Me: Sprinkles turmeric (and slathers espresso infused dark chocolate ganache) over my entire life = solves all problems.

Well, maybe not quite but I’m willing to give it a shot . . . who’s in?!

BAE is home sick with (another) cold, I somehow managed to cut a chunk out of the tip of my thumb and there is a months worth of over-night construction going on outside of our apartment building.

Snacks , chocolate and lots and lots (and lots and lots and lots) of coffee are required!

Enter glorious, golden spiced sweet potato banana bread muffins with an optional, but not really) dark chocolate espresso ganache frosting.

The fact that I’m calling them muffins means that they’re totally acceptable to eat for breakfast. Even with the frosting . . . it has coffee in it so therefore it’s automatically a breakfast food, right?!

You know I am.

Plus, the muffins themselves are naturally sweetened with no added sugar using our over-ripe banana, sweet potato and a splash of vanilla.

Then we add in a heart and belly warming hum of golden spices (think turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves) which not only warms me down to the depths of my soul but totally makes them taste like Christmas!

So, without any further ado’s allow me to introduce you to your new snack ( breakfast/lunch/dessert) obsession . ..

Sugar free, golden spiced sweet potato banana bread muffins!

Subtly sweet, soft and tender, perfectly spiced and just all kinds of wonderful.

I was going to make my usual banana bread but I thought muffins would be a better option because;

1 – mini = so much cuter &

2 – 15-20 minutes cook time verses 40-60 minutes cook time . . . it’s kind of a no brainer!

Plus, I don’t know how things go in your house when there’s a fresh loaf of banana bread laying around but here, it always seems to disappear the day it’s baked.

Anytime I walk past it I just cut myself  little sliver, and somehow at the end of the day, all those slivers add up to an entire loaf?!

Every. Single. Time.

But this way, they are pre-portioned ready to grab and go. No need for slicing (and slicing) and there’s a better chance they will last more than a day because I’m less likely to eat 8 muffins in one sitting, 8 “slivers” on the other hand is a different story, and,  I can easily just pack them up and hide them away in the back of the fridge (or freezer) for another day.

And while I’m being totally honest, that frosting . . . oh that frosting . . . it’s totally not necessary, not even a little bit but, as delicious as these muffins are all on their own, they’re not really very pretty , tasty – oh yes 100% without question, but pretty, not so much!

I totally did it for them ‘gram.

Also, I think you and I can both agree that life’s just better when it’s slathered in chocolate.

Case and point!

So, if you, like me, are looking for a way to use up that seemingly endless supply of manky over-ripe bananas , have yourself an insanely delicious snack (breakfast, lunch or dessert) then look no further friend.

This right here, these subtly sweet, soft and tender, perfectly spiced, sugar free , sweet potato banana bread muffins are exactly what you need!

Made with no refined flours – no added sugar using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and can be ready to devour in less than 30 minutes!!!!

Minus the frosting they also happen to be, 100% freezer friendly so you might want to go ahead and make a double, triple, quadruple batch because, yes, they really are that good!

I mean, can you even . . .

That colour?! That frosting?! And those glorious golden spices?!

All natural, quick and easy, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, soft, tender, sweet potato banana bread muffins . . .

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain free – Refined sugar free –  Paleo  & Vegan friendly !!

1 bowl, 20 minutes – stop what you’re doing, this needs to happen now!

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them!

 

{Sugar Free} Golden Spiced Sweet Potato Banana Bread Muffins

Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Grain Free – Refined Sugar Free – Paleo & Vegan Friendly 

Makes 8 soft and tender, subtly sweet, gloriously golden, perfectly spiced muffins

Ingredients –

For the muffins;

1 over ripe banana

1/2 cup of mashed sweet potato (I used 1 small)

3 eggs – vegan friends sub flax/chia egg or your fave egg placers

1/4 cup of almond  butter – cashew butter works really well too – I love tahini for a nut free version

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of filtered water

1/2 cup of coconut flour

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, cardamom & cloves

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Optional add-ins ;

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1 teaspoon of Uplift food – pre-biotics

2 scoops of collagen – for gut healing goodness

1 teaspoon of reishi – to boost immunity, calm the nervous system (and my busy brain!)

For the “optional” frosting –

1/4 cup coconut (or regular ) cream

1/2 block (1/4 cup) dark chocolate

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2-1 teaspoon of instant espresso

1 pinch of salt

Method –

1 – Pre-heat oven to 175’C/350/F

2 – Line a muffin tray with paper cases (or grease well) and set aside.

3 – Place all muffin ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth and well combined. You could also just mash/stir in a bowl if you prefer

4 – Pour into your prepared muffin tray

5 – Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a tooth pick has just a few moist crumbs attached when inserted into the centre.

6 – Set aside to cool.

