Tag: cup coconut

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS {Made with Coconut Oil!}

I’ve been dying to test out baking with coconut oil so I finally decided to replace the vegetable oil in this lovely looking recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. I love trying new muffin recipes, don’t you? I was amazed at how easy the coconut oil subbed in for the vegetable oil! These muffins had a nice, light flavor and didn’t stick at all to the muffin liners, which was an added bonus!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut oil {microwaved for about 20 second to soften}
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 12 regular-size muffin cups with a muffin liner. Spray the liners real quick with cooking spray. {I always spray my muffin liners with cooking spray and even still they tend to stick a little. These didn’t stick at all!}

In large bowl, beat bananas, brown sugar, milk, coconut oil and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt just until flour is moistened. Fold miniature chocolate chips into batter.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan.

ENJOY!

OATMEAL APRICOT SQUARES

A friend gave us a ton of apricots, so I went on the search for recipes to use them in. I found this great little recipe for Fruit Oatmeal Cookie Bars, which I then proceeded to “healthify” so that I could use them as snacks as opposed to a dessert. What I didn’t expect was to create this nice little gem of a recipe that my family absolutely adored! These snack squares were gone in just a couple days and I found myself wishing I had even more apricot to make them again.

If you don’t have apricot puree, it would be fabulous with a fresh blueberry puree, strawberry or even peach puree. Homemade jam would be great too, although it would increase the sugar content of the bars.

Oatmeal Apricot Squares

Adapted from Fruit Oatmeal Cookie Bars

1/2 cup coconut oil {room temp}
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup pureed fruit {I obviously used apricots} or jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine coconut oil, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats. Mix with a Kitchenaid or hand mixer until coarse crumbles form.

Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the 9×13 pan.

Spoon the fruit puree over the top. Try and spread it around as evenly as possible- no need to be perfect here. Once the fruit touches the oat mixture, if you try and spread it a lot it mixes the two, which you don’t want. You want it layered. Sp do your best to spread the fruit around as evenly as possible as you’re adding it to the pan.

Spread the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top of the fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, until edges of oatmeal crust are beginning to brown.

Cool completely.

Optional Frosting Drizzle: Combine 1 TBSP melted butter with about 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 TBSP milk. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a plastic baggie and cut the corner. Drizzle across cooled bars.

Cut into squares. Enjoy for an afternoon snack or with fruit for breakfast!

BANANA ORANGE BARS

I love this simple Spring recipe! They’re sweet enough to be dessert, but after making a few replacements, I think they’re also a fabulous snack. Whip up a batch while the weather is still cool enough to turn the oven on!

Banana Orange Bars

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas {about 2 medium bananas}
1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend {or 3/4 cup sugar}
1/2 cup coconut oil {softened for 20 seconds in the microwave} you can use vegetable oil instead, but it’s not as healthy! Plus I love the flavor coconut oil has!
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour {or all purpose}
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting: {sorry- I didn’t healthify the frosting. It’s TOO good!!}

2 TBSP butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP orange juice
1/4 tsp grated orange peel {plus more for sprinkling on top}

Beat bananas, sugar, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl until well blended. Add in dry ingredients. Pour into greased 13×9 jelly roll pan. {If you don’t have one of these, you might want to think about getting one! I use mine way more often than I ever thought I would!}

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

For frosting, cream butter and sugar together with a whisk. Add orange juice and peel and mix until smooth. Spread over cooled bars.

Makes 24 1.5″-2″ squares.