Grain Free and Sugar Free Almond Banana Bread

In the effort to cut out as much carbs and sugar out of my diet, I found a recipe on Pinterest for a grain free banana bread.  It was posted on Bravo for Paleo, click HERE for the original recipe.  I did alter it quite a bit to suit my taste.  I love that I can have something sweet and bread like without worrying about breaking my diet.  The bananas are so sweet so I really don't miss the added sugar which in normal banana bread recipes can be up to 2 cups!!!  So here's a recipe you can feel good about eating yourself and giving to your kids.

Ingredients:

3 bananas, mashed

3 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl mash 3 bananas, add eggs and almond extract and beat together with an electric mixer.  Next add in coconut oil, melted and mix until combined.   In a separated bowl using a fork mix together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flax seed meal until completely combined and all lumps are broken up.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.  The batter will be VERY thick, almost dough like.  Spoon batter in to a loaf pan sprayed well with non-stick cooking spray (preferably coconut oil spray).  Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.  It's really delicious severed warm with butter (if you are eating dairy), YUM!

Wheat Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been trying to eat wheat free as much as possible and the hardest part is dessert.  I still need something sweet to eat every once in awhile.  These cookies are the perfect sweet bite and only 5 ingredients.   Now I have to try not to eat them ALL by myself!  So if you like bananas, chocolate and almonds these little cookies are just for you!

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups almond meal (almond flour)

1/3 cup almond butter

1/4 chocolate chips (extra minis for garnish, optional)

1 tablespoon coconut sugar (also optional - I like the added sweetness)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In medium bowl, mash bananas.  Add almond butter and stir to combine.  Next add almond meal, coconut sugar and chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.   On lined cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray drop cookie batter using two teaspoons.  Sprinkle the tops with mini chocolate chips if desired.  Bake for 22 minutes until cookies are slightly browned on top and bottom.  Let cool completely before serving.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread

 

An Oldy but a Goody (RE-POST)

 

This recipe comes from my daughters' nursery school (they are now 15 and 17) and we have been making it ever since. We never have a brunch without it. It is our father's most requested recipe at every family event. When I make it for him I only add walnuts since he doesn't like chocolate. Lately I have been making it with whole wheat flour and it is just as good. It is really easy and comes out great every time.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 large)

3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use 1/2 cup and I don't notice a difference)

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips or both

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with baking spray. Mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. let cool 10 minutes, then loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove from pan. let cool completely before slicing.

Banana Cinnamon Chip Blondie Bars

Banana recipe #5 and if you can believe it I'm not sick of bananas yet.  I found these blondie bars searching around for recipes using bananas (of course) and cinnamon chips which I just saw in my super market and I was dying to try.  This recipe looked and sounded too good not to try and I was right!!  These are AMAZING.  They are super moist and the tops get crispy and chewy.  The bananas and the cinnamon are a perfect combination!  I found this recipe on Erin's Food Files.  Please take a minute to visit her blog....she has a lot of really nice recipes posted.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup banana puree
1 cup whole wheat flour (the recipe  called for white whole wheat but I substituted regular whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cinnamon chips
*you can also add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, I omitted this ingredient

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish. Cream butter and sugar together until creamy. Add egg and beat until combined and batter is smooth. Stir in banana puree & vanilla. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet until just combined.
Add cinnamon chips and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares. If you do not let cool completely they will fall apart when you try to get them out of the pan.  Try to resist!
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Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

If you can believe I STILL have a lot of very ripe bananas in my freezer to use.  So this is recipe #3.  This is a delicous chocolate banana cupcake recipe.  The frosting is very sweet and although I think it goes well with the cupcake next time I think I'll try a peanut butter frosting which I think would taste even better! 

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 1 med sized banana)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FROSTING
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (I used fat free)
1/2 jar of marshmallow creme (Fluff)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (8 oz) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of milk (for stiffer frosting leave the milk out)

Preparation:

CUPCAKES:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with non stick vegetable spray. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another large bow; whisk together egg, mashed banana, water, milk, oil and vanilla extract.  Add the wet ingredieints to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk until combined. (The batter will be pretty thin).  Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

FROSTING:
Combine all ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Refergerate for 30 minutes and beat again before frosting cooled cupcakes.

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Linked to Sweets for Saturday

Banana Cream Pie

This is banana recipe #2.  I decided to make "my" version of a banana cream pie using the ingredients I had in my kitchen.  It came out delicious and it's very easy to make and of course is another way to use up those overripe bananas in my freezer.

