Like Healthier Hostess Cupcakes: Flourless Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Banana Mini Muffins

I have, again, been remiss in posting as our family has been living out of suitcases for a month or so and then moved across a few states. Life is chaotic most days, but I recently found myself craving the need to bake in a new home surrounded by boxes. Therefore, I am doing the second best option and posting something decadent and healthy for those that are willing to brave the summer heat by turning on the oven....if you're not willing to turn your oven on yet, bookmark this recipe, because they are truly worth trying! Even the kids love them!

I cannot get over how these delicious mini-muffins don't taste like they have healthy ingredients!--Ok, except for the chocolate chips on top. The best part is, the blender/food processor does all the work for you. Here is the original recipe from Dashing Dish that also shows nutritional information. Thank you for such an awesome recipe, Katie! I have adapted the recipe to use DARK chocolate cocoa, semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, (these latter two ingredients make it 'double dark') and added flaxmeal (this affects fat content a bit). Feel free to try it with peanut butter chips instead if you prefer more of a peanut butter flavor. Or skip the chips and frost for healthier cupcakes. Either way, the banana and peanut flavors make for terrific pairing with the chocolate. My daughter thinks she's getting cake when these come out.

Oh guys.....I am in awe of how delicious these muffins are--we are calling them chocolate 'treats' in our house. They have the softness and texture of a cupcake. I have made them several times now...you will think you are cheating on your diet when eating these...we even took them on a picnic in the mountains last month. Here are some pictures of that glorious day where the mini-muffins were just part of the delights:

And here are the mini-muffins (or cupcakes) thawing out from our cooler:

Flourless Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Mini-Muffins


Adapted from www.dashingdish.com

Yield: 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini-muffins

• 1 ¾ cups old fashioned oats
• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa)
• 1 ½ bananas (this makes ½ cup mashed banana)
• ½ cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp. vinegar (or ½ tsp. cream of tartar)
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ cup baking stevia OR 1 cup sweetener of choice that measures like sugar (I like raw sugar)
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds (also called ‘flaxmeal’)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ‘natural’ preferred
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini-morsels (or more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 24 cup mini muffin pans with silicone mini muffin liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. OR, you can use one 12 cup regular muffin tin pan. Set aside. 

Place the peanut butter in a mug or microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until melted.

In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. (The batter will be sort of liquid-y, but that’s ok!)

Divide batter between muffin tins. Sprinkle each muffin top with mini-chocolate chips, dividing them evenly.

Place muffin tin(s) in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool muffins before removing from pan. ENJOY!!!

Banana, Chocolate Chip, and Granola Cookies

So, with two months left until we leave our house and downsize to less than half of what we have now....I've got a myriad of foods and odds and ends ingredients that need to be used up. Powdered sugar, lentils, Swiss cheese, dried papaya, dehydrated mushrooms, corn flakes, etc. In fact, I got really creative this weekend and made waffles from random pantry items: coconut oil, quinoa flakes, eggs leftover from Easter, leftover buttermilk, sorghum, cornstarch, etc. My family ate them and ate them again. While I watched silently. And enjoyed the smell of coconut in my house. And then decided to tackle more ingredients...like granola.

What's a person to do with leftover granola when they're burned out on parfaits? Well, I saw these cookies online and had to try them. They are VERY good. Moist...flavorful...quite the treat. Glad I stumbled upon the recipe so that I can have another use for bananas and granola. 

The recipe below is my adapted version: I used less sugar (and brown, not white), a not-so ripe banana (so the pieces didn't get smushed), a different granola, and totally upped the amount of chocolate chips--and felt I could have even used more! Delicious.

BANANA, CHOCOLATE-CHIP, AND GRANOLA COOKIES

Adapted from www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com

Makes 3-4 dozen

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
• 3/4 cup Cascadian Farms Maple-Brown Sugar Granola (I used Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus)
• 1 medium banana, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix sugars and butter in a large bowl. With a mixer, hand-held beater, or very strong arm, beat until creamy. Then beat in the egg until the batter is fluffy and light.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until basically combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and granola. Now fold in the banana, being careful not to smush the pieces too much.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet (yes, I did add some more chips on top!). Bake 6-8 minutes or until just barely set.

Cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a rack or a plate to finish cooling.

