There are tons of great recipes that I want to try, but unfortunately I don’t have the time to make them all.  What’s a girl to do? Thankfully, my friends come to my rescue by sharing great food finds at our monthly Paleo swap parties!  What’s a Paleo swap party?  It’s a great way to try new recipes without slaving away in the kitchen.  I (thankfully) have many friends who prioritize their health and well being, in part by eating real, wholesome and nutritious foods.  At the end of every month (or at lease we try to do this every month),  we get together to share recipes.

How it works – each person prepares several servings of one  of their favorite recipes (the number of servings being determined based on the number of people coming to the party).  At the party, each person shares their recipe with everyone else at the party.  That means if 10 people come to one of our monthly Paleo swap parties, they get to go home with 9 new recipes to enjoy! This has given me the opportunity to enjoy many yummy creations.  Some of the items I’ve received from a Paleo swap party include creamy-spinach artichoke dip, sun dried tomato pesto, wasabi mayo, infused olive oil, mango salsa, and Paleo banana bread.

If you are looking for new recipes to try, I would recommend getting together with friends to hold your own Paleo swap party.  If you do, I’d love to know how your Paleo swap party went!

For my last Paleo swap party, I shared a recipe for Toasted Coconut, Vanilla, Cinnamon Almond Butter.

It got rave reviews, but I wanted to make it even better.  After tweaking the recipe a little bit, I’m excited to share it with you!

 TOASTED COCONUT, VANILLA, CINNAMON ALMOND BUTTER

---

Ingredients:

• 3 cups unsweetened coconut chips
• 1 cup dry roasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 4 mejool dates (can sub with 1 tablespoon coconut sugar)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread the coconut chips in a thin layer and bake for 5-7 minutes until golden.
3. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and transfer to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
4. Add the sea salt, cinnamon and coconut oil, and blend the mixture until creamy, approximately 10-12 minutes.  You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor every 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the vanilla and continue to process for another minute.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.