The Best Banana Muffins

I had a couple of super over ripe bananas sitting on the counter today, so instead of tossing them, I decided to try this amazing banana muffin recipe!  It did NOT disappoint!  You're gonna love these!!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

THE BEST BANANA MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter (cooled 5 min)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

2 large eggs (room temp is best)

1/4 cup buttermilk (room temp is best)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups measure for measure gluten free flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

STREUSEL (optional, but worth the effort)

1/2 cup measure for measure gluten free flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold

1) Preheat oven to 425F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2) Place peeled bananas in a large bowl and use a fork to mash them.

3) Add oil and melted butter and stir well.

4) Stir in sugars until well combined.

5) Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and stir well.  Set aside.

6) In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

7) Add dry ingredients to your wet batter and gently fold in until ingredients are just combined (don't over mix).

8) Portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner 3/4 full. Set aside and prepare your Streusel topping.

For Streusel Topping (optional)

1) Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl and use a fork to stir together.

2) Using a pastry blender, cut in your cold butter until the butter is well worked in and your mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3) Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over each muffin.

4) Bake muffins at 425F for 8 minutes and then reduce the oven temp to 350F (do not open the oven door or remove the muffins, just leave them in and reduce the temp) and bake another 7-8 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the center of the largest muffin should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).

5) Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes or so before removing from pan to a rack for complete cooling.

NOTES:

~I did not measure the banana.  I only had two large bananas and it turned out great.  If you have 3, I would use 3, but it worked out fine with 2 and I don't see a need to measure them.

~I didn't have any buttermilk, so I made my own.  To make your own, simply put 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar in a 1 cup liquid measure, then add milk until it reaches 1 cup.  Stir and let sit for about 10-15 minutes.

~For the measure for measure flour, my favorite is King Arthur, but last time I went shopping, they were out of it and I got the Krusteaz brand and it was just as good!

~I used most of the streusel topping, but maybe since I was short a banana, it only made 14 muffins and they were so full of the topping that I didn't end up using all of it.

~You can easily add nuts or chocolate chips to this recipe, just fold them in at the end, before filling the muffin cups.

Banger Sausage Patties

These sausage patties are amazing!  So easy to make your own sausage at home!  No casings to worry about, just lots of flavor!  These are great paired with the Sweet Potato Mash with Caramelized Onions!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

BANGER SAUSAGE PATTIES

1 pound ground pork
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Grated zest of 1 lemon

1)  Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2)  In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients until well combined.

3)  Form into 8 equal patties and place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

4)  Bake the sausage patties in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145F, and no pink remains in the middle of the patty.

NOTES:

~I find that it does take a little longer than 15 minutes for the pork to cook through.

Paleo Coconut Pecan Breakfast Bars

I made these for a dessert actually, and I thought they were delicious!  They aren't overly sweet, so as a breakfast bar, they would be awesome.  You can really taste the banana and the coconut behind that.  I love the texture.  I will definitely make these again!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from mommayoungathome.com via Pinterest.


PALEO COCONUT PECAN BREAKFAST BARS

Coconut Oil
2 eggs
1 banana
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Use the coconut oil to grease an 8x8 pan.

2)  Crack the eggs into a medium size bowl and quickly whisk them up.

3)  Mash the banana and add to the bowl with the eggs, along with the honey and vanilla.

4)  Measure and add your coconut flour, making sure to combine everything well and ensuring there are no clumps.

5)  Measure and add the unsweetened shredded coconut and coconut milk and mix to ensure the batter is well combined.

6)  Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth it out.  Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top.

7)  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Keep an eye on them - when the edges are golden brown and the center is firm, they are done!

NOTES:

~Freezing these is a cinch!  Simply wait for them to cool, cut them to the desired size and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

I had a brunch at my house recently and I tried this recipe.  They were quick, easy, healthy and delicious!!  Not to mention gluten-free!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from Allrecipes.com


SCRAMBLED EGG MUFFINS

1/2 pound gluten-free bulk pork sausage
12 eggs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1)  Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2)  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in sausage; cook and stir until sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes; drain.

