Lemon Banana Bread (vegan)

Recipe from https://www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/ 
Husband-Tested in Susan U.’s Kitchen and Alice’s Kitchen
Makes one 9” x 5” loaf (12 slices)

We went on a double date with our friends, Susan and Bill.  Susan helps me when I teach my Plant Powered Plates class at Gilda’s Club of Louisville.  I call her my "Sue Chef."  After enjoying a pizza and a mocktail at a local restaurant, they invited us to see their beautiful home and have dessert.  This is what she made, along with a tasty berry compote. She packed up a generous slice for me to enjoy at breakfast the next day, which I did with Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt. Here is a link to a tasty compote I've made many times. 

1½ cups mashed bananas, equivalent to 3 large bananas
1½ cups all-purpose flour 
½ cup almond flour 
¼ cup lemon juice, about 2 medium lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest
⅓ cup soft brown sugar 
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup mild-flavor olive oil 
1 teaspoon almond extract 
½ teaspoon salt
(Optional, but lovely)
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of nutmeg
Topping
⅓ cup sliced almonds (I used pecans because that’s what I had.)

Instructions
Preheat the oven** to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking spray.
Mash the bananas, pack them in a measuring cup to measure exactly 1 cup + 1/2 cup, and place them in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the light olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, soft brown sugar, and almond extract, until well combined.
Fold in the flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and use a rubber spatula to combine. It should form a thick, smooth batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the bread.

Bake the bread on the center rack for 45-55 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). If the top of the bread darkens too fast, foil the pan after 30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then release and cool completely on a wire rack for about 2 hours before serving.


Notes: Swap the brown sugar for a refined sugar-free option like coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar if desired. Do not swap for a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, the bread will turn gummy. Any low-flavor oil works or, you can use melted plant-based butter if preferred. 

Storage: Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

*Oven Mode: This recipe calls for using the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you use conventional mode, increase the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Nutrition Information: (1 of 12 slices) 253 calories; 32 g carbohydrates; 4.6 g protein; 12.9 g fat (5.6 g saturated fat; 0.7 g polyunsaturated fat; 1.6 g monounsaturated fat; 0.01 g trans-fat); 250.4 mg sodium; 163.3 mg potassium; 2.7 g fiber; 14.4 g sugars; vitamin A 18.5 IU; vitamin C 2.5 mg; 92.1 mg calcium; 1.4 mg iron; 23.1 mg magnesium; 68.7 mg phosphorus; 0.3 mg zinc

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal (Vegan, gluten-free, nut free option)

Recipe from fitgreenmind (Instagram) 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 6 generous servings

This scrumptious breakfast can be made in a jiffy using only the baking dish, so easy clean-up. Using spotty bananas will make the baked oatmeal especially sweet.  Serve this with a dollop of vegan yogurt and some fresh seasonal fruit for a lovely, tasty breakfast.

2 large ripe bananas, mash (The spottier the bananas, the sweeter the final result.)
1 1/3 cup (330ml) plant milk (I used unsweetened soy milk to bump up the protein.)
1/4 cup (60g) nut or seed butter (I used almond butter.)
4 Tablespoon maple syrup (You can also use agave syrup.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (200g) old fashioned oatmeal (To make this gluten free, use gluten free oats.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ -1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Optional: ½ banana, sliced for decoration

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Use a baking dish.  (I used a 1½ quart 8” X 10” Corningware baking dish.) With a fork, mash the two large very ripe bananas right in the dish.  Stir in the nut/seed butter, the maple syrup, and the vanilla until well combined.  Slowly add the plant milk.  Stir until well combined.  
Add the oats, baking powder and the chocolate chips and stir well until everything is well incorporated. Decorate with some banana slices, if using.
Bake at 200C/400F for 30-35min and let it cool a few minutes before serving or storing.  Store in the refrigerator or the freezer.  

Nut Butter Banana Breakfast Muffins (Vegan)

Recipe from Julia Maiten (She also has a fabulous YouTube channel.)
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 11-12 standard size muffins

These tender, fluffy muffins are perfect to prep ahead and keep in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack. I did use a scale to make these instead of using measuring cups.  

The original recipe said it yielded 8 muffins, but I think she used a jumbo sized muffin tin.  I was able to make 11 muffins in a standard muffin tin.  I did fill the muffin tins a bit over the top, so I’m thinking if you filled the tins to the rim, you could get a dozen lovely muffins.  The original recipe called for peanut butter, but I had a partial jar of almond butter and a partial jar of cashew butter and wanted to use them up.  I’m thinking that if you can’t have nuts, you could use seed butter as well, such as sunflower seed butter or even tahini. I used some spelt flour along with all-purpose flour to make these a bit more healthful. I will definitely make them on repeat!

