Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Power Cakes

It’s official, I’m breaking up with coconut flour or at least when it comes to muffins.  I made a batch of apple cinnamon walnut muffins a few months ago, and they looked delicious with perfectly shaped, crumb topped tops when they came out of the oven. Unfortunately, you can’t judge a muffin by its top-they did not taste delicious at all! They were a soggy, inedible mess with the consistency of a wet dish sponge.  Blech!

I have used coconut flour before without a problem, like my Crazy for Coconut Quinoa Chocolate Chip Muffins (see my Instagram for that recipe).  In an effort to give it another try, I attempted a different recipe last week.  They too were a let down. 😦  The only edible part was the very top, as in a 1/4 of an inch of the muffin.  I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode, and the stumps were not salvageable or edible at all.

Coconut flour typically needs a lot of moisture since it absorbs so much due to its fiber content, but both of the recipes I tried must have had too much moisture.  Either way, I’m not wasting another batch of muffins.  Sorry coconut flour!

For now I’ll stick to oats (and oat flour), almond flour, good old-fashioned all-purpose flour, Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix, and my new favorite Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes:  Protein Packed Flapjack & Waffle Mix.  I’ve wanted to try Kodiak Cakes mix for a while now and finally bought some this weekend.

I’m so glad I did.  The muffins I made with  the mix were love at first bite!  The Power Cakes mix is 100% whole grain with added protein, which is a bonus since I tend to struggle with breakfast ideas that keep me from getting hangry by 11 am.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I don’t like eggs on their own or in primarily egg based recipes like quiche so I’m limited when it comes to breakfast.  I followed the recipe on the box with some substitutions and add-ins.  Two muffins clock in around 14 grams of protein and were great for breakfast along with a few slices of turkey bacon and some fresh strawberries.  And they were delicious from tops to stumps. 🙂

Ingredients 
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
2 ripe bananas
2 cups Power Cakes mix
1 cup unsweetened almond coconut milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º F.  In a large bowl, mash together the bananas, coconut sugar and coconut oil.   Add the remaining ingredients through the cinnamon and mix until smooth.  Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.  Fill lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350º F for 14-18 minutes until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out slightly moist.

Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday-partly because of the food!  My mom’s stuffing is my favorite, so much so, I would keep it all to myself if I could.  I also make a great cranberry chutney every year that I serve with brie as an appetizer, use it as a side with dinner, and then on leftover turkey sandwiches.  I just realized I never posted the recipe for it and will have to when I make it this week.  Thanksgiving is also my favorite because of time spent with family.  When I was little, my great Aunt Betty would have Thanksgiving at her house in Reading and in later years in York, PA.  Some of my most cherished memories are from those Thanksgivings.

Most Thanksgiving dinners are centered around traditions.  My mom’s stuffing is a staple, and I would never dare to change it.  Her sweet potatoes are the same.  I’m sure you and your family have your own traditions too, but if you’re looking to mix it up, then you must try my Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots and Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Bananas with Pecan Crumble topping. Both have lots of flavor, and I’m sure your Thanksgiving guests will go back for seconds!

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots

Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cubed
25-30 Brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1-2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 slices extra thick cut bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400º F.  In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss well to combine.  Transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet.  Scatter the bacon and shallots over top.  Roast in the oven for 60 minutes turning the mixture over every 20 minutes.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Bananas with Pecan Crumble

Ingredients
3 sweet potatoes, washed and unpeeled
2 bananas, unpeeled
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Poke holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork.  Put in a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes.  Add the bananas and continue roasting until the potatoes and bananas are very soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

In the meantime time, combine the pecans, 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, brown sugar, and flour.  Using your fingers, rub everything together until well combined.  Set aside.

Once cool enough to touch, cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.  Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with the butter, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil,  and the honey.  Season with salt and pepper. Mash with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined and the mixture is fluffy.  Spoon into a baking dish and top with the pecan mixture.  Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

 

Peanut Butter Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Bake

For the past few weeks I’ve been making green smoothies for breakfast.  Typically I blend together a banana, small green apple, baby spinach, pineapple, lemon juice, turmeric, ground ginger and water.  But now that berries are in season, especially Jersey blueberries, I’ve swapped those in for the pineapple.  This week, in keeping with the berry theme, I wanted to do a spinach salad with blueberries, strawberries, grilled chicken, and walnuts for lunch.  So that left me needing a different option for breakfast, and this oatmeal bake was the perfect choice.  My mom gave me this recipe last year, and I usually make it in the winter.  It’s really easy to prepare, and I normally make it on a Sunday night so I have it for the week for breakfast.  I decided to add peanut butter this time, and I’m glad I did!  It gives it a little more substance, and the added protein is a bonus.  I’m less “hangry” once lunchtime rolls around. 🙂

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup honey (I used local blueberry blossom honey-yum!)
1 cup uncooked quick oats (I used old-fashioned whole grain oats)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp or more cinnamon
pinch of Kosher salt
1 cup 2% milk (or any milk you want)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Lightly spray an 8 x 8″ or 9 x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon, 1 tbsp of the honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until the bananas get soft.  Remove from the oven.

In the meantime, combine the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, rest of the cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the honey, milk, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter.

Pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.  Then pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute it evenly over the oats.  Sprinkle the remaining blueberries and walnuts over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set.  Serve warm from the oven or reheat if serving leftover.  Feel free to try different fruit in this recipe.  I’ve made it with strawberries, and it was really good!