Easiest Banana Nut Bread

If you know me, you know I LOVE to bake. But, the recipe must be easy, I don't like multiple steps or ingredients. I made this banana bread yesterday on a whim because I had 4 brown bananas that were headed to the trash but I desperately didn't' want to waste. The bread turned out PERFECT, and even my husband went nuts over it, and he isn't' really into baked goods (don't even get me started, I just don't understand how anyone could NOT love baked goods).

I shared this recipe over on my Facebook page but I thought I’d write it up in a blog post for future reference as well! It was so easy, so if you have any pancake mix and brown bananas lying around, get ready for the best banana bread of your life! 

4 mashed bananas (the browner the better!)

2.5 cups gluten free (or regular) pancake mix...I used the Trader Joe’s gluten free pancake mix

2/3 cup coconut sugar

1 cup almond milk

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix all that goodness together, pour into a greased bread pan, and bake on 350 degrees for about an hour! Enjoyyyyyy!

After having one slice, I realized they were just too huge, so I cut them in half. So perfect and delicious! I hope you enjoy! 

Paleo Pizookie!

I have been loving making Danielle Walker's Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies as a way to still enjoy treats in my gluten free lifestyle. But lately, my baking sheets have been burning the bottoms of every cookie I bake! I finally got an AirBake pan today which I have heard amazing things about so I can't wait to use it! But yesterday, I was craving the cookies before I had the magic cookie sheet, so I decided to tweak the recipe a bit and make the cookies into more of "cookie bars." They taste just like a pizookie when you add ice cream on top and are absolutely delicious!! Here's the recipe!

Makes 12 bars

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 egg

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups almond flour

1 T coconut flour

1 T arrowroot starch

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish.

Cream together the coconut oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Then add the flours, salt, and baking soda.

Fold in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour into the baking dish and pat until it is even all around. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!

Let it cook for about 20 minutes, then enjoy with some dairy free ice cream or just as is!!

Healthy Carrot Cake

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! I have a new recipe for you all today and, surprise surprise, it's something BAKED! What can I say, I just love making my favorite baked goods healthier so I can enjoy them! :) My dad is a huge carrot cake fan so I decided to do our own little rendition of carrot cake! This recipe came out tasting great, moist, and delicious! It is also gluten-free, high in protein, and full of one of my favorite vegetables, carrots! Carrots are filled with vitamins and antioxidants that are so healthy for us and help fight certain cancers and improve our eye sight! I hope you all get to try this recipe soon!

Carrot Cake (makes one 8x8 dish, or 16 squares)

3/4 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Pancake and Baking mix

1/4 cup almond flour

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

3/4 cup baby carrots

1/2 cup liquid egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 T olive oil

2 T chopped walnuts

1/2 T cinnamon

1/2 T nutmeg

16-18 packets stevia

1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your dish to pour the batter in.

The first thing I did was place the baby carrots in my ninja chopper. A food processor would work for this step as well!  

Pulse the carrots in the food processor until they reach a grain-like consistency, like rice.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together and add the water until the mixture becomes like a batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

And here is the finished product! I just love my baked goods so much! :) They taste great and also allow me to enjoy the deliciousness of my favorite foods without the added sugars and butters that most of them contain. There are so many varieties that you can try (check out my other recipes!) to make any of your favorite baked goods healthier! I hope you all get to enjoy this yummy and nutrient-dense cake! Nutrition facts are below:

1 square: 70 calories, 2.5 g fat, 5.5 g carbs, 5g protein, 13% daily need of Vitamin A!

Gingerbread Bars

Gingerbread is one of my all time favorite Christmas treats. Last year, I developed a recipe using a blend of gluten free flours, including almond flour. This year, I am planning on taking gingerbread to my work Christmas party. I found out my supervisor has an almond allergy, as well as one of my best friends who just figured out she has an almond allergy too! I wanted to make an almond-free version of the recipe to make sure it still tastes good. And it does! It tastes even better. Here is my new and improved gluten free Gingerbread recipe!

Gingerbread bars (24 bars)

1.5 cups Pamela's gluten-free artisan flour blend 3 scoops lean body for her vanilla whey 1/4-1/3 cup molasses 2/3 cup applesauce 1 T olive oil 1/2 cup water 1/3 t each of baking soda & powder 2 eggs 2T coconut flour 1/2 cup stevia Spices: 1/2 t cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. I greased my casserole dish with some oil, as I'm trying to stay away from non-stick sprays and just embrace the fat! Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for about 35 mins.

I checked mine with a fork (as you can see) but toothpicks work best! I am so excited to make another batch next week for our work Christmas party! I hope you all get to try this new and improved recipe this weekend!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baking season is in full swing in my home! So far I've made peanut butter cookies, pumpkin cornbread, a few variations of pancakes, and now these banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! With so many parties and events to go to, I always want to be sure I have something delicious to take with me but also something slightly healthy as well. These cookies were easy to whip up and remained healthy and delicious! Here is the recipe!  

Makes 30 cookies 

1.5 cups rolled oats  

1 cup spelt flour (such a healthy flour to bake with! Full of protein and fiber)  

1 cup stevia (cup for cup kind) or sugar 

2 bananas, mashed

3 T coconut oil  

1 egg  

1/2 cup water  

3 T semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by mashing your banana and coconut oil together. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and mix thoroughly. At the end, fold in the chocolate chips! 

Line a baking sheet and make about 1-1.5 inch balls of the dough. Then bake for about 15 minutes or until the bottoms get browned. 

Let them cool and enjoy!