Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

I had a birthday party for two on the 8th. I turned 25, and the boy and I celebrated with mulled wine, the walking dead, paneer curry…and cake.

Ohhhh the cake. It had a toasted marshmallow frosting, a delightful spiced sweet potato based cake and cinnamon brown sugar buttercream. Everything was going splendidly until, seemingly out of nowhere, I broke my buttercream.

This will forever be entitled “My 25th: Broken Buttercream Birthday”. Now that’s just not pretty, but it WAS tasty. Like out of this world good.

Another delicious thing I made on my birthday was this banana bread. With swirls of cinnamon and sugar throughout this bread it’ll make you think you’re eating a dessert! I love all kinds of banana bread, but this one is definitely one of my favorites. Shall we get started?

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a loaf pan (mine was 9 x 5). Mash those ripe bananas.

Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!

In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon. This stuff makes me giddy.

Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes and keep a close eye on it!

Let cool on a rack and dig in!

For other banana bread recipes see my:
Banana Sweet Potato Bread
Swirly Nutella Banana Bread
Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Recipe lightly adapted from Love in the Oven

Ingredients:
3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour

For the swirl:
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a loaf pan. Mine was 9 x 5, but you could use any sort, I suppose. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven, and adjust the time as needed.

Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!

In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.

Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eyeball on it!

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Artichoke Feta Garlic Bread

As I cross “being vegan for a month” off of my 30 Things To Do Before 30 list, I am excited to get back to my old pals cheese and butter, but I’m extremely happy that I was able to consume animal free products for an entire month.

During the 30 days, I must say that my body didn’t feel any different than it normally does with a vegetarian diet. I expected a big change and surge of energy like a lot of the books I read said I would, but I simply didn’t. This could be because I watch what I eat, making sure to take in the right amount of protein, whole grains and nutrients from fruits and vegetables anyway. But it’s good to know that I must be doing something right day to day!

The biggest thing I learned after this process, was that reducing the amount of dairy I eat is definitely needed and that I need to cook more vegan foods! I experimented with a few, and was absolutely delighted with the results. Vegan cooking and baking is something I definitely want to get into more. Some of my favorite vegan recipes were my Kale Salad with Oranges, Almonds and Avocado, my Vegan Pecan Pumpkin Bread and Cheeky Kitchen’s Taco Pasta Shells.

Also, if you want to check out great vegan bloggers see:
Healthy Happy Life
Oh She Glows
Post Punk Kitchen

Anyway, the process was fun. And as I mentioned I’m super happy to get back to all things cheese and butter. This is a recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen and can genuinely say it is now one of my favorite foods. No joke. This is a MUST on your kitchen table.

To make this bread gather your fresh herbs. Our stars are parsley, dill, basil and chives (from left to right).

Throw the chopped herbs into a food processor along with the marinated artichoke hearts.

It’s time for feta, butter, and garlic. Oh my! Pulse that goodness until it’s nice and smooth.

Eat with a spoon. You’re done!…kidding.

Slice the bread in 1-inch slices, stopping before the base of the bread. Stuff the bread with the mixture. Wrap in the bread in foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve while hot!

Love.

Artichoke Feta Garlic Bread
Recipe taken from Tasty Kitchen
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
½ cups parsley, chopped
¼ cups dill, chopped
8 basil leaves, chopped
¼ cups chives, chopped
6 whole marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
6 cloves garlic
¼ cups Feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 stick butter
1 whole Italian loaf of bread

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Chop the first 4 ingredients and place them in a food processor. Blend. Add artichoke hearts. Blend. Add the garlic, feta, softened butter and salt and pepper to the food processor and mix until smooth.

Slice the bread in 1-inch slices, stopping before the base of the bread. Stuff the bread with the mixture.

Wrap in the bread in foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve while hot.

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Bread

One week down of vegan month and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this many chips in my life. I have always been a sweets girl – like scream from the rooftops “I love chocolate” kind of lady. Buuuuut milk chocolate (my favorite) isn’t vegan so I’ve clung to other options.

Unhealthy option #1 – chips. Especially whole wheat corn chips. Who’s bringing the salsa?
Unhealthy option #2 – dark chocolate. Sure a small amount is, in fact, very healthy, but I dare you to try and pry a piece from my hand once I’ve opened a package.
Unhealthy option #3 – overloading on quick breads. HELLO PUMPKIN BREAD! Like its friend dark chocolate this bread is lovely in small amounts annnnd like all things, not so healthy after you’ve eaten half a loaf. Whoops!

This bread is super moist, with the perfect amount of spice that truly makes it one of the best quick breads I’ve eaten. If you’re not into the whole vegan thing, forget about it! This is simply a wicked-good quick bread that you’re sure to like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4″ loaf pans and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and water.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula, making sure to incorporate the flour mixture well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Fold in the chopped pecans.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and arrange 4 pecan halves on the top of each loaf (this just makes it pretty).