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, sliced
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1 box of fat free/sugar free vanilla pudding mix
1/3 cup of fat free cream cheese, softened
2 cups of light cool whip
1 low fat graham cracker pie crust

Preparation:

In prepared graham cracker pie crust arange slices from one banana in one layer on the bottom of crust.  Next, mix together mashed banana and vanilla pudding powder until combined.  With hand mixer beat cream cheese into mashed banana mixture and beat until smooth.  Fold in 1 cup of cool whip into mashed banana mixture until combined and pour into pie crust.  Take slices from 2nd banana and arrange in one layer ontop of banana cream mixture.  Lastly, take additional cup of cool whip and spread evenly on top of sliced bananas.  Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

Linked to Sweets for Saturday

Banana Crumb Snack Cake

This is the first recipe I made trying to use up all the overripe bananas I have in my freezer.  This recipe was suggested by Julie of Julie's Eats and Treats and as soon as I saw the recipe I knew I wanted to make this first.  It looked so delicious and it really is.  YUM, YUM YUM!

 Ingredients

2/3 C. Slivered Almonds
1/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
2/3 C. Butter, softened
1 1/2 C. Sugar (I think you can definitely cut at least 1/2-3/4 cup a sugar out...it's very sweet)
2 Eggs
3/4 tsp Almond Extract
3 C. All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
2 C. Mashed Ripe Bananas (3-4 Bananas)
1 C. (8 oz) Sour Cream (I used Fat Free sour cream)
1 C. Vanilla or White Chips (I used Ghiradelli white chocolate chips)

1. In a small bowl, combine almonds and brown sugar; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream. Fold in white chocolate or vanilla chips.

4. Spread into a greased 13x9x2 in baking pan. Sprinkle with reserved almond mixture.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. (mine took almost an hour to cook in the middle so you definitely have to start checking the center of the cake with a toothpick after 38-40 min, then bake in additional 5 minute increments until the center of the cake is baked through)

Linked to Sweet Treats Thursday

Peanut Butter- Banana Mini Muffins with Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon

Let's call these Elvis Muffins!! I don't know why, but you can ask Nanci.....I've been wanting to make a muffin with peanut butter, banana and bacon and finally I came up with these.  I think they are really yummy and a great balance of sweet and savory....all wrapped up in a bite sized treat.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Brown Sugar Bacon

6 slices of bacon, cooked and broken into bite sized pieces

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine bananas, sugar, egg and butter and peanut butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined mini muffin cups three-fourths full.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Put bacon pieces in a small frying pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, heat on med/hi and constantly toss the bacon and the sugar together until the sugar is melted and the bacon looks shiny.  Remove to a greased surface or parchment paper to cool in a single layer.  Once cooled place a tiny dot of peanut butter on top of each mini muffin and then place a piece of sugared bacon on top.  Enjoy!

Linked to Sweets for Saturday

Banana Crunch Cupcakes

I wanted to make banana crumble cupcakes but I didn't feel like going to the trouble to make a crumble mixture so I used some crushed up Frosted Flakes instead. 

I got the same sweet crunch with a lot less hassle.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
TOPPING:
1 cup crushed Frosted Flakes cereal

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine bananas, sugar, egg and butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Crush Frosted Flakes and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

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Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Cups

Happy Valentines Day!

I saw this delicious idea on a great blog that I follow....Purple Chocolat Home  What a great, simple idea.  As Jacqueline suggested I used Ghiradelli chocolate which really worked beautifully with the fruit.  Also I learned something new.  If you put a little vegetable oil in the chocolate while melting that it helps to avoid white spots and/or streaks in the chocolate if it isn't tempered correctly.  I think it also gives the chocolate a nice sheen.  Try it next time you are melting chocolate for dipping or drizzling.

Raspberries with Milk Chocolate

Strawberries with Dark Chocolate

Bananas with Milk Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 container of fresh raspberries

or

6 large strawberries (sliced into eigths)

or

1 large banana sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices

Preparation:

Place the chips and the oil in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt in the microwave for one minute - stir even though it doesn't look like it needs it - or it will scorch!!!  Melt another 20-30 seconds.  Stir again and keep stirring until all of the chips are melted.  Place chocolate in a disposable frosting bag (or a ziploc bag) and cut the tip (or corner) off with a scissors.  Squeeze a little chocolate into the bottom of the cup.  Place 3 fresh raspberries in each cup (2 if they are huge, but 3 is prettier), pressing down slightly into chocolate. If using strawberries stand up 4-1/8 slices pressing into chocolate to make a teepee shape and for bananas press one slice into chocolate. Drizzle chocolate onto the tops of the fruit.  Place in fridge to set the chocolate.

Nutella and Banana Panini

I just found a great new use for my George Forman grill and my new favorite dessert!! Nutella and Banana panini's. Three ingredients, no butter and less than 5 minutes to make. You can use a frying pan too if you don't have a GF grill or panini maker. There is nothing better than chocolate hazelnut spread and bananas together. If you don't have Nutella on hand, you can always use whatever chocolate you have in your cabinet. Just melt it in the microwave and spread it on the bread. YUM!!

Ingredients:

white bread
Nutella
banana sliced

Preparation:

Spread Nutella on both sides of bread. Place single layer of banana slices on one side. Put the two pieces of bread together and place in a panini maker, George Forman grill or on a non stick frying pan (if using a frying pan, place another pan on top of the sandwich to press it down and flip half way through cooking) When bread is golden brown and toasted...it's done