With any luck, this is the last sweet treat that you will see here for the next 3 weeks. In response to the approach of summer and the slight but constant bloat in my belly, I’ve decided to jump into a 21 day sugar detox. This is not a well-planned or well-researched detox. Some more seasoned and hardcore detoxers might even call it a “detox lite” because it’s not as strict as it could be. Nonetheless, I decided that doing something that feels possible for me for 21 days is better than doing nothing.
My version of the sugar detox goes like this:
Not OK: sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup (or any products containing these…bye Clif bars!), white or refined flour, fruit juices
OK: pretty much everything else, including whole fruit
I’m going to focus on eating vegetables, fish, eggs, and healthy fats like olive and coconut oil. These won’t be all that I eat, but I just stocked my refrigerator and pantry with exciting personal detox-approved items including broccoli, asparagus, spinach, cucumbers avocados, bananas, lemons, olives, wild-caught salmon, Oregon bay shrimp, and sardines packed in olive oil. And some Mary’s Gone Crackers crackers.
In the meantime, these healthy (but brown rice syrup containing) cookies are going in the freezer. They’ll be waiting for me 21 20 days from now.
Raw Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
makes 30 cookies
adapted from Rawmazing’s recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds, soaked and dehydrated if possible
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut, pulverized in the blender
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/3 cup peanut oil (I think I’d like to try coconut oil next time)
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries
First, make the filling. Put the strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree. That’s it. Set aside.
Place almonds in the food processor and pulse until finely ground. This could take several minutes.
Add coconut and chia seeds. Pulse to combine. Add brown rice syrup and oil and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse, wet sand.
Using a tablespoon measure, form the dough into small balls. Press a hole in the center and fill with strawberry puree.
Dehydrate and 115 degrees for 8 hours.
* I shared this post on this week’s Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Whole Food Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, and Tasty Tuesday.
This recipe sounds interesting. I was actually thinking about going on a sugar detox, I eat too much of it! But it will definitely be hard for me. Good luck to you!
Thank you! I hope you find way to detox that works for you, too!
oh! this looks good! I think I would like to try this and sub sunflower seeds for the almonds because I have a nut allergy. Also, I am doing the GAPS diet so I will sub honey for the sweetener. When I make it I will let you know how (if) it turns out with these subs.
Good luck on your detox. You are going to feel amazing!!
Thanks Linnae! I think your version will turn out well…that’s the nice thing about raw recipes. They’re usually pretty forgiving!
These look delish!
I’m a big fan of sugar detoxing…and pretty much live that way now. It’s SO worth it…my unbloated abs are a fan too
Good luck, I hope you document the journey and share it!
Thanks, Lisa! I knew I could count on you for encouragement in this. I’ll keep you posted about how it goes!
These are beautiful cookies, and the recipe is quite unique and interesting – I love it!
These look good and sound an easy recipe, but what if you don’t have dehydrator?
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try making these in the oven. I have seen some bloggers suggest putting your oven on low and leaving the door cracked to simulate a dehydrator but I’ve never tried it myself. I’m sorry I can’t give a more satisfactory answer!
That’s okay, I might try the oven as dehydrator! Thanks a lot for replying though
These would be a nice treat with a cup of afternoon tea — not too sweet. I think you would like it with the coconut oil. Thanks for sharing with Hearth & Soul Hop.
These look wonderful! What a healthified treat!
Wow, these look great! I’ve never seen chia seeds added to cookies before but they’d be an awesome protein boost! Can’t wait to try them.