Category: Chapter 8

Pumpkin Spice Fat Bombs

Creamy Banana Fat Bombs

Blueberry Fat Bombs

Spiced-Chocolate Fat Bombs

Chocolate-Coconut Treats

Almond Butter Fudge

Nutty Shortbread Cookies

Vanilla-Almond Ice Pops

Raspberry Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Mousse

Makes 16 fat bombs / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time

Pumpkin is a natural choice for desserts, especially those that also include warm spices reminiscent of holiday pumpkin pie. Like its vegetable counterpart, carrots, the bright orange flesh of pumpkin indicates it is a stellar source of beta-carotene. Pumpkin is also very high in vitamins A and C as well as potassium, making this pretty ingredient perfect for flushing toxins from your body and fighting cancer.

½ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup pure pumpkin purée
3 tablespoons chopped almonds
4 drops liquid stevia
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and cream cheese until
very smooth.

3. Add the pumpkin purée and whisk until blended.

4. Stir in the almonds, stevia, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

5. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the pan. Use a spatula or the back of
a spoon to spread it evenly in the pan, then place it in the freezer for
about 1 hour.

6. Cut into 16 pieces and store the fat bombs in a tightly sealed container in the freezer until ready to serve.

PER SERVING (1 FAT BOMB) 

Calories: 87; Fat: 9g; Protein: 1g; Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 90%/Protein 5%/Carbs 5%

Makes 12 fat bombs / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time

Banana-flavored desserts are a strange combination of exotic and comforting, as well as undeniably delicious. Fat bombs fall into savory or sweet categories, with these being on the sweeter side, but you can reduce the amount of sweetener if you want a less dessert-like experience. A sprinkling of shredded toasted coconut would
top off these fat bombs beautifully.

1 & ¼ cups cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon pure banana extract
6 drops liquid stevia

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, heavy cream, banana extract, and stevia until smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

3. Gently spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet in mounds, leaving some space between each mound, and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

4. Store the fat bombs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up
to 1 week.

A CLOSER LOOK 

Banana extract does have alcohol in it, but there is very little in each fat bomb, so they can be used on occasion for treats. You can use vanilla
extract or almond extract, as well.

PER SERVING 

Calories: 134; Fat: 12g; Protein: 3g; Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 88%/Protein 9%/Carbs 3%

Makes 12 fat bombs / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 3 hours chilling time

The color of these fat bombs is a distinct blue, which you might find startling because very few foods are blue. Frozen unsweetened berries will work if fresh are not available or in season: Just thaw the frozen fruit first. If your area has wild blueberries, utilize these smaller berries because they have a significantly higher level of antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.

½ cup coconut oil, at room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup blueberries, mashed with a fork
6 drops liquid stevia
Pinch ground nutmeg

1. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut oil and cream cheese until
well blended.

3. Stir in the blueberries, stevia, and nutmeg until combined.

4. Divide the blueberry mixture into the muffin cups and place the tray in the freezer until set, about 3 hours.

5. Place the fat bombs in an airtight container and store in the freezer until you wish to eat them.

PER SERVING 

Calories: 115; Fat: 12g; Protein: 1g; Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 94%/Protein 3%/Carbs 3%

Makes 12 fat bombs / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 15 minutes chilling time / Cook time: 4 minutes

Good-quality cocoa powder is an acceptable ingredient on the keto diet, which means you can still enjoy a chocolate dessert and snack when you need a fix. Dark chocolate such as cocoa is very high in manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, and fiber as well as antioxidants, which fight free radicals in the body. Dark chocolate has been found to help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, and improve cognitive function.

¾ cup coconut oil
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup almond butter
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
3 drops liquid stevia

1. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

2. Put a small saucepan over low heat and add the coconut oil, cocoa powder, almond butter, chili powder, and stevia.

3. Heat until the coconut oil is melted, then whisk to blend.

4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and place the tin in the refrigerator until the bombs are firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Transfer the cups to an airtight container and store the fat bombs in the freezer until you want to serve them.

PER SERVING (1 FAT BOMB) 

Calories: 117; Fat: 12g; Protein: 2g; Carbs: 2g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 2g; Fat 92%/Protein 4%/Carbs 4%

Makes 16 treats / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time /
Cook time: 3 minutes

Chocolate and coconut is a flawless combination often found in candy bars and many desserts. If you want a more elegant presentation, omit the coconut in step 3 and roll the semihardened chocolate mixture into balls instead of spreading it in a pan. Then roll the balls in the shredded coconut and place the treats in the freezer to firm up completely.

⅓ cup coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 drops liquid stevia
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Line a 6-by-6-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the coconut oil, cocoa,
stevia, and salt for about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut and press the mixture into the baking dish.

4. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator until the mixture is hard, about 30 minutes.

