I’m so excited! I found the answer for those of us on a ketogenic – high fat, moderate protein, low carb – diet to have desserts without taking the chance of spiking our blood sugar (remember, we talked about that issue last week?).
The secret lies in a wonderfully amazing natural sweetener that I have been experimenting with in the kitchen with ridiculous results. So far, everything I have tried to create has turned out perfectly, tasting like the real dessert-type item, without the weird aftertaste of most sugar-free sweeteners.
It’s called yacon syrup and, even though it’s definitely not pronounced this way, I like to think of it as rhyming with bacon which automatically means it’s going to be great.
This honey-like sweetener is derived from a Peruvian root. It contains prebiotic fiber, so it is actually great for our gut health too because it becomes food for our good bacteria! It tastes like a very mild molasses and can easily be a substitute for honey, maple syrup, or molasses in anything.
I have a few new recipes up my sleeve using yacon syrup and will be sharing these with you in the coming weeks. Grab a bottle, so you can take part in these keto desserts with me! It is worth every penny, trust me. A little goes a long way.
We’ll start with my new granola recipe.
I don’t know why, but I adore granola. Back in the day when granola was considered ‘healthy’, I would eat bowls and bowls of it. After realizing that traditional granola is absolutely loaded with sugar, I just resigned to not eating it ever again.
Since then, I’ve tried several paleo, grain-free versions of homemade granola and it’s definitely good, but usually still contains more sugar than I am looking to consume on a regular basis.
Then, I discovered Zen Belly’s keto granola recipe and was intrigued. She had used yacon syrup too and had great granola results.
So, I tried her recipe and loved it. However, I don’t do well with TONS of nuts, so I needed to create a granola recipe that had other things in it besides just nuts, so my digestive system stayed happy.
That’s when I realized I should definitely add bacon to my granola…I mean, obviously, right?! 🙂
And that’s how my keto sweet bacon granola recipe was born. And, it is SO good. I’m kind of obsessed with it, which means I go through a batch very quickly. I enjoy it plain as a snack, but also really liked it as cereal with almond milk and as a topping for my coconut milk yogurt.
Try it and let me know what you think!
Keto Sweet Bacon Granola
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted almonds
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup bacon cooked and crumbled into large chunks (can be omitted)
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons yacon syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- A few shakes of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place almonds and cashews in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Transfer nut mixture to large bowl and add coconut, sunflower seeds, bacon, and flaxseed meal. Stir together until combined and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, almond butter, yacon syrup, and vanilla. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until smooth.
- Pour almond butter mixture over nut mixture and use two spoons to gently mix together until evenly distributed.
- Spread mixture onto baking sheet evenly, about an inch thick. Sprinkle with salt.
- Place in oven for 10 minutes, then turn off oven but keep pan in oven for another 20 minutes as it cools down.
- Take pan out and let granola cool for 30 minutes.
- Gently break apart in chunks.
- Store in airtight container for 3-4 days.
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