Saturday, December 13, 2014

Pina Colada Cookies! GF, V, SCD, Paleo & Raw!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 12 DAYS!!!!



Wait a minute!! Rewind! Hold the phone!!  LESS than 2 weeks?!! Yikes!! Xmas is sneaking up on us, folks!


Aaaanywhoo... one of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to listen to Christmas music. I turn on Pandora and let Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey serenade me as I walk the streets of NYC - or more accurately, dodge shoppers and tourists/brave inclement weather/avoid sludge puddles/attempt not to get frostbite or get trampled by protesters....you get the picture ;)



Well, I was strolling away today, when one of my favorite --albeit "out there"-- Christmas tunes came on: Mele Kalikimaka! Maybe it was my fascination with Hawaii growing up, or my slight obsession with the Disney movie, Rip Girls, but I have always found that luau-tastic, tropical Christmas tune to be a welcomed delight!



So, with that tune stuck in my head, and envisioning Santa donning a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts, I came up with today's recipe.




You can call it a Hawaiian Christmas Cookie :)




Because you see, once I started to think about Santa on the beach...my mind only took me to one place.....................PINA COLADAS!! :D



Introducing, my Pina Colada Cookies!



Raw, Gluten and Grain Free, Vegan, Paleo, and Specific Carb Diet friendly....these babies are, in a word, DELICIOUS!!



Tropical little healthy cookie bites that take your taste buds to Hawaii:)  ((Sorry...I'm a little cheesy today)) lol



Here's what you need! (Makes 10 cookies) -- enough for 3-4 people ;)



5 dates, pitted
4 dried pineapple rings
12 almonds
12 cashews
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut butter (NOT oil)

Optional: melted dark chocolate (not SCD)

Put everything in the food processor and process for about a minute until everything is roughly the same size. (Like the size of peppercorns). Then, roll 1 Tbsp of dough into balls. Chill for at least 20 minutes, and enjoy.

(Tip: the dough may feel a bit wet when you roll it into balls initially, but that's just the heat from the food processor melting the oils in the coconut butter. This will go away and "firm up" after 20 minutes in the fridge.)

Optional: Melt about 1/4 cup dark chocolate in the microwave (do 30 second increments, stirring in between) or double boiler, and dip half of the cookie. (Do this after they've firmed in the refrigerator for 20 minutes).

Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way.....oh sorry guys, you caught me day dreaming about my toes in the sand while chewing on these AMAZING COOKIES!!



They're so tropical -- it's seriously the cookie form of a Pina Colada! You've got the pineapple, you've got the coconut, you've got the sweetness from the dates....now all you need is rum!



But seriously, these are delicious. They're sticky and chewy, and the dark chocolate just takes them over the top.




Not to mention they look super elegant and "dressed up!"



I can't wait to share these at the next Christmas party!



And you don't have to tell anyone that they're secretly healthy!! :D



So Cheers to you, Old Saint Nick!


I'll take a Pina Colada over Eggnog any day! ;)



What's your favorite holiday tune?

See you soon!

62 comments:

  1. Hi Caralyn! PiƱa Colada is the best drink ever.
    The cookies look so yummy, love dates and everything, excelent hawaiian twist.
    kisses!

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    1. Thanks Maribel! I agree-PCs are super delish!! Glad you stopped by! Have a great night!

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  2. Tell me about it- I just don't know where all the days are going! I'm pretty excited though, because I'm about to be hearing a whole lot more of "Mele Kalikimaka" pretty soon... Leaving for Hawaii in just over 24 hours now! :)

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    1. Oh my gosh have so much fun in Hawaii!! I hope you have an awesome time! Soak up some rays for me! Thanks for stopping by, Hannah! Safe travels!

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  3. That's an interesting twist on a cookie-super creative!

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    1. Thanks Deborah! Glad you stopped by! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  4. These look crazy delicious - I love how you made these cookies come together!

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    1. Thanks Jessica! Ahh the magic of dates:) hehe thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your evening!

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  5. Arrrgh! It is coming so soon! I don't know if I am ready! :P

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    1. hahah I feel ya Lorraine! Xmas is right around the corner! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great night!

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  6. I can't believe how fast Christmas is coming up this year too! Love everything you packed into these little cookies, they look delicious!

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    1. Thanks Kelly! I know I seriously need to do my christmas shopping! Eek! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great evening!

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  7. I love Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain and I am not into yoga, but I have more than 1/2 a brain!

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    1. hahaha yassssss :) same here girl, same here:) glad you stopped by! Have a great night!

