Sweet Coconut Powder

See all Jane’s recipes using Sweet Coconut Powder

Sweet coconut powder has been used for centuries in Asian desserts. This is shredded, dried coconut flakes that have been ground into a fine powder together with a granulated sweetener. If you try to grind coconut meat alone, it may get stuck or turn into thick coconut butter. However, when you mix shredded coconut with granulated sweetener, the lighter-weight crystals aerate the coconut. This sweet coconut powder is a whole nutritious food, 100% Paleo, and very delicious.

This simple discovery of first grinding a granulated sweetener, and then adding shredded coconut, has changed my entire way of creating desserts. It makes an ideal flour that is nutritious, rich, naturally sweet, gluten-free and grain-free. It’s a lovely low-carb flour that’s perfect for making luscious cakes, cookies, and anything you want. To make it, all you need is a food processor. A regular blender will not work at all. I do not recommend a high-speed blender, either, as it tends to get stuck and stress the motor (I almost ruined my Blendtec trying!).

How to Make Sweet Coconut Powder
You will need a good food processor. Add:
1 cup of  your favorite granulated non-glycemic sweetener.
1 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut flakes. (medium or fine shredded, full fat, not de-fatted)

1.  In a dry food processor fitted with the “S” blade, grind the sweetener to a very fine powder.
2.  Add the shredded coconut to the sweetener in the food processor. Spin it for a minute to become a very fine powder. Open the lid, stir the bottom, replace the lid, and grind again until the powder is uniformly fine.
3.  That’s it! The result is 1 2/3 cups beautiful sweet coconut powder you can use in dessert recipes. It contains the sweetener, the flour, and the oil.

I use pure unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, not coconut flour.
Commercially sold coconut flour is a refined food made from un-pared coconuts including the shell and the brown husk, and pressing them to remove milk or oil. Once pressed, the remaining paste is dried and ground into powder. The resulting coconut flour is very high in fiber, with reduced flavor and nutrition. In parts of Asia, this pressed pulp is thrown away or fed to the pigs. Commercial coconut flour is not used in my recipes. Instead, my desserts use the full-bodied flavor and high-nutrition pure coconut meat, and I am so excited for you to taste the difference.