Bake for about 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes.

Invert onto a cooling rack. Serve bread warm, in thick slices.

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Bread
Makes two 8×4-inch loaves
Recipe taken from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 water
1 cup chopped pecans
8 whole pecan halves (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4″ loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and water.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula, making sure to incorporate the flour mixture well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and arrange 4 pecan halves on the top of each loaf (this just makes it pretty).

Bake for about 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve bread warm, in thick slices.

Note: Loaves can be wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 5 days. These loaves also freeze well!

Glazed Lemon Blueberry Loaf {Guest Post on The Spiffy Cookie!}

Yesterday was my first guest post! I shared my Glazed Lemon Blueberry Loaf on The Spiffy Cookie, and am soooo excited to share it with you. Erin is a fabulous blogger who I’ve been following for a while now. I’m dying to try her Nutella Fruit Dip and Cosmic Brownies and have already made (and totally drooled over her Peanut Butter, Banana & Nutella Bars). Check her out! And fall in love. It’s easy.

This loaf is sweet, moist, and filled with a lemon flavour that isn’t too overpowering. I absolutely love it, and hope you like it too :)

Check it out!

Banana Sweet Potato Bread

Guess what I got for Easter?

A KitchenAid stand mixer!! Yes, for Easter. My man is full of surprises, and decided to take me on an Easter egg hunt to find it. Not your normal Easter egg hunt though. I had to solve a clue that lead me to the next clue, and so on. Here are some examples of the clues I got:

CLUE: The wavelength of light between 300 MHz and 300 GHz.
ANSWER: Microwave
The next clue was in the microwave, and yes, I had to Google this answer.

CLUE: “Turns out they were all dead the whole time…”
ANSWER: Lost.
The next clue was in the DVD box.

CLUE: “What ingredient fo all of these recipes have in common? 1. Jamie Oliver’s Crunchy
Garlic Chicken, 2. Joy The Baker’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball Cookies and 3. Pioneer Woman’s Fancy Mac & Cheese”.
ANSWER: Flour
The next clue was in the flour bag.

As you can tell, this hunt wasn’t easy. I EARNED that stand mixer! Not only did I have to use the internet for half the clues, but each clue came with an envelope with a letter on it, and I had to “unscramble” the words at the end. It ended up saying “My Closet”. The stand mixer was waiting for me in there. HURRAY!!

So naturally I baked in the stand mixer the next day, and can’t believe how easy it is to use! I’m in love with a machine…I’ve heard warnings of this happening.

I made bread. Are you as obsessed with banana bread as I am? I can’t get enough of the stuff and I love trying new combinations of flavours with it. This is certainly a new favorite of mine. It’s filled with bananas and sweet potato puree that meld together like a puzzle piece. Who knew these two were meant for each other? I dig it.

To begin, make your sweet potato puree. First roast 1 large sweet potato for about 1 hour in a 350*F. After the sweet potato is soft and cooked, let it cool for about 20 minutes. Peel the sweet potato and place it into a food processor until smooth and has the consistency of canned pumpkin. Add banana and puree again.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray.

Put the puree in a bowl, add the sugar and oil and beat together until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine into a batter.

Add the milk and mix in.

Aww, yeah.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake the bread for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Banana Sweet Potato Bread
Recipe adapted from Heather Christo
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup very ripe banana, mashed (2 1/2 bananas)
1 cup sweet potato puree (1 large sweet potato)
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
To make your sweet potato puree, roast 1 large sweet potato for about 1 hour in a 350*F oven. After the sweet potato is soft and cooked, let it cool for about 20 minutes. Peel the sweet potato and place it into a food processor until smooth and has the consistency of canned pumpkin.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the banana and sweet potato until smooth and fluffy.

Add the sugar and oil and beat together until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine into a batter. Add the milk and mix in.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake the bread for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Slice and Enjoy!

Swirly Nutella Banana Bread

Everyone needs a classic banana bread recipe in their life. This is fact.

Me? I like chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good healthy banana bread too. I just prefer chocolate over oats. Don’t judge. You know you do too.

This banana bread is lovely. NUTELLAAAAAA. Whoops, minor side track there….this bread is tasty, pretty, and perfect. Let’s get swirlin’ shall we?

To begin, pre-heat your oven and spray your pan. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mash your banana.

In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended.

Add flour mixture. Nom nom.

Beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated. Don’t over mix! This is important.

Spoon Nutella into a medium dish and soften in the microwave for about 10 or 15 seconds.

Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella. Spoon some into your mouth…whatever.

Stir until blended well.

Spoon a bit of plain batter into prepared pan.

Then spoon Nutella batter on top. Alternate Nutella batter with plain banana bread batter into the same pan. This is getting good.

