it?
      I’ve actually found there are more things I can eat than I realized at first. I’ve been eating lots of lentils, chickpeas and other beans, hummus, seed crackers, vegetables, nuts and nut butters, and the occasional serving of quinoa or sweet potatoes. Grains and starches are limited…

  4. These are just too cute, Emma! And they sound delicious. I will be eagerly waiting to hear the health update-and hope whatever it is, you are feeling better soon, soon! :)

    • Thanks Ricki :) I found these little star-shaped moulds in the back of a cupboard just recently and, though my first thought was obviously to make chocolates (!) these little bites turned out very tasty.

  6. Hello my dear and Happy (belated) Holidays!!! 😉
    These look amazing and so good too! Love that!!
    Candida? Been there, done that and I’m so happy to hear you’re making these changes. They will pay off I’m sure 😉
    I’m finding that even ‘health-conscious’ gals out there still eat a ton of sugar - a date is still a date! That’s almost a teaspoon of sugar! Sure it’s better but in the end it’s easy to overdose!! 😉
    I was a complete sugar addict and went cold turkey and didn’t even know about Stevia back then, heck I still didn’t know about yacon syrup until you just mentioned it 😉 lol
    90% of it is in your head… and distracting your cravings will work great 😉
    Good luck! I can’t wait to hear of your progress 😉

    Also…. I’m wishing you a very Happy New Year!! Here’s to an even better 2014!!
    xoxo Ella

    • Thanks so much for your comment Ella. It’s really reassuring to hear that other people have dealt with this too, especially “health-conscious” folk like us too! I’m definitely going to come out of this a lot more mindful about my sugar consumption- natural or otherwise!
      Wishing you a very Happy New Year too! xx

  7. I am sorry to hear you haven’t been well and hope the diet will help - and like I once read about global warming - if it doesn’t help then you have still been eating well (if not indulgently). I don’t think these fudge bites would replace chocolate for me but at least they sound tasty. As for fave savoury snacks, I am very partial to a cracker or scone - I have a chickpea flour cracker that doesn’t have much in it but am not sure if you can eat chickpeas on the Anti Candida Diet. Wishing you happiness and good health in 2014

    • :) Thanks for your kind comment Johanna. It was a bit of a blow, particularly when I think I’ve been eating well…
      Chickpea flour crackers sound perfect! I’ve been eating chickpea flour pancakes quite a bit recently and love them. I’ve also been munching my way through a lot of seed crackers but those are store-bought and are pretty pricey.
      A very Happy New Year to you too!

  10. *hug* Hope you feel better soon… I did a month without any sugars, including fruits. It was pretty tough but your taste buds adjust. Thank goodness it was just temporary. I certainly don’t overdo sweets.. but one shouldn’t feel bad for eating starchy veg and fruit. 😉 Dried fruit can be a bit harder on my tummy, though, so gotta keep everything in moderation. I look forward to an update… and of course, loads of savoury treats. :) I made a raw zucchini-cashew hummus that was a good savoury treat while abstaining from sugars: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/raw-zucchini-hummus/

  11. Hope you are feeling better soon and you get to the bottom of the issues! I have eaten way too much refined food and way too much food in general- looking forward to getting back to normality next week! I had been investigative digestive issues a lot over the last couple of months and strangely over Christmas my digestion has actually felt a bit better than it had been in previous weeks so now that has me really confused…. hmmm, maybe my digestive issues have nothing to do with food but more the speed at which I eat and the stress I put upon myself!! xx

    • The digestive system is such a sensitive thing so I’m sure stress can definitely affect its efficiency. Glad you’re doing well all the same! Hope 2014’s a fantastic year for you Jo :) x

  12. i hope the diet changes help you feel better Emma. I remember Gabby did a no sugar diet for a while too and I mentioned this on one of her posts. Growing up in India we did not snack on any sugars except a bit of fruit, everything else was savory like spiced nuts, spiced puffed grain trail mixes, crackers, stuffed flat breads, savory dips, and such. Of course now my taste buds have adapted to a more sugary diet after moving to the US. now I crave a cookie some days, but a few days of no cookies and I am back to craving savory snacks. in 2014 I am ho[ping to put up more savory snacking recipes.
    These bites look fabulous! hugs

    • Thanks so much for this comment Richa. I feel like after just 2 1/2 weeks of eating like this I’m already appreciating savoury food so much more. Eating a savoury breakfast was never something I imagined myself doing but now its normal! Like you say, it is very normal outside of the Western world. Looking forward to more of your fantastic recipes this year 😀

  14. Hi! Glad to have found you, and now also following on fb, Twitter and Pinterest. I used to live in Bath btw. There was a wholefood co-op in a community centre off Walcot St where I got lots of Essentials goodies…Happy New Year and hope you don’t have to stay off all those foods for too long. Having a sweet tooth I just limit my sugar intake and keep it as natural as I can (dates, agave and other fruit mainly) but when I have too much I can really feel it affecting my body!

