Use Cauliflower in Your Paleo Recipes

In paleo cooking, you’ll see a lot of cauliflower and zucchini because they’re mild in flavor but can help add bulk to your recipes. Also, they add moisture and fiber to any dish, which can complement other paleo ingredients that need a lot of liquid such as coconut flour and psyllium husk.

Cauliflower is one of several other vegetables in the Brassicaceae family namely kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. It closely resembles broccoli in shape and size, but it comes in white, orange, green and purple varieties. (1)

• 100 grams of cauliflower (cooked) – 25 calories (2)
• 100 grams of white rice (cooked) – 130 calories (3)

In terms of composition, cauliflower is certainly very moisture rich. It is 92% water, 5% carbohydrates, 2% protein, with negligible fat. A 100-gram serving contains roughly 25 calories. Compare that to 100 grams of cooked rice which contains roughly 130 calories. It’s no wonder low-carb dieters and paleo dieters much prefer cauliflower rice.

In recent years, cauliflower has grown in popularity and is now used in many other foods such as pizza, bread, ‘mashed potatoes’, ‘fried rice’…the list goes on. If you’re wondering how that looks, here’s a quick run-through of some of my favorites:

• Paleo Pizza Crust – (Living Well Mom)
• Paleo Mashed Potatoes – (Nom Nom Paleo)
• Paleo Bread – (Kirbie’s Cravings)
• Paleo Fried Rice – (Paleo Running Mama)

I only included one other paleo bread recipe in this list because really, there are so many other variations out there that I couldn’t possibly try them all. However, I did come across this particular recipe which I’m so excited to share with you all because it’s excellent and so easy to make.

I did make some adjustments to the measurements so that it would be just the right texture I wanted. I recommend following this recipe exactly before you make any adjustments of your own. That way, you have a good baseline.

Paleo Cauliflower Bread Made Easy

I don’t know about you, but I feel like bread is a must-have component in so many dishes like pasta and breakfast sandwiches or toast. I used to eat avocado toast for breakfast almost everyday, and my family loves garlic bread during pasta nights. So, it left me no choice–I had to come up with a feasible alternative and this is exactly that.

While the texture isn’t exactly like regular bread, this is a great option for those who are committed to sticking to the paleo diet and are willing to make a few compromises in terms of texture.

What to Expect:

• Not as sweet as commercial ‘breads’

If you’re expecting something as sweet as say, banana bread by commercial brands, this is a little more subtle than that because we don’t add any sweeteners to the recipe. It’s meant to be more neutral instead of a sort of dessert.

• Soft and fluffy

Can you accomplish a soft and fluffy texture without flour? Absolutely! You just need to use the correct ratio of ingredients. This is where paleo cooking because almost like an art–you need balance within your ingredients when it comes to flour replacements and liquids to ensure that it comes out perfectly each time.

• It doesn’t take like vegetables

While some of you love your vegetables (that’s awesome!), this recipe won’t taste like a salad or anything like it even though it contains a cup of cauliflower rice. That’s because cauliflower has a mild taste and when combined with the other ingredients in this recipe, it becomes more neutral than anything else. This is a good thing because it can be paired with all kinds of dips and spreads!

Can You Replace Wheat Flour with Cauliflower?

Yes, you can in some recipes. Since cauliflower is 92% water, the texture is very different from wheat flour which is very dry and powdery. Cauliflower, even when it’s been processed down into very small components, will end up resembling a puree.

Gluten is an important component in recipes because it provides both texture in function. When flour is moistened and kneaded, this activates an elastic network of proteins in the dough or batter. As the dough or batter is kneaded more, the strands become get stronger and more elastic.

You may have read in some recipes that it’s important not to overmix or knead the dough too much. That’s because the resulting texture would become too tough or chewy due to the gluten content. Cauliflower doesn’t contain gluten and thus, will behave differently when compared to wheat flour.

Will it work? Yes, it certainly can!

