To kick off our Fat Bombing Your December series, I bring you fat, chocolate, a bit of mint, vitamins and minerals, and immune support all in the form of a tasty little chocolate bite.
These sweet beauties are a breeze to make and not only have the benefit of being a fat bomb with all the good that entails, but also have a special, immune-building ingredient. Reishi mushrooms. Top that off with the honey and maple syrup used to sweeten these up, and you have a snack that will fuel your energy, brain, and immune system. We could all use that as the weather turns colder!
Let’s look closer at the star ingredients.
Cocoa Powder: A natural mood elevator and antidepressant, cocoa powder is 40 times higher in antioxidants than blueberries. It is the highest plant-based source of iron and is full of magnesium. Moreover, it is higher in calcium than cow’s milk. On top of all that, it is high in fiber.
Coconut Oil: This amazingly healthy fat contains medium-chain fatty acids which are easier to digest and are not as easily stored. Additionally, they offer antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal benefits. Coconut oil is brain, heart, liver, and basically entire body healthy. It even helps to reduce inflammation and some studies show it can help fight cancer.
Reishi Mushroom: Having been used for thousands of years, this fungus is truly a superfood. Reishi mushrooms help reduce inflammation, combat allergies and asthma, help with digestive problems, help with sleep disorders and fatigue, reduce depression and anxiety, and even offer the body support with diabetes and autoimmune disorders. Why? Because reishi mushrooms work as an immune modulator. They help bring the body into balance and regulate the activity in the immune system. In fact, reishi mushrooms are trophorestorative to the immune system. This is a category of herbs that not only support and build an organ system but actually can restore function.
Raw Honey: This is one of the few sweeteners allowed even on GAPS diet protocol. Raw honey helps to counter pollen allergies, is filled with antioxidants, helps heal ulcers and wounds, may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, and is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Grade B Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is full of antioxidants. It is full of important vitamins and minerals (especially zinc, manganese, potassium, and calcium) and even helps combat inflammation.
Peppermint Oil: Although I do not recommend consuming large amounts of essential oils on a regular basis, for 120 mints there are only 2 drops of peppermint oil. This little bit of oil will still have an effect on your body. Some of the benefits of peppermint oil is it freshens breath, helps sooth digestive disturbances, relieves headaches, helps mental focus, boosts energy, and is antimicrobial.
Sea Salt: Sea salt is full of trace minerals and electrolytes. Additionally, it helps to balance the body’s fluids. Further, it helps your stomach produce proper amounts of digestive acids which helps our bodies absorb vitamins and minerals more effectively.
Immune-Boosting Peppermint Chocolates
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp powdered reishi mushroom
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 2.5 tbsp raw, organic cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp grade b maple syrup Now called Grade A: Dark Color & Robust Flavor
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 3 drops peppermint essential oil only use one that is GRAS and safe for internal consumption
Instructions
- In a small pan, heat the dried reishi powder over medium low heat for about 5 minutes.
- At the same time, heat the coconut oil, honey, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Once it melts, add the reishi, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Stir well to combine the honey into the coconut mixture.
- Once the honey is well combined, remove from the heat and add the peppermint essential oil. If you cannot find a peppermint oil safe to eat, you can substitute it with 1/4 tsp peppermint extract.
- This recipe makes just over 1 cup of chocolate. You can fill silicon molds (about 24 mini-muffin-sized chocolates) or spread on a cookie sheet. Place into the freezer.
- Once the chocolate is hard, it is ready to enjoy. Break into pieces if you just spread it on a cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator.
Notes
- Do not add the honey in the first step. Rather, add everything but the honey in the order given above, then cool the mixture in the fridge to get the chocolate oil to the same consistency of the honey. Mix in honey to this cooled mixture and place in molds for freezing.
- Heat the honey first, so it is the same consistency as the coconut oil. Then, follow the remaining steps.
- Do not melt the coconut oil first. Instead, mix the cocoa, reishi, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla to a paste consistency. Then, heat on the stove over low until the cocoa powder dissolves and everything becomes smooth. Then, add the sea salt and peppermint off the heat, place in molds, and freeze.
Each week in December, look for a new fat bomb recipe! We will have 4 more recipes this month.