While your cupcakes are cooling prepare the frosting –

1 – Melt chocolate _ espresso powder by your preferred method – I like to do mine on the stove, double broiler style but a microwave will work just fine too.

2 – Add vanilla, salt & stir to combine.

3 – Add the coconut cream to your espresso infused chocolate and stir until well combined.

4 – Allow to cool for a few minutes until it becomes spreadable – you can speed this up by popping it in the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes.

5 – Spread on to your cupcakes.

6 – Devour!

Cupcakes will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge when covered or stored in an airtight container. Or you can freeze (un-frosted) for up to 3 months.

Enjoy xo

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Question of the day –

What’s your fave way to use up those manky over-ripe bananas? A girl can never have to many options!

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your muffins (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post {Sugar Free} Golden Spiced Sweet Potato Banana Bread Muffins first appeared on Better with Cake.

Single serve, choc chip banana bread blondies!

You guys, this blondie . . .

I don’t want to toot my own horn here but, I think I may have outdone myself on this one.

Deliciously buttery, perfectly sweet, spiked with a hint of cinnamon and chock full of choc chips!

Crispy on the edges, soft and tender in the middle . . . toot, toot

Part of me feels like I should apologize for sharing another single serve dessert recipe already but the truth is, I’m not sorry. Not even a little bit.

One taste and I’m pretty sure you’ll be very pleased I did.

Plus, if you’re anything like me you always, always, ALWAYS seem to have at least one manky over-ripe banana sitting in your fruit bowl.

It doesn’t seem to matter how many (or how few) I buy, there’s always at least one, although if I’m being totally honest, there’s really usually 2 or 3, that past their prime before we get a chance to eat them.

I’m sure bananas (and avocados) have their own magical time zone?! Waiting, waiting, waiting for them to ripen. You check, they’re perfect, so you go wash your hands to get ready to get your snack on and boom, missed your window!

Which is kind of annoying but then again, not really because I get a great deal of satisfaction transforming those gnarly, spotty, narnies in to something truly delicious.

It’s like I’m the fairy Godmother of the fruit world   . . .

Ok well, maybe not quite but I can assure you, these single serve choc chip banana bread blondies taste nothing short of magical!

Plus, single serve banana bread or a single serve blondie is a pretty genius idea if you ask me.

You know how I feel about sharing my food  . . . and, I don’t know what happens in your house, but if you’re anything like me an entire loaf of banana bread (or pan of blondies) rarely lasts more than a day.

You take it out of the oven and of course cut yourself off a piping hot slice and slather it with buttah and devour it immediately because who could resist that?! You’re only human after all.

Then, you set your knife down and go about your day, each time you pass that freshly baked deliciousness you slice off another sliver , and another, and another and come the end of the day, you go and have yourself a nice hot shower, make yourself a cup of chai and go to get a big ol’ slice of that dreamy banana bread (or blondie) to cozy on the couch with for you pre-bed time snack, (because don’t we all have those?! ) only to discover that all those slivers added up to the entire loaf?!

Every. Single. Time!

But this right here, this perfectly portioned pretty little snack is designed to be enjoyed that way!

And enjoy it you will!

Bonus points because it’s a healthy dessert that could totally be served for breakfast !

Just switch the ice cream for coconut or Greek style yogurt and replace the chai with a big ol’ vat of coffee!

Banana bread blondies for breakfast = sign me up!

And would you just look at that texture?!

Those flecks of vanilla bean and cinnamon, swooonnnn

Made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and comes together in one bowl , with one spoon and can be ready to devour in less than 15 minutes!

Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, EGG FREE, refined sugar free, vegan & paleo friendly but most importantly it really does taste all kinds of magical and you need it in your life because, yummmmmm

All natural, quick and easy, deliciously buttery, perfectly spiced, choc chip studded banana bread blondies . . .

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Single Serve Choc Chip Banana Bread Blondie
{EGG FREE – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Refined Sugar Free  – Vegan – Paleo}

Makes 1 deliciously indulgent, perfectly spiced choc chip studded banana bread blondie!

Ingredients –

1 manky over-ripe banana

2 Tablespoons of almond butter

3 Tablespoons of vanilla almond milk – or milk of choice

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of coconut flour

2 teaspoons of monk fruit sweetener (sub coconut sugar)

A pinch of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1 pinch of salt

A couple of squares of your fave dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I use dairy free) or a small handful of choc chips + extra for drizzling – optional, but not really.

Optional add-ins

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1-2 scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – for an extra boost of protein and gut healing goodness

1 scp protein powder – for extra protein (vanilla or unflavored would work best in this recipe) – I use Proganics Vanilla whey – you can use EMS10 to get 10% off – If adding protein powder you may need to add a little extra milk

Method –

1 – Pre-heat oven to 175’C?350’F and grease a small baking dish (I used my 4inch cast iron skillet but any kind of oven proof dish will work) – set aside.

