Keep It Sweet Desserts

These easy-to-make soft and chewy cookies are made with wholesome ingredients that make them the perfect kid-friendly snack! They are gluten-free and vegan, too.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Makes: 20 cookies

Ingredients

7g (1 tablespoon) ground flaxseed
45 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
250g (2 large) very ripe bananas
128g (1/2 cup) almond butter (I used a salted creamy almond butter)
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) maple syrup
13g (1 tablespoon) melted coconut oil (I substituted butter because that’s what I had)
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
200g (2½ cups) gluten-free rolled oats
50g (1/3 cup) gluten-free dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
2½g (1/2 teaspoon) aluminum-free baking powder
1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
In a small bowl, combine the flaxseeds and water, let sit for five minutes
In a large bowl, mash bananas; stir in almond butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla; add flax mixture and stir until combined
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined (do not overmix)
Use a tablespoon or small cookie dough scoop to drop small mounds (~2 tablespoons each)onto prepared baking sheet
Bake cookies 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and center appears set; allow to sit on pan for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool

Notes

Recipe from Eating CleanIf baking for someone with a gluten-allergy, make sure to check all ingredient labels for gluten-free
I found that the cookies were best enjoyed the day of baking and then stored frozen in a ziplock bag after that. I let them thaw for about twenty minutes or in the microwave before enjoying them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites (gluten-free and vegan)

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links. I received the cookbook, Eating Clean, for free but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls (gluten-free and vegan)

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Blog, Recipes

Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter Cream

March 16, 2016 Keep It Sweet 4 Comments

Classic homemade banana pudding is even better when topped with fresh peanut butter whipped cream!

Ever since our trip to Charleston (yes, I really owe you a post on that!), I’ve been craving banana pudding like crazy. On our last night of vacation, we ordered dinner to the room. I had ratatouille with a fried egg (for the second time on the trip!) and the most amazing banana pudding for dessert! It was made with caramelized bananas and… wait for it… peanut butter whipped cream. All of the deliciousness was crammed into a cute little jar and despite how full I was, I ate every last bite.

I’ve made peanut butter whipped cream before and was already in love. Banana pudding with peanut butter whipped cream ended up being an amazing twist on a classic southern dessert.

So when we had our friends over for dinner a few weeks ago, I was really excited for an excuse to make an entertaining-worthy dessert like banana pudding. Cookies are great and everything, but I can make them any day of the week. Banana pudding? It deserves to be a special party treat.

While I didn’t caramelize the bananas (I have to be picky about where I use my time!), the dessert was every bit as good as I remember it being while we were away. The from-scratch vanilla and rum infused pudding was so luscious, creamy and indulgent. The thinly sliced bananas and softened cookies complimented it beautifully. And the peanut butter whipped cream? Let’s just say that when we indulge in a special dessert, we really do it right around here. Everything worked.

5.0 from 1 reviews

The Ultimate Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

Classic homemade banana pudding is even better when topped with fresh peanut butter whipped cream!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Vanilla Custard

3⁄4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup (35 grams) cornstarch
1g (1/4 teaspoon) salt
90g (6 large) egg yolks at room temperature
830 milliliters (3 1⁄2 cups) milk, preferably whole
28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, sliced
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla bean paste
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) dark rum (optional but recommended)

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

237 milliliters (1 cup) heavy whipping cream, cold
20g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
75 grams (3 tablespoons) creamy peanut butter (do not use “natural”)
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
8 medium-sized glasses (~240 milliliters or at least 1 cup each)

40-50 vanilla wafers

3 just ripe (firm) bananas, thinly sliced

Instructions

See notes on preparation timing below

Vanilla Custard

In a large heavy-duty pot, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt; drizzle in milk and whisk continuously while pouring
Once combined, place pot on stove over medium heat and stir continuously as mixture comes to a simmer; once simmering, continue to stir and cook until thick, about five minutes
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in butter, vanilla and rum; place custard in a heat-proof airtight container overnight in refrigerator before continuing with recipe

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

When ready to make parfaits, prepare whipped cream
Place all ingredients into the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment
Beat on medium-high speed for two to three minutes or until stiff peaks form

