Banana Oat Breakfast Bites with Cranberries & Walnuts

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

One of my favourite things to whip up are these easy to make Banana Oat Breakfast Bites!!! Many people make similar cookie versions to this recipe but the great thing is that everyone can make it their own way using ingredients that work for them. The great thing about this recipe is that you can tailor it to your own tastes and preferences! I find that they are a great idea for a fast breakfast when you’re in a hurry which really saves time. Have them with a healthy green smoothie and your good to go! I always have organic bananas on hand as well as oats so this recipe is made very often in my home. I also add dried sulfate free cranberries and walnuts sometimes too. The recipe I’m posting will be this version. 🙂 My kids like my vegan chocolate chip version best of course but then they are a treat and no longer a super healthy breakfast bite! LOL You can also make them into cookies if you want but I like making mine smaller so that’s why I call them “bites”. I find that they are the perfect size to pop into a little container and pack them into a lunchbox or throw into a purse. They are a great on the go healthy snack. I always make sure I have healthy snacks in my purse because I’m vegan and it’s not always easy to find healthy vegan snacks on the go. Hey non vegans you should definitely be trying to bring healthy homemade snacks with you so you’re not tempted to buy sugary & fat filled treats while your on the run too!

Banana Oat Breakfast Bites with Cranberries & walnuts

Healthy Breakfast Bites

Ingredients:

2 regular sized Bananas
1 TBSP Cinnamon
2 cups Oats
1 1/2 tsp. pure Vanilla extract
1 TBSP Sulfate free Cranberries
Handful of chopped Walnuts

Method:

In a medium-sized bowl mash both bananas with a fork really well.
Add the vanilla and mix.
Throw in the 2 cups of Oats and the 1 TBSP of Cinnamon. Combine well.
Now you can go ahead and add the cranberries and walnuts. Give it another good mix.
Shape into small round balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. Flatten the balls down slightly with the back of a teaspoon.
Pop them into the oven for 10 minutes. If you want to make them bigger or into cookies then they will bake between 12-14 minutes.
After removing them from the oven let them cool down on the pan. Transfer them to an airtight container once they have cooled off.

Other Versions of my Banana Oat Breakfast Bites:

Vegan Chip: My kids favourite version has 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips thrown into the banana and oat mixture. They are such a tasty treat!

Plain Banana & Oat: I also make these banana bites without adding any dry fruit and nuts and they turn out great as well. Simple and super fast!

Protein Boost: I also make a version of these breakfast bites with peanut or almond butter added to the oat mixture! YUM! Just add 2 TBSP nut butter to your mixture. Be sure to combine it well I bake them 10-12 minutes depending on their size. *I omit the cinnamon, chopped nuts and dried fruit for this version.*

Coconut & Almond: Toss in a handful of chopped almonds as your nut for these banana bites and instead of adding the cinnamon I throw in 1 TBSP of shredded coconut in it’s place.

*ENJOY your yummy & fast to make Banana Breakfast Bites! Have fun with them and try out different combinations to suit your needs*

*Makes 12-15 Banana Bites depending on their size*

28Mar2013

Healthy Oat Bars

Posted in Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

Here is my favourite recipe for healthy oat bars! I love this recipe that I came up with because it’s made with healthy dates and prunes. Dates have iron, calcium and fiber in them as well as countless other healthy benefits. Prunes also have fiber in them as well as vitamin C, A, K and they are said to be a good anti colorectal cancer food choice. I really like how the dates and prunes act as a sweetening agent in the recipe! I’ve added the option of adding pure maple syrup to them as well if desired. I’ve made them with and without the maple syrup and both ways taste really good to me. The maple syrup adds a bit of extra sweetness and of course a tasty kick to the bars though. I love oat bars because they are easy to make and can be a great snack to eat on the go! Another bonus is that this recipe is flour free too!

|**The bars do have almonds in them but you can make them nut free if allergies are a concern. **

Healthy Oat Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups Gluten Free Oats
1 TBSP Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Cranberries or other dried sulfate free fruit of choice
3 TBSP Flaxmeal
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
12 Dates (I soak mine over night to make them easier
6 Prunes
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds or you can substitute another seed

You will also need these simple items …

Food Prosser or high-powered blender
You will need a baking pan. Depth will depend on how thick you want your bars to be.
Parchment paper to line your baking dish or coconut oil to oil your dish with.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350
In a food processor add the dates and prunes
Add 1/3 cup warm water into the food processor and process until smooth. Add more water if needed until it’s well combined. Also add the vanilla extract and combine all ingredients well.
In a large bowl add the oats, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and flaxmeal.
Add the cranberries or other dry fruit of choice & finely chopped almonds to dry mixture. Combine well.
Add the date & prune mixture into the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix everything up well.
If you’re adding in the maple syrup then toss it in now and combine well.
Line your baking pan with parchment paper or oil it well
Add the mixture to the baking pan and even it out well.
Bake for 3o minutes

*Let rest until cooled off before cutting into bars*

Enjoy them! I know I do & they don’t last long at all! 🙂

15Mar2013

Healthy Vegan Cranberry Granola Bars

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

I love granola bars and I also love giving them to my kids as a snack. I don’t however like the fact that the store-bought types are loaded with refined sugar! I’ve been playing around with different combinations of ingredients and making my own homemade granola bars. In this recipe I use pure Canadian maple syrup as my sweetener. Pure maple syrup is low on the glycemic index and contains manganese and iron which a total plus! 🙂 These bars are protein packed and contain healthy omega! Hurrah! I even eat them for breakfast sometimes when I’m on the go. Here is my easy and healthy recipe for vegan granola bars …

Healthy Vegan Cranberry Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
3/4 cup sulfur free dried cranberries
3 TBSP raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup flaxmeal
2 TBSP vegan protein powder (I used vanilla brown rice protein powder)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/4 cup melted organic coconut oil
1 TBSP natural almond or peanut butter
3 TBSP brown rice flour
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 TBSP of flaxmeal w/ 3 TBSP warm water
1/4 cup chopped almonds or nut of choice

* You will need a baking pan. The size of the pan will vary depending on how thick you want your granola bars to be*

* Depending on how sweet you like your baked goods, you may want to add more maple syrup to your granola bars. I don’t feel the need for the extra sweetness so I only use 1/2 cup in my recipe.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F
In a large bowl add oats, brown rice flour, vegan protein powder, cinnamon, and 1/3 cup flaxmeal. Mix well.
In a small bowl add the 2 TBSP of flaxmeal with 3 TBSP of warm water. Mix and let it sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
Chop up nuts or process them. Toss them into the mixture.
Add cranberries and pumpkin seeds and mix.
In a medium-sized bowl add the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut oil. Mix well.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well.
Use vegan butter/coconut oil to grease your pan or cut parchment paper to fit your baking dish.
Add the mixture to the baking pan and even out. Push it down with a spoon to make sure it’s tightly packed in.
Pop into the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 F.

Once you take it out of the oven let it cool off in the baking dish before you cut it up.
When the granola mixture has cooled off you can remove the parchment paper and place on the counter. Cut the granola up as desired and place in an airtight container. If you didn’t use the parchment paper just cut it up right in the baking dish. You could also individually wrap them up so you have them ready to go for breakfast on the go or to toss in your lunchbag or purse for a snack.

ENJOY! 🙂