Ingredients:

3 large bananas, mashed (My bananas were huge, so I used 2½ huge bananas.)
2 Tablespoons flax meal 
2 Tablespoons water
90g nut butter (I used a mixture of cashew and almond butter.)
70g maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g flour, or a mix of oat flour & flour (I used 100 g spelt flour + 100 g all-purpose flour.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of kosher salt
½ cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for optional topping
Toppings: rolled oats, dark chocolate chips, optional

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F.  Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.  (You can use oil spray if you wish.)
In a small bowl, mix the flax meal and the water and set aside. (This will become thick and will serve as the “egg.”)
Measure the flour(s), the baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk until blended well.
Mash the bananas on a dinner plate and set aside.
In a large bowl, measure out the nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Add in the mashed bananas and the flax meal “egg.”  Stir well until all the wet ingredients are well mixed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.  Gently stir in the chocolate chips.  
Scoop the batter into the muffin lined tin.  Top each muffin with a sprinkle of dry oats (I used quick oats.) and a few dark chocolate chips for garnish, if you wish.
Bake at 180°C/360°F for 25 minutes.  
Allow the muffins to cool just a bit before serving right away. 
They should cool completely before storing or freezing.
For a full meal, serve with yogurt, fresh seasonal fruit and/or berries and seeds.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 12 muffins) 160 calories; 5 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 183 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrates; 8 g sugars; 3 g fiber; 4 g protein; 4 mg calcium

Toffee Banana Breakfast Bread (Vegan)

Recipe from Instagram @sophiethenutritionist
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 8-10 slices

I just love breakfast and my day is made when I eat a really good one.  I saw this on Julie Maiten’s YouTube channel (one of my faves) and she said she found the recipe on Instagram.  So I gave it a try.  Though it looks decadent, it’s wholesome, filling and very satisfying with a hot cup of Joe.  It’s sweetened not with sugar, but with dates and bananas. To gild the lily, just top it off with yogurt and drizzle with mixture of tahini and maple syrup.  Sprinkle on some toasted pecans for a lovely crunch. This one is a new breakfast for us all to have on repeat.

Ingredients for the Bread:
5 pitted medjool dates
Scant 2 cups (320g) mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
¼ cup (80g) vegan yogurt (I used Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk of choice (I used soy milk.)
(180g) whole wheat flour
¾ cup (80g) old fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoon ground flax seed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt 

Topping Ingredients for Two Slices:
Vegan Yogurt (I used Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt.)
1 Tablespoon tahini
½ Tablespoon maple syrup
Splash of plant milk, to thin, if needed

Toasted pecans* or other nuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a 9” X 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.
Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes/until soft. 
Add the milk, vanilla, yogurt and bananas to a high speed blend.  Add the pitted, soaked and drained dates.  Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Measure the flour, oats, soda, powder, flax meal, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk until completely mixed.
Add the date milk mixture to the dry mixture.  Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.
Put the batter into the lined loaf pan.  
Bake for 45-60 mins at 350F (180C) or until nice and golden on the top. Wait until the loaf is completely cool before cutting. Cut into 8 to 10 slices.
You can freeze the sliced loaf with baking paper between each slice.  Reheat in a toaster, oven or microwave. 

*To toast pecans in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (180C), spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they become fragrant and slightly darker brown in color; be sure to watch them closely as they can burn quickly. 

Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Bars (vegan & gluten-free)

Recipe from Simply Quinoa  

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 16 bars

Healthy vegan blueberry breakfast bars with oats, quinoa, coconut sugar, ripe banana, flax eggs, and fresh berries that are vegan and gluten-free. Be sure to read some of the variations in the notes below.  These were a nice change from my usual breakfast. If you have some leftover quinoa in the fridge, this recipe is a great way to use it up. I served these by smearing some Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt in a bowl and then topping the yogurt with the bars. I added sliced kiwi to get another fruit in my day.

Ingredients
1½ cups quick cooking oats  
1 cup cooked quinoa  
1 teaspoon baking powder  
1/3 cup coconut sugar  
1/4 cup hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium
2 flax eggs (2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal + 6 Tablespoons of water)
2 Tablespoons nut/seed butter
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (You can also use a mix of frozen blueberries and raspberries)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9"x 9" baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the sides with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, quinoa, sugar, baking powder, and hemp seeds.
In a separate bowl, mix the banana, nut butter, flax eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing everything together until fully incorporated. The batter should be moist, but not runny. Fold in the blueberries
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
Bake on the center rack for 25 - 35 minutes until the bars are golden brown and firm to the touch.
Remove and let cool completely in the pan, then remove and slice into squares (or rectangles). Store in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days.