What to Pair with Your Cauliflower Bread

Now that you’re well acquainted with your cauliflower bread, here comes the fun part–figuring out what to pair it with!

I know, the recipe is already great on its own. I really mean that because I can eat a loaf of this all by myself in a matter of days, but I do like to eat it with my fair share of toppings and spreads.

• Paleo Nutella (Gnom Gnom)

Try it and thank me later. This is so much better than commercial Nutella because you can have it again and again without the guilt. It’s made with avocado oil and hazelnuts, so it contains lots of healthy fats.

• Paleo Cream Cheese (Paleo Gluten Free)

Another big yes to paleo cream cheese, am I right? Spread some of this cream cheese onto your cauliflower bread for a creamy, luxurious snack.

• Paleo Condensed Milk (My Salad Daze)

Kaya toast is a well known snack in Malaysia and Singapore. It’s made with toast and condensed coconut milk and is absolutely divine if you have a sweet tooth. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to include this recipe on this list for that very reason.

• Paleo Coconut Butter (Paleo Hacks)

To round up this short but sweet list, we have coconut butter. Made with just coconut oil and unsweetened coconut, coconut butter is truly one of the more underrated spreads in the paleo world. It’s so nutritious and it’s wonderful with your morning beverage.

P.S. – If you’re looking for some other great paleo-friendly alternatives to breads made with refined wheat that are completely gluten-free, you have to check out these recipes:

• Seed and Nut Sandwich Bread
• 4 Ingredient Paleo Cloud Bread
• Homemade Garlic Bread

Low Carb Cauliflower Bread
Jess (Paleo Grubs)

I’m not sure exactly what it is about this muffin recipe but I genuinely think that it turns out way better than cooking an entire loaf of banana bread. I think that it’s due to a combination of using a few smart paleo friendly ingredient choices and the fact that the dough rises far easier with individual muffins than it does with a whole loaf.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this banana nut muffin recipe is the fact that not only do the muffins taste incredible, but they’re also quite good for you as well. Once again, this is thanks to the smart paleo friendly ingredients that are used to make the muffins.

Use Ripe Bananas for Naturally Sweet Paleo Banana Nut Muffins

For starters, you’ll obviously be needing to use some bananas (approximately four, mashed with a fork) in order to make banana nut muffins. In addition to making perhaps the best tasting baked paleo goods ever, bananas are also a fantastic source of quite a few essential nutrients.

Bananas contain a solid amount of dietary fiber, as well as a good mix of essential vitamins and minerals, not to mention a variety of bioactive compounds (antioxidants, polyphenols, carotenoids, etc.) that have been shown to help prevent several types of chronic degenerative diseases. (1)

Along with the four mashed bananas, you’ll also need to use four eggs when making these muffins. Eggs are easily one of my top five foods to use for just about everything, and they do an excellent job here of adding in a good amount of protein, saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and a few more essential vitamins as well. The eggs act as an important binder in this paleo recipe.

Almond Butter, a Paleo-Approved Dairy Butter Alternative

In an effort to keep things even more paleo friendly with this recipe, you’re going to end up swapping out dairy butter in favor of using ½ cup of almond butter instead. I love this ingredient choice because in addition to giving your muffins a delightfully nutty flavor, it also loads them up with even more great health benefits.

Almonds have always been one of my go to snacking choices because of how good they are for you. They’re an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin E (and other disease fighting antioxidants), and they provide you with an abundance of heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.

While eggs have been shown to increase the good level of HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream, almonds help to reduce levels of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol type. (2) The good news is that almond butter does indeed provide the same great benefits as eating raw almonds would, meaning that these muffins actually go a long way towards keeping your heart health in tip top shape.

Along with the almond butter, you’ll also need to add in a couple of tablespoons of melted coconut oil, which adds even more high quality fats into the mix. Unfortunately, a lot of folks still shy away from coconut oil because they’re concerned about the saturated fat content, but there’s really no need to worry.

