Mar 1, 2013

Healthy Banana Oat Cookies

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I wasn’t planning to post a recipe today, but I also didn’t plan to bake cookies last night!

After such a SOLID eating week (it’s been AWESOME!), it’s not like I was craving something sweet… instead just VERY CURIOUS about Gina‘s latest healthy cookie recipe.

I was sitting with a co-worker today, and that new cookie recipe from Skinnytaste popped in my head.  For like the THIRD time this week… It’s such a simple recipe.  Just THREE ingredients.  And, considering what those ingredients were, I knew that she wasn’t kidding when she said healthy.

I prefer greener bananas to the ones that are speckled yellow and brown.  I typically end up freezing those brown guys for a later use. And, I knew I had to have some bananas in the freezer ready to be transformed into delicious baked goods.

Just like that, I knew I’d be baking last night…  The result, a guilt-free healthy cookie.  Don’t expect them to taste like banana bread, because they’re flourless afterall.  However, expect to enjoy a fruity cookie that doesn’t have you running to the gym (unless you want to, of course!)  Yum!

Healthy Banana Oat Cookies

 From Skinnytaste

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 banana, ripened and mashed

1/2 cup quick oats

2 Tbsp. chopped pecans or walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2.  Combine banana and quick oats in a small bowl.  Note:  Quick oats are definitely recommended over standard oats.

3.  Add nuts and combine.  Note:  Gina recommended walnuts in the original recipe, but I used pecans only because that’s what I had on hand.

4.  Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and place on the cookie sheet, making 8 cookies.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Note:  Cookies become a little bit browner than I expected, but they’re PERFECT that way!

Perfect with a little glass of skim milk… and check out how chewy and banana-y they are??

Per 2 Cookie Serving:

CAL 93; FAT 3.5g; CARB 15g; FIB 2g; PROT 2g; SOD 0.4mg; WW Points Plus: 2

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Jan 19, 2013

Healthy Banana Cinnamon Waffles

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Monday through Friday, it’s a fight between me and my snooze button.  In order to make it to my office on time, I have to wake up early in the 5 o’clock hour to make it happen.

I literally set THREE alarm clocks so that I can respond to at least one of them.  Bizarrely, this Saturday morning, I woke up at 5:45 with no alarm and with no hope at going back to sleep.

Seriously not impressed.

So, I decided to use this time to post a fun weekend recipe that I’ve been dying to share with you guys.  I made these last weekend, and have been enjoying them ever since.

My dad got me a waffle iron for Christmas, and I’ve been eager to try it out for weeks.  After pinning a ton of new healthy waffle recipes, I finally found the one I wanted to try.  It has several different flours in it, including buckwheat, whole wheat, all purpose, and ground flaxseed.  This makes for a VERY hearty and delicious breakfast.  One thing that makes me hesitate with pancakes and waffles is that they’re not very filling… this recipe is the exception.  The mashed bananas on the inside as well as fresh bananas on top make it the perfect breakfast, if you ask me.

Healthy Banana Cinnamon Waffles

From Cooking Light

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large ripe banana, mashed + more for garnish (optional)
Cooking spray

 INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, flaxseed, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2.  Combine milk, butter, and eggs, stirring with a whisk.

I used Brummel and Brown spread, as I didn’t have any butter in the house.

3.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until blended.

4.  Fold in mashed banana.

5.  Preheat a waffle iron. Coat iron with cooking spray.  Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to edges.

Debuting My New Waffle Iron!

 

Oh boy… I need to practice this. The first few were a MESS.

6.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter.  Note:  This recipe made a LOT of waffles.  Actually, a stack of FOUR big belgian babies.  For a serving, I recommend a half of a waffle per serving.  This will vary based upon your waffle maker.

7.  Slice a banana to use as a garnish.  I also sprinkled them with a touch of cinnamon-sugar, and eventually added sugar-free maple syrup.

Per 1/2 Waffle Serving (not including banana or sugar-free syrup)

CAL 181; CARB 30g; FAT 5g; PROT 7g; FIB 3g; SOD 75mg

After I devoured my serving, I realized I still had a huge stack of waffles to deal with.  Since I wasn’t cooking for my seven closest friends, I decided to freeze the leftovers.

I ate one of the frozen waffles this week, and it was AMAZING even after spending the week in the freezer.  I did have to toast it longer than the average frozen waffle, but the taste and quality FAR exceeded any frozen waffle I’ve ever had.  I HIGHLY recommend you try these… and I look forward to more experimentation with my wafflemaker in upcoming months!

 

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