3)  Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in onion, green pepper, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Mix in sausage and cheddar cheese.  Spoon into muffin cups about 2/3 full.

4)  Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

NOTES:

~I used grass-fed Chorizo instead of the pork sausage.  I am making them again today and I am using bacon.  You can use whatever type of gluten-free meat you want.  Just cook the meat ahead of time, then add to the mix.

~I used onion powder instead of garlic, since I am allergic to garlic.

~I omitted the cheese, since I cannot have dairy anymore, but you could use Daiya cheese or if you are lucky enough to be able to eat dairy, use whatever cheese you like!  It might be delicious with some pepper jack, to spice it up a bit!

~You can also play with the veggies and use whatever you like!  Some other ideas are mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach and broccoli!

~Of course you can make this meatless too by leaving out the meat and replacing it with more veggies!

My Favorite Berry Smoothie

This is a delicious smoothie with just a few ingredients!  You are going to love it!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

MY FAVORITE BERRY SMOOTHIE

1 cup unsweetened plain kefir
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 medium size banana
1 teaspoon Truvia

1)  Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

2)  Pour into a glass through a fine mesh strainer to separate the seeds.

NOTES:

~I used Lifeway brand kefir.

~I used a blueberry, black berry, raspberry blend from Costco.

~I freeze my over ripe bananas and use them for my smoothies.  Just remove from the freezer and microwave for about 30 -60 seconds, then rip the stem off and squeeze the banana into the blender.  It will be runny, that's okay!

Zucchini Muffins

I got this recipe from my friend Laura a while back and had never tried it, until yesterday.  I changed the recipe to make it gluten-free, but other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe.  They were the perfect texture, nice and soft, but my first reaction was that they needed more SWEETNESS!  The sugar in the recipe is very low, but I thought that might be good to post for people who are trying to cut down on their sugar.  I have been eating them for breakfast over the past couple of days and they really are delicious!  I think once you start cutting sugar out of your diet, you get used to things without it.

I was thinking about tweaking the recipe and maybe adding banana or a little honey to keep it natural, but sweeten it up just a bit.  If you add the raisins, that would help sweeten them up too, I just didn't because I do not like raisins!  So play around with it.  Either way, they are a delicious treat!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups zucchini
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1)  With a mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla, water, oil and eggs until well blended.

2)  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and xanthum gum.

3)  Add to the wet mixture and mix well.

4)  Fold in the zucchini and raisins.

5)  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 350F for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTES:

~I used the gluten-free flour blend from the "Recipes for Gluten-Free Kids" cook book.  It's listed on my blog under the Gluten-Free Flour Blends tab.

~This recipe makes 1 dozen muffins.

~If your zucchini is watery (mine was because it had been frozen), drain it before adding it to the batter.  If you don't want to drain it, you could just omit the 4 tablespoons of water in the recipe and just dump it in!  Either way would work I'm sure.

Banana Doughnuts with Banana Frosting

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet!  I have only made these once.  Yes, they were THAT good!  Soft, "cakey" banana goodness!  Enough said!

You won't believe they are gluten free!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe came from The Food Network Magazine.  I cut it out, so I'm not sure which issue.

BANANA DOUGHNUTS WITH BANANA FROSTING

1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup shortening, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1)  Make sure your eggs and shortening are out on the counter so they are at room temperature when you are ready to make this recipe.

2)  Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two non-stick, 6-count doughnut pans.

3)  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.

4)  In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the oil.

5)  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.

6)  Spoon the batter about 3/4 full into the prepared pans.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely on a rack.

Frosting:

1)  In a food processor, combine the shortening, confectioners' sugar, the remaining 1/2 cup banana, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and the lemon juice.

2)  Glaze the cooled doughnuts with the frosting.

NOTES:

~I used "Sylvana's All Purpose Flour Mix", under Gluten-Free Flour Blends on my blog.

~A wire rack works well for glazing, that way any drips fall under the rack, instead of pooling around the bottom of the doughnut.

