The Spunky Coconut Cookbook, Second Edition: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free [Paperback]

Kelly V. Brozyna (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2011

From the hostess of the delightful cooking blog TheSpunkyCoconut.com comes a book featuring 118 of her most popular gluten-free, casein-free, and sugar-free recipes, including 50 color photos. In this second edition Kelly V. Brozyna bakes with flour blends of coconut, almond, tapioca, and brown rice. Casein, dairy's problematic protein, is avoided by using coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut oil, and ghee. Throughout the book refined white sugar is replaced by natural sweeteners like stevia, honey, agave, and coconut sugar. No one with gluten/dairy/sugar sensitivities will feel deprived with The Spunky Coconut Cookbook.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kelly V. Brozyna began to study nutrition in 2004 when she and her family were found to have reactions to gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Together, through diet and biomedical treatments, their family is overcoming celiac disease, gluten intolerance, ADD, and autism with great success. Kelly is the author of The Spunky Coconut Grain-Free Baked Goods & Desserts and the gluten-free food blog www.TheSpunkyCoconut.com. She lives in Boulder County, Colorado with her husband and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Apidae Press (July 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098278113X
• ISBN-13: 978-0982781135
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kelly, of TheSpunkyCoconut.com, began to study nutrition in 2004 when her girls were very young. Her daughter, Ashley, was a baby and Zoe was a toddler at that time. Both girls were not well. Her naturopathic doctor worked with them to radically change their diet by removing gluten, casein, and sugar. Kelly and her husband soon realized that their own health problems could be resolved as well. It was very eye-opening to see how many kinds of issues could be treated with the diet. So, after years of research and experimentation, Kelly now creates food so similar to conventional wheat/dairy/sugar recipes that no one feels deprived. Together, through diet and biomedical treatments, their family is overcoming celiac disease, gluten-intolerance, ADD, and autism with great success. Kelly lives in Boulder County, Colorado with her husband and three daughters.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wide Variety of Amazing Recipes August 24, 2011

By Shirley Braden

Format:Paperback

I really love this second edition of Kelly's first cookbook! She's added new recipes like her stunning Strawberry Cake and her incredible grain-free Tortilla Wraps. Plus the format of the new edition is more user friendly. I love all the gorgeous color photos, too. This is such a beautiful and informative cookbook that even when I'm not cooking from it, I like picking it up, reading a bit (Kelly's writing is clear and straightforward), and then flipping through the pages and trying to decide what to make next. With "still-to-be-tried" recipes like Nutty Banana Quinoa Bread, Butternut Squash Lasagna, and Custard Pie, that's not always an easy thing to do! Our family's standby favorites are Spinach and Artichoke Quiche, Chicken Meatballs, Chicken Strips (yes, healthy ones!), Almond Muffins, and Flourless Brownies. This second edition is a cookbook for anyone who likes delicious food, but especially for those who eat gluten free, casein free, and refined sugar free!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed January 21, 2012

By S. Buchanan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Beautiful book to look at... not anywhere near as many coconut flour recipes or low-sugar (uses a lot of honey etc) as I would have hoped for... she should call it nut recipes, lots of nut flour this and that a lot more than coconut flour :-( There are some good recipes in here, she has me enthusiastic to make my own nut milks but not the coconut cook book I was hoping for by the title. Also you have to buy dehydrator, ice-cream machine, food processor etc to make the stuff in this book!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! August 22, 2011

By Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

Format:Paperback

I bought this book when my 3 year old was first diagnosed with a casein intolerance and I cannot recommend it enough. Kelly has come up with some amazing dairy-free alternatives for hard to replicate items like vanilla pudding, whipped topping and my favorite, pumpkin ice cream!

