My lovely friend and yogi mama, Lou from Yogi Tree (you might remember her from Fridge Scrapings fame) came up with this amazing recipe and I begged her to let me share it with you! Enjoy!

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Vital Stats: vegan – nut/gluten/refined sugar free

So, this is what you need:

1 cup coconut butter*
20 sulphur free dates
6 cups air popped organic popcorn
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup warm water

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Start off with coconut butter and popcorn in your food processor – whizz for about a minute…. slowly start adding dates one by one through the shoot. Add vanilla/salt and finally slowly drizzle water in bit by bit.

You should end up with a very crumbly mix – it’s actually easier to make bars, so if you prefer simply press into a baking tray lined with baking paper. To make balls, you need to squeeze the mix quite a few times in the palm for your hand before very gently patting into bite-shapes. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

MOST EXCELLENT when drizzled with dark chocolate (just saying).

*How to make coconut butter:

If you have a food processor and a (big) bag of coconut you are approximately 12 minutes away from deliciousness. So easy, so delicious and HEALTHY (not to mention dirt cheap compared to store bought)….. COCONUT BUTTER!

The trick is to make a big batch, otherwise your food processor will struggle…. use at least 750g shredded or dessicated coconut. Whizz in your food processor, scraping down the sides every few minutes….. it will take at least 10 minutes, probably more. If your machine is struggling, then rest it every now and again (I will not be blamed for burnt-out motors!). I always add a good pinch of sea salt.

Soon you will have smooth, creamy, buttery-ness that can be consumed in OH so many ways. The awesome thing is that coconut butter will solidify at room temperature like coconut oil so drizzled on a frozen banana it becomes like “magic shell” ice cream topping.

About Lou:

Hi there lovely NNAM readers, my name is Louise Mackie, and among other things I am Mum to an energetic 3 & 1/2 year old, a yoga teacher, doula and wholefood cook. I have recently started my business Yogi Tree on the Gold Coast which focuses on a few holistic “branches” of wellbeing (a few being because I have SO many interests & passions I can’t limit it to one).

Basically, my passion is helping women feel empowered to have beautiful, healthy birthing experiences through yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and good food. Preparation and education is key – starting awesome habits during pregnancy sets up your whole family for maintaining a healthy and positive lifestyle. If you live on the Gold Coast, I would love to see you at one of my yoga classes!

Get in touch with Lou: Website Facebook

Popcorn is one of the most favourite snacks in our house.

It’s gluten free and it tastes yummy. I jazzed up our normal, plain popcorn with this sticky salted caramel sauce. A bit of a treat and dead easy to make when you get a yearning for something sweet late at night.

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Naturally Sweetened, Nut Free, Egg Free

Okay, so this is what’s in it:

6 cups popped organic popcorn

1/4 cup organic maple syrup

1/4 cup virgin, organic coconut oil

1 tablespoon organic coconut sugar

1 scraped vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1 – 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Pop your popcorn and chuck it into a large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Mix all other ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a medium temperature.

Cook it for about five minutes or until it has reduced a little and is all gooey and syrupy thick.

Resist urge to pop finger in and test – this stuff burns!!

Pour over popcorn and mix well with a large metal spoon.

Let it cool down before chowing down. Refer to above advice.

Tips:

♥ Using organic popping corn means you don’t have to worry about GMO corn. Get it at your health food store or online here.

♥ Popcorn is actually pretty good for you – it contains lots of fibre and the antioxidant polyphenols.

♥ Use an electric popcorn machine or pop it the old fashioned way on the stove. Microwave popcorn is nasty!

♥ If you want to get fancy, add in some coconut, nuts or fruit and press it into a slice tin or roll into balls.

♥ You can totally swap out the maple syrup for rice malt syrup if fructose bothers you or honey if you prefer. And if you are okay with dairy, try it with some organic, grass fed butter instead of coconut oil.