Healthy Coconut Recipes

Classic carrot cake goes vegan in this easy recipe, and gets covered with coconut whipped cream to replace the traditional cream cheese frosting. A mixture of flax and water makes a sturdy substitute for eggs in this vegan cake. Plus, sweet crushed pineapple helps to make this cake delicious with less added sugar.

Add protein and fiber to your smoothie--without dairy or protein powder--with lentils. They're a sneaky source of plant-based protein in this healthy smoothie recipe.

A 20-minute entree that's sure to please picky eaters at your table, this Asian-inspired Thai chicken recipe is a great choice for last-minute dinners. If you have a little extra time, pair it with flavored rice and crisp-tender pea pods (see associated recipe) for a complete meal.

Shrimp and rice get a tropical-fruit makeover in this healthy 400-calorie dinner. Instead of rice, we've combined riced cauliflower and coconut milk for light coconut rice topped with spicy shrimp and a juicy mango-avocado salsa to cool it all down. Squeeze on some fresh lime juice before digging in to take this easy meal to the next level.

The assortment of vegetables in this vegan one-pot dish add varying textures and flavors to make each forkful exciting. The sweet potato balances the savory spices nicely. Serve this bright and flavorful curry with rice or rice noodles.

We love the maple-nut flavor combination of this heart-healthy granola, but feel free to substitute your favorite nuts or dried fruit for your own custom blend.

Chia (or hemp) seeds add healthy omega-3 fats, fiber and a little protein for an extra nutritional boost in this healthy smoothie recipe. Look for chia seeds near whole-grain flours and/or nuts and seeds.

These easy pumpkin-spiced coconut oat balls make a great, packable afternoon snack or a delicious party appetizer.

This easy energy ball uses natural ingredients to give you a quick bite of energy when you need it. Dried apricots and honey hold together the coconut and oats, while ginger and tahini deepen the sweet flavors. Ready in just 25 minutes, you can have these as a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack or sweet treat after dinner.

Traditional piña colada flavors of pineapple and coconut sweeten up dark leafy greens in this healthy fruit smoothie recipe to deliciously sneak an extra serving of vegetables into your day.

For those of you who always loved to run to the curb to buy a little bit of summer on a stick, this drink is right up your alley. The secret to the straight-from-the-ice-cream truck taste of this creamy frozen treat? Double the fruit! A little bit of frozen mango helps thicken the drink naturally in the blender while boosting the juicy flavor of fresh orange juice. Unsweetened vanilla coconut milk brings just a hint of sweetness while keeping this added-sugar-free and vegan. You could also use a sweetened coconut milk if you prefer a little more sweetness. Enjoy this refreshing and nostalgic drink on its own, or add a splash of your favorite vodka or rum for a summer happy hour indulgence. P.S.: Unlike the ice cream version, this one travels well in an insulated cup if you want to take it poolside!

Browning the chicken and sautéing the aromatics before everything goes into the crock pot is key to building the flavors in our version of this popular curry.

Though it tastes like those iconic vanilla-and-orange popsicles, this creamsicle breakfast smoothie recipe is a balanced breakfast with carbohydrates, protein and, thanks to the addition of coconut water, essential electrolytes. Coconut water serves up more than 10 percent of your daily dose of potassium--an electrolyte you lose through sweat--in every cup, making it a great hydrator for light workouts. Plus, this creamy orange-mango smoothie only contains about 30 mg of sodium per cup, whereas sports drinks usually deliver about 110 mg of sodium per cup.

This hearty coconut curry is warm and comforting, thanks to tender sweet potatoes and a hint of spice. This easy curry recipe can be on the table in less than an hour.

Skip the roasting in this butternut squash soup recipe and let your slow cooker do the work instead. Just load up all the ingredients into the crock pot, set it and forget it for an easy, healthy dinner or packable lunches.

A tender cut of beef like sirloin or rib-eye won't get tough as it simmers away in the stew. Serve with rice noodles, if you like.

A unique take on banana bread, this recipe introduces the banana-coconut flavor combination. This creative, diabetic-friendly recipe is the perfect solution for using over-ripe bananas and is easy to make.

Strawberries and banana are the sneaky way to hide the fact that there's 1 1/2 cups of spinach in this smoothie. It's so berry delicious that you'll be making it every morning.

Give your blueberry smoothie a tropical update with the rich flavors of coconut milk and coconut cream. Freshly squeezed orange juice lends bright flavor to this healthy smoothie recipe, but if you're short on time, bottled will work just fine.

With just five ingredients, these simple, no-bake energy bars are tastier than any bars you can buy! Dates, cashews, almonds and coconut whir up in the food processor for an easy homemade version of a Larabar. Pack one up for a healthy snack for work, or send some off with your kids for an energizing snack before soccer practice.

Make mornings a little easier when you soak oats overnight for a quick and easy breakfast.

Here, coconut milk adds creaminess while keeping the dish vegan. Serve over basmati rice or with a side of naan.

Give basic cinnamon oatmeal a spice upgrade with the warm and toasty notes of chai. Coconut milk makes these overnight oats ultra-creamy and delicately sweet too.

This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.