Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

 

I tested another recipe, with a few changes, and it is delicious. We had a few bananas turning brown on the counter, so choosing this recipe was easy. The chocolate chips helped sway my decision too!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 light brown sugar or raw sugar (I used 1/4 c. honey)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 1/3 c. unsweetened crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy, natural peanut butter)
• 1/4 c. plain fat-free yogurt (I used plain whole yogurt)
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbs. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (choose these carefully - dark chocolate is best)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat standard loaf pan with oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. (If you use honey, you'll of course add it to the wet ingredients).

2. Whisk together mashed bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, egg and oil. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely then slice and serve. (It took less than 40 minutes to cook in my oven... and we of course tasted it before it cooled completely!)

This recipe came from an Optimum Wellness publication that I probably picked up at a grocery store in Colorado. 

Action Item: Try this recipe using my changes or make some of your own suited to your tastes and requirements!

For Further Reading: How to Choose the Healthier Oil: Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil (good reminder that you need to choose what's best for your lifestyle and keep it varied)

Frozen Banana Bites

I have been mentioning chocolate a lot lately it seems, but here's one more. I really need to share this! My Mom found the recipe on facebook and shared it with me. We commented on it back and forth, so I just got up from the computer, marched to the kitchen and made these. Easy. Super yummy. Kid-approved!

The recipe/photo came from Dr. Josh Axe's facebook page:

• 2 large bananas
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (use whatever chocolate chips you have... dark chocolate is best!)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (make sure it's natural, no added anything)
• Unsweetened coconut flakes (I actually left some of mine plain, topped some with chia seeds and others with hemp seeds. Nuts would be good too).

Method . . .

Set out a large plate or bowl with a piece of parchment or wax paper on it. Cut up the bananas into good-sized chunks. Each banana should give you around 5 to 6 pieces. Heat the peanut butter and chocolate chips in the microwave on high for about a minute. Then stir until smooth.

This is what mine looked like going into the freezer.
A little rushed and messy, but still a thumbs up.

Dip the banana pieces in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Lay them out leaving some space between them on the parchment/wax paper. Then when you've "covered" them all, use the remaining mixture to spoon over the tops (for even more chocolate-y goodness).

And my son's enthusiastic thumbs up!

Then sprinkle the unsweetened coconut flakes on top. Transfer to the freezer for about an hour until hardened. You can enjoy them like this (but they really aren't frozen yet -- and when they're frozen, the banana tastes like vanilla ice cream). I suggest then covering with some plastic wrap (or really you can do all of this in some kind of Rubbermaid container) and let freeze overnight.

 

These are really delicious, easy to make, would be great for guests, for a kid's party or just as a snack for yourself. I am thinking I will try using a whole banana and putting it on a stick. Jaryn keeps seeing these at Sprouts and wants me to buy them; homemade would be better for so many reasons: natural, no preservatives, made with love, no packaging, less expensive. And here's my reminder to only eat a few. Chocolate and peanut butter both have lots of calories, plus that way you can save some for the next day!

 

 

Action Item: Yep, you guessed it. Try these healthier treats for you and your family.

 

For further reading: A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away