The type of saturated fats that are found in coconuts are of the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) variety. MCT fats actually provide quite a few nifty health benefits, especially for anyone who may be following the keto diet. (3)

Ditch the Wheat Flour

I love using coconut flour in this recipe as a replacement for refined wheat flour for a few different reasons. First and foremost is the fact that certain proteins found in wheat have been linked to chronic inflammation, which in turn can develop into a variety of inflammatory diseases. (4)

Avoiding inflammation is reason enough alone to use flour alternatives like coconut flour. But in addition to that, using coconut flour also has the added benefit of providing even more dietary fiber and medium chain triglyceride fatty acids, all in a 100% gluten free package.

Using both nutmeg and cinnamon together in this recipe is also a delightful way to add a deliciously nutty hint to your muffins.

Once you have combined all of your dry ingredients, you can then blend them together with your wet mixture before distributing the batter evenly into your prepared muffin tins. Though I will say, if you’d like to bake this in a loaf pan instead, it would work wonderfully that way too.

6 Banana Nut Muffin Recipes That Will Curb Your Dessert Cravings

It won’t take you very long at all to realize what I mean when I say that I prefer these banana nut muffins to banana bread. However, in the event that you’re not quite sold on this particular recipe, but you’re still craving a healthy paleo friendly banana dessert, then I’ve got a few other great recipe options for you from around the web:

• Chunky Money Paleo Banana Cookies (The Endless Meal)
• Paleo Banana Snack Cake (Detoxinista)
• Strawberry Banana Ice Cream (Nom Nom Paleo)
• Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake (Two Ways!) (The Roasted Root)
• Paleo Banana Cream Pie (Whole Kitchen Sink)
• Chocolate Banana Milkshake (Primal Palate)

Before we wrap things up with this paleo banana nut muffin recipe, I just wanted to go over a few extra topics that a few of my friends have asked me about when it comes to making this recipe. Maybe you’ll find some of the following information useful as well:

Are Bananas Really Paleo Friendly?

Since the basic approach of the paleo diet is to basically only eat the same foods that were available to our caveman ancestors, it should come as no surprise that yes, bananas are indeed 100% paleo.

While they aren’t the best option for anyone following a more strict low carb eating plan (like the ketogenic diet), bananas are an excellent carb option for individuals who are moderately active. Their potassium content and the fact that they’re such a quick-releasing type of carbohydrate makes them fantastic for athletes and anyone else living an active lifestyle.

The only important thing to keep in mind is that bananas do have quite a high sugar content, so you don’t want to go nuts eating them. With that being said, they’re still a better snacking option than anything that’s made with refined sugars – just don’t go overboard with them and you should be fine.

What Are the Benefits of Using Nut Butters in Paleo Baking Recipes?

One of the most common questions I get about the paleo diet is in regards to using nut butters.

Peanut butter is probably the most commonly used type of nut butter, but you can also use butter made from just about any other type of nut. I’ve personally used and enjoyed all of the following:

• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Pecan butter
• Macadamia nut butter
• Hazelnut butter
• Pecan butter

I’ve also heard good things about pistachio butter and acorn butter, although I’ve never tried either type.

Using nut butters in your baking recipes is a great idea for a few different reasons, especially for anyone out there who may be lactose intolerant (or otherwise sensitive to dairy products).

In general, with nut butters, you’ll get more of the following:

• Dietary fiber
• Heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids
• Protein
• Essential vitamins and minerals
• Antioxidants

In addition to all of that, they also add a delicious nutty taste to all of your baked goods. What’s not to love about that?

Can I Use Almond Flour Instead of Coconut Flour For This Recipe?

Speaking of nut butters, since this muffin recipe uses almond butter, I get a lot of questions about swapping out the coconut flour and using almond flour instead.

If that’s something that interests you, you’ll be happy to know that not only is almond flour a perfectly acceptable substitute, it actually works great when making these muffins.

