Me, resisting the temptation of donuts.

Ah the sweet tooth, you are a stranger to me. To clarify, I do like a rhubarb crumble, crème brulee and a donut every once in awhile, but that’s about it.  And that was good news during my Whole30 Paleo challenge, as sugar or sweeteners of any kind are not allowed. I never really had any sweet cravings while doing my Paleo thing, but it was a bit of a challenge to go and get donuts with my kids after swim lessons, and not have one (see pic above)!  There are lots of Paleo baked goods using ingredients like coconut flour and almond meal, which you can use during regular Paleo, but not during the Whole 30, so I haven’t made any yet.  But I have a recipe for Banana Macadamia Coconut Muffins that I want to try out soon…  For now, here’s Chocolate Pudding.

Paleo chocolate pudding may not sound enticing, but it’s surprisingly silky and satisfying.  Here’s the recipe:

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

1 ripe avocado

½ very ripe banana

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup honey (skip if doing the Whole30)

1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor.  Process until consistency is smooth and pudding-like.

This is a standard Paleo pancake recipe that you can find on many Paleo websites.  They are eggy compared to a regular pancake, but they are very satisfying when you are looking for something sweet(ish).

Paleo Banana Pancakes

1 mashed banana

1 or 2 Tablespoons of almond butter

1 egg

Mix together and use as you would pancake batter.  I cooked mine in ghee.

My favorite Paleo “treat” was young coconut!  The coconut water is refreshing and light (and supposedly very good for you), and the “meat” is like coconut pudding.  Yum.  If you’ve never tried one (even if you think you don’t like coconut) go to the market and try one.  Please.  Our Whole Foods has them near the pizza station, with the tops cut off and they are ready for a straw – no knife needed.

Some other treats I liked were frozen banana slices (yum), strawberry banana smoothie, and raisins.  However, after swim lessons this Saturday, I will be enjoying a French Cruller.  Or two.

“A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.”  – Jean anthelme brillat-savarin