Blew-My-Mind-Delicious-Treat: Vegan (REALLY?) Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Yup. Another vegan recipe. And it's amazing. My friends recently asked me what my obsession with trying vegan recipes was...I really don't know. Maybe it's because it seems like the 'hip' thing to do these days...? Or maybe it's because I'd like to believe that there are delicious vegan foods to discover. Or maybe because I'd like to know I'm not as completely dependent on cheese as I think I am (HA! A life without cheese? Say it isn't so!!!!). I haven't read 'The China Study' or 'Eat To Live'...no time and parenting/bible study material sort of take priority at this point in my life. Maybe I'll get to them later this year...however, I like the idea of 'cleaner' eating. Though we like to live with moderation, trying vegan recipes is my way of staying 'open-minded.' And when I stumble upon recipes like this, I don't miss the dairy or eggs.

I saw this banana bread recipe on www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com and was excited about a way to use up the spelt flour sitting in my fridge (yes, I keep my whole grain flours in the fridge). What a surprise it was to find such a low-fat treat. There is no additional fat in this bread (if you don't use oil) besides the chocolate chips! And yes, I added extra chocolate chips. Also, I realize that I have posted several banana bread recipes--all very good. But this is the only one that didn't require butter, refined sugar, or eggs. So, I will definitely be making it again!

I hope you will try this and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

POLKA-DOT BANANA BREAD (CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD)

Adapted from www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

(Makes 10-12 slices)

• 2 cups spelt flour (or white, or Arrowhead Mills gluten free, etc.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup milk of choice (or oil)--(I used almond milk)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 stevia packet (or 1 Tbsp. more agave or other sweetener)--(I used agave nectar)
• 2 cups tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)-(I had a little less than 2 cups)
• 1/3 to 2/3 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup and sprinkled more on top)
  
  

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. (Mix by hand, and don’t overmix.)

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and cook for around 50 minutes. (Tip: If the top is cooked but the inside is still gooey, put tin foil over the top and continue to cook.)

After removing from the oven, let cool for ten minutes before slicing. After the first day, this bread is best stored in the fridge. Or cut it into slices and freeze for later. 

GOING BANANAS: Our House Banana Bread (With More Coconut!)

The original recipe comes from Mark Bittman--author of one of my favorite cookbooks-"How To Cook Everything". What's even more flattering is that my mother in law, Carol, loves it. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but my mother in law and mother and aunt are amazing cooks. So anything they love that I make....well, that just elevates my self esteem to new heights :):) But, this is not about me...this is about the BANANA BREAD....and I have made many. I love this one because it isn't very sweet.

The recipe below has been modified--Bittman uses 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. I have used 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. Also, I use LIGHT butter and you just can't tell the difference! Do NOT use sweetened coconut---it will taste artificial. I made two mini-loaves this time and froze one....but you can just make on standard size loaf.

BANANA BREAD
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

8 tablespoons butter (I use 'light' butter)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 sugar (I like to use natural/Turbinado sugar)
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until smooth
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chpopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 grated dried unsweetened coconut

Preheat the overn to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Mix together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and beat in the eggs and bananas--please note that if you use 'light' butter, it will not cream as well. It will be a little bit lumpy--as if it won't quite blend completely. This is OK. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients; do not mix more than necessary--otherwise your bread will be tough. Gently stir in the vanilla, nuts, and coconut.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until nicely browned. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out fairly clean. Note that this banana bread may be more moist compared to other breads--so try not to overcook. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. To store, wrap in waxed paper.

This banana bread is particularly exquistite tasting when toasted. Try it! It's a staple in our house.
 

Nutty Chocolate Banana Clusters (aka Nikki's 'Healthy' Cookies)

I must preface this entry by saying 1) I found these to be really good. 2) My husband (who is usually my taste-tester) is a REAL cookie fan and said these were good, but definately not to be called 'cookies'--more like ice-cream toppings or parfait layers.

Having said that, I am SO glad that I made these. They are almost guilt-less treats. Made me want to scrub the toilets or dust the cobwebs just to earn a few more. I read somewhere that they amount to about 79 calories a 'cookie'. And gives you energy to boot. No butter, no eggs, no flour, no sugar. And still good.

Sort of like bread, my healthy cookie search continues. There are just never enough healthy cookies out there! Enjoy!!!!!!!

Thanks Heidi Swanson--recipe courtesy of 101cookbooks.com.



NUTTY DARK CHOCOLATE BANANA CLUSTER 'COOKIES'

3 large ripe bananas, well-mashed (about 1½ cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil (can be found at natural food grocery stores like Whole Foods)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded and unsweetened (can purchase in bulk foods section at Whole Foods)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or carbo nibs for the vegans out there)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, --you're going to use the top third rack.

In a large bowl, combine the bananas, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Set aside. Oh, and this is what coconut oil looks like:

In another bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough.

Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart onto a parchment- (or Silpat)-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Check at 10 to 11 minutes to make sure the bottoms aren't burning. Mine took at least 15 minutes--check that the bottoms are burning--each oven is different.

Makes about 3 dozen 'cookies'.

Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins (or how to make your GI system happy)

Yes, there are a million recipes out there & most muffin recipes are good. Some are even dessert-like. And if you like sweet, cakey muffins, these are not going to fit the bill. These will, however, keep you regular (ha!), full, and healthy as they are low in fat, full of fiber—and thanks to the blueberries, contain antioxidants.

This is my all-time favorite muffin recipe that I have perfected based on many other muffin recipes I’ve tried. When I used to travel for a living (back when I had a paycheck motivating job), my breakfast on the run was a Whole Foods bran muffin, a container of raspberries, sometimes some Greek yogurt, and a black coffee. I would nibble on it all through lunch (because I only took lunch less than half the time) and this would tide me over until an early dinner.

Since then, I have sought to come close to the way that Whole Foods makes their muffins (because they do not publish the recipe)….this is the closest I’ve come—and I think mine are moister. Also, one that comes close to this is Bread & Company's (in Nashville, TN) bran muffin (yum!).

If want a plain bran muffin, omit the banana and blueberries and reduce the cooking time by about 20 minutes—but check on them at the 20 minute mark anyway. Oh, and if you're wondering where to get some of the ingredients, take a little field trip to Whole Foods--the bulk food section, specifically--definately eye-opening.

I’m really proud of these and if you try them and don’t like them—I’m sorry. Give them to your grandparents or your gastroenterologist.

BANANA BLUEBERRY BRAN MUFFINS (triple threat muffins)

(Alternately, for a lighter colored & a bit lighter textured muffin, you can use 2 cups oat bran and 1 cup wheat bran)

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup skim milk or soymilk
2/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (wild if you can get them)

Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan or line cups with paper liners (which makes clean up so much easier).

Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey and bananas in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Then add blueberries over all this and very gently mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill muffin cups with batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes--but check because ovens vary so much--if edges start to brown signifantly, the muffins are most likely done. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy the muffins plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam. Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave.

Makes 12 very large and very moist muffins or (14-15 smaller sized ones).

Roast Banana-Pumpkin Seed Bread (with Rum Raisins)

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say about this banana bread. I've tried a LOT of banana bread recipes...but this one.....well, it just takes it to a whole new level of amazing. Rum raisins? Roasted bananas? Coconut milk? Pumpkin seeds? Really? Yes! It's worth a little bit more effort. This is my second time making this recipe. This is the kind of recipe that makes you wish you were my neighbor.

I almost want to encourage you to go ahead and double the recipe and make 2 loaves if you're already going through the effort. It's that good. The coconut marries well with the rum raisins.....you'll imagine you're eating banana bread in the tropics.

This recipe comes from Stephen Pyles' book Southwest Vegetarian. And to be fair, I found it on one of my absolute favorite sites-101cookbooks.com. I love, love, love Heidi's work and her photography. Maybe one day I can grow up and be just like her.....in the meantime, I'll settle for inspired average girl and continue to try things like this...below is my version--with a little more fiber and a little less fat.

ROAST BANANA-PUMPKIN SEED BREAKFAST BREAD (with RUM RAISINS)

• 3/4 cup golden raisins (I used dark raisins)
• *1/3 cup dark rum 
• 2 ripe bananas, unpeeled
• 2 cups cake flour (I used half cake flour and half whole wheat pastry flour)**
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (I used aluminum-free)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened (I used half light butter and half salted butter with success)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• Powdered sugar (really optional)

*(author recommends 1/2 cup Myer's brand rum--but I found that's too much and you end up wasting it)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine the raisins and rum. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let stand for 1 hour. Strain the plumped raisins and set aside; discard any remaining liquid.

Place the bananas on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the skins are black and they have started to seep. Remove from the oven , set aside, and let cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl (sorry to disappoint, but I skipped the sifting stage). Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Turn the machine to low and add 1 egg. Mix until completely incorporated and then add the second egg. Mix again until completely incorporated.

Meanwhile, squeeze the flesh of the bananas out of the skins and into a small mixing bowl. Add the coconut milk and vanilla and mash together. Add half of the banana mixture to the electric mixer bowl and blend thoroughly on low speed. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining banana mixture, blend thoroughly, and add the remaining flour mixture; mix just enough to thoroughly blend the ingredients. Fold the pumpkin seeds and reserved raisins into the batter and pour it into a lightly greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack, slice, and serve warm.