To put it all together

Place two cookies on the bottom of each glass; top cookies with about ½ cup of custard; follow custard with 6 thin banana slices and then three additional cookies; top each with remaining custard (should be about ½ cup per glass) and then whipped cream (1/4 –1/3 cup per glass)
Top with additional wafer cookie just before serving if desired

Notes

I highly recommend making pudding the night before serving (it needs time to set) and prepping the parfaits several hours before enjoying. This will ensure that the pudding has set and the cookies have time to soften. If covered well with seran, parfaits can be stored up to 24 hours before serving.
Custard from Smitten Kitchen

Peanut Butter S’mores Parfaits

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Easy Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

February 8, 2016 Keep It Sweet 1 Comment

Healthier banana chocolate chip muffins are easy to make and great for grab-and-go breakfasts. No mixer needed to make this muffin recipe!

L’s appetite hasn’t been that great over the last week (teething? cold? toddler-itis? who knows!). But you better believe when I gave him one of these banana chocolate chip muffins that within minutes the muffin had disappeared and there was chocolate smeared all over his face. It took a lot of convincing to get him to go back to eating his hard boiled egg afterwards.

I’ve made a few different versions of this healthified banana muffin but this is my favorite one. It’s moist from the bananas while still hearty thanks to the whole wheat flour and oat bran. Plus, there are just enough chocolate chips to make the muffins feel treat-like while still being snack and even breakfast-friendly.

Did I mention that these banana muffins are easy to make? No mixing bowl required! In fact, this is one of those recipes I can actually make while L is toddling around the apartment (aka sprinkling a trail of cheerios all over the floor and yelling “ha” (hot) at the oven.

Easy Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Healthier banana chocolate chip muffins are easy to make and great for grab-and-go breakfasts. No mixer needed to make this muffin recipe!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

155g (1 cup) whole wheat flour
55g (1/2 cup) oat bran
5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
1g (¼ teaspoon) salt
(1/2g) ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
210g (2/3 cup) mashed ripe bananas (~2 medium)
106g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar ->106g
60g (1/4 cup, packed) light brown sugar ->60g
80g ( 2 x-large) egg whites
2 milliliters (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
237 milliliters (1 cup) low fat buttermilk
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) canola oil
110g (2/3 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oat bran, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except for chocolate chips (bananas through buttermilk)
Add dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (batter will be wet); fold in chocolate chips
Use a large cookie dough scoop or ladle to evenly distribute batter into cups (each cup should be about ¾ full)
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center
Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature up to three days or in freezer up to one month (defrost overnight in container or in microwave for about 30 seconds)

Notes

Significantly adapted from these muffins.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie

January 4, 2016 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StartWithJifPowder #CollectiveBias

A green smoothie that tastes like a sweet treat! This peanut butter, chocolate and banana smoothie is a perfect way to start your new year.

I mentioned in my weekly post that I’m trying to continue to eat intuitively. Since being pregnant and having L, I’ve learned a lot more about what works for my body. Apparently nonstop dieting isn’t the only answer. It’s surprising to me, and actually, I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, but listening to my body seems to work.

For me that means eating a balanced diet (lots of produce, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts) about 80% of the time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are generally in that capacity. Well-rounded snacks are also important. In fact, what I’ve learned keeps me feeling my best is eating regularly and avoiding that “I’m starving and need to eat everything in sight feeling.” No resulting binging. No uncontrollable cravings. And then at the end of the day, I don’t feel bad having my cookies or ice cream.

This self-discovery has been completely freeing. I’m no longer overwhelmed by self-imposed restrictions and find myself feeling generally better on a regular basis. Food hangovers are few and far between and I’ve been wearing the same size jeans since May (seriously, I myself am shocked). Plus, and maybe even the biggest benefit, is that I’m setting a positive example for L. This is the new me that I hope to hold onto through 2016 and beyond!

Now, it’s no secret that I am and always have been a peanut-buttter-aholic. My brother and sister-in-law even bought me a peanut butter of the month club for my birthday! I’m always excited to try different versions but almost always go back to the basics. Peanuts or peanuts and salt. That’s why I was eager to try the new Jif Peanut Powder. It is made from just one ingredient, you guessed it, (fresh roasted) peanuts. As a result, you can personalize it to your peanut butter eating preferences.

