Valentines Day Coconut “Chocolate” Covered Strawberries | Autoimmune Paleo

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Nothing quite says “Valentine’s Day” like chocolate covered strawberries. Well, maybe conversation hearts but I’m not even gonna go there. Chocolate strawberries are always the perfect combination of sweet and refreshing, and rich and chocolatey. So, when I was considering a recipe to share for this holiday with you guys, I couldn’t even imagine anything else other than these coconut “chocolate” covered strawberries that are both paleo, and autoimmune protocol friendly.

Chocolate strawberries typically seen one of those presumably “safe” treats that people with food allergies should be able to have. However, they’re typically made with some sort of weird oil, and terribly unhealthy soy as an emulsifier within the chocolate. Not only is soy simply not compliant on the autoimmune protocol, but it’s particularly harmful for those of us with Hashimoto’s disease. Soy is a huge endocrine disruptor as it’s filled hormones that only aggravate thyroid conditions further. It was only ever traditionally eaten when it was properly prepared by fermenting it which made it safer for consumption. However, adding soybean oil to chocolate isn’t a healthy choice for anyone regardless of any preexisting health condition. That’s why these strawberries are totally soy free!

As chocolate can also aggravate autoimmunity for many and is not compliant on the beginning stages of the autoimmune protocol, I used carob powder in this recipe. Now, I personally do just fine with cacao, but I still love this carob powder. It has the same chocolatey taste while being totally autoimmune protocol compliant. This is the carob powder that I use and totally love!

And of course, these guys are also sugar free. Strawberries are sweet and delicious enough already! We certainly don’t need to go adding in any extra sugar.

Valentines Day Coconut “Chocolate” Covered Strawberries | Autoimmune Paleo

Ingredients

• 6 strawberries
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp carob powder
• 1 tsp coconut flakes (optional)

Instructions

• Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat until liquid
• Add carob powder and whisk until fully combined and there are no clumps
• Wash the strawberries and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper.
• Dip a strawberry in the mixture, turning and coating. Expect them to look lightly coated.
• Place the strawberry back onto the parchment paper and repeat the process.
• Use a spoon to pour the remainder of the mixture onto the strawberries.
• Top the strawberries with coconut flakes.
• Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until coating hardens.

Note: These strawberries will not be as thickly coated as those that you would buy in the store. The coating is much lighter, but the flavor is still there! That’s what happens when you don’t use soy 😉

These will most definitely become a staple for me when it comes to AIP treats! They’re sweet, rich, nostalgic and just perfect for the holiday.

What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?

This was shared on the Phoenix Helix recipe roundtable. Go check it out here!