Notes
The author found that she enjoyed the texture of the bars best after being cooled on a wire rack overnight because some of the added moisture from the blueberries was removed and she found that they were even more hearty.
You can reduce the sugar to 2 Tablespoons instead of 1/3 cup.  

You can replace ½ cup of the oats with ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut. 

You can substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.
According to reviewers, you can also bake these in an 8”x8” pan or a standard muffin pan.

Another reviewer makes these as muffins in a standard muffin pan. 

Nutritional Information (1 of 16 bars)
Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.2mg


 

Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Recipe from Love & Lemons Everyday by Jeanine Donofrio & Jack Mathews

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 12-14 cookies

These were very good and will make a delightful snack or breakfast served along with a piece of seasonal fruit and a cup of tea or coffee.

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

3 Tablespoons water

1 cup oat flour

1 cup (gluten-free) whole rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

½ cup cooked quinoa

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup almond butter

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water and set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Fold in the quinoa and the walnuts.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, mashed banana, vanilla, and coconut oil.  Whisk well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Fold in just until combined.

Use a ¼-cup scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.  Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.  When the cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information: Servings: (1 of 12 cookies) Calories 209; Total Fat 7.9 g. Saturated Fat 2.7g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2776mg; Total Carbohydrate 25.7g; Dietary Fiber 6.8g; Sugars 3.1g; Protein 5.2g; Vitamin D 0 mcg; Calcium 242mg; Iron 4mg; Potassium 638mg 

Berry Baked Oatmeal (vegan and gluten free)

Recipe from Faith VanderMolen 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 generous servings

This berry baked oatmeal is a beautiful and nutritious way to start the day. It's easy to prepare, tastes amazing and will fuel you for whatever the day holds!

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas cut into ½-inch slices
1 flax egg*
1⅔ cups unsweetened almond milk
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup toasted* chopped walnuts, divided
1½ cups blueberries and chopped strawberries

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 °F and spray an 8x8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Slice your ripe bananas and place them in a layer on the bottom of your baking dish. Set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl prepare your flax egg by whisking together 1 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 Tablespoons of water. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
Once the flax egg has thickened, whisk in the non-dairy milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
Lastly, stir in your rolled oats, toasted walnuts and berries. If desired reserve some of the nuts and berries to sprinkle on the top.
Pour the batter on top of your sliced bananas in the baking dish and spread it out to be level. Sprinkle the top with any reserved berries and walnuts.
Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until set.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving plain or with more berries and maple syrup.

Notes
*To toast walnuts, place them on a baking dish in an oven heated to 375°F / 190°C for about 7 minutes.
*To make a flax egg, whisk 1 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 Tablespoons of water and let sit for five minutes until it becomes gelatinous, like an egg.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings)
Calories: 442kcal; Carbohydrates: 71g;  Protein: 10g; Fat: 15g;  Saturated Fat: 2g;  Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g;  Sodium: 539mg; Potassium: 552mg;  Fiber: 9g;  Sugar: 30g;  Vitamin A: 73IU;  Vitamin C: 11mg;  Calcium: 269mg;  Iron: 3mg

Chocolate Brownie Shake (vegan/plant-based)

Recipe from Getting Healthy with Stasia YouTube Channel
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 servings

Part of The Daily Dozen is three servings of beans a day. So, if you’re looking to add more beans to your diet because they have protein, fiber, and antioxidants, here’s a fun and delicious way to include them. I promise, you won’t taste the beans.  They, along with the bananas, will add the creaminess that we all love in a traditional shake.  

½ cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
2 small frozen ripe bananas (The spottier the bananas, the sweeter they are.)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup or 1 pitted date (Optional)
1½ Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa powder.)
1 cup unsweetened plant based milk (I used unsweetened soy milk.)
Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until completely smooth.
Serve cold. 

NOTES: I didn't use any other sweetener other than really ripe bananas.  We thought the shake was just right.  Taste the shake first and then add maple syrup or a date if it’s not sweet to your taste. You can add 1 teaspoon maple syrup or 1 pitted date to make it sweeter.  If the bananas you use are really ripe, you may not need to add any other sweetener.  

