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Posts tagged with: dessert

Healthy Baked Bananas

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I have a wicked sweet tooth, and often just have to indulge, but I don’t want my treats to completely derail me from healthy eating (ok, there’s sometimes a place for a delicious doughnut from a local shop, or a slice of chocolate cake).

This healthy baked banana has no added sugar, just what’s naturally in the banana itself and some stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. You don’t need the typical marshmallows and loads of chocolate. I’ve even topped mine with a few dollops of greek yogurt that I added vanilla stevia to.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, and you’ve got the perfect indulgence.

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Healthy Baked Bananas

Serves 2

1 Banana – cut open lengthwise
Pinch of Cinnamon
A few sliced strawberries or some blueberries
2 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Optional: a teaspoon of chopped dark chocolate (I use Lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips)

Sprinkle banana with cinnamon and stuff in the rest of the ingredients.
Wrap in tinfoil and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or bbq for 10 minutes. Top with some greek yogurt after adding in some stevia and vanilla extract.
Enjoy!

5 minute strawberry banana frozen yogurt

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Searching for some healthy treats now that we’re all feeling the need to eat a bit lighter after the last 3 months of food crazies?  Yeah, me too.  I still want a little something sweet and delicious, and this fro-yo really hit the spot.  Strawberries, bananas, and yogurt. Om Nom!  Sweetened with agave. You could use some stevia in place of some of the agave too.

Can we talk about babies for a minute though?  I’m going to have a baby soon! CRAZY! I mean, nothing new, I’ve been pregnant for 8 months.. I’ve had a baby before.. but having a toddler and a newborn? eek!  Not ready!  How do you become ready?  I’m not sure that’s a thing.  I think we’ll just be winging it, no matter what.  But really, you should see my freezer because it’s pretty much stuffed to capacity with portioned out dinners. Yep, I’m that lady.  Preparing for baby is all about food in this house.  Baby bedroom? meh.  But a full freezer is a MUST.  I still have so much I want to make.

I portioned a bunch of this frozen yogurt treat out so I can pop one into a bowl anytime.  I just used a silicon muffin pan. Perfect!  They’re all waiting in a ziplock bag for my next strawberry craving. 15 minutes to soften up a bit. I can handle that.

5 minute strawberry banana frozen yogurt

4 cups frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana in chunks
6 Tablespoons organic agave
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (regular or Greek)

Dump everything into a food processor or high power blender and blend for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides as needed.

Serve immediately or freeze. Just remember that it’ll harden up in the freezer, so you’ll need to let it soften for 15 or so minutes before serving.

Addicting Chocolate chip Cookie Protein Bars

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Maybe I’m being overly liberal with the term “protein bar,” but these do have a good amount of protein in them (lots of nuts!). They’re really just a very delicious almost-clean-eating-friendly treat that I just can’t stop stuffing into my mouth. Seriously.. I’ve frozen the entire batch, but that hasn’t stopped me!

They’re sweet, salty, crunchy, and taste like cookies without added refined sugar or processed flours.  You could even use gluten-free oats, or omit the oats all together.   But you’ve been warned: I bet you can’t stop at just one!

Addicting Chocolate chip Cookie Protein Bars
from Shutterbean.com

1 1/2 cups toasted cashews
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped up
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1.75oz weight chopped dark chocolate (I used Lindt’s with sea salt)
1/8 tsp sea salt

Blend cashews and oats in food processor for about 30 seconds until coarsely chopped.  Add in the dates, maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt. Blend for another 30 seconds until the dough is sticky but still a bit crumbly.  Add in the walnuts and chocolate, and blend for a final 30 seconds, until it’s well combined.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Dump in the mixture, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and push it down until it’s nice and even across the bottom of the pan.  Place in freezer for 4 or more hours, then cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife.

I like to store the squares in a container in the freezer. They’ll keep for about 2 months, but there’s no way they’re lasting that long in this house!