You can find the Jif Peanut Powder in the peanut butter section at Walmart!

It really is a perfect new addition to my pantry. I’ve started adding it to smoothies for some extra protein and fiber along with a delicious peanut butter flavor. It blends really well and doesn’t add a ton of calories (which is good, because let’s be honest, a smoothie is never going to replace a full meal). So when I pump up a smoothie with balanced ingredients like spinach, fruit and Jif Peanut Powder, I’m left feeling satisfied until my next meal.

The smoothie I’m sharing here is super easy (only seven ingredients including ice), full of nutrition (hello green veggie) and completely satisfying for your early morning or afternoon sweet tooth. Go get yourself some peanut powder and make it as part of your breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Trust me, it will leave you feeling good. And for me, that’s what eating intuitively is all about.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie

A green smoothie that tastes like a sweet treat! This peanut butter, chocolate and banana smoothie is a perfect way to start your new year.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Snack, Breakfast

Makes: 1 large smoothie or 2 small smoothies (475 milliliters / 2 cups total)

Ingredients

¾ cup Silk Almond Milk (I like unsweetened original or vanilla)
15g (3 tablespoons) JIF Peanut Powder
5g (1 tablespoon) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
28g (1 cup) loosely packed fresh spinach
150g (~1 large) frozen ripe banana, sliced
80g (½ cup) ice cubes

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender in order listed above
Turn on low speed and slowly increase to high speed; blend for two minutes or until completely blended and smooth (time may vary depending on blender strength)

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Banana Pecan Bourbon Flapjacks

November 23, 2015 Keep It Sweet 9 Comments

Thick buttermilk pancakes with a maple bourbon banana pecan sauce. This is the ultimate breakfast for dinner!

It might seem a bit odd to share a pancake recipe the week of Thanksgiving, but I have a few reasons for this.

You probably already have your Thanksgiving menu planned out so giving you an additional recipe for the holiday might just stress you out.
Holiday weekends call for holiday brunch. Scale the recipe up for a crowd or enjoy an intimate treat after the big family get together.
If you are hosting the holiday or travelling, you probably don’t have much time for additional cooking. Enter breakfast for dinner, an easy and delicious solution!

This recipe comes from the new cookbook, Dinner for Two by Julie Wampler. You might know Julie from the blog Table for Two. Her cookbook features 70 dinners recipes for (duh) two. Most recipes can easily be scaled up for a family as well. I’m excited to try some of the savory dishes for Matt, L and me, but for the blog, I wanted to stick with something on the sweet side. And what could be better than indulging in a sweet pancake dinner? It’s such a treat for once and a while. Pair it with some scrambled eggs and a steamed vegetable or side salad and you have a pretty balanced meal.

This name of this recipe may make you think that it’s a lot of work, but in reality, like most of the recipes in Julie’s book, it’s actually pretty simple. If you use two separate skillets, you can basically make the topping and the pancakes at the same time and get dinner (or breakfast) on the table in less than twenty minutes. Just get your banana topping started first and let it cook while you then prepare and cook the pancakes.

A note on the final product: The pancakes and topping are quite delicious. The pancakes themselves aren’t very sweet, so I definitely recommend pairing them with the bourbon banana nut topping. If you aren’t into nuts, just leave them out. Either way, the topping is a great alternative to plain old maple syrup.

Banana Pecan Bourbon Flapjacks

Thick buttermilk pancakes with a maple bourbon banana pecan sauce. This is the ultimate breakfast for dinner!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Banana Pecan Bourbon Topping:

2 bananas, sliced into rounds
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
½ cup roughly chopped pecans

Pancakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup buttermilk

Instructions

Make the topping:

Place ingredients in a small skillet over medium heat and bring to a skimmer; allow to thicken for ten minutes, stirring occasionally
When the topping is a thick syrupy consistency, remove from heat until ready to use
Make the pancakes:
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the egg and buttermilk; whisk batter until no lumps remain; batter will be thick
Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat
Once skillet is hot, use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to drop batter onto skillet
Cook pancakes on one side for about two minutes or until bubbles start to form then flip and cook additional two minutes; repeat with remaining pancake batter
Serve pancakes immediately with banana pecan bourbon topping

Notes

Recipe from Dinner for Two by Julie Wampler
If you use two separate skillets, you can basically make the topping and the pancakes at the same time and get dinner (or breakfast) on the table in less than twenty minutes. Just get your banana topping started first and let it cook while you then prepare and cook the pancakes.

