It’s not everyday you get to have a guest poster who isn’t just paleo but is also an MD! I’ll try to act intelligent so she’ll be impressed. Hmmm, what big medical words do I know?! While I google fancy words, please welcome Erin Carter  of Pure and Simple Nourishment who has agreed to write this most delicious recipe for Paleo Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Bars while I hold down the fort over at Legit Bread Company. Please give Erin a warm welcome and be sure to ask her lots of medical questions, doctors love that. <<wink wink>>

Hi Predominantly Paleo readers! I am so thrilled to be guest posting for Jennifer today while she is busy taking over the world. Seriously, is there anything that woman can’t do? Not only is she an amazing mother and the most kind-hearted person, but she creates the most brilliant paleo recipes and just recently started her own paleo bread company. I don’t know how she does it all. I am exhausted just thinking about it. So of course when she asked me to guest post I was more than happy to help.

My name is Dr. Erin Carter. During the day I am an internal medicine and rheumatology specialist, and by night I run the blog Pure and Simple Nourishment. My blog is a place where I share paleo recipes, health information, workouts, and other things that I think can improve your overall health and wellness. I started my blog a few years ago after solving many of my own health problems by switching to the paleo diet. For years I struggled with diarrhea prone irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) that I could not solve through the help of conventional medicine or alternative medicine treatments. So I did a ton of my own research and this way of eating is what I discovered. It has changed my life. Seriously. Beyond helping my IBS, switching my diet also got rid of my headaches, heat rashes, sleep disturbances and helped me cure my keratosis pilaris (KP). Needles to say I have become a bit of a real food advocate. In my role as a physician, I teach my patients that real, quality food really can be a form of medicine (despite what most medical doctors will tell you) that can help not only prevent, but also help treat chronic diseases. I have seen some of my patients make dramatic improvements in their health simply by changing their eating habits. My mission is to show you how to do this, and to make you realize that real food can still be delicious, easy, and fun to make.

Today I am sharing my recipe for Paleo Lemon and Coconut Cheesecake Bars. Now, you may be thinking: “cheese isn’t paleo!” And you are correct. But don’t worry, these bars don’t actually contain any dairy. But when I shared them with friends (my non-paleo friends I should add) they all loved them and said they reminded them of cheesecake, so hence the name.

These bars are not only paleo but they are also safe for those on the SCD, GAPS, vegan, or gluten free diets. They have the perfect lemon flavor which pairs so well with the sweet coconut layer on top. They also contain many nourishing ingredients like coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut manna and shredded coconut, so this really is a dessert you can feel good about eating. In fact, I bet you will have a hard time eating just one. At least I did.

As well, the holiday season is upon us, and I know how hard it can be to eat healthy during the holidays. The temptation to cheat is always there. But you don’t need to sacrifice your health in order to still eat delicious food. These bars are a great example of that. Why not whip up a batch for your next holiday gathering? This way you will still be able to enjoy dessert, and know that you are still nourishing your body at the same time. Plus, there is nothing worse than being sick over the holidays (trust me I know). So don’t risk eating those non-paleo desserts and paying the price later. I bet if you share this recipe with friends and family they won’t even be able to tell that they are paleo anyways. They are just that good!

I would be so thrilled if you tried making these Paleo Lemon and Coconut Cheesecake Bars. And I always love getting feedback on my recipes so please stop by my blog and let me know what you think (the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly).

Happy eating friends!

Paleo Lemon and Coconut Cheesecake Bars Recipe

 Lemon Layer Ingredients

2 cups cashews

1/4 cup coconut manna

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

1 TBSP lemon zest

pinch sea salt

1 8oz package of finely shredded coconut

Lemon Layer Directions

1. In your food processor combine all the ingredients (except for the shredded coconut) and blend until smooth
2. Transfer the processed ingredients to a large bowl and stir in the shredded coconut
3. Transfer the mix to a 9″x 9″ pan and spread evenly with a spoon, pressing down so that it’s all even
4. Place the pan in the freezer while you move on to the coconut layer

Coconut Layer Ingredients 

1 cup full fat coconut milk

3 TBSP coconut manna or coconut butter

3 TBSP honey or maple syrup

2 TBSP coconut oil

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Coconut Layer Directions

1. Place a small pot on the stove on low heat
2. Add all of the icing ingredients and allow to melt
3. Stir well to combine
4. Remove from the heat once the ingredients are well combined
5. Take the pan out of the freezer and pour the coconut layer ingredients on top of the lemon layer
6. Return the pan to the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours (or overnight)
7. Remove from the freezer and let thaw for 10-20 minutes (until soft enough to slice)
8. Slice into desired size pieces
9. Serve and enjoy!

Yield: Approximately 16 bars (depending on how big you cut them)

NOTE: Store these squares in the freezer to prevent the coconut layer from melting.

NOTE: You can add some optional shredded coconut or lemon zest as garnish (which I did for the photos) but this doesn’t change the taste at all