Healthy Fried Peaches

(gluten free, refined sugar free, can be dairy free/paleo/vegan)

Fried? Yes, that's right, "healthy" and "fried" in the same sentence.
This awesome little dessert is quickly whipped up by pan frying peaches in coconut oil.

I'm sure you've heard by now of the many good things about coconut oil. (If you're still not convinced, check this out.)

The warm honey-and-cinnamon flavored peaches make this reminiscent of peach pie, minus the loads of sugar.

It's pretty fantastic even if you aren't cutting sugar out of your diet, but it is absolutely a must if you are.
Because it has all of the "guilty-pleasure" taste with none of the actual guilt.

I came up with this recipe when I was eating Paleo, back before I got pregnant again. I was having some crazy bad sugar cravings, and this was my go-to for a dessert that didn't feel healthy. When I was eating Paleo, I still kept a little whole fat Greek yogurt in my diet (because I was breastfeeding and needed some extra calories, and because yogurt doesn't upset my body). But if you are eating strictly Paleo, or if you can't have dairy for any other reason, you could substitute whipped coconut cream instead!

I don't count calories- and the calories in this are all good ones- but if you are tracking, the calorie count comes to somewhere around 200 calories per serving before you add the yogurt. The additional calories depend on what (and how much) yogurt you use.

Healthy Fried Peaches

Serves: 2 small servings (or 1 large serving, I won't judge) 

Ingredients:

2 cups organic* frozen sliced peaches
2 Tbs coconut oil (virgin, unrefined)
1 Tbs raw honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
greek yogurt (you can sub whipped coconut cream for dairy-free)

*Peaches are in the “dirty dozen”! Make sure you buy organic!)

Instructions: 

• Defrost 2 cups of frozen peaches.
(If you know you’re going to make this ahead of time, you can put the peaches in a container in the fridge for a couple of hours to thaw. If you need to defrost them faster, you can heat your oven until hot, put the peaches in, turn the oven OFF, and let them sit in the warmed oven for a few minutes. We don’t use a microwave in our house, but if you do, you could also defrost them quickly that way. They don’t need to be 100% defrosted- but the more defrosted they are, the quicker you will cook them and the more evenly they will cook.)

• When the peaches are thawed, mix the coconut oil, honey and cinnamon in a bowl until well combined.

• Heat a frying pan on medium heat, and put oil mixture in when the pan gets hot. Stir frequently.

• When the mixture is simmering (and looks bubbly & frothy), add peaches into the pan. Coat evenly with oil mixture, and arrange in a single layer. Return to a simmer, stirring frequently to be sure nothing burns.

• The mixture will get sticky and thick. If it starts to burn, turn your heat down a little and be sure to stir often.

• Simmer for about 10 minutes (depending on your stove and how cold your peaches were to begin with), or until a fork slides easily in and out of the peaches.

• Remove from heat.

• Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Feel satisfied and go on your way.