I wholeheartedly recommend this cookbook, not only for those who are on a gluten-free, casein-free, and sugar-free diet, but also for those who simply love delicious food and are bored with the status quo.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids love this cookbook! October 27, 2011

By CBrbear

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a Mom, I have struggled to help my family with making the switch to gluten free, casein free and sugar free living. Many of the cookbooks and recipes I have tried online have made my kids and well, to be honest, my husband and I miserable. So when we found Kelly's cookbook and began serving ice cream for breakfast..the kids began bragging to all of their friends that maybe this wasn't so bad. And we are now going on three weeks and we haven't tried a recipes we don't like. Seriously. So I'm buying her other cookbook..she obviously has kids in mind when she makes her recipes and my kids (and the adults here too) thank her profusely. And let me tell you...I have picky kiddos. You won't be sorry. Yes, I buy some ingredients on amazon but when you do the subscribe and save, and then consider how much I am saving in doctor's bills...I think in the long run...I'm saving.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spunky Coconut August 15, 2011

By Melissa

Format:Paperback

Love this gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free cookbook! I made my first batch of cashew milk from a recipe in this book and it was wonderful. Aside from all the good recipes, there are lots of tips for substitutions (like natural alternatives for refined sugar), safe cooking, appliances, etc. Just a good all-around cookbook if you have dietary restrictions. Plus, there are lots of kid friendly recipes that parents will like, too.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious healthy food!!!! August 22, 2011

By L. M. Medville

Format:Paperback

I love this cookbook. Particularly the ice cream section. The ice cream recipes are so easy and suuuuper delicious. I love a cookbook where I don't need to make tons of substitutions (which is rare since I have 4 food allergies: Gluten/grains, dairy, cane sugar, and soy). I recommend this cookbook to anyone who's interested in a grain-free diet!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My whole family loves these recipes.... August 22, 2011

By Kimberly Maes

Format:Paperback

I think I have made at least a quarter of the recipes from this cookbook now, and there has not been one yet that the entire family did not totally love. I have given it as a gift to a number of friends now. My favorite recipe to make for guests is Kelly Brozyna's coffee cake with the surprise ingredient of...white beans! No one EVER guesses what is in it and they all rave about it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What Our Son Needed April 9, 2012

By Lexie

Format:Paperback

This was the first cookbook I bought upon learning that we had to go strictly gluten-free and casein-free with our son who was diagnosed with mitochondrial dysfunction--a condition in any autistics that makes it far more likely to have deficits in their ability to produce cellular energy than in typically developing children. Following a clean diet high in short and medium chain fatty acids (found in coconut oil, palm oil and ghee) are important for these kids. The Spunky Coconut cookbook embraces both coconut oil and ghee (which when certified is casein-free).

Other prominent ingredients in this cookbook are eggs, stevia (a zero-calorie all-natural sweetener which I LOVE), cashew nuts, legumes, coconut flour, and almond flour. When the author describes the book/recipes as "sugar-free," I believe she is meaning cane sugar-free. Honey (and alternatively agave) and coconut sugar are used in some of the recipes--albeit very sparingly--and often combined with stevia to reduce the measures of these sweeteners considerably.

I've read reviews here of folks being disappointed that the bulk of the recipes are not coconut based. To the author's defense, "The Spunky Coconut" is the name of the author's blog. The title is not "The Coconut Cookbook." Many of the baked goods do contain some coconut flour and as I mentioned before, coconut oil is widely used. But the book name is referring to the author's blog and is not a description of all the recipes contained therein.

There is a great array of recipes in this book. From granola to quiche to soup to bbq beans. The book goes real light on the grains (brown rice flour) and relies more on nutrient-dense nuts, seeds and legumes....

There are pictures of many of the recipes which helps you see what the end result will look like (I like that). The ingredients and directions are laid out in a step-by-step format which I have no problem with. I tend to cook that way anyway. I'm not one to get all my ingredients lined up in a row and then start in on the directions. Rather, I grab what I need when I need it, measure it out and put it away.

Ms. Brozyna is an innovator. Out of necessity she has developed a unique approach to cooking whole and healthy foods that taste GREAT! I highly recommend adding it to your special diet library. Her second book, The Spunky Coconut Grain-Free Baked Goods and Desserts, is great, too! Read more ›