(Keto, Paleo, and Low Carb friendly)

Remember roasted “candied” coconut chips from carnivals or the stands in the city? Ahhh that aroma… It just entices your senses and makes your mouth water.

I remember when I lived in –Nu Yawrk City {inser accent}–my family and I had a tradition almost every year. We’d go see the Rocketts or the Christmas show, and then grab some dinner from any of the awesome restaurants in the area. From time to time we would plan to get “dessert”. Yep, I am talking about roasted nuts and candied coconut chips from the stands. The best ever– well until now.

There is nothing better than memories with loved ones. We’d always make it a whole night affair that culminated with a nice walk around the city before heading home.

Fortunately, those days are over. No, I am not talking about watching the Christmas shows- those I still go see on occasion. I am talking about the roasted nuts and candied coconut chips from the street vendors… Yep, those days are over. Why do you ask?

coconut chips on plate — Make them as thin or thick as you like.

Well, on my quest to a healthier lifestyle and that of my family, I realized the original version isn’t healthy despite the fact that the ingredients are considered “healthy snacks”– nuts and coconuts.

See, what we forget is that the delicious roasted nuts and candied coconut chips are made most likely with canola, peanut or worse yet; GMO soybean oil. As if that isn’t bad enough, what is it that gives that caramel color and flavor? You guessed it– sugar.

That combination may seem harmless but it is quite the opposite. Here is why:

Sugar and processed oils develop chronic inflammation leading to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, eczema, coronary artery disease, and Cancer.
Fried foods keep your sugar levels very high for over 24 hours. That is especially bad for Diabetics
Chronic Inflammation + sugar + cholesterol = Plaque
GMOs have been linked to organ damage and even cancer/.
This study links heated vegetable oils with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and vascular inflammation.

The quality of dietary oils and fats has been widely recognized to be inextricably linked to the pathogenesis of CVD. Vegetable oil is one of the essential dietary components in daily food consumption. However, the benefits of vegetable oil can be deteriorated by repeated heating that leads to lipid oxidation.

The practice of using repeatedly heated cooking oil is not uncommon as it will reduce the cost of food preparation. Thermal oxidation yields new functional groups that may be potentially hazardous to cardiovascular health.

Prolonged consumption of the repeatedly heated oil has been shown to increase blood pressure and total cholesterol, cause vascular inflammation as well as vascular changes that predispose to atherosclerosis.
The harmful effect of heated oils is attributed to products generated from lipid oxidation during the heating process.
PMID: 24632108

Benefits of Coconut Oil

According to World’s Healthiest foods Coconut oil use in many cultures and their food traditions that I will be surprised if the research doesn’t eventually show some key health benefits. Some of these health benefits are likely to be related to the unusual fatty acid composition of coconut oil, and other benefits are likely to be associated with the special polyphenols found in this oil (when virgin or very lightly refined).

Also, it’s the natural pattern of fats found in coconut oil that seems especially important to me, in addition to the blend of fats in the overall diet that results from the inclusion of coconut oil. If you decide to include coconut oil in your diet, I, therefore, recommend that you continue to use other high-quality oils (like extra virgin olive oil) as well.

Now the good news.

You no longer have to wait to go to a special place to get these copycat “candied” coconut chips. They are decadent, crunchy, sweet, but with much healthier ingredients.

This version will satiate your need for a sweet snack without compromising your health goals.

Print Recipe

Healthy and Easy “Candied” Coconut Chips

Prep Time10

Cook Time18

Total Time28

Ingredients

1 Cup of fresh shaved coconut chips*
3 tbs of melted organic pastured butter or coconut oil try organic coconut oil here
2 tbs of Allulose or Lakanto natural sweeters.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º.
Start off by slicing your chips.
Melt butter or coconut oil in the baking pan
Once melted add coconut chips mix and spread evenly
Bake 10 minutes then remove from oven and add the sweetener of your choice
Bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips have a golden color
Cool before eating
Serve

Notes

* Use a potato peeler or simply slice them thicker with a knife as if you were slicing peppers. (I like them a little thicker)
~~ Pastured butter is where the CLA comes from. If you use conventional fake butter or margarine the benefits of the CLA will disappear.

Have you tried coconut chips? Are there any memories attached to them? Do share within the comments below. I’d love to hear about your experiences.

To your best health,

3 Ingredient Healthy and Easy “Candied” Coconut Chips