Just as almond butter offers up nearly the same health benefits as eating raw almonds does, so too does almond flour. That means using almond flour will end up adding in even more healthy fats, fiber, protein, and essential nutrients to this recipe, while giving the muffins even more of a delightfully nutty flavor.

Can I Add Anything Else To These Muffins?

I wouldn’t recommend altering this recipe too much. These muffins are seriously already pretty spectacular as is.

With that being said though, there are only two changes that I would recommend trying with this recipe. The first change is swapping out the coconut flour in favor of almond flour instead, as mentioned in the previous point.

The second change I would make is to add in your choice of chopped nuts as decorative toppings to your muffins. It’s up to you what type of nut to use. I personally like to go with chopped almonds or walnuts when adding a topping to my muffins. Cashews or pecans are another great choice as well.

Again though, this is 100% optional, and these paleo banana nut muffins are good enough as is when following the base recipe!

(You may also like: Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins)

The Best Paleo Banana Nut Muffins Ever (OMG!)
Jess (Paleo Grubs)

Making an Excellent Paleo Cheese Substitute

In all honesty, this was a bit of a concern for me until I found this recipe for making the most delicious homemade paleo cashew ‘cheese’. While no, it’s not technically real cheese, it’s probably as close as you’re going to get if you’re doing a strict 100% paleo diet (there are folks out there who definitely make some exceptions for cheese).

I was seriously blown away by this recipe the first time that I tried to make it. I didn’t think it would work out anywhere near as well as it actually did. The reason this recipe works so well is without a doubt thanks to the incredibly smart ingredient choices used.

Cashews generally have quite a mild flavor to them, and once you soak them, they become quite easy to blend into a mixture that has a very ‘milky’ consistency. The smoother you can blend your cashews, the smoother your cashew ‘cheese’ will end up being.

In addition to working incredibly well for providing the texture for your cheese that you’re looking for, cashews also end up adding quite a lot of nutritional value to the recipe as well.

They’re a great source of heart healthy fatty acids, and they also offer up modest amounts of dietary fiber, protein, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals. Studies have also found that cashew consumption both increases the ‘good’ kind of HDL cholesterol while also reducing the ‘bad’ kind of LDL cholesterol. (1)(2)

With cashews providing your cheese texture, the next step is to give them a taste that’s as close to cheese as we possibly can. Cheese generally provides a flavor that can best be described as a cross between ‘salty’ and ‘umami’.

Giving the cashew ‘cheese’ a hint of saltiness is easy enough – simply add in a pinch of salt and you’ll be all set.

Add Nutritional Yeast for Taste and Texture

But the umami flavor? That’s a bit more complicated. Thankfully, there’s indeed a work around and it ends up working out amazingly well. Just add in ¼ cup of nutritional yeast. Not only does nutritional yeast have a flavor that’s incredibly similar to umami, it’s actually commonly used in vegan recipes as a cheese substitute thanks to said flavor.

Just making cashew ‘cheese’ that has a similar texture to real cheese along with a tasty blend of salty and umami flavors would be well and good enough. But I really wanted to take the taste of this recipe to the next level.

With that in mind, I also ended up adding in ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika. As you can probably imagine, adding these ingredients into the mix really helped to round out the recipe and give the cheese a more complex flavor, much like real cheese.

The garlic powder alone probably would have been good enough to give this cheese a mouth wateringly good flavor (take my word on this one folks, I add garlic powder to literally everything). I don’t just use it for the taste though; garlic is packed full of some pretty amazing health benefits.

It’s well known that garlic consumption is capable of giving your immune system a boost, but did you know that it also contains some pretty potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well? (3)

The smoked paprika (totally optional to use in this recipe by the way! I realize that not everyone is as crazy about spicing up their meals as I am) adds even more great benefits into the mix as well, on top of giving the cheese a delicious smoky-spicy hint of flavor.

Paprika contains a carotenoid known as capsanthin, which studies have found has a beneficial effect on the levels of HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. (4) What this means is that paprika actually helps to further reduce your risk of heart disease along with the cashews in this recipe.