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Nectarine Bundt Cake

This post contains affiliate links

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Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

July 6, 2015 Keep It Sweet 8 Comments

Moist, flavorful gluten-free banana cake topped with a sweet light white chocolate whipped cream.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I bake gluten-free treats, I tend to steer towards those that are lower maintenance on the ingredient spectrum. I don’t like to keep stock of a ton of different flours because I can’t use them fast enough. Almond meal/flour, though, is pretty versatile. I’ve used it in a few different recipes. It’s even used in macarons. If I was smart, I’d use it more often in savory cooking as well (think veggie burgers, meatloaf, etc.).

Anyway, this cake is right there in the simple ingredient list. Just almond meal and other ingredients most bakers regularly have stocked in their pantries. The best part? It was seriously good. Matt almost always turns his head at gluten-free desserts but went for seconds (maybe thirds?).

And let’s take a minute to talk about the white chocolate whipped cream. If you love white chocolate you will go crazy over it. If you don’t, like me, just trust me and put this whipped cream on your cake. It is the perfect flavor compliment. Just so, so good.

I served this cake to a friend who doesn’t eat much gluten anymore. It was a few days after her birthday so I knew there had to be a dessert to celebrate. Seriously, when you have friends that cook dinner for you right before AND after your baby is born, you make them birthday cake. End of story!

Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Makes: 6-8

Ingredients

White Chocolate Whipped Cream
115g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
177 milliliters / 6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream
44 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
Cinnamon for topping (optional)
Gluten-Free Banana Cake
411g (~1⅓ cups / 4 medium) ripe bananas, mashed
250g (~5 large) whole eggs at room temperature
235g (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g (~2½ cups) almond meal or flour
6g (1 ¼ teaspoons) baking powder
3g (1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
3g (½ teaspoon) salt
1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg

Instructions

Start the whipped cream
Place chocolate in the large bowl of an electric mixer
In a small pot, bring the cream and water to a low rolling boil in a saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate; let stand for 30 seconds and then stir well
Let stand for 10 minutes and then whisk until mixture is smooth; whisk in salt
Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for three hours or overnight
Make the cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper; grease top of parchment paper as well; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla
In a separate large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients
Whisk dry ingredients into wet but do not overmix
Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 –60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
Let the cake cool for ten to fifteen minutes before carefully removing from pan and placing on wire rack
Allow cake to cool completely
Finish making whipped cream
Once mixture is completely chilled, use whisk attachment of mixer and beat on high speed for about three minutes or just until stiff peaks begin form, do not overbeat
Spread over the cooled cake immediately; sprinkle with cinnamon if desired
Keep cake in refrigerator until about a half our prior to serving; best enjoyed day of making

Notes

Cake barely adapted Delicious Every Day
Whipped Cream from Food 52

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Blueberry Banana Bread

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

June 16, 2015 Keep It Sweet 9 Comments

My go-to banana bread recipe loaded with blueberries is perfect for easy summer baking.

There are a few basic recipes everyone should have in their back pocket. A chocolate chip cookie, a basic dependable chocolate cake, and fudgy brownies. You should also have a go-to banana bread recipe. Need something to bring to brunch? Banana bread. A bazillion almost-rotten bananas on your counter? Banana bread. Want an easy after-school treat for your kids? Banana bread.

