Happy Valentine’s Day!

A New Way of Looking at Valentine’s Day

Ok., Valentine’s Day may be a controversial holiday. This holiday is often dismissed as a commercialized celebration created by Hallmark to increase sales of greeting cards, chocolate and candy. However, this is not completely true; some of the first records of Valentine’s Day are handmade paper cards from the Middle Ages. St. Valentine and a celebration around February 14th can be traced back to Ancient Rome, although the meaning and celebration of the holiday has morphed over the years as it has been integrated into different cultures. Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries all over the world, each with its own tradition. My favorite that I came across was ystävänpäivä which is Finland and Estonia’s Valentine’s Day, which translates into “Friends Day”. This day is an opportunity to remember friends by sending them cards and small tokens of affection.

I like to view Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to show gratitude for friends and family by making homemade cards and baked goods. Valentine’s Day can be tricky to avoid allergens and sugar when there seems to be an excess of boxed chocolate and sweetheart candies everywhere. I am looking forward to making these homemade coconut filled chocolate hearts which are dairy, nut, sugar & gluten free. You only need 4 ingredients (and a heart shaped baking tin if you want to get fancy).

Homemade Valentine Coconut Filled Candy [Dairy, Nut, Sugar, & Gluten Free]

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 103 kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 6 ounces sugar-free chocolate chips I used Lily’s Sweets
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil divided
• 3 tablespoons shredded coconut unsweetened, divided
• 2 packets powdered stevia

Instructions

1. In a small bowl melt carob chips and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.
2. Stir until completely smooth.
3. In another bowl mix 2 more tablespoons of coconut oil with 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut and stevia.
4. In a silicone mini valentine shaped mold or mini cupcake liners, fill each with 1 teaspoon of chocolate.
5. Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut mixture.
6. Cover each with 1 1/2 teaspoons of chocolate.
7. Top with remaining shredded coconut.
8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

At Gourmet Gorilla, we understand that sometimes you just need a little sweet treat and that this can be done without using added sugars. Unsweetened applesauce, sunbutter, banana and honey are the staple ingredients to some of our favorite kid approved semi-sweet items like banana muffins, our homemade granola bars, and quick breads with fruit. If you are on a sugar free or low sugar diet, it doesn’t mean you have to cut out all sweet items… which is great news for Valentine’s Day!