    • Thanks for following! It’s always lovely to “meet” new readers. The co-op, Harvest, is still in the same place. It’s just a few minutes walk from my place so I’m sure you can imagine I’m in there a lot!
      Thanks for your reassurance r.e. the sweet stuff. I do only eat natural sugars but I guess just in excess!

      • I’ve been dealing with a yeast overgrowth too. I always assumed it was from excessive sugar consumption, but recently I think it was brought on by extended antibiotic use. Of course the sugar consumption would have exacerbated it.

        • Poor you! Candida is not fun but it can be dealt with. Antibiotics are one of the most common causes. Horrible irony that what’s supposed to make us better leaves us with other health problems…

  19. As per everyone else’s comments, I’m sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling 100%. Finding what works for each of us is such an individualized, personal thing — what works for some, doesn’t work for others. So try not to think of this little bump as a failure in healthy eating but an opportunity to tweak your diet to find YOUR optimal plan. Keep us updated on your journey and where you find your balance. :)

    • Thanks Liz. You’re so right I’m sure. We are all different after all and just because some people thrive on eating fruit all day every day, doesn’t mean I do! I’ll be sure to keep you updated :)

  20. very late in catching up on a few posts. these little stars look so cute! i’m not big on savoury, but i’d probably go for raw crackers and guacamole or something, or roasted chickpeas, i’ve just had some raw red beet chips that were very good as well.
    how are you doing now with the whole candida thing?

    • I’ve been munching my way through a lot of raw seedy crackers lately- loving the rawlicious ones :)
      Doing well thank you. Feel like my symptoms have almost cleared up. I don’t know if it’s the supplements, diet (I’ve done nearly 4 weeks on it now) or just getting lots of rest though! I’m planning to test out some berries at the 1 month mark and see how I do….

  22. Happy New Year Emma! I hope you had a lovely break over the Christmas hols. So sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling a bit under the weather. I wish you a speedy recovery back to tip top health.
    Your lemon stars look absolutely beautiful. I can just imagine how refreshingly tasty they are :)

    • Thanks Sharon 😀 It was a nice break, dampened only slightly by not being so well. Thanks for commenting on this post, you’ve reminded me to make another batch of these!

  23. Hi Emma. Love your blog and recipes. You have my heartfelt sympathy re candida. I have been dealing with it for 10+ years and, like you, was off the sugar (well, I did cheat and sneak in a few glasses of red wine and some dark chocolate coated brazil nuts…) over Christmas. Again, like you, my latest episode was fruit related rather than the usual refined sugar culprits, so, much as I love fruit, this has had to be pared back to a minimum. It’s amazing how our taste buds retrain themselves, and the less sugar you eat, the less sugar you want to eat, and veg like carrots and broccoli taste amazingly sweet. (Can you recommend a UK source for Yacon syrup?)
    Have you tried the probiotic, Saccharomyces Boulardii? This is the most effective probiotic strain to take when trying to kill candida as it actively punctures the yeast cell walls and causes die off. I only discovered it recently after years of taking broad spectrum probiotics without success, and the results were uncomfortable but very effective.
    I wish you the best of luck with your health challenges. Keep up the wonderful recipes.
    Kate
    PS. Are you an Oxford Uni or Oxford Poly graduate, if that is not too personal a question? I studied at OU (modern history) for 3 years, and felt so privileged to spend time in such beautiful surroundings.

    • Thanks so much for your lovely comment Kate. Though I don’t wish it on anyone of course, it’s reassuring to hear of others going through the same thing. I’m still waiting for my results to actually confirm candida and blood tests have actually shown up something else…so I’m still optimistic. I’m carrying on with the anti-candida protocol until I hear though. Thanks for the tip on the probiotic. I haven’t heard of that one but it certainly sounds like it might be worth ordering.
      I bought the yacon syrup from Planet Organic in London. It’s the “Raw Living” brand which can also be ordered direct online. http://www.rawliving.eu/yacon-syrup-500ml.html
      Oh, and yes I’m an Oxford uni graduate (Magdalen :) ) I’m lucky that my Mum actually lives in Oxford so I still get to spend a lot of time there.
      Thanks for reading!

