Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil - 5 ways!

Click HERE to see their selection of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

Sorry for the delay, our 2nd move in 6 months and whew! I can now say we are safely on the other side of it! We have finally arrived, acreage, animals, critters, gardening, oh my! Let the adventure begin!

But I must play catch up for the moment, trying to find my to do list and figure out where I left off. One thing I have been wanting to do is to review the Gold Label Virgin Organic Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. You see we are HUGE fans of their Expeller Pressed Organic Coconut Oil. I like the fact that without any coconut flavor it can be versatile and fit in with almost anything I prepare. I have blogged before on the health benefits of coconut oil and I love what it does to my body and how I feel when I eat it. If you want to learn more, you can visit the Tropical Traditions Website and read their information on how to use coconut oil HERE.  Or you can watch this video on ways to use coconut oil




So, we wanted to try the Gold Label version and see what happens. Check out what we did below:

1) Popcorn. We make our own popcorn on the stove, the old fashioned way. We added in 3 TBSP Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and 1/2 cup organic popping corn. Same lightly buttery feel and taste but with a hint of coconut flavor. This would be excellent if you wanted to make a batch of homemade kettle corn!

2) Pancakes. We make pancakes every Sunday morning. I usually do a blend of buckwheat, rice flour, tapioca starch and sorghum. The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil gave it a very light, sweet taste of coconut. But it was very faint and not at all over powering. They were delish!

3) Cinnamon spice muffins. When I made these muffins, honestly I could not tell the difference between the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and the Expeller Pressed oil. They were moist and flavorful with the coconut flavor lending itself nicely to the overall tone of the muffins. The kids begged for more.

4) Raw "cookie balls". The kids needed a snack. I wanted it to be healthy. So raw cookie balls it was. This is a combo of sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds, soaked dates, I made this one a little cinnamon-y and added some pumpkin pie spices as well. But I switched it up and added 2 TBSP melted Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to it as well. Put it in the food processor, process then roll into balls. I vary this recipe up lots of ways, adding in sunbutter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, etc. I didn't know how this one would come out since I didn't add the cocoa to bring that strong flavor. You could certainly taste the oil but again with the cinnamon flavor it worked very, very well. And if you refrigerated the balls I bet it would make them very firm and not so fall apart because of the oil.

5) Raw cinnamon rolls. This morning I finally got around to making raw cinnamon rolls for the kids for breakfast. I adapted THIS RECIPE from Gone Raw. Here are my tweaks:

I used more dates instead of the raisins
Used ground sprouted buckwheat instead of almond meal
Used Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil instead of olive oil
Used Coconut nectar instead of agave
Left out the cayenne

They were super easy to make and WOW! There was silence at the breakfast table, until they both asked for more that is! I sliced bananas on top and the kids went crazy for these! They will be a staple around here for sure. Once again, there was no detectable coconut flavor from the oil but just an overall blending of flavors to create super yumminess!

As I said before, I love the expeller pressed because of the lack of taste. But, I feel that the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil was a fabulous addition to my baked goods and raw recipes that have that sweet quality. As with all of the Tropical Traditions oils I have used, it is easy to work with, smooth, creamy and I know I can count on the awesome quality of the oils. I feel comfortable knowing my family is being nourished with healthy fats! While I won't give up on my Expeller Pressed oil for my more savory dishes, I must say I am going to be adding in the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for my sweeter creations. If you want to learn more about their product selection, please visit Tropical Traditions Website.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.