Coconut Review + Giveaway

I have some exciting news to share! I was recently sent a 32 oz. jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil from the kind people at Tropical Traditions to try out. They have offered for me to host a giveaway where one lucky Edible Sound Bites reader will win their own 32 oz. jar of virgin coconut oil.

If you know me already then you probably know how much importance I place on healthy fats and their place within a clean diet. Coconut oil is no exception. I have been looking for a good quality coconut oil for a while now and I am happy to say I've found one. I love cooking and baking with it and using it as a replacment for regular butter like I did with this recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Here are just a few ways to use it:

• Use it as your main cooking oil; it is heat stable and will not become toxic under high heat.
• Dips, sauces and salad dressings
• Vegan pie pastry
• Homemade fudge and cookies
• Dairy-free baking
• Soups
• Smoothies

When I first opend the jar I was instantly hit with the aroma of fresh coconuts. Amazing! That's how I knew it was the real thing. Coconut oil should smell like a tropical vacation should. This is how you know you have a good quality coconut oil that is unrefined. The smell says it all. Refined coconut oils are processed with high heat and/or chemicals which removes and destroys the vital nutrients of the oil. When it has undergone this process it is tasteless and odorless. Virgin coconut oil is made from fresh coconut without high heat or chemicals.

You should also know that it's non-GMO and organic. The coconuts that Tropical Traditions uses are so fresh that they are processed within 24 hours of being picked and theirs have twice the antioxidants of other coconut oils on the market. Their products aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. Excellent quality.

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited to share this giveaway with you all because it is truly an incredible product.

To enter the giveaway, I'm trying something new using Rafflecopter to make things nice and easy. Simply enter by following the instructions below. There are 5 chances to win, the first of which is madatory; signing up for Tropical Traditions online newsletter. Thanks for entering and sharing with your friends & family. Best of luck!

 Enter below for 5 chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Balls Switch Up

Do remember a couple of weeks ago when I posted a recipe for these Cashew Cookie Dough Bars?

They turned out to be such a hit that I decided to do a spin off on them, all the while still keeping them nice and healthy. A word of warning though: they are so good you might just end up eating a few too many. 

Are you ready for the switch up?

If you could take your favourite Larabar, roll it into a little ball and coat it in a thick layer of dark chocolate, this is what it would look like.

Ligthly dusted with 100% pure cocoa powder, they are so soft and silky it's like biting into a rich truffle. Except you can eat these without the guilt. I still can't believe these are made with only 3 ingredients: dates, cashews, and chocolate.

I've also hidden a little surprise in the middle of each one.

Pure decadence!

It's just in time for the holidays too. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a tin of homemade cookies, and these would be a great addition for those who are vegan or gluten intolerant. But even those who aren't will love them just as much.

Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Balls {Gluten-Free & Vegan}(makes 12-15)

Print, Email, or Text this Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1 cup fresh pitted dates
• 3/4 cup 72% dark chocolate chunks or baking wafers + extra for the chocolate middles
• Sifted cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

 Directions:

1. Place cashews in food processor and grind until finely chopped. Be careful not to turn them into flour.
2. Next add the dates to the chopped nuts and grind until combined and mixture holds together. You should be able to form it together in your hands. Add 2 Tbsp of filtered water if and pulse a bit if the mix isn't holding well. It should be sticky.
3. Using a spoon, scoop a bit of the mix out and roll into 1" balls. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Take a knife or use your fingers to pry a hole in the middle of each one, then put a chunk of chocolate in and roll it up again in your hands.
5. Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method. Using spoons, dip and roll cookie dough balls into melted chocolate to cover. Lift and let excess chocolate drip off back into the bowl and return to parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Using a sieve, dust with cocoa powder.
6. Store in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator. (If you can keep your hands off them that is). 

*If you are allergic to nuts you can use sunflower seeds instead of cashews and still get the same results.