I’ve made a few and shared them here, but this is my favorite. I think of it as an every day banana bread because it’s made with whole wheat flour and very little butter and it’s super easy to make (no mixer required). Plus, the light and moist base lends itself to any kind of mix-in you would like (blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or even peanut butter chips!) making it extra handy. Have I sold you yet? If so, head over to Meyer’s Styles for the recipe. Save it and use it all the time!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Brown Butter Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

April 27, 2015 Keep It Sweet 15 Comments

Three layers of brown butter banana cake slathered with amazing brown butter cream cheese icing.

If there ever was a cake worthy of remaking for better photos it would be this one. I don’t typically like to make a huge cake (ahem, three layers) without an occasion, but this one was too good to hold off on. Originally I baked it for a friend’s birthday a few weeks ago but the pictures I took were semi-atrocious and just not worthy of the dessert. So when I finally had a big pile of extra-brown bananas again It was completely necessary for me to make this unbelievable banana cake just for the purpose of shooting and eating a gigantic slice.

The cake layers are moist, flavorful, and every bit worthy of standing alone. However, the frosting just made it. I’m a cream cheese icing lover, but this… this brown butter cream cheese icing… just another level. Those lovely brown specks that you can see throughout the frosting? They just carry so much rich and nutty brown butter flavor. But also, you can still taste the tangy cream cheese.

Generally my biggest pet peeve with bakery cakes is that the flavor is… sweet. And seriously, sweet is not a flavor. This cake? The flavor is banana. The flavor is tang. The flavor is BROWN BUTTER. I wish I could share a slice with every one of you but instead I guess I should just tell you to make it as soon as possible. Hoard those brown bananas!

Brown Butter Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Three layers of brown butter banana cake slathered with amazing brown butter cream cheese icing.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12-16

Ingredients

Cake
113g (1/2 cup) plain Greek yogurt
10g (2 teaspoons) baking soda
320g (~3 cups) cake flour
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
2 ½ g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
226g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to room temperature* PLUS 28g (2 tablespoons / ¼ stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
530g (~2 ½) cups granulated sugar
200g (~4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
20g (~1 large) egg whites at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
570g (~2½ cups) mashed very ripe bananas (~4 large bananas)
Frosting
227g regular or light cream cheese at room temperature
227g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and chilled in refrigerator for one hour
640g (~4 cups) powdered sugar
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla
1g (1/4 teaspoon) salt

Instructions

Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans
In a small bowl, stir baking soda into Greek yogurt and let stand to dissolve
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cinnamon and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula
Add bananas and mix on low speed; add flour and mix again on low speed low speed just until combined
Remove bowl from mixer and fold in Greek yogurt
Pour batter into prepared pans; bake 24-29 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the centers; set pan aside on a wire rack and allow to cool
When ready to remove cake from pans; run a knife around the edges of cake and then carefully turn each cake pan upside down onto a cooling rack; allow to cool completely before frosting
Frosting
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on low speed for one minute and then increase to high speed for two or until there are no clumps from the cream cheese
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add one cup of powdered sugar; beat on low speed until combined; repeat with each additional cup of powdered sugar (make sure to mix between each cup)
Add vanilla and salt; mix on medium speed for two minutes and then increase speed to medium-high for one minute
Once cake has cooled and icing is ready, use a flat metal spatula to frost the first layer of cake (use ⅓ – ½ cup of frosting); repeat with second layer of cake and frosting then top with third layer and use remaining icing to frost outside of cake

Notes

Adapted from the Har Zion Cookbook
Entire cake layers can be frozen whole wrapped well with seran up to one month; defrost at room temperature before frosting; cake is best enjoyed within two days of frosting
Store frosted cake in refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving
Leftovers can be wrapped well with seran wrap and frozen up to one month
*To brown the butter: Heat butter in a heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a bowl

Brown Butter Pistachio Cake

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Upside-down Caramel Banana Coffee Cake

March 16, 2015 Keep It Sweet 14 Comments

Dense and moist coffee-flavored cake topped with gooey caramelized bananas!

Every year it’s the same challenge for my dad’s birthday: What special dessert can I make that isn’t too sweet and doesn’t include frosting (well, I did sneak in frosting one year)? Since last year’s dessert was such a hit, I decided to find another cake with a fun topping that I thought he would like.

