Red palm oil…what in the world do you do with that stuff, anyway?

Red palm oil is one of those good-for-you fats  you want to include in your healthy eating plan. It’s deep, red-orange color may be a bit strange if you’re used to butter and coconut oil, but don’t let that scare you! With such a color just what would you do with red palm oil?

You’d make something yummy, that’s what. Something that color just seems natural with, too. Like carrot cake.

But first, here’s why you want to include red palm oil in your diet.

It’s a recommended “superfood” on the Trim Healthy Mama plan because it has many of the same benefits of coconut oil such as medium-chain triglycerides. If you don’t care for the taste of coconut but still want the benefits of an unrefined tropical oil, give red palm oil a try.

It’s packed with antioxidants too, and its deep red-orange color comes from the abundant tocotrienols, tocopherols, and carotenoids it contains. It’s one of the safest oils to fry in, too. If you have the Trim Healthy Mama plan book, check out page 150 to read more about it.

Including healthy fats in your eating plan nourishes your body and helps you lose weight.

I know, sounds crazy…but it’s true. It’s the massive amounts of sugar we consume that is making many Americans fat, not the fat. And guess what’s in many “healthy” fat-free products? Sugar. They  have to put something in there to make it taste good once they take out the fat.

I’m not saying you need to eat a stick of butter at every meal – moderation is a good thing! But completely avoiding fat is not going to help you lose weight, your body  needs those nourishing fats to run properly.

Are all red palm oils the same?

Unfortunately, no. There are concerns over deforestation and destruction of habitats because of the production of red palm oil. Please do your due diligence and look for ethically produced sources of this wonderful oil! In fact, I will help you out and recommend an organic, non-GMO, and Fair Trade product – Nutiva’s Organic Red Palm Oil.

Nutiva sent me a jar to try and I’m loving it!

I was a bit apprehensive about what the flavor would be like because of the color…I’m just kind of weird like that. I was afraid to try balsamic vinegar for years because of its dark color. But oh sweet mercy what I missed for all those years. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again, so I opened up that jar and tasted it right away.

I don’t quite know how to describe it, but it was a mild flavor and not at all unpleasant. Nutiva’s website describes it like this:

Our unrefined red palm oil has a mild carrot-like flavor, with a rich, buttery texture. Some red palm oils have a strong or harsh flavor, however, our proprietary cold-filtration process removes any strong flavor while retaining the nutrients. It’s ideal for soups, sauces and sautéing. It also turns regular popcorn into delicious (and healthy!) movie theater-style popcorn.

That gorgeous deep orange-red palm oil just begs to be used in carrot cake.

I whipped up this single-serve Carrot Cake recipe in just a few minutes. The aroma of the cinnamon and nutmeg had my mouth watering, and I could hardly wait for it to cool so I could slather that creamy frosting on it and get it in my belly.

The next day, I made a bigger cake in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

If you have leftover cooked carrots…because you keep buying those frozen veggie blends with carrots even though no one really eats them…not that I would know anything about that of course…do yourself a favor and use those for this recipe. They’re easier to dice than raw carrots. Or you can use a shredder and shred fresh, raw carrots if you want.

You can frost this Carrot Cake with a traditional cream cheese frosting or use your favorite. I made a basic cream cheese frosting and added a splash of caramel and vanilla.

If you’d like a sugar-free and THM approved frosting recipe for the 8 x 8-inch cake, my blogging buddies can help you with these recipes:

Cranberry Bliss Bars – Joy Filled Eats

Christmas Sugar Cookies – Gwen’s Nest

Cream Cheese Strawberry Dip – Nana’s Little Kitchen

This Carrot Cake is also good plain or with a schmear of healthy, grassfed butter on top.

Need a dairy free frosting? Nana’s Little Kitchen has just the thing: Dairy Free Coconut Whipped Cream (plus tips on how to make it successfully)!

Trim Healthy Mamas, here’s how this Carrot Cake recipe fits in the Plan.

This is an S dessert, because of all that healthy fat goodness! It’s naturally low in carbs and high in fiber thanks to the coconut flour and ground flax meal. You can enjoy a piece or two after a light S or Fuel Pull style meal.

If you want carrot cake for breakfast, no problem! Just be sure to pair with some protein such as an egg scramble, Egg White Omelette, Cheesy Spring Chive Egg Puffs, 3 Ingredient Greek Yogurt, or add collagen to your morning coffee or tea. I love the THM Integral Collagen, myself. Great Lakes also  offers a great collagen too…just be sure you get the green can, not the orange!

You can bake this in an oven or microwave. I love this cute little CorningWare Etch dish for baking single serve cakes, muffins and bread. It’s the perfect size!

Let’s make some Carrot Cake!

You might want to save those poor, unwanted carrots from veggie blends just so you can make this cake every week. Carrots want love too, and your body will love you for giving it the antiodixant goodness it needs.

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