5. Cut into 16 pieces and store the treats in an airtight container in a cool place.

PREP TIP 

For a more finished look, you can spoon the hot mixture into candy
molds instead of a baking dish. Pop the molds in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm and pop the treats out into a container.

PER SERVING (1 TREAT) 

Calories: 43; Fat: 5g; Protein: 1g; Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 88%/Protein 6%/Carbs 6%

Makes 36 pieces / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling time

Fudge should be smooth and dense with no grittiness or graininess. Since you won’t be using granulated sugar for this treat, the chances of getting the wrong texture are greatly reduced. Almond butter is a stellar source of protein, vitamin E, iron, manganese, and fiber. If you are not a fan of this nut butter, peanut butter or cashew butter would also be delicious and create the same tempting results.

1 cup coconut oil, at room temperature
1 cup almond butter
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
10 drops liquid stevia
Pinch sea salt

1. Line a 6-by-6-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, almond butter, heavy cream, stevia and salt until very smooth.

3. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.

4. Place the dish in the refrigerator until the fudge is firm, about 2 hours.

5. Cut into 36 pieces and store the fudge in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

PER SERVING (2 PIECES OF FUDGE) 

Calories: 204; Fat: 22g; Protein: 3g;
Carbs: 3g; Fiber: 1g; Net Carbs: 2g; Fat 90%/Protein 5%/Carbs 5%

Makes 18 cookies / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time /
Cook time: 10 minutes

Traditional shortbread has very few ingredients and is intensely buttery, slightly crumbly, and not too sweet. The nuts used here in place of flour create the desired texture and add a complex, pleasing flavor. These cookies will continue to cook on the baking sheets after you take them out of the oven, so don’t forget to transfer them to wire racks quickly to avoid overbrowning.

½ cup butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing the
baking sheet
½ cup granulated sweetener
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure
vanilla extract
1&½ cups almond flour
½ cup ground hazelnuts
Pinch sea salt

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sweetener, and vanilla until well blended.

2. Stir in the almond four, ground hazelnuts, and salt until a firm dough
is formed.

3. Roll the dough into a 2-inch cylinder and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until firm.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper with butter; set aside.

5. Unwrap the chilled cylinder, slice the dough into 18 cookies, and place the cookies on the baking sheet.

6. Bake the cookies until firm and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then
transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

PREP TIP 

Process less expensive whole nuts in a food processor or blender rather
than paying for a preground product. Make sure you don’t process the nuts in the appliance too long or you’ll end up with nut butter.

PER SERVING (1 COOKIE) 

Calories: 105; Fat: 10g; Protein: 3g; Carbs: 2g; Fiber: 1g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 85%/Protein 9%/Carbs 6%

Makes 8 ice pops / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 4 hours freezing time /
Cook time: 5 minutes

In childhood, nothing was better than a sweet treat on a hot summer day. This is a more elegant ice pop that can be enjoyed after a leisurely barbecue with friends. It features simple vanilla and coconut flavoring, which can be enhanced with cut fruit if you want a little more texture to the pop. Use inexpensive ice pop molds; they are easily found for a few dollars in most stores.

2 cups almond milk
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup shredded unsweetened
coconut

1. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the almond milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean.

2. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the liquid cool.

4. Take the vanilla bean out of the liquid and use a knife to scrape the seeds out of the bean into the liquid.

5. Stir in the coconut and divide the liquid between the ice pop molds.

6. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours, and enjoy.

PER SERVING (1 ICE POP) 

Calories: 166; Fat: 15g; Protein: 3g; Carbs: 4g;
Fiber: 2g; Net Carbs: 2g; Fat 81%/Protein 9%/Carbs 10%

Serves 12 / Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes

Cheesecake is a sublime dessert experience: tart, sweet, and infinitely velvety on the tongue. This is a crust-free cheesecake featuring plump ripe raspberries and a distinct vanilla undertone. You can use any type of berry, sliced peaches or plums, or even a tablespoon of cocoa powder to create gorgeous variations. Your imagination is the limit when you have a perfect cheesecake base to use in your experiments.

⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
6 eggs
3 tablespoons granulated
sweetener
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure
vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil and cream cheese until smooth.

3. Beat in the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.

4. Beat in the sweetener, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth.

5. Spoon the batter into the baking dish and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Scatter the raspberries on top.

6. Bake until the center is firm, about 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before cutting into 12 squares.

SUBSTITUTION TIP 

Any type of berry is delicious in this luscious treat, such as blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries. Whenever possible for your recipes, use seasonal local fruit for the best flavor and color.

PER SERVING (1 SQUARE) 

Calories: 176; Fat: 18g; Protein: 6g; Carbs: 3g; Fiber: 1g;
Net Carbs: 2g; Fat 85%/Protein 11%/Carbs 4%