Last but not least, the only remaining ingredient that you’ll need to finish this recipe is some beef gelatin powder. The gelatin is what will take this recipe and actually turn it into cashew cheese and not just a weird hybrid cashew milk that sort of tastes like cheese. Just be sure to let your ‘cheese’ firm up for a little while before you slice it. This will help to make sure that it’s as soft and creamy as possible.

Is Cashew Cheese the Only Paleo Cheese Alternative?

This cashew cheese recipe is perhaps the best way I know to enjoy ‘cheese’ on the paleo diet without actually eating real cheese. However, if this recipe somehow still isn’t enough for you, then I’ve got a few more recommendations for paleo recipes that will satisfy your desire for some cheesy goodness. Check out a few of my favorites from around the web:

• Dairy Free Paleo Strawberry Cheesecake (The Healthy Foodie)
• Dairy Free Roasted Cauliflower “Cheese” Sauce (Detoxinista)
• Paleo Mac & Cheese (Living Loving Paleo)
• Paleo Dairy Free Nacho Cheese Sauce (Against All Grain)
• Paleo Vegan Cheese Pizza (Apples to Zoodles)

Lastly, I just wanted to take a few moments to briefly go over a few of the most common questions that I get from my friends when it comes to making your own homemade paleo ‘cheese’. If there’s anything important related to this recipe that I haven’t already covered, odds are pretty good you’ll find your question answered below. If not, feel free to leave a comment with your question!

Do I Have To Soak the Cashews When Making This Recipe?

The world seems to be torn between two types of people – those who always soak their almonds, cashews, and other types of nuts…and those who do not.

In most cases, I would say that the choice of whether or not to soak your nuts is entirely up to you. I personally always do because I find it enhances the inherent spiciness of the nuts, while also giving them a better texture.

With that being said, for the purposes of this cheese recipe, soaking your cashews is pretty much mandatory. The reason being that soaking them will make them nice and mushy, which is perfect for blending them into the consistency that we’re looking for when making paleo cheese.

How Long Does This Cashew Cheese Stay Good For?

There’s only real downside that I can think of when making this cashew paleo ‘cheese’ recipe when compared to real dairy cheese. That downside being that this cheese doesn’t last anywhere near as long as regular cheese does.

You can expect your cashew cheese to remain fresh for about five to six days, so long as it’s stored properly in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. To be perfectly honest though, that’s not such a big deal. Once you get your first taste of how good this cheese is, I doubt it will last anywhere close to six days!

If you decide to freeze your cashew cheese, you can expect it to last for between six to eight weeks.

(Make this next: No-Bake Key Lime “Cheesecake”)

Homemade Paleo Cashew ‘Cheese’
Jess (Paleo Grubs)

Healthy Snacking Made Easy

The very first thing that you’ll notice about this recipe is how simple it is to prepare. You literally only need three simple ingredients (four, if you’re counting the pinch of salt for flavoring) and between 10-20 minutes of time. Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore easy to make recipes like this one, especially when they deliver big time like these walnuts do.

While I tend to enjoy pretty much all types of nuts, I do have to admit that walnuts are probably my favorite choice when it comes to snacking. That’s pretty much the main reason why they were chosen for this snack recipe. Perhaps more importantly though, walnuts are actually an incredibly healthy option to use for a variety of different reasons.

Walnuts are an excellent source of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Both of these types of fatty acids are extremely beneficial when it comes to your heart health, as they’re known to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering your blood pressure, total blood triglycerides, and even relieving inflammation within the body. (1)

Even though walnuts are an amazing snack when enjoyed on their own, once you add the cinnamon and honey into the mix, you end up with a healthy paleo-friendly snack option that’s totally out of this world. Not only do both ingredients add a ton of flavor to the walnuts, but they also manage to further increase the health benefits offered by this recipe in a few fantastic ways.

