Healthy Guilt Free Banana Loaf that Actually Tastes Great!

Hi everyone! Hope all is well with you all. It’s still quite cold and damp in my neck of the woods. The rain and dampness has made me crave comforting baked goods so I’ve been revamping my banana bread. It’s just a cold, cold Spring!

I’ve enjoyed baking and creating lots of cozy meals lately. It’s all about the comfort meals this time of year. I have so many recipes to share with you all this year and I’m hoping to get them posted soon. I’ve been recipe testing and trying my best to create healthy versions of my favourite meals. Many of them have been a huge success but a few still need to be tweaked a tad.

I’ve recreated my original banana bread and made it as healthy as possible without sacrificing the taste of this epic treat. I’m so very happy with the result! This is the most often made treat at my house. It’s easy to make, includes staple ingredients that pretty much everyone has on hand and it’s guilt free. It’s healthy and delicious! No need to have any guilt about indulging in this banana bread. You’re fueling your body with nutritious ingredients instead of the typical store bought version that’s full of sugar and fat.

I also love using this recipe for mini muffins and mini loafs. Just bake them for a shorter period of time. I love how versatile this recipe is.

I really tried to break this recipe down to minimal ingredients so that everyone can feel like they can make it easily. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is in the kitchen either. This recipe is so easy that anyone can make it, and end up with a perfect snack. I also like to create meals that children can make as well. My son is usually my assistant in the kitchen. I want him to learn the importance of making home cooked meals and desserts. My recipes are easy enough for him to help me with and learn some skills. If you have little ones too, then you can definitely make this recipe with them!

My recipe is less calorie rich than my original version. I decided to eliminate the nuts and oil to save on calories. I realized that they were honestly unnecessary ingredients in the recipe. Any type of oil is still refined and not healthy by any means. It provides no nutritional benefits and makes baked goods very calorie rich. I know the hype right now is eat all the fat you can because it’s said to be healthy for us in our diet. The reality is, it’s not. Yes we need some fat in our diet but it really should be from the whole food source such a yummy avocado.

I will add my video version of this recipe below. I know a lot of you enjoy watching the recipe video on my YouTube channel. Thank you for the continued support on my channel. I really appreciate it. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my channel then please consider doing so if you enjoy health and wellness videos. I make healthy yet satisfying meals on my channel and provide wellness tips as well.

Ok so let’s get to the good part …

Here is probably one of my most favourite recipes that I’ve ever created! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


Healthy Guilt Free Banana Bread


Dry Ingredients:

2 cups of oat flour

1 cup of oats

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 cup hemp hearts (optional)

2 Tbsp. Ground Flax


Optional : 1/4 – 1/3 cup Vegan Chocolate chips/chocolate chunks or cacao nibs

Wet Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Warm Water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 of a cup of plant-based milk

3 regular sized spotty bananas, mashed

1/3 of a cup of sugar. I use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple sugar.

* Preheat oven to 350 F *

Method:

1. In a large bowl place 2 cups of oat flour and 1 cup of oats. Next add in 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar of choice. Combine well. Toss in the 1/4 cup of hemp hearts if you are using them in your banana loaf.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of flax meal to a small bowl with 6 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and allow to thicken up

3. In another large bowl mash three spotty bananas well. Add in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and the 1/2 cup of plant-based milk. Mix well.

4. Add the flax egg into the wet ingredients. I use a fork to mix it well.

5. Next add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine everything very well.

6. Transfer your batter into your baking dishes or loaf pans. Bake at 350° for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

ENJOY! 💛

Let me know if you try my recipe out in the comments below! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

Healthy Carrot Pulp Loaf

Have you ever thought to yourself “what a waste” after discarding your juicing pulp? I kept thinking that every time I tossed my pulp in the compost bin after juicing. I juice almost everyday so that’s a fair bit of pulp! I wanted to figure out some ways of using up that pulp. I’ve made a few things that worked fantastic and a few that were total flops. Somethings are a work in progress and that’s fine with me. Eventually I’ll get it right and I feel like I’m learning a lot throughout the process.

I wanted to share my healthy carrot pulp loaf with you all in hopes that you find it useful. I tried making this loaf a few times in different ways just to test out what worked better. We love to top a slice of this yummy loaf with some butter and gobble it up! You can totally make muffins with my recipe too if you prefer. I make muffins often and add some vegan mini chocolate chips to them. I use my ceramic muffin tin and that way I done have to use the paper muffin cups! I’m happy because it’s great for the environment, saves me money and saves my muffins from ending up into a crumbly mess. I bake mine for about 18 minutes but as every oven may vary a bit keep an eye on them. You may need to increase or decrease the time depending on your oven.

