We’ve praised the merits of the coconut palm before and it seems we’re not ready to stop just yet! The king of tropical trees provides a wonderland of culinary possibilities. And we’ve got another tasty coconut product to add to the impressive list: coconut nectar.
Coconut nectar is the delicious syrup derived from the sap of the flowers of the coconut palm. When dehydrated into granules it becomes coconut sugar, but as a liquid, it’s comparable to maple syrup or agave.
We choose coconut nectar to sweeten our cookies because it is natural and minimally processed. It’s heated only slightly in order to reduce it to a thicker texture and prevent fermentation, but not so much to produce high levels of fructose.
This additive-free and chemical-free process preserves the majority of the nutrients the coconut palm provides. Coconut nectar is rich in minerals including magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron. It also contains amino acids, vitamin C, and broad-spectrum B vitamins, making it the perfect addition to our healthy cookie recipe.
Coconut nectar also has a low glycemic index of 35 (compared with agave’s 42, honey’s 58, and cane sugar’s 63), which makes it a possibly safer alternative for diabetics or anyone who wants to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels. The lower glycemic index also means that when used in place of other sweeteners, you are likely to feel fuller longer, which can help with weight management and prevent the endless roller coaster of energy spikes and crashes. That means our cookies are the perfect guilt-free snack.
Surprisingly, coconut nectar doesn’t taste anything like coconuts, which makes it a super versatile ingredient for baking, cooking, and drizzling. With a unique, earthy sweetness, you can use it anywhere you’d use any other liquid sweetener. Try it on pancakes, oatmeal, or toast; add it to coffee, tea, or smoothies. Go on, get creative.
We love using coconut nectar in our Maxine’s Heavenly cookies because of the moisture it provides, resulting in scrumptiously chewy cookies that stay softer longer!
Of course, as we always say, all sweet things should be enjoyed in moderation. But coconut nectar is certainly a healthier, sustainable, and natural alternative to table sugar and other processed sweeteners.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, and vegan, coconut nectar is a 100% pure whole food we can definitely get behind. It doesn’t look like the mighty and multi-talented coconut palm will be giving up its reign as king anytime soon.
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Browse our naturally sweetened cookies!