Chocolate Muffin in a Mug

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes!  It only takes a couple of minutes to throw together and it's super yummy, filling and healthy!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from the Trim Healthy Mama Book/Cookbook by Serene Allison & Peal Barrett

CHOCOLATE MUFFIN IN A MUG

1 egg
Dash of vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons golden flax meal
1 1/2 tablespoons almond flour
1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2-4 teaspoons Truvia
1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil (it's okay if it's in solid form, you don't need to melt it)

1)  Crack the egg into a coffee mug and whisk it well with a fork.

2)  Add the remaining ingredients and stir vigorously until well mixed.

3)  Microwave for 1 minute.

4)  Turn onto a plate and cut in half (so it doesn't roll around).

5)  Top with non-fat Greek yogurt and berries or just eat it plain!

NOTES:

~I make-up little snack baggies with the dry ingredients ahead of time, so when I want a muffin, I just put the egg, vanilla and coconut oil in the mug, add the baggie mixture, stir and microwave!  Easy peasy!

~I also like to throw in some unsweetened coconut for a little variety.

~My favorite way to eat this is to add a little Truvia to my non-fat Greek yogurt, put that on top of the muffin and then top with strawberries and blueberries.  You'll think you're having dessert, but without all of the calories!

~Make sure you rinse your mug right away or you'll have a tough time getting it clean!

 

 

 

 

Banana Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast!  Say no more, I'm all over that!  These cookies have no sugar, except for what's in the chocolate chips and the coconut (if you use sweetened coconut) and they are super moist, totally delicious and very simple to make!  Oh, and did I mention, they are gluten free - and dairy free if you use dairy free chocolate chips!

My friend Carolyn and I made them this morning and we were pleasantly surprised with the end result!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

BANANA BREAKFAST COOKIES

3 large ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed just a little so it isn't solid
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1)  Preheat the oven to 350F.

2)  In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas, then add the coconut oil and vanilla and mix well.

3)  Add the oats, almond meal, salt and baking powder and mix well.

4)  Stir in the coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips until combined.

5)  Form the dough into 12 balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them a little bit.  Bake for 14-16 minutes.

NOTES:

~I ended up adding more chocolate chips when I made them, probably almost 1/2 cup, but they would still be delicious with less.

~I also decided to make my cookies smaller, if you only make 12 cookies, they are going to be huge.  I made about 26 cookies and mine were about 2" in diameter.  They were cooked perfectly after 12 minutes, but if you make them bigger, they will need more time to cook.  I think next time I will do something in between.

 

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

This is one of my all time favorite sweet treats!  The original recipe is not gluten free, so I decided to try making it with my favorite g-free flour mix and it was TO DIE FOR!  If you like almond flavor and cherries - you are going to love this one!

Enjoy,
Kirsten

PS: The recipe came from my sweet friend Michelle.

CHERRY ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

1 cup butter (unsalted)
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups gluten-free flour mix
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can cherry pie filling

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
Sliced almonds - optional

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 15x10x1 inch pan (cookie sheet).

2)  Cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla and almond extract, then add one egg at a time, beating well after each.

3)  Mix dry ingredients separately, then add to the creamed mixture.

4)  Reserve 1 cup of batter, spread remaining batter in the cookie sheet/pan.

5)  Spread the cherry pie filling over the batter, then drop "blobs" of the remaining 1 cup of batter over the cherries (this will give it a marbled effect when it bakes).

6)  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until very lightly browned on sides and top.

7)  Drizzle powdered sugar icing over the top with a spoon while it's warm.  Sprinkle sliced almonds on top if desired.

8)  Cool well before cutting.

NOTES:

~The gluten-free flour mix that I used is from the cookbook "Recipes for Gluten Free Kids", it's on my blog under Gluten Free Flour Mixes and it's titled "Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend" - just make sure you don't use the one that says "For Bread".  Also, for the flour blend, it says to use either Almond Flour or Coconut Flour; I use Coconut Flour in mine, but I'm sure either would be just fine.

~The original recipe does not call for xanthan gum, so if your non-g-free friends want the recipe, just take that out and use 3 cups of all purpose flour.

~The original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of milk, but I find that closer to 2 is enough to get it the right consistency.  Also, I use vanilla almond milk instead of cow's milk.