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  8. These cookies sound like a really fun flavor combination. I loved all those Disney shows and Saturday morning cartoons of my youth. I really miss those days sometimes.

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    1. Thanks Laura! Ahh Saturday morning cartoons:) thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your evening!

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  9. So beautiful, healthy, easy, delicious. Can't wait to try them!

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  10. Gorgeous Cookies. Keep them away from that pretty Sofa in the background. They look extra gooey,

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    1. Hahah thanks Shen! Yeah that is definitely a word to the wise! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

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  11. I love how you "plated" these desserts. Look so pretty! We love Pandora too and the song Sleigh Ride!

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    1. Thank you so much Laura! Isn't Pandora great? :) thanks for stopping by! have a great evening!

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  12. Hi Caralyn, I've only been to New York once but I loved all the old buildings and the energy. These cookies look delicious, you can't go wrong with your ingredient list.

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    1. Thanks Cheri! You're right, theres so much history in NYC! Glad you stopped by! Enjoy your night!

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  13. What a heavenly healthy holiday treat! I would love a couple of them NOW!

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    1. haha thanks Angie! glad you stopped by! Have a great evening!

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  14. Just look at that amazing Christmas cookie. Love it. And I know how you feel about dodging the tourist shoppers in the city. Every year it becomes a skill for me lol.

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    1. haha Thanks! Yeah, the annual tourist dodge -- should become an olympic evening! thanks for stopping by! have a great night!

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  15. I love this healthy holiday treat! I would eat them all.

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    1. hahah thanks Jen! It was hard not to! :D Thanks for stopping by! enjoy your evening!

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  16. Christmas is sneaking up! I still have so much to do! Love the sound of these healthy little cookie balls! They look great!

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    1. Thanks Ashley! I know, it's hard to believe Xmas is right around the corner! Thanks for stopping by! enjoy your evening!

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  17. I love your countdown for Christmas :) But I do not love that it is next week! Where did the time go and where are all the presents that should be under the Christmas tree?!! Oh well, I'll just take a deep breath, stuff some of these cookies into my mouth, and relax!

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    1. Thanks Isadora! I can't believe we're nearly in single digits now!! :D yes yes...deep breath and cookies:) thanks for stopping by! have a great night!

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  18. What pretty AND healthy cookies! These look amazing, I especially like the ones that are dipped in chocolates and covered in crushed nuts.

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    1. Thank you! Yeah chocolate really makes everything better:) thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day!

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  19. I love the use of pineapple in these!

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    1. Thanks Jill! I heart pineapple! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great afternoon!

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  20. Oooh, these look awesome. I love that they're much healthier than regular cookies or truffles, too!!

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    1. Thank you do much! I don't know f I've mentioned this before, but I love yor blog title! :) hehe thanks for stopping by! Happy cooking!

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  21. Pina Colada in cookie form = my dream!! Mmm!

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    1. Haha thanks Cara:) glad you stopped by! Enjoy your evening!

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    1. Thanks Katerina! So glad you stopped by! Have a great day!

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    1. Thanks Laura! Yep---super easy! Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful morning!

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  24. Pina colada cookies.. Loving the sound it.. Love how easy it is to make... Delicious!!

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    1. Thanks so much Arpita! :D definitely easy to make! thanks for dropping by! have a grey day!

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  25. I love that these bites only need six ingredients and look so great! Happy Holidays!

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    1. Thanks Jaclyn! Yep, they're a breeze to make and eat! thanks for stopping by! have a wonderful afternoon!

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  26. Cocktails in cookie form --- fantastic, they look great :D

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    1. right?!! thanks, Emma! Glad you stopped by! enjoy your afternoon! cheers :)

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  27. Ahhhh! These look so good! <3! I love pineapple--I definitely need to try making these! May sub out cashews for walnuts because I have a billion walnuts I need to use up! :P Hope that doesn't change it up too much!

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    1. Thanks Farrah! The walnuts sound like a great addition! Glad you stopped by! Have a great holiday!

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  28. What a fabulous treat! Heavenly.

    Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Thanks Rosa! Same to you! Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your morning!

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  29. These cookies are so gorgeous, I never thought of making a flavour out of my favourite drink :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    1. Thank you so much! haha yeah it's pretty tasty! Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful holiday!

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  30. so simple so healthy so DE-lish! I need to try these ;-) YUM!

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    1. haha thanks Michele! :) Glad you stopped by! Enjoy your afternoon!

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Thanks for the comments! They make my day!