This upside down cake definitely fit the bill! It’s sweet enough to be dessert but mild enough to be served for brunch (his kind of dessert). It’s also looks special with the beautiful layer of caramelized bananas on top. The cake itself is dense and moist (though I think using a higher fat Greek yogurt would lighten the results just a bit; I used nonfat) and so very satisfying.

Upside-down Caramel Banana Coffee Cake

Dense and moist coffee-flavored cake topped with gooey caramelized bananas!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

Cake batter
200g (~1½ cups) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
50g (3 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
130g (~1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon, packed) light brown sugar
100g (2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) strong espresso or coffee (~1 tablespoon instant coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon boiling water)
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
200g (~3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons) plain Greek yogurt
Banana topping
2 large ripe but firm bananas (do not use overly ripe bananas here)
40g (~2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) unsalted butter, melted
80g (~1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon packed) light brown sugar
3g (1 ½ teaspoons) ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside
Prepare cake batter; sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) into a medium bowl and set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy
Add the eggs, coffee and vanilla and mix on medium speed
Reduce speed to low and add yogurt; add dry ingredients but do not overmix; batter will be thick
Set aside cake batter and prepare topping
Carefully slice bananas lengthwise (3-4 slices / banana) and use to line cake pan (keep in mind this is how the top of your cake will look)
Combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; carefully spread over bananas
Spread cake batter evenly top and bake in center of oven for 27-32 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cake; do not overbake
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before arefully removing from pan; serve immediately

Notes

Adapted from Nutmegs Sven

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls {gluten-free, vegan}

January 5, 2015 Keep It Sweet 12 Comments

A no-bake treat and healthy snack made with just a few ingredients. These naturally gluten-free energy balls are so convenient to have on hand!

Every day since L was born, you would think I hadn’t eaten in a week. Seriously, I’m so hungry ALL the time. He eats every three hours and I do too. Sometimes I have time to make myself a big salad and inhale it in about three minutes. Sometimes I have him on my lap while I try to cut the chicken on my plate into bite sized pieces with just one hand. Other times I have him in the Baby K’tan and try not to spill food on his head (there may or may not have been an incident with turkey). And sometimes I just need something to grab. While I definitely eat a lot and have my fair share of dessert, I’ve been trying to eat mostly healthy every day since having him. Snacks like these little energy balls have saved me. I’ll often grab three or four out of the freezer and pair them with a couple sticks of string cheese for a surprisingly filling and healthy snack that you can eat with one hand. New mom win!

Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls {gluten-free, vegan}

A no-bake treat and healthy snack made with just a few ingredients. These naturally gluten-free energy balls are so convenient to have on hand!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 30 bite-sized energy balls

Ingredients

245g(~2 medium) ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
32g (2 tablespoons) creamy natural peanut butter (I prefer salted)
20g (2 tablespoons) chia seeds
1g (~1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
80g (1 cup) old-fashioned oats
80g (1 cup) old-fashioned oats, ground
24g (¼ cup) PB2, peanut flour or protein powder

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside
In a medium bowl, combine bananas, peanut butter, chia seeds and cinnamon
Stir in oatmeal, ground oats and PB2 until well combined
Use a tablespoon or small cookie dough scoop to divide up dough and then use your hands to roll into balls; place on prepared baking sheet
Freeze for two hours before placing balls to store in a ziplock bag or Tupperware container
Freeze for up to one month; energy balls can be enjoyed frozen or at room temperature

Notes

*If making for someone with a gluten sensitivity, make sure that all ingredients are certified gluten-free
These run about 40 calories / piece; I like eating a few at a time with some string cheese for a filling snack

Vegan & Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Fig Granola

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This post contains affiliate links.

You might also like:

Vegan Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream

Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites

Blog, Recipes

Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

September 8, 2014 Keep It Sweet 17 Comments

Super moist banana cake loaded with chocolate but not loaded with fat!

My mom has made some version of this banana cake at least once (usually more) a year every year for as long as I can remember. Chocolate chip filled for a holiday, chipless and stacked with chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting for an amazing layer cake, and loaded with cinnamon and chocolate chips just for fun. We even made the cake completely fat free a couple of times years ago. While the fat free version wasn’t bad at all, it was always pretty dense. Adding some fat back into the cake (only 4 ounces for this large dessert), helped keep a bit of lightness. And thanks to the bananas, you don’t have to worry about any dryness. Of course the chocolate finds itself throughout the cake in a way that you definitely feel like you are indulging. Win win!