Pro Tip: Add Cinnamon for More Flavor

The cinnamon adds a delightfully spicy hint to your walnuts while also adding in even more beneficial antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory compounds. In fact, numerous studies have been done that have found that cinnamon is quite a potent medicinal spice indeed. (2)

There’s also evidence that cinnamon could perhaps help to lower your risk of heart disease, while also improving insulin sensitivity levels.

Raw Honey, A Nutrient-Dense Natural Sweetener

Along with the cinnamon, the recipe also calls for a whopping three tablespoons of paleo approved raw honey (make sure that you use raw honey in order to get the most nutrient-dense honey possible).

The honey adds a delicious blend of naturally sweet flavor to the walnuts that meshes perfectly with the ever so slightly spicy taste offered by the cinnamon. On top of that, using raw honey ensures that you’re getting even more of those disease-fighting antioxidants. (3)

Studies have actually found that the types of antioxidants and other phenolic compounds found in raw honey are effective at reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by helping to lower blood pressure levels and even improving overall blood cholesterol levels. (4)

In the event that you’re not particularly fond of either cinnamon or honey, but you still enjoy walnuts, we’ve got you covered as well. Here are just a few of my favorite walnut recipes from around the web. Each one of them comes highly recommended. I’m certain you’ll find something to enjoy:

• Easy Maple Glazed Walnuts (Paleo) (Wonky Wonderful)
• 5 Minute Candied Walnuts (Natasha’s Kitchen)
• Peanut Butter Walnut Cookies (No Thyme to Waste)
• Easy Brown Sugar Walnut Bars (The Spruce Eats)
• Chewy Walnut Pan Bars (Taste of Home)
• Spiced Roasted Walnuts (Vegan & Gluten Free) (Street Smart Kitchen)
• Moroccan Spiced Walnuts (Mom’s Kitchen Handbook)
• Sweet and Spicy Sesame Walnuts (Air Fry With Me)

Between this recipe and the eight listed above, you’re sure to find at least one way to enjoy a delicious and nutritious walnut snack.

Before we wrap things up though, I usually like to go over a few of the most frequently asked questions that usually pop up in regards to a specific recipe. This cinnamon and honey roasted walnut recipe is no exception, so without further ado:

Are Roasted Walnuts Really Good For You?

Even with all of the information that’s available out there, it’s still unfortunate how many people out there still think that all sources of dietary fat are bad for you. As I mentioned earlier, walnuts are a terrific source of heart healthy fatty acids (along with providing plenty of other essential nutrients).

With that in mind though, there are still a couple of things that you should be aware of. Roasting your walnuts has no detrimental effects as far as the monounsaturated fatty acid content goes, but the same can’t be said for polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The reason for this is that polyunsaturated fats are much more vulnerable to the effects of oxidation than monounsaturated fats. The process of roasting the walnuts could perhaps alter and damage the polyunsaturated fatty acids, causing the walnuts to turn rancid.

Oxidized fatty acids are exactly why some types of nuts go bad, giving off a foul odor and “off” taste. This is an issue as far as your health goes because rancid fatty oils are both pro-inflammatory and carcinogenic.

However, even with all of that being said, just roasting your walnuts alone isn’t enough to automatically make them go bad. I just wanted you to be aware of the possibility. So long as you follow the recipe directions properly, you shouldn’t run into any issues.

Should I Soak My Walnuts Before Making This Recipe?

While the exact ingredient list for this recipe only calls for the use of raw walnut halves, I would definitely recommend taking the time to soak your walnuts before making the recipe.

The reason why I recommend soaking them is because doing so offers up numerous great benefits, including:

• Reducing and removing phytic acid and tannins
• Neutralizing enzyme inhibitors while encouraging the production of beneficial enzymes
• Making digestion easier by breaking down gluten and improving the absorption of protein
• Increases vitamin concentrations (especially B-complex vitamins)

In addition to the above health benefits, soaking your walnuts will also increase absorption of the spices and even give them a crunchier texture that’s easier to chew.