2 – Place your banana into a small bowl and mash thoroughly – I like mine to be nice and smooth but feel free to be less thorougher if you like your banana bread to be a little more rustic with chunks of banana.

3 – Place  all remaining ingredients apart from your chocolate in to a the bowl and stir to combine.

4 – Transfer batter mix to your prepared baking dish. Smooth to the edges.

5 – Top with chocolate

6 – Bake for 6-10 mins (depending on how fudgy you like your blondies to be)

6 –  To serve,  top with sliced banana, strawberries, a drizzle of melted chocolate, and a big scoop (or two) of your fave ice cream.

Enjoy xo

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Question of the day –

What’s your favorite way to use those ever present, manky over-ripe bananas?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your banana bread blondie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to xo

__________________________________________

The post Single Serve, Choc Chip Banana Bread Blondie {EGG FREE – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Refined Sugar Free -Vegan – Paleo} first appeared on Better with Cake.

I don’t know what it is but I really, REALLY enjoy it!

Maybe it’s because more often than not, I get rewarded with a tasty treat of some kind.

Smoothies, muffins, cupcakes are good but banana bread is my fave thing to make.

I just love everything about it.

The smell of it baking, slicing into it fresh from the oven  . . .

I mean who doesn’t love a big ol’ slice of freshly baked banana bread?!

And don’t even get me started on the way it somehow, magically,  manages to get a little better, even more delicious and flavorful, in the days that follow?!

How something so unappetizing can be transformed into something so delicious with so few ingredients, so little effort, in so little time.

It really is magical

And would you just look at it!

You guys . . . this chocolate chai spiced banana bread really is all kinds of magical!

I’m talking next level delicious!

The richness of cacao combined with the caramelized sweetness of those over-ripe bananas and that gentle, heart and belly warming hum of chai inspired spices!

Decadent enough to be savored as a late night (or anytime) treat but it’s also light and (secretly) healthy enough to be served for breakfast.

Slather it with vanilla coconut or Greek style yogurt , top it with some sliced banana, a drizzle it with creamy, dreamy almond butter (& a big ol’ vat of coffee, of course) and you , my friend, are in for a real treat!

This chocolate chai spiced banana bread is crunchy on the outside (those crispy edges and slightly gnarly cracked edges are my fave), but super soft, seriously moist on the inside!

Sooooo good!

Made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and bakes up to delicious, delectable, devour-able perfection in less than an hour!

Simply throw all your ingredients into your trusty ol’ food processor or blender and let it do the work for you.

Blend – Pour – Bake – Devour!

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain Free – Refined sugar free –  Paleo –  Keto &  Vegan friendly

Doooooo it!

Make it. Eat it.Love, love, love it!

Chocolate Chai Spiced Almond Butter Swirled Banana Bread
{Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Grain Free – Refined Sugar Free – Vegan – Keto & Paleo Friendly}

Ingredients –

2  over ripe bananas  – Keto/ low carb lovin’ friends and those of you who have trouble digesting those bananas –  soak/ferment your bananas in coconut water keifr or kombucha overnight and you should be good to go – read more about how/why it works here

3 eggs – vegan friends sub flax/chia egg or your fave egg placers

1/4 cup of almond butter (or nut/seed butter of choice) + extra for swirling

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 Tablespoon of maple syrup

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup of cacao

1 (heaping) teaspoon of homemade chai spice

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2-4 Tablespoons (1/3-1/2 a block) of roughly chopped dark chocolate – optional, but not really

Optional add ins;

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1-2 scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – for gut healing goodness

1 scoop protein powder – for extra protein (vanilla or unflavored would work best in this recipe) – I use Proganics Vanilla whey – you can use EMS10 to get 10% off

Method –

1 – Pre-heat oven to 175’C/350/F

2 – Grease/line a loaf pan and set aside.

3 – Place all ingredients into your food processor or blender and process until smooth and well combined. You could also just mash/stir in a bowl if you prefer

4 – Pour into your prepared loaf pan

5 – Swirl with extra almond butter – just randomly drop spoonfuls of almond butter and drag a toothpick, knife, spoon, (or just your finger) through it to create a swirl.

6 – Bake for 30-40 minutes until a tooth pick has just a few moist crumbs attached when inserted into the centre.

7 – Slice and Devour.

The post Chocolate Chai Spiced Almond Butter Swirled Banana Bread first appeared on Better with Cake.

Let me introduce you to a slightly heartier version of your trusty old banana bread.

It’s one of the few ways I can consume the goodness that is oats . . . the only other way is in these waffles or the chocolatey goodness that is this granola.

I have issues I know.

Sometimes there is nothing more to say . . .

Deliciously moorish, sweet and comforting . What more could you want?

It’s perfect for this cooler weather we are having.

