Tag Archives: bananas

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

I’ve been so lucky this week my sister, and nephew have been keeping me company down in North Carolina. Today, I was able to take off from work to spend the entire day with them. I prepared them these bars for breakfast. These banana bars are a spin off of your traditional banana bread or muffins.

I enjoy this recipe because it is super easy to prepare and clean up! Not mention another great way to use up ripe or frozen bananas.

This recipe was adapted from TOH Banana Squares. 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Bake time: 35 minutes

This recipe yields: 12-15 bars

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separate whites and yolks

1/3 canola oil

1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mashed bananas; about 3 medium  (I used frozen)

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Pre-directions:

  • Line 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; pour into small bowl and set aside. In same stand mixer bowl cream peanut butter, canola oil, and sugar. Beat in egg yolks; mix to combind. Add the bananas and mix well.

2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed banana batter alternate the flour with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips.

2. Pour the batter into a prepared 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. I did use a dark metal pan, which does effect the bake time. Cool pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.

3. After the bars have cooled completely store the bars in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Cinnaberry Quinoa Bars

Who is tired of expensive granola bars with ingredients you cannot even pronounce? I know I am. Especially when you can make them at home at a fraction of the cost and without all the extra sugar and unwanted preservatives. 

These bars are full of nuts, seeds, whole grains, and mother nature’s natural sweetness. 

Yields: 12 bars

Ingredients: 

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked 

1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese Cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon hemp seeds

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 Tablespoons Creamed Cinnamon Honey 

1 /4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13 glass pan with parchment paper. 

2. In a large bowl, mix  together first 6 ingredients. 

3. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix in with spatula. Set aside. 

4. In a small microwaveable glass bowl, place the peanut butter and honey and stir. Microwave the blend for 30 seconds and stir with rubber spatula. If the consistency is not smooth and easy to stir, microwave for 5 more seconds and try again. Once shiny and smooth, fold the honey blend into the banana oat batter. Continue to mix with spatula until honey blend is incorporated throughout. Lastly fold in the sunflower seeds, almonds & cranberries. 

5. Spread the batter evenly into 3/4’s of the prepared 9 by 13 pan. There is not quite enough batter to fill the entire pan. Bake the bars for 18 minutes. 

6. Remove pan from oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack. Once the bars have cooled use the parchment paper to pull the bars out of the pan. On a cutting board, cut bars into 12 servings. Wrap individually in sealable baggies for lunches or on the go snacks.  Or store in a sealable container. 

Banana Crumb Breakfast Cake

  
I do have to admit I love baking early in the morning before my husband gets up. I always like having something in the oven before he walks out into the kitchen and wants to pour a bowl of cereal. I like to think the aroma of homemade goodness helps place him in good spirits for the remainder of the day. Baking early also helps clear my mind and plan my day. 

I had quite a few dozen bananas leftover. I thought I was going to need more for cupcake order but didn’t end up using all of them. I think today I’ll be eating bananas breakfast lunch and dinner and maybe dessert too. I will probably individually freeze some as well for banana ice cream!

Preheat oven to 350 degree and spray a 8 by 8 oven safe dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Yields 9 servings 


Cake Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp ground Vietnamese cinnamon

One and a half teaspoons of baking powder

Half a teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla pure extract

Half a cup of whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup of regular all-purpose flour

2 ripe bananas mashed well

1/2 cup skim milk

1 egg or 3 TB egg substitute 

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup Ap flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)

6 TB unsalted butter

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional powdered sugar dizzle:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 TB skim milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl mash bananas set aside.

  
2. In a medium bowl whisk flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

  
3. In small bowl whisk canola oil, granulated sugar. Add egg and vanilla whisk to combine. 

4. Add in milk to liquid ingredients and whisk to incorporate. 


5. Add the dry ingredients  to the wet and whisk together until no dry residue remains. 

 

6. Fold in mashed bananas using spatula.  

 

7. Pour the batter into a cooking sprayed 8 by 8 baking dish. Set aside.

  
8. In medium bowl mix  all the crumble topping ingredients using a butter cutter cut butter into pea size wet sandlike texture. 

 

9. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center clean. 

 

10. Allow to cool on wire rack for ten minutes before cutting into or frosting with powdered sugar dizzle. 
 

11. For powdered sugar dizzle place skim milk and powdered sugar in bowl and whisk add more milk if necessary to reach desired constancy. Pour on to crumble. I didn’t use the entire amount. 

12. Enjoy with some coffee!

  

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

bananas rarely go bad at this house! I eat one daily and if they start to get too ripe, I freeze them for banana “ice cream”. My husband made the comment those bananas look like banana bread bananas so I took that literally and started baking. 

Ingredients

  • 4 medium bananas (pealed and mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup Ap flour
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
  • 2 TB ground flax seed 
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 2/3 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts chopped (optional)

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray with cooking spray 4 mini bread loaf pans. Set aside.
  2. Mash bananas in a large bowl until almost puréed consistency. 
  3. Add oil, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla. 
  4. Add one egg at a time.
  5. Mix after each addition until incorporated. I used the fork I used to mash the bananas.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk flours, salt, baking powder, flaxseed until mixed throughout. 
  7. Add dry ingredients to wet.
  8. Mix to fully incorporate. Make sure no dry residue remains. 
  9. If you are going to add the additional peanuts now is the time. Fold them gently into the batter. 
  10. Place in prepared bread tins and spread batter evenly. Each vessel of the pampered chef stone mini bread loaf pan allows for scan 2 cups of batter.
  11. Shake pan to settle the bread in the pan. 
  12. Place in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until tooth comes out clean.