Now if only I could find a good ceramic loaf pan! I’m on the hunt for one. Let me know if you’ve bought one and what brand it is below in the comments. Thanks!

My followers across my social media showed interest in my recipe but I was still recipe testing. After trying it a few times and adding new ingredients to my loaf I’m finally happy with the outcome. So as promised, here is the recipe below. Enjoy!

For those of you that don’t juice don’t fret because you can totally make this recipe with grated carrots! Now go rock this recipe! Tag me in pictures of your awesome loaf or muffins. 😀

Things you will need

*Large mixing bowls

* 1 wooden spoon (or use your favourite baking spoon)

* 1 loaf pan (use whatever size you prefer for bigger or smaller slices) I prefer a smaller loaf pan myself

* Set of measuring cups and spoons

* Fork

Dry Ingredients

Cups flour of choice (I use brown rice flour a lot)

* 3/4 cup coconut sugar

* 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1/3 cup hemp hearts

* 1/2 cup GF Oats

* 2 tbsp chia seeds

* 1 tbsp cinnamon

* 4 tbsp flax meal in order to make 4 Flax Eggs

* Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

*3/4 cup non dairy milk ( I like using almond or coconut milk)

* 1 large banana (mashed)

* 1 1/2 packed cups of carrot pulp from your juicer

* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

* 1/4 cup coconut oil

* 12 tbsp of water to add to the flax meal

  • Walnuts for topping (Optional)
  • To make 1 Flax Egg mix 1 tbsp flax meal with 3 tbsp of water and mix well. Allow to thicken for 3-5 minutes. In order to make this loaf you will need 4 flax eggs.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F

2. Add your ground flax to a small bowl with water. Mix well and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. The mixture will thicken up so you can use as an egg replacement.

3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

4. Add all the wet ingredients to another large bowl and combine well

5. Add the flax eggs into the wet mixture and mix well using a fork

6. Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well

7. Line loaf pan with parchment paper

8. Add the mixture into the loaf pan and even it all out. Top with walnuts if your using them

9. Pop them into the oven and bake for 60 minutes

10. Check if your loaf is done by inserting a wooden scuwer into it or a tooth pick

11. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before trying to slice it.

Note:

  • Cooking time may vary depending on the oven. Check your loaf at the 50 minute mark and decide if it needs more time like mine does.
  • If you feel like the top of your loaf is browning up too much then just cover it with foil and continue to bake it. I try avoiding foil and enjoy nicely toasted walnuts on top of my loaf. I’ve also moved my oven rack to a lower position which is a great alternative if I feel I need to.
  • I actually add more cinnamon to my loaf because I absolutely love the way it makes baked goods taste. I also think it helps add great flavour without adding more sugar to recipes.
  • I feel that 3/4 cup of coconut sugar is enough to sweeten this loaf but if your preference is sweeter loafs or desserts then I would say add more sugar to the recipe as desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!<

Healthy Cinnamon Apple Chips!

 

Healthy Apple Chips!

Healthy Apple Chips!

 

 

I love making healthy apple chips! They are a guilt free snack or treat and they are so easy to make! I have found that the best way to slice the apples is by using a mandolin so that they are super thin. If you don’t have a mandolin don’t sweat it, you can just slice them as thin as possible. The thinner they are the faster they will cook. If you use a knife to cut the apple slices just remember to allow some extra time for cooking so they turn out perfect. I like to sprinkle cinnamon op top of my slices but if you’re not a cinnamon fan then just don’t use it. I love cinnamon because of the wonderful flavor it adds but it also helps reduce inflammation in the body.

 

Apple Chips

Ingredients/things you will need:

  • 1 large baking sheet or 2 smaller ones
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • Cinnamon
  • Apples (I use 4-5 organic Gala apples)
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon juice
  • Mandolin or sharp knife
  • Parchment paper
  • Silicone brush

 

 

Apple Slices!

Apple Slices!

