Coconut Skull Gummies

Halloween season is upon us! Halloween has always been a favourite of mine, dressing up, spooky decorations, haunted houses, free candy (if I'm being honest that was a big part of the appeal as a kid). While I've given up on the mini chocolate bars, I love to do some halloween baking with upgraded ingredients. These coconut skull gummies are such a fun treat for the season. Plus they are loaded with healthy ingredients, win win! 

I remember when I first heard about homemade gummies a few years back I was so intimidated but they are actually so easy to make! Basically you heat, whisk, and pour. The hardest part is waiting for them to solidify. If you're looking for another flavour you can check out my Orange Turmeric Gummies, great for cold and flu season! 
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What makes gummies so good for you?

Typically when we think of gummy treats we don't exactly think of them as the pinnacle of health. But when you make them yourself you can control the ingredients and they become not just healthy, but kind of a superfood. The key is gelatin. It's amazingly beneficial for the gut and connective tissue. If you're dealing with leaky gut, food sensitivities, or joint conditions then you definitely want to consider gelatin. I use the Great Lakes brand and highly  recommend it. You can find it here.
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My coconut dilemma

You may have noticed that I typically don't post recipes with coconut. It's not that I don't think it's healthy (PLEASE do not believe the articles that say coconut oil is not healthy, there is plenty of evidence dispelling that myth so I'll save you from a long winded rant that I could go on about health washing and the media's affect on our food choices, maybe I get into that another time).  It's also not that I don't like coconut. But coconut and I have a complicated history. Long story short; coconut is one of my food sensitivities. Potentially my worst one. I pretty much avoid it at all costs. But being a nutritionist and food blogger I don't want to completely ignore in recipes because I think it's a great part of a healthy diet as long as it works for you. That goes for any food really, just because it's healthy, doesn't mean it will work for you. So if you wondering if I taste-tested this recipe, the answer is obvi! I don't post anything on here that I haven't tried myself. The plan was to try one, make sure it tasted as good as I thought it would and then save the rest for family and friends. Well, they were so tasty that I eat about 4. Cue eczema break out. The day after I made these my skin was extra dry, itchy and even flaky. I probably could have gotten away with one, lesson learned but it was worth it.

Regardless, they are super tasty and with this little skull moulds they are adorable! I bought these at the dollarstore years ago but here's a couple options that you can buy online.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp gelatin 
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Method
- Whisk together coconut milk, honey and vanilla in medium sauce pan
- Heat on medium/high heat until steaming, but not boiling
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in gelatin (one tbsp at a time) until fully dissolved
- Pour into candy molds
- Let set in fridge for 2 hours, pop out of molds 
​- Store refrigerated for up to 5 days