Nutrition Facts (1 of 2 servings)
Calories 198
Total Fat 2.4g (Saturated Fat 0.5g)
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 34mg
Total Carbohydrate 40.7g
Dietary Fiber 8.9g
Total Sugars 15g  
Protein 8.1g
Vitamin D 0mcg
Calcium 37mg
Iron 2mg
Potassium 656mg

Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups (2 Flavors!) Soy Free Nut-Free Gluten Free

Recipe from https://www.youtube.com/c/theconscientiouseater
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Full of whole grains and sweetened naturally with fruit, these two different flavors of Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups are a healthy and fun way to start your morning! These delicious muffins are freezer friendly too.

Chunky Monkey Cups: (Makes 12) (264 calories; 9.6 g fat; 1 mg cholesterol; 12.4 g fiber; 4 g sugars; 8 g protein)

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup mashed banana
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped***
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips 

Cinnamon Roll Cups: (Makes 12) (314 calories; 7.6 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 16.5 fiber; 18.9 sugars; 7.6 g protein) 

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup unsweetened applesauce 
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed 
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 
1/4 cup almond butter***
2 Tablespoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C and grease a standard size muffin pan with cooking spray. Set it aside. (I used muffin cup liners and gave them a quick spray with oil.)

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, fruit puree, ground flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined. 

3. Next, stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats. For the chunky monkey cups you’ll also fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. 

4. If you’re making the cinnamon roll baked oatmeal cups, prepare the cinnamon swirl in a separate bowl by stirring together the almond butter, coconut sugar and cinnamon until smooth. 

5. Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. 
******For the cinnamon roll oatmeal cups, fill each muffin cup half way up with the batter before adding a teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl “paste.” Use damp fingers to spread the paste out into an even layer before topping each cup with the remaining oatmeal batter.******

6. Bake the oatmeal cups for about 25 minutes or until set. Allow the cups to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

***To make these cups nut free, omit the walnuts from the chunky monkey cups and use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter in the cinnamon roll cups! 

Double Chocolate Black Tahini Banana Muffins

Yield: 12 standard size muffins
Recipe from The Conscientious Eater
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I’ve watched a few YouTube videos in which black tahini is used.  I was intrigued, so I bought some to give it a try.  This was the first recipe I tested using black tahini.  These muffins are terrific.  Perfectly moist and chocolatey.  The author said that regular tahini can be used, but the color won’t be a “rich” looking.  Of course, these are delish with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

2 flax eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 Tablespoons warm water)
3 ripe bananas
⅓ black tahini (I'm thinking regular tahini will work, but the color won't be as intense.)
¼ neutral oil
¾ cup coconut sugar
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (I used spelt flour because I was out of whole wheat.)
¼ cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 12 muffin cups with cooking spray or silicone or paper muffin liners. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 Tablespoons water to create your flax eggs. Set aside to thicken.
In a large bowl mash the ripe bananas until smooth.
Add in the black tahini, oil and coconut sugar and whisk until smooth.
Add in the thickened flax eggs and mix again until all the wet ingredients are incorporated.
Evenly shake the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the top of the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into your prepared muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information: (1 muffin) Calories: 215; Total Fat: 7 g saturated Fat: 3 g trans Fat: 0 g unsaturated; Fat: 3 g cholesterol: 16 mg sodium: 198 mg carbohydrates: 39 g net Carbohydrates: 0 g fiber: 4 g sugar: 24 g sugar Alcohols: 0 g protein: 4 g

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan)

Servings10

Recipe from Michaela Vais Ela Vegan

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We thought these strawberry oatmeal bars were delightful.  Of course, the husband loved having this seasonal treat.  These had just the right amount of sweet to them.  By using mashed banana and just a bit of maple syrup, the flavor of the berries really comes through. (I followed the original recipe to the letter, with this exception… I added about ½ teaspoon vanilla to the berry mixture and ¼ teaspoon almond extract plus ½ teaspoon sea salt to the dough mixture.)

Dough:

2 cups (205 g) oats 

1 cup (120 g) almond flour* 

1 cup (90 g) oat flour 

1 small (80 g) banana, mashed* 

1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

1/4 cup (60 g) canned coconut milk*

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Filling:

3 cups (450 g) diced strawberries

1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

2-3 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

5 teaspoon chia seeds

3 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch 

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

(I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe and measuring the ingredients in grams.) 

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Put the ingredients for the strawberry filling in a saucepan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Mix all ingredients for the dough in a bowl by either using your hands or a hand mixer.

Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into a greased or lined baking dish. The pan I used measured 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm).

Pour the strawberry filling over the crust.  Crumble the remaining 1/3 dough on top.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Notes:

*Banana: Use banana or applesauce for a low-fat version. If you prefer a flaky/buttery soft crust, I would recommend using 40 grams banana (or applesauce) and 40 grams vegan butter (margarine).

*Almond flour: You can use any ground nuts/seeds of choice (e.g. hazelnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut) instead of almond flour.

*Coconut milk: You could use oat cream or soy cream instead of canned coconut milk.

*Other reviewers said that the bars could be frozen for up to 3 months.  Other berries can be used.  Frozen strawberries/berries will work.

Nutrition Facts (1 of 10 servings)

Calories 273; Fat 9.5 g; 1.7 g Sat. Fat; Carbohydrates 36.2 g; Fiber 6 g; Sugars 15.4 g; Protein 7.1 g

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats

Recipe from Whole Food Momma

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 serving

This yummy breakfast is right up my alley.  Using a really ripe banana (lots of black spots on the peel) sweetens the oats.  Do yourself a favor and make a quadruple batch so that your breakfast will be set for four days!  

1/2 banana, mashed

1/2 cup old-fashions rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon flax meal or chia seeds (I used flax meal.)

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup plant milk (I used unsweetened almond milk.)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup frozen cherries

Add the mashed banana, the oats, cinnamon, flax meal, cocoa powder, plant milk and water to a 2 cup mason jar.  Put the lid on the jar and give the jar a really good shake.  Remove the lid and add frozen cherries.  Place the lid back on the jar and give it another shake.  Store in the fridge over night.  Enjoy cold in the morning (like I do) or put the contents in a microwave safe container and warm it up.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 313 calories; 8.2 g fat (1.2 sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 101 mg sodium; 57.1 g carbohydrates; 11.6 g fiber; 14.7 sugars; 9.8 g protein; 1 mcg vitamin D; 215 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 692 mg potassium

Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (Vegan)

Recipe from The Conscious Plant Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 generous smoothie

This smoothie makes a yummy healthful snack or quick breakfast.  

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant based milk

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted natural peanut butter

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 small frozen ripe banana

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

Notes:

You can replace the almond milk with other non-dairy milks such as oat milk or coconut milk.  

You can replace the peanut butter with other nut or seed butters such as almond butter or sunflower butter.

You can add some plant based yogurt.

You can make it even more sweet by adding just a touch maple syrup, but we think this is plenty sweet because we use very spotty bananas.

You can boost the flavor a bit by adding 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or a smidgeon of nutmeg.

You can thin it out by adding more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

You can thicken it by adding more banana, a bit of yogurt or a few cashews.

You can reduce the fat content by using powdered peanut butter (PB2).

 

Brownie Batter Chocolate Baked Oatmeal (Vegan)

Recipe from Conscientious Eater

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 6 servings

I proudly admit that I will accept any excuse to eat chocolate, especially for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day.  I thought this baked oatmeal was exceptionally good and satisfied my “need” for chocolate.  After reading the reviews, I decided to follow their advice and make this the night before.  Apparently, allowing it to sit awhile before eating, makes it even tastier.  It’s also more convenient.  All I had to do while the coffee percolated was to cut up some seasonal fruit.  I did make a drizzle of PB2 (powdered peanut butter) using just water to guild the lily.  Aaaah! Perfect breakfast in my book.

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

3 Tablespoons water

3 cups old-fashioned oats (I used gluten-free oats.)

1/3 cup cacao powder or cocoa powder (I used special dark chocolate powder.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 

1 cup mashed banana, from 2-3 bananas (The spottier, the better for sweetness.)

1/4 cup nut butter (I used almond butter, but peanut butter would be good.  You could most likely substitute a seed butter.)

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups non-dairy milk

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  (You could grease the pan instead if you don’t have parchment paper.)

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tablespoon flax meal and 3 Tablespoons water.  Allow it to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes while the oven preheats and while you prepare the rest of the batter.  The flax meal and water combo will thicken a bit and become the “egg.” 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, the cocoa powder, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, mix together the nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, milk and the flax “egg.”  Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry mixture and blend well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.  Cool on a baking rack.

Optional: If you want a little drizzle on top, mix together 1 Tablespoon PB2 powdered peanut butter and a bit of water until you have a pouring consistency.  Drizzle over the top of the baked oatmeal.  You can also drizzle other nut or seed butters or even maple syrup instead.  