If desired, sprinkle with the powdered sugar and glaze briefly under a preheated broiler.

Makes 1 loaf.

**If you don't have cake flour (which I did not have on hand), the perfect substitute for 2 cups of cake flour (as the recipe calls for) is 1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch. I did this for the first time and was very impressed by the result.

Baked Oatmeal (Vegan & Non-Vegan)

I've always had a pretty negative attitude towards vegan eating...(it's just weird, right?), but then I tasted some really good vegan recipes & started thinking differently about vegan food (haven't really thought much about the reasons to eat vegan, but I plan to since I just purchased "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch").

Baked Oatmeal can be turned into a vegan recipe (as I've done below). You can make it with milk or soymilk. Also, my good friend, Betsy, taught me that a good egg replacer is 1 Tbsp. of flax meal mixed with 3 Tbsp. of water--let sit for a few minutes. It was awesome in this recipe!

This is a really good breakfast--healthy, relatively quick, and can be prepared the night before.

There are many variations to be tried with this recipe. You can try apple-pear, banana-walnut, cranberry-orange zest-ginger, any mixed berry, or strawberry-banana-nut as I've tried below.

BAKED OATMEAL

Serves ~ 5-6

1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups of oats (did not use quick oats)
2 cups skim milk (or for vegan version: soymilk)
1 egg (or for vegan version: 1 Tbsp. flax seed+3 Tbsp. water--mix & let sit a few minutes)
2-3 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like your oatmeal)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (4 oz)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking powder (I used aluminum-free baking powder)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 banana, thinly sliced

6-8 strawberries, diced

Spray an 8X8 inch pan with some non-stick cooking spray (canola oil spray)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (with the exception of the strawberries) & pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the strawberries over the top.

Dish can be prepared ahead ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight before baking in the morning. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve with a light pouring of maple syrup. Especially good with sliced oranges and some breakfast meat.

Sweet Frit-ta-ta (Banana Walnut)

In experimenting with healthier cooking, I've noticed one of the easiest thing to do is to use whole grain flours. In my search for a sweet addition to breakfast for our company (and my desire to use up over-ripe bananas), I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com & changed it around a bit.

Personally, I can't stand waiting around the range or skillet to cook up pancakes. So this was a fun little switch. This baked banana pancake is a cross between a pancake, souffle, and banana bread. Best of all? It was fast & easy.

You can also make this with apples substituted for bananas & cinnamon substituted for vanilla.

BAKED BANANA WALNUT PANCAKE

4 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup oat flour (oatmeal blended up in the blender)2 pinches salt (approx. 3/4 tsp.)
1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 large bananas, diced (PLUS, 1 additional banana for topping after baking)
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)
Maple syrup (for serving)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray. Wrap the pan in aluminum foil to prevent leakage. Place pan in the oven to preheat as well.

In a bowl, crack the eggs & whisk after each one until they are smooth. Add the vanilla, skim milk, and butter. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar.

Gradually fold the dry mixture into the liquid mixture, stirring constantly, until a smooth batter is formed. Fold in the sliced bananas and walnuts (if using).

Take the preheated pan out of the oven & pour the mixture in until it is evenly distriubted across the greased pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the edges have just started to brown.

Slice the last banana in rounds & add to the top of the pancake. Cut in wedges & serve with pure maple syrup (do yourself a favor & skip the Aunt Jemima!).

Serves 6.

Got thumbs up all around.

Banana Monkey Breakfast Shake

There are few thing more delicious, decadent, and healthier than this shake. This is truly an embodiment of "good food". Our recipe was inspired by an Oprah show I read about that featured the cast of "LOST", one of our favorite shows. Matthew Fox (the actor who plays "Jack") said this is a favorite of his (called "Kailua Monkey" in Hawaii). And now it's my husband's favorite shake.


In our house, it's called the "Banana Monkey" and it tastes like a milkshake. Ever since we've introduced this to my uncle Gabriel, he's had this shake every day.



BANANA MONKEY

Makes 2-3 servings

Approx. 4 oz. soy milk (we use light, Silk brand soymilk)
2 heaping Tbsp. scoop organic peanut butter (not Jif brand)
1-2 big scoops vanilla soy protein powder
2 ripe bananas (frozen bananas preferred)
1 huge glass of ice
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar (optional—can usually skip if bananas are ripe)
1 Tbsp. wheat germ (optional)

In blender (the Vitamix is awesome for this!), blend all ingredients until smooth, adding more soymilk to thin out the consistency if necessary.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! We sure do.