 

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 250 F
  2. I usually use 4-5 Organic Gala Apples when I make apple chips. I use the mandolin to slice them up thinly. Place in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Squeeze 1 tbsp. of lemon juice on top of the apple slices and give them a careful toss. If you mix them too much they will fall apart so be gentle!
  4. Melt 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
  5. Line 1 large baking sheet or 2 smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Add the apple slices to the baking sheet. Try not over lapping them and lay them out in one single layer.
  7. Using your silicone brush you can now lightly brush the apple slices with coconut oil and sprinkle them with cinnamon.
  8. Pop them into the oven for about 45 minutes.
  9. Just continue this process until you have baked all your apple slices.
  10. Allow to cool off once cooked and ENJOY! 🙂

* Visit me on Instagram for more healthy food ideas! My handle is  VeganMommyDee *   🙂

Banana Blueberry Oat Cookies!

Healthy Banana Blueberry Oat Cookies!

Healthy Banana Blueberry Oat Cookies!

 

My recipe for Banana Blueberry Oat Cookies only has 4 ingredients in them …yes only 4! I want to be able to enjoy a cookie or treat without all the guilt associated with it, which is one of the reasons why I like to come up with my own recipes. The other reason is I strive to eat healthy on a daily basis. I want to be able to eat a cookie that only contains a few ingredients not chemical sugar loaded junk that’s found on super market shelves! These cookies have no added sugar in them! The bananas add enough sweetness so I don’t add any extra sugar to them. I’ve been trying to stick to sugar free snacks now and I’ve also been experimenting with stevia as an alternative. I’m also on a fitness quest so it’s important to for me to not set myself backwards by eating unhealthy treats. These simple cookies are so easy to take on the go too which is super handy when the hunger bug hits ya and all you have around you is junk food/fast food. They are very helpful to me when my daughter is at glee club and dinner time is approaching. All they have in the community center are vending machines full of junk! Tempting at times but no thanks I’ll just enjoy a healthy banana blueberry oat cookie instead! 🙂

 

Banana Blueberry Oat Cookies 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup gluten free old fashion rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill organic brand)
  • 2 organic mashed banana
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
  • 1/3 cup blueberries

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  3. Mash the two bananas in a medium sized bowl
  4. Add the oats and cinnamon. Combine really well.
  5. With a spoon scoop out the mixture and place on the baking sheet to make your cookies. Make them whatever size you prefer and top each cookie with desired amount of blueberries.

Note:

*  You can also gently add the blueberries into the mixture before you scoop it out to make your cookies. I don’t prefer to however because I think they look pretty topped with the blueberries and I don’t risk breaking them in the batter. *

* These quantities made 9 cookies for me*

 

Enjoy! 😀

 

Organic Apple Quinoa Bake

Here at my house I have a bit of a obsession with making apple oat bakes. I always have organic gala apples and oats in the house! Those are staple food items in my home. My kids are obsessed with gala apples so that’s why I stick to buying that type. Apple bakes are great when you wanna put together something quickly. The beauty of a bake is that you throw it into the oven and you don’t have to fuss over it. I wanted another option that was even healthier so I decided to use quinoa flakes in my recipe. It’s also a wheat-free/gluten-free grain option! There are so many benefits to including quinoa to your diet! It’s packed with a protein, super low in calories, antioxidants, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and has anti inflammatory benefits as well. Here is the incredibly easy recipe for my organic apple quinoa bake …

ORGANIC APPLE QUINOA BAKE

Ingredients:

  • 2 large organic apples, chopped up and leave the skin on. Everyone needs more fiber in their diet!
  • 1 1/4 cup organic quinoa flakes
  • 1 heaping TBSP of cinnamon … another obsession of mine 🙂
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4-1/3 cup pure maple syrup (1/4 cup is what I use)
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Notes:

* You will need a medium-sized baking dish*

*You can add more quinoa flakes to your bake if you desire. I don’t because I like to keep apples as the star of the show.

*Makes 4 servings*

Method:

  1. Add the quinoa and cinnamon into the baking dish, mix
  2. Chop up the apples and add them into the baking dish
  3. Pour the apple cider vinegar to the mixture and give it a good mix.
  4. Pour the coconut oil on the mixture and combine.
  5. Next add the maple syrup. Depending on how sweet you want your apple bake to be you can add between 1/4 – 1/3 cup maple syrup.
  6. Toss in the raw pumpkin seeds
  7. Even out in the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F

Easy, Easy, Easy! Enjoy as a dessert or snack! You could even spoon this bake on top of coconut ice cream with a little drizzle of maple syrup and top with walnuts or pecans. YUM!

Simple Apple Quinoa Bake