How Long Do Roasted Walnuts Stay Good For?

Unfortunately, roasted walnuts have a shorter shelf life than they would otherwise if left raw. The reason for this is exactly the same as I mentioned earlier – roasting walnuts can cause the polyunsaturated fatty acids to turn rancid much quicker than they usually would.

Once again, it’s worth pointing out that merely roasting your walnuts doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to turn rancid. And since it’s possible for walnuts to stay fresh in the pantry for up to 12 months, the only real way to tell if your walnuts have gone bad is by inspecting them.

If they’re still in the shell, check for any signs of the shell being dried out or shrunk. If it doesn’t look normal, you can safely throw it out immediately. For walnuts that have already been shelled, you’ll have to take a closer look.

Check the walnut for any signs of mold or any foul odors – if you notice either, you can safely discard them.

Finally, sometimes the only way to tell if a walnut has gone bad is by doing a taste test. Even though the walnut might look perfectly fine, there’s a chance that it could end up tasting slightly bitter.

Is This Roasted Walnut Recipe Keto Friendly?

Normally, walnuts make for a fantastic keto friendly snack. However, for this particular recipe, I would definitely be a little bit wary if I was following the keto diet.

The reason being is that a single tablespoon of raw honey can still contain as much as 16 grams of sugar, and this recipe uses three tablespoons. Depending on how many walnuts you plan on eating at once, you can very quickly end up knocking yourself out of ketosis.

So technically, no, this recipe is not 100% keto friendly. However, as long as you’re diligent about tracking your macros, you should still be able to enjoy these cinnamon and honey roasted walnuts in moderation.

(Make this next: Spicy Roasted Cashews)

Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Walnuts
Jess (Paleo Grubs)

I have yet to find anything that tastes like the unique flavor of ranch dressing. When you crave it, you crave it. There isn’t anything else that can fill that gap. Olive oil and balsamic can only get you so far with a salad. It was one of the first things that I ate in the U.S. after returning home from study abroad. Veggies or even strips of leftover steak are much more appealing when there is some ranch around to dip them in.

Making Paleo-Friendly Mayonnaise

Before anything else, you’re going to want to make some fresh mayonnaise. When making mayonnaise, you need just 4 main ingredients if you count the spices. These are oil, eggs, some acidity and spices. For acidity, vinegar is typically used. However, for paleo-friendly mayonnaise, substitute lemon juice for vinegar.

As you can see, the recipe for paleo-friendly mayonnaise is quite simple and doesn’t deviate much from ‘regular’ mayonnaise.

Is Sea Salt Really Healthier Than Regular Salt?

Both regular and sea salt are great no-calorie ways to season food. However, they are both high in sodium. In fact, they contain equal amounts of sodium. One teaspoon of regular salt contains 2325 mg of sodium, which is 100% of your recommended daily intake for the day. (1) Likewise, one teaspoon of sea salt contains 2320 mg of sodium. (2)

As a result, you will want to use them sparingly as the more sodium you consume, the greater your chances of having high blood pressure. However, is it really as simple as that?

Animal studies have shown that sea salt is not as bad as regular salt for blood pressure. (3) Sea salt contains trace amounts of calcium, potassium and magnesium. These minerals help lower your blood pressure. However, since you would need to consume a bucket-load of sea salt to get enough of these minerals to lower your blood pressure, and consume tons of blood-pressure spiking sodium in the process, this is simply not practical.

One good thing about sea salt though is that it has a coarser texture because it is less ground than regular salt. As a result, it has a different mouth feel and releases a stronger hit of flavor than regular salt. This may end up in you needing less of it to flavor your food compared to regular salt.

One thing to keep in mind though is that regular salt is fortified with iodine, while sea salt is not. You need iodine to have a healthy metabolism. (4) As a result, you will want to make sure that you eat other paleo-friendly foods that are high in iodine. These include fish and eggs.