Grab a cup of hot coffee, a trashy magazine, put on your ugg boots and enjoy

I came across the original recipe shared by the beautiful Adrianna over at A Cozy Kitchen. Make sure you head over and check out the original recipe along with some all of the other  tasty treats Adrianna has created. You won’t be sorry

Banana Berry Oat Bread
Slightly adapted from this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen
Serves 12

Ingredients –

1 1/2 plain flour
1/4 cup rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling ontop
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk (I use skim)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 seriously ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup frozen berries

Method –

Pre-heat oven to 175˚c (350’F). Line a  9×5-inch loaf pan with baking/parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together  flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add rolled oats and set aside.

In a large bowl, place eggs,

brown sugar,

white sugar and using an electric mixer beat until well combined.

Add banana and whisk until well combined.

Add milk and vanilla (nether of which you can really see in this photo :/) and whisk until just combined.

Add flour/oat mix and cinnamon (because you may or may not have forgotten to add it when you sifted the flour mix initially . . .) and mix until just combined.

Add the frozen berries,

carefully fold in berries until just combined.

pour into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle rolled oats over the top and bake for 40-60 mins (until a toothpick comes out virtually clean when inserted into the centre)

Allow to cool in the loaf pan for 10 mins then slice

ummm yes please . . .

and enjoy

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Printable Version –

Banana Berry Oat Bread
Slightly adapted from this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen
Serves 121 1/2 plain flour

Ingredients –

1/4 cup rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling ontop
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk (I use skim)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 seriously ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup frozen berries

Method –

Pre-heat oven to 175˚c (350’F). Line a  9×5-inch loaf pan with baking/parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together  flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add rolled oats and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugars until well combined. Add banana and whisk until well combined.

Add milk, then vanilla and whisk until just combined.

Add flour and oat mix along with cinnamon and stir until just combined.

Fold in berries and pour into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle rolled oats over the top and bake for 40-60 mins (until a toothpick comes out virtually clean when inserted into the centre) Allow to cool in the loaf pan for 10 mins then slice and enjoy

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Nutritional Info (approx per slice) obtained using fatsecret.com –

Cal – 121
Fat – 0.7
Protein – 3.3
Carbs – 25.4
Fiber – 1.6

The post Banana Berry Oat Bread first appeared on Better with Cake.

Don’t you hate it when its snack time and your really craving a banana.

You head to the fruit bowl only to discover your bananas have advanced to this slightly over ripe stage of life before you had a chance to enjoy the wonderfully satisfying snack you so dearly crave?

Ok I know these bananas are not to ripe for some but for me….total deal breaker. The one saving grace was that I had discovered an intriguing new banana bread recipe on my daily checkin’ with Eating for England.

This banana bread totally rocked my world. Its my new go-to banana bread recipe (you know we all have one). Its so moist and the simple addition of sweet cinnamon take its to a place thats…well in a whole new world. Its wonderful fresh from the oven, the following day its even better if you ask me….although it doubles as a wonderful dessert…..see below for the full detail

I have adapted the recipe just slightly, click here if you’d like to see the original version.

Ingredients –
Recipe adapted from Eating for England
Serves 12

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 egg
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 plain yoghurt (I used non fat greek yoghurt)
1 tsp Vanilla

Method –

Preheat oven to 175’C (350’F)

In a large bowl mash banana.

Add egg and additional egg white.

Next add vanilla,

and yoghurt

then mix until well combined.

Next sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar over the banana batter

then stir until just combined.

Pour batter into a standard size loaf pan

bake for 40 mins until deliciously golden and centre springs back when gently pressed.

Cool on a wire rack……or…..just go ahead and start slicing ……

maybe spread with a little butter….

making sure to taste test along the way….

This bread is clearly wonderful fresh from the oven, room temperature the following day or ….

pop it in the toaster and top with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel topping for a seriously indulgent dessert.

FYI it also freezes really well in case of emergency

when its been a rough day…..

the perfect afternoon snack….

makes everything better…..just look at that face

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Printable Version –

Ingredients –
Recipe adapted from Eating for England
Serves 12

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 egg
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 plain yoghurt (I used non fat greek yoghurt)
1 tsp Vanilla

Method –

Preheat oven to 175’C

In a large bowl mash banana.

Add egg and additional egg white.

Next add vanilla,

and yoghurt then mix until well combined.

Next sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar over the banana batter and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into a standard size loaf pan and bake for 40 mins until deliciously golden and centre springs back when gently pressed.

Cool on a wire rack……or just go ahead and start eating.

This bread is wonderful fresh from the oven, room temperature the following day or even pop it in the toaster and top with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel topping for a seriously indulgent dessert.

FYI it also freezes really well in case of emergency

Nutritional Info (approx per slice) obtained using fatsecret.com –

Cal – 138
Fat – 0.6
Carbs – 29g
Protein – 3.32g

The post Banana Bread first appeared on Better with Cake.