~The dough will be very sticky and when you spread it out in that size pan, it will seem thin and hard to spread.  Just make sure you spread it as evenly as you can.  If it doesn't quite touch the edges of the pan, it's okay, it will spread out as it cooks.

Mary's Apple Pancake

When I had the flu recently, my friend Mary brought me this delicious apple pancake.  I didn't have much of an appetite, but this really hit the spot.  It's total comfort food!  I don't think my kids would like it, at least not at their young age, but I thought it was absolutely delicious and I know when they are older, they are going to love it!  It's perfect for a cold winters morning!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS:  The recipe comes from my dear friend Mary Rotrekl, who took such good care of me when I was sick!  Look for another recipe from Mary - Home Made Chicken Noodle Soup - yummy!

MARY'S APPLE PANCAKE

4 tablespoons butter

7 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut flour

¾ cup ground nuts (Mary used a combination of almonds and walnuts)

1/8 cup granulated coconut palm sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3 apples, peeled, cored, sliced (Mary used Honey Crisp, but Granny Smith would be good too)

Cinnamon & sugar mixture:  1/8 cup cinnamon and 1/4 cup granulated coconut palm sugar

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Place butter in 12" round pan with 3" high sloping side. Heat in oven for 3 minutes to melt butter. Tilt pan to spread butter evenly over bottom of pan. Set aside.

2)  In mixer, beat eggs slightly (not until foamy). Blend in coconut flour, ground nuts, coconut palm sugar and salt. Gradually add milk, beating until smooth.

3)  Fill pan with apple slices. Pour batter over apples. Bake for 30 minutes.

4)  Remove from oven. Turn upside down onto a cookie sheet. Spoon cinnamon-sugar evenly over top. Return to oven, baking another 30 minutes.

NOTES:

~You could substitute another gluten free flour for the coconut flour.

~You could substitute another sugar for the coconut palm sugar.  Regular granulated sugar would be fine.

~You could easily make this dairy free by using Almond Milk instead of cow's milk.

~Use whatever type of nuts you like, pecans would be great too.

Aunt Betty's Brunch Casserole

This is an easy and delicious brunch casserole that you make the night before.  Just pull it out of the fridge in the morning, bake and enjoy!

It's one of my favorites.

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from, Aunt Betty, of course!

AUNT BETTY'S BRUNCH CASSEROLE

1 1/2 lbs. gluten-free pork sausage
9 eggs
3 cups milk
6 slices gluten-free bread, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1)  Crumble sausage and brown well, then drain.

2)  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Stir in remaining ingredients and sausage.

3)  Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.

4)  Bake uncovered at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes.

NOTES:  

~This is delicious served with salsa and sour cream, for a Mexican flair.

Gluten-Free Waffles

Absolutely delicious waffles!!  You are going to love them and you'll never know they are gluten-free!  You could easily make them dairy-free by using an egg substitute, coconut milk yogurt, almond milk (or another milk substitute) and dairy-free margarine.  I used vanilla coconut milk yogurt and almond milk, but we can have butter and eggs, so I used those instead of the substitutes.

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: This recipe comes from the Recipes for Gluten-Free Kids cookbook and also uses the Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend from the same cookbook.  You will find it on my blog under "Gluten-Free Flour Blends", just make sure you match up the cookbook name and DO NOT use the one for breads!

GLUTEN-FREE WAFFLES

2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend (not for bread)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1)  Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

2)  Beat eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Whisk in yogurt and milk.

3)  Combine flour blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

4)  Gradually whisk yogurt mixture into flour mixture until smooth.  Whisk in melted butter.

5)  Add batter to waffle iron by 1/2 cupfuls for 6-inch waffles (or adjust amount depending on waffle iron).  Bake until crisp and browned.  Serve with butter and syrup.

6)  Refrigerate o freeze leftover waffles and reheat in toaster or toaster oven until crisp.

Makes 5 (6-inch) waffles

NOTES:

~I always spray my waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray to avoid sticking.

~You could alter this recipe to suit your taste by adding a little cinnamon to the batter, or adding some crushed pecans or walnuts.  That is one of my favorite ways to make waffles!