Metabolism Boost: Coconut Oil and Peanut Butter Chips

If you know me, you know I love coconut oil frosting for breakfast. I haven’t been extremely consistent with it during pregnancy, but in normal life it is a staple in my diet (with coffee!). I love the smooth combo and the energy boost it gives me, all while making me feel full and satisfied for several hours. I was thinking about it though, and it’s not always convenient to eat a bowl of frosting in the morning. Sometimes I need a quick snack to eat while I’m working or on my way out the door, so I decided to alter the frosting recipe a bit and come up with a different type and texture of snack.

This is a major winner. Plus, my husband loves them, so in the evening when he’s craving something sweet before he works out, he can pop a few of these and be happy (I probably wouldn’t eat them right before bed because they might keep you awake). They provide a non-stimulant energy boost (one you don’t have to pay back later, like you do with sugar or caffeine), so they’re ideal if you want to lose a bit of weight or just feel more energized during the day.

Coconut Oil and Peanut Butter Chips

3 Tbsp coconut oil, softened (warm is ok, melted is good, but try not to have it hot)
3 Tbsp of your favorite peanut butter or other nut butter
a drizzle of sweetener (I always use a local version of this) – you will probably want to taste the mixture and adjust the sweetener amount
dash of sea salt or himalayan crystal salt (I use this)

Directions: Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Line a plate with wax paper (the wax paper is optional–it just saves you from washing the plate!). Plop or pipe the mixture in blobs onto the plate, and place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes (depending on how warm the mixture is). Eat! These will keep in the freezer for a few weeks, and they stay firm in the fridge too.

Note: You can decrease the amount of pb in the recipe if you like. The coconut oil frosting ratio is a bit different (more oil, less pb), but I think of these as more of a treat and I usually eat them when I’ve already burned a bunch of calories during the day—to me they taste best with this ratio, but play around with it to fit your needs!

To get the effect of the metabolism boost, be sure you’re not adding this to your typical daily food intake, but instead you should be substituting it in for something else (In other words, replace something in your diet with this!).

Also, I’ve made these with mac nut butter instead of peanut butter… You can even add a few drops of essential oils to get an interesting yummy flavor (of course, you have to use high quality oils if you’re going to ingest them). I usually add oils like orange or tangerine… or peppermint, or lemon. If you’re into essential oils, c’mon over to my essential oils facebook page and join the party! Honestly, it’s pretty low key, but it’s a great place to discuss all the amazing ways we can use essential oils for being healthy and even for recipes. The only rules to join are that you have to be nice, and you can’t solicit anyone in the group! I use Young Living Oils, but you don’t have to–there are a lot of good brands!