GF Healthier Coconut Shrimp
Coconut shrimps are delicious – but as they are typically deep fried and sweetened, they certainly aren’t ‘health’ food! We wanted to create a healthier, lower fat, lower carb version of this popular item, so we baked our coconut shrimp, and replaced the panko with unsweetened fine coconut, and reduced the amount of sweetened coconut in the recipe by 2/3. We added just enough Better Batter flour to bind the mixture and creates a crisp coating. The result is a lower carb, lower fat version of a classic favorite.
GF Healthier Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 20 large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- 2 tbsp Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, fine shred style
- 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites, beaten until foamy
- Better For You Pineapple Dipping Sauce
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt or non-dairy sub (we like So Delicious Coconut yogurt)
- 1/8 tsp pineapple flavoring
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°.
Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Starting at tail end, butterfly each shrimp, cutting to, but not through, backside of shrimp. You may start by using raw, pre-peeled and deveined shrimp, if you prefer.
Combine Better Batter flour, unsweetened coconut, sweetened coconut, and salt in a shallow bowl.
Beat Ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a whisk until foamy in a separate bowl. Add half of shrimp to egg whites, tossing to coat evenly. Remove the shrimp from the egg white, shaking to remove any excess egg white, then place into the bowl with the coconut mixture.
Dredge shrimp in coconut mixture, pressing gently to adhere, until the shrimp is evenly coated. Place shrimp on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp, egg whites, and coconut mixture.
Bake at 425° for 6 minutes. Using tongs, grasp shrimp by tails and turn over. Bake an additional 6 minutes or until golden brown.
Mix Dipping Sauce Ingredients. While shrimp are baking, mix together Pineapple dipping sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust flavoring as desired, adding more or less of any ingredient, until you get a pleasant taste and texture.
Remove the shrimp form the oven, and serve immediately, with a side of dipping sauce.