I see this as the perfect brunch cake (or Yom Kippur /Break the Fast for those observing). The sweet moist cake and crackly top is packed with bananas. So really, you are actually adding another fruit dish to your meal…. right?!?!?!

Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Super moist banana cake loaded with chocolate but not loaded with fat!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12-16

Ingredients

113g (1/2 cup) fat free plain Greek yogurt
10g (2 teaspoons) baking soda
320g (~3 cups) cake flour
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
2 ½g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
122g (1/2 cup) unsweetened applesauce
530g (1 pound 2 ¾ ounces) (~2 ½) cups granulated sugar
200g (~4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
20g (~1 large) egg whites at room temperature
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
570g (~2½ cups) mashed very ripe bananas (~4 large bananas)
245g grated or finely chopped chocolate

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (you could also use a large bundt pan)
In a small bowl, stir baking soda into Greek yogurt and let stand to dissolve
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cinnamon and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and applesauce on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula
Add bananas and mix on low speed; add flour and mix again on low speed low speed just until combined
Remove bowl from mixer and fold in Greek yogurt; fold in chocolate
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the center; set pan aside on a wire rack and allow to cool for one hour
When ready to remove cake from pans; run a knife around the edges of cake and then carefully pull the inside of the tube pan up to remove the cake (if you notice it is stuck at all, run your knife around the sides again, do not force); then run a knife underneath the cake and around center of tube and use your hands to gently lift cake and place on serving plate (again be careful not to force and make sure cake is completely cool)
Best enjoyed within 24 hours; store leftovers tightly wrapped with seran

Notes

Adapted from the Har Zion Cookbook
Note: Entire cake can be frozen whole or in slices wrapped well with seran and foil up to one month; defrost at room temperature a few hours before serving

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Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

July 3, 2014 Keep It Sweet 14 Comments

This healthy version of ice cream is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

I’ve got another ice cream recipe for you that doesn’t require an ice cream maker! Although, this one is a little different. When I was in the midst of a baking rampage a few weeks ago, Matt asked if I could try to make something healthy. Well, wish granted! This isn’t your typical ice cream, and I’m not going to lie, it’s not as creamy as the fat-filled regular version. But when you want a sweet frozen treat that is on the healthier side, this banana ice cream is perfect.

I’m not the first person to make banana ice cream in a blender, I’ve seen it done about four million times before. But for my purposes, I wanted a flavor that felt a little more indulgent and didn’t leave my sweet tooth and cravings completely unsatisfied. The fudge ripple and chocolate chunks through definitely do the trick!

2.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~3/4 quart (3-6 servings)

Ingredients

610g (~4 large) frozen bananas, sliced
60 milliliters (1/4 cup) almond milk
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
65g dark chocolate, chopped (check to make sure dairy-free if Vegan)
¼ cup chocolate ripple (see below)

Instructions

In a high-speed blender (I used a Vitamix) combine frozen bananas, almond milk and vanilla for several minutes or until completely combined; should be the consistency of soft serve yogurt
Fold in chopped chocolate and pour into a regular sized loaf pan
Drizzle with fudge ripple; cover with seran wrap or tin foil and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving

2.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ½ cup

Ingredients

50g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
50 milliliters (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) light corn syrup
60 milliliters (1/4 cup) water
25g (~1/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 milliliter (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a low boil
Cook for one additional minute, still whisking and then remove from heat
Stir in vanilla
Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or until ready to use (up to two weeks)

Notes

Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

No guilt necessary!

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Blog, Recipes

Funky Monkey Cheesecake Bars

December 9, 2013 Keep It Sweet 11 Comments

Fudgy brownie topped with a creamy layer of peanut butter banana cheesecake!

Sometimes you just have to go back to your roots.

I’ve been having fun with pumpkin and cookie butter and white chocolate, but let’s be honest. Chocolate