Swirl batters together with a knife at the end. I just shoved my knife in at the end of the pan and worked my way to the other end. I did this once.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Swirly Nutella Banana Bread
Recipe taken from Recipe Girl
Yields 1 loaf – about 12 slices.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 large size bananas, very ripe and mashed
1/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).

4. Spoon Nutella into a medium dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

5. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the oven at 45 minutes to check the top of the bread for browning. If it’s browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil for the remainder of the baking. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread

Call me crazy, but I turned my oven on again. I’ve been baking in the early mornings to keep myself less hot and can’t say I regret it. I NEED a new breakfast in my life.

I chose this bread because it was quick and full of good stuff. Good stuff being sweet potatoes, zucchini and walnuts. Yum! I feel like I’m existing off of cheese and chocolate and I sometimes have chocolate cereal for breakfast! Hellllppppp! So, I made this quick bread to put some green and orange in my life. Also, this bread is moist and super tasty. It tastes like carrot cake actually, which makes me feel like I’m eating cake for breakfast. This makes me happy. Let’s get baking!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x5x3- inch loaf pan and set aside. Sift the first 7 ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Then, grate your sweet potato.

grate your zucchini…

and chop your walnuts.

In a separate, large bowl, mix the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla extract.

Beat them together well.

Mix in the zucchini and sweet potato. Mmm it’s looking good now.

Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts and stir well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Cool bread in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the bread with a butter knife and turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread
Recipe taken from Joy the Baker
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 1/2 cup peeled and grated sweet potato
1 cup chopped walnuts
(optional) you could also add 1/4 cup of raisins or dried cranberries to add some fruit if you’d like!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x5x3- inch loaf pan and set aside.

Sift the first 7 ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

In a separate, large bowl, beat the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the zucchini and sweet potato. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts and stir well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Cool bread in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the bread with a butter knife and turn out on a rack to cool completely.

The Best Pizza Dough

I can’t believe I used to buy frozen pizza dough. It was always alright tasting, and could still generate the “homemade” title, but it wasn’t the best…and I wanted the best.

Everyone has a favorite pizza dough recipe, and I’ve been hunting for it forever. I recently purchased The New Best Recipe cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen, and am proud to say the best pizza dough recipe is in it! FINALLY!

To me dough has to be easy to shape and stretch thin, and the crust has to be crisp and chewy when baked. I’m picky. So, make pizza tonight, and be happy. My actual pizza recipe is coming soon!

Pizza Dough
By America’s Test Kitchen
Makes enough for 4 medium pizzas

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 envelope (2 1/2 tsp) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface and hands
1 1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil for oiling the bowl

Directions:
1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
2. Combine the salt and half the flour in a deep bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining flour, stirring until a cohesive mass forms.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes, using a little dusting flour as possible while kneading.
4. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
5. Press the dough to deflate and add your sauce and toppings!

The Absolute Best Cinnamon Rolls

I seriously love cinnamon rolls. The smell of fresh cinnamon and bread baking in the oven is overwhelming. Perfect. Beautiful.

I have made a number of recipes in my life and always go with the same one when trying to impress company.

The secret is in the frosting. Maple baby. I could eat a whole bowl of the stuff. Sugar comas are a common thing in my house. Just mix together all ingredients listed and stir until smooth. It should be thick but pourable.

The recipe I’m about to share with you was taken from the Pioneer Woman, and she knows her rolls! Golly I love her. Let’s get started, sugar mamma! Begin by mixing the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan and heat until just before the boiling point. Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together.

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Generously drizzle that yummy maple frosting over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting. Seriously.

Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Cinnamon rolls
1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

Maple Frosting
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Directions:
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Oat-tastic Low Fat Banana Bread

If I’m being perfectly honest, I must admit that my day to day eating habits are pretty healthy. Because I’m a vegetarian, I eat according to the vegetarian food guide and am constantly consuming tons of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, soy, nuts and seeds. I have a soft spot for chocolate, and sweets in general, but I don’t binge on these foods when I’m by myself. When I’m baking for myself I tend to bake healthy foods – such as Light and Lemony Poppyseed Bread, Energy-Packed Granola Bars, and this oatmeal banana bread.

This bread is packed full of fiber filled oats, and yummy ripe bananas. As you may have noticed, I love making muffins and breads with bananas. They are so tasty, and easy to bake.

So I hope you’re ready to get bakin’. This bread freezes so well. You just slice it, and then wrap it up individually. Perfect.

Begin by stirring together dry ingredients, including the oats and cinnamon. Look at those yummy oats!

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add oil and whole egg and mix thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Batter will be fairly thick.

In a medium sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 8 equally sized slices

I got this awesome recipe from Joy the Baker. It makes 1 loaf. Cut it into 8 slices for 4 weight watchers points per slice.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp canola oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 medium egg whites, beaten
3 large bananas, ripe
1/2 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients including the oats and cinnamon.
2. In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add oil and whole egg and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Batter will be fairly thick.
4. In a medium sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 8 equally sized slices