Paleo Sprinkles

Makes 2 cups

When Claire was young, her mother would make her pixie bread: white bread and butter with sprinkles on top. This was the meal of choice for her dolls. There's something about the bright speckles of color in sprinkles that simply puts smiles on our faces and makes us feel like kids again. But if you're trying to maintain a clean diet, or are staying away from refined sugar, conventional sprinkles are a no-go. Luckily, these are easy to make and we love the subtle, elegant color palette you get from natural dyes.

  • 1 cup cacao butter or cocoa butter, roughly chopped (see Notes)
  • 1 cup coconut milk powder (see Notes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • Coloring (see below)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, melt the cacao butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in the coconut milk powder, vanilla, and salt and stir until completely smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

3. Slowly stir in the honey and the coloring of your choice.

4. There are two options for creating sprinkles. For more rustic sprinkles, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until hardened. Using a sharp knife, chop into very small, sprinkle-like pieces. For more conventional sprinkles, put the mixture into a pastry bag with a #4 pastry tip. Squeeze out lines across the baking sheet, careful not to overlap, and then put the baking sheet in the fridge until the sprinkles set, about 1 hour. Chop the lines into 1/4-inch pieces. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 months.

White, Pink, and Yellow Paleo Sprinkles

Pink Sprinkles
When you add the honey, also add 2 tablespoons beet juice.

Green Sprinkles
When you add the honey, also add 1 teaspoon matcha powder.

Yellow Sprinkles
When you add the honey, also add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder.

NOTES: Cacao butter (which is a raw food) or cocoa butter (which is roasted) is the main ingredient in white chocolate, so you might experience a lot of the same frustrations working with it. The most important thing is temperature—always work over a low heat. Also, be sure your pan is completely dry (moisture will make the cacao butter seize up). If it starts to coagulate, it got too hot and is unsalvageable. This is a massive bummer, but really easy to do, so stay vigilant. Coconut milk powder is simply dehydrated coconut milk mixed with a small amount of tapioca starch. The brand we like is Z Natural Foods Organic Coconut Milk Powder. We use it in our sprinkles, and Laurel likes to use it to make morning mochas and cups of hot cocoa. When mixed with water, it creates an instant coconut milk stand-in.

Strawberry Icing

Makes ¾ cup

  • 1/4 cup coconut butter
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or raw honey
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup strawberries, chopped

1. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut butter, maple syrup, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the lemon juice, the vanilla, and coconut milk over very low heat. Whisk until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a little more coconut milk. If it's too runny, add more coconut butter.

2. In a small bowl, mash together the strawberries and the remaining 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice with the back of a fork. Push the strawberries through a strainer into the icing, then stir to combine.

3. Carefully spoon the icing onto each toaster pastry. Place on a rack to let the icing set, then serve.

From Sweet Laurel: Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts by Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas.

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