Notes: Store the baked oatmeal in the fridge.  I’ve had success freezing other baked oatmeal recipes, so I’m sure this can be frozen as well.  I’ve found that mashing bananas on a plate with a fork is a lot easier than doing so in a bowl.  It’s about leverage :-)

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings) 358 calories; 11 grams fat; 0 g trans fat; 6 g unsaturated fat; 42 mg cholesterol; 338 mg sodium; 54 g carbohydrates; 7 g fiber; 17 g sugars; 12 g protein

Tahini Popsicles (Vegan)

Recipe from Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family by Amanda Logan

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 6 popsicles

This was surprisingly good!  It reminded us of a mild salted caramel ice cream dessert.  So, if that's your thing, you're going to love these frozen treats.  I think these would be a fun and delicious ending for a casual dinner party.  

1 (14 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk

1 very ripe banana

2 Tablespoons tahini 

3 Tablespoons maple syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into popsicle molds.  Freeze for at least 6 hours until set before serving.

Nutritional Information: (1 popsicle) 228 calories; 18.5 g fat (14.4 g sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 44 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrates; 2.4 g fiber; 2.6 g protein; 40 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 287 mg potassium

Lightened Up Blueberry Breakfast Crisp

Recipe from NikkiVegan 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

I tested this new (to me) breakfast recipe. It looks like dessert, but it’s only sweetened with a very ripe banana and just a touch of maple syrup. The oat topping is held together with almond butter. I served it with some vegan yogurt. I made the topping last night before I went to bed and chilled it in the fridge. This morning the oven preheated while I got dressed. I tossed in the berries (8”x8” pan) and whole wheat flour, dolloped on the topping and popped it in the oven for 45 minutes while I did my morning yoga. This kept me full until lunch. This recipe is a keeper!

Crumble:

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 very ripe banana

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1-2 handfuls chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling:

12 oz. frozen blueberries

1 Tablespoon flour (I used whole wheat flour.)

Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Add the oats, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Mash the banana with a fork on a plate. Add the mashed banana to the mixing bowl along with the almond butter and maple syrup. Mix this well and stir in the nuts. Set aside. (You can chill this in the fridge over night.)

Toss the berries with the flour.

Spray a little oil in an 8" X 8" baking dish. Transfer the flour-coated berries to the baking dish.

Top the berries with the oat mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubble around the edges. Make sure you bake it long enough. It should take the full 45 minutes even though it may look done after 30 minutes. You want the top to be crispy.)

To serve, dollop each portion with some plain unsweetened vegan yogurt, a drizzle of almond butter, and/or some fresh fruit, if desired.

Be sure to leave the crisp in the oven for the full baking time. 
It should look golden brown and crisp on the top, just like in this photo.

Nutritional Information from Recipe Calorie Analyzer (1 of 4 servings) 323 calories; 6.3 grams fat; 0.8 saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 120 mg sodium; 61.5 grams carbohydrates; 7.4 grams fiber; 25 grams sugars; 6.8 grams protein; 43 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 410 grams potassium

Gingerbread-Tahini Banana Bread

 

Recipe from http://dishingouthealth.com

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes one (9"X5") loaf or 14 servings

Well, I'll be.  This whole-grain banana bread checks off all the boxes for me.  It's moist and tender, with the perfect amount of holiday spices.  The tahini, molasses, and bananas are a great combo.  Serve it up with a hot cup of tea or coffee.  It'll hit the spot for sure.

200 grams very ripe, mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste/butter)

3 Tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon white and/or black sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine banana and the next 6 ingredients (through vanilla) in a large bowl; whisk to combine.

Spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.  

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture; mix just until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove the bread from the pan; cool completely before slicing.  Drizzle extra tahini over the top, if desired.

Velvety Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Vegan)

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Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 1 (2-cup) serving

This is just delicious and very filling.  All the flavors of autumn in a glass.  This makes a great breakfast or after-work out snack.  Check out another yummy Pumpkin PieSmoothie on my blog that includes carrots, raisins, and nut butter.

1 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)

2 Tablespoons gluten-free rolled oats

½ cup canned pure pumpkin or butternut squash

½-1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

½ large banana, frozen

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4-5 ice cubes

1 Tablespoons maple syrup

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender on high until smooth.  Serve.

Note: I actually had some frozen pumpkin that I had frozen in ice cube trays.  I used that and a fresh banana.

Nutritional Information: 332 calories; 9.2 fiber; 6.5 protein; 292 calcium; 841 potassium