How to Select the Right Sea Salt

With the health craze around sea salt, it can be overwhelming selecting the right sea salt for your needs. I found this article by Dr. Weil very enlightening. Here is a summary of what he said:

Your typical generic sea salt may contain additives that are not conducive to a paleo-friendly diet. Hence, you will want to make sure you scrutinize the label to see if it contains any additives, and figure out where it comes from.

The most popular all-natural sea salt comes from the coastal region of Brittany, France. Salt from this region is grey and is called Celtic gray salt. Another great salt from this region is “fleur de sel” or “flowers of salt”, aptly named because the salt resembles snowflakes. This salt is white since it does not touch clay beds. This type of salt is pricier than Celtic gray salt and harder to find.

Other good sea salts come from the coastal region in the west coast of Sicily, Hawaii, and Maldon, England.

Health Benefits of Coconut Milk

You may be wondering how it’s possible to make ranch dressing without milk.

One cup of raw coconut milk provides a whopping 110% of your manganese needs. What is manganese good for? A variety of things! Your body needs manganese to make and activate several enzymes. Your body also needs it to metabolize glucose and fat, and to get rid of cancer-causing free radicals in your body. (5)

So, coconut milk is very nutritious, but you need to watch how much of it you consume since it is also very high in calories.

Besides the nutritional value, coconut milk has other health benefits. These include:

• Boosting heart health:

An 8-week study conducted on 60 healthy men found that coconut milk porridge raised HDL “good cholesterol” 5 times more than soy milk porridge. Coconut milk porridge also lowered LDL “bad cholesterol” more than soy milk porridge (6).

• Reducing the size of ulcers

Coconut milk may be helpful if you suffer from ulcers. An animal study found that coconut milk was as effective as an anti-ulcer drug in reducing the size of ulcers.

How to Make Your Own Coconut Milk

We all know that fresh is usually best, and this is also true of coconut milk. Studies have shown that after canned coconut milk has sat on the shelf for more than 2 months, it becomes less nutritious. (7)

In addition, many canned coconut milk products contain bisphenol A, which is a chemical that lines metal cans. This chemical has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and reproductive problems in human studies. (8) Therefore, it would be better to make your own coconut milk if possible.

Gina Eykemans of Cooking Lessons from the Kitchn provides an easy way to make coconut milk. Here is a summary:

1. Place 1 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut and 4 cups of hot water in a blender that is suitable for blending hot fluids.
2. Let your mixture rest for about 5 minutes to let the coconut soften.
3. Blend your mixture on high for about 2 minutes until you reach a puree-like consistency.
4. Place your mixture in a nut milk bag over a medium bowl.
5. Squeeze the nut milk bag until you have drained out every last inch of nut milk.
6. Place your coconut milk in a mason jar. Your nut milk should last about 4 days in the fridge, or alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

How to Use Coconut Milk

Now, that you can make your own coconut milk, how can you use it?

You can add it to hot beverages, use it in smoothies, use it in sauces, as a milk-substitute when baking, or to make salad dressings like our incredible homemade ranch. And talking about salad dressings, here is why I love ours the most.

Why I Love This Paleo Ranch Recipe

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses homemade paleo-mayonnaise. Homemade mayonnaise, like pretty much anything homemade, tastes better and fresher than store-bought alternatives.

Once you have your mayonnaise, simply mix some of it with coconut milk and some seasonings, and voila, you have yummy paleo-friendly ranch dressing!

Here are a few of our other favorite ways to make Paleo Ranch Dressing if you’re looking for something different:

• Dump Ranch (Whole Sisters)
• Low Fodmap Ranch Dressing (Real Food with Jessica)
• Vegan Ranch Salad Dressing (Detoxinista)
• Homemade Dry Ranch Seasoning (Perry’s Plate)
• Whole30 Ranch (This Vivacious Life)

The Best Homemade Paleo Ranch Dressing (Try this!)
Jess (Paleo Grubs)

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