Finally! For some time now I have been on a quest for the perfect coffee creamer that was paleo friendly. I'd come across a couple of recipes, but nothing I was overly thrilled with. I was so in love with my International Delight with all those delicious chemicals and the sugar bleached from charred animal bones that I just couldn't find a decent substitute.
Yesterday I was looking around online trying to understand the science behind paleo baking. It seems that paleo baking recipes are all over the board. Some use nut flour, some coconut flour, and others a combination of fruits and/or vegetables. With traditional baking I understand how it works - the gluten in the flour binds the recipe together, and if you're using something gluten free like rice flour, sorghum flour or oat flour, you need extra eggs to help bind it all together. But paleo baking? It eludes me.
My key search terms did not bring up what I was looking for, but it did point me in a very interesting direction: the science behind why paleo works. I came across a boatload of useful information about carbohydrates, why certain "healthy" foods are considered "bad" on the paleo diet, and perhaps more importantly, I read a very interesting article on coagulation.
While on this little search, I came across a recipe for a Paleo Coffee. I simply could not believe what I was reading. The author suggested blending three egg yolks into a cup of coffee with a little maple syrup. Barf! I just don't know that I can bring myself to do that. The thought of drinking raw egg yolks blended with coffee first thing in the morning is not appetizing in the least. But, I thought I might be able to apply the coagulation concept in making my own morning brew.
I've put coconut milk (the canned kind) in my coffee in the past, and it left an oily residue at the top that I didn't care for. The most recent paleo coffee creamer I tried was made from date paste, coconut milk and almond extract. Problem was that it didn't taste good enough to justify the carbs and sugar, because I had to put three giant scoops in to make it taste decent.
But this... this is GOOD! I loved loved loved the mocha version - but it will be a treat more than a regular drink because of how many carbs are in the square of chocolate. Without the chocolate, it's still totally yummy and has virtually no carbs. Totally stoked about this. It's a little bit of work, but if I can do it first thing in the morning, it's not bad at all!
Now, I will say here, I've tried Stevia in the past and hated it. I mean absolutely could not stand it. Like, I'll take anything over Stevia. But, it seems to be the sweetener of choice in Paleo Land if you're looking for something besides honey or maple syrup (so low carb). Personally, I'd rather get my carbs from fruit, so I thought I'd give it another shot. Also, when I was at the store, I read the ingredient list on several brands of Stevia. I noticed that all of them have "added" ingredients, and the liquid was worse than the powder! The Truvia brand was the only one that didn't have extra gunk in it, so I tried that one.
I used only a half packet in my coffee this morning and it was perfect. My third cup (yes, I drink a lot of coffee) I put in a little more than the first two and I got the after-taste, so it became clear to me that the trick is to use just a little to get the sweetness but avoid the after-taste.
Anyway, enough blah-blah-blah out of me. Here are the recipes for two of the best paleo-friendly cups of coffee I've had thus far.
Paleo Mocha
1 cup coffee (mine is around 12 ounces)
1 square dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) OR 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 packet Truvia
1/2 T. full-fat coconut milk
Dash cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Pour coffee into a Magic Bullet (or other blender), break up chocolate square and add to coffee. Stir until chocolate is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until everything is well combined and coffee is frothy. Pour into coffee mug and serve. If you want to be fancy, you could top it with a little more cinnamon and/or some finely grated dark chocolate.
Paleo Latte
1 cup coffee (again, mine is around 12 ounces)
1/2 packet Truvia
1/2 T. full-fat coconut milk
Dash cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Optional: a drop or two of any flavor extracts you'd like
Pour everything into a Magic Bullet (or other blender) and pulse until well combined and frothy. Serve. Again, for a fancy serving, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
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