angw

Keto Coconut Layered Squares

for bottom layer:
  • ½cup shredded coconut unsweetened (bob's red mill is good)
  • 2 Tbls coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp brown sugar, you can try Xylitol, Erthyitol or monk fruit sweetener instead

middle layer:
  • 1 can coconut cream (thai kitchen- get the cream not the milk)
  • 1 pckg gelatin
  • ½c hot water 
  •  ½ tsp vanilla 

top layer:
coconut chips

  1. Put ½ cup of grated coconut into Pyrex with 2 TBL of oil, nuke in microwave till lightly brown- depends on your wattage try 45 sec to begin with.
  2. Press flatly into the bottom of 9 x 9 glass pan with finger or back of a spoon. Put in fridge to harden. Note: some bloggers just stop here and cut these up once hardened to make coconut squares (but you would want a bigger quantity).  
  3.  Dissolve 1 package of gelatine into ½cup of hot water. MIx. Place in small saucepan with coconut cream. Heat for five minutes. Take off heat. 
  4. Add ½tsp vanilla.  Pour this mixture over the hardened coconut in glass pan. Place again in fridge to gel.
    Additions: I added some blobs of ricotta cheese, and also some coconut chips (trader joe's) that float on top for texture and dimensions. Chia seeds, carob, hairy coconut, might be fun to try.

Not vegan friendly, but keto friendly.  If you are strict keto than swap out the brown sugar for artificial sweetener or none- the coconut cream has some natural sweetness. I went from 29% to 20% fat (50 lbs lost) with keto diet and regained my mental equilibrium. Unfortunately, since Covid, I've gone off the diet, stopped exercising and put back on 20 lbs, but still find my food choices overall have improved. Carbs were making me hungry all the time - eating fat really does satiate hunger effectively, who knew? My cholesterol also improved surprisingly.