      • Lucky you. Magdalen is beautiful. I was at ChristChurch but had friends at Magdalen so spent a bit of time there. I am always wishing that I could find work in that area so I could go back.
        Made your Green Power burgers and loved them. They are even better cold. I made them with Dreena Burton’s creamy carrot miso dip from her latest book and the combination was mouth watering. I am drooling now just thinking about them..
        Hope the new term at Bath goes well.
        Take care.
        Kate

        • So pleased you liked the burgers Kate. I’ll have to try them cold next time. And is that carrot-miso dip from Dreena’s “Let them eat vegan”? I haven’t made that one either but it certainly sounds drool-worthy!
          Best, Emma

  24. Hello Emma,
    I wanted to write to possible get your feedback on something. I recently found your blog via Ricki Heller, because I have been following an ACD (Whole Approach) for about 6 weeks now. I am wondering how you are feeling this is working with your body? Personally, I feel like I have been replacing protein and carbs with mostly fats, and feel like if I continue with this long term it will have a negative impact on my fitness (I run a lot and go yoga etc). So I guess I am wondering if there are any ACD rules that you don’t follow? Or, do you have any tips for incorporating more protein and less fat? I am also a vegan, but have eaten a few eggs since the ACD out of desperation. Any advice would be great!
    Thanks ~B

    • Thanks for your comment Breeyn. Sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with candida too. I’ve been following the Whole Approach for about the same time as you, though I’ve now moved into stage 2.
      I feel like I’m doing pretty well on the diet and my digestion is heaps better, my energy has come back and I’m generally feeling more like myself again. Are you supplementing as well? I’m sure it’s not only diet which has had an impact on my health. I’m taking a herbal prescribed by my naturopath, a good-quality probiotic and some vitamins. As for the diet though, I feel pretty used to it now. There’s no need to restrict protein certainly- I eat plenty of beans and lentils which are high protein and low-fat (allowed on the Whole Approach), I use chickpea flour a lot too which is also a great source of protein and do use vegan protein powders from time to time, especially after a workout. I am eating more fat than I’m used to but it helps me feeling satisfied and whole nuts/seeds, avocadoes are nothing to fear! Veggies are practically unlimited of course so getting plenty of veg in helps me feeling my best. Have you tried any of Ricki Heller’s recipes? I definitely recommend it and they’re all marked with their ACD suitability. There are 3 ACD recipe e-books available to download from her site too. Finally, Ricki’s also recently set up an ACD community on Google + for us to share ideas and get support- Why don’t you join us? https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/103060301265990272639
      Hope you feel better soon! Best, Emma

  25. just recently have realized I have candida. Had my doctor test me for everything to figure out why I was sooooo tired all the time even with plenty of sleep. Anyways I am just getting into what I can and cannot eat. These bites sounds delish as I love sweets (that coupled with taking antibiotics without replenishing my good bacteria is too blame for this). I have never heard of yacon syrup and I dislike stevia….I was told stevia was the only sweetner I could use. I’m definitely going to look into it! Also in this recipe you say cashew butter….I believe cashews are a moldy nuts and therefore not allowed….again I could be wrong (and I hope I am…cashews are yummy) AS far as almond butter I figured they probably had sugar added in….so I am definitely going to look into that as I also like nut butters.

    • Hey Jenna, Sorry you have to deal with this. Candida is no fun but it IS curable! I’m now back to normal, eating my regular diet and free from symptoms 😀 Definitely look into stevia as it’s such a lifesaver when you can’t have anything else sweet. I recommend Nunaturals- it’s the only brand I like. You still need to use it cautiously though as it’s very strong so adding just an extra drop or two can turn something good bad.
      You are sadly right on the cashews. They are susceptible to mould (at the beginning stages of the diet the only nuts I ate were almonds, hazelnuts, brazils and walnuts (make sure they’re fresh though!) I pretty much followed the “Whole Approach” plan for 3 months. http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/foodlist.php

      Good luck!

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  4. […] with a little weekend treat for you and an update on how things are going with me. If you read my Lemon-Coconut Fudge Bites post you’ll know I’ve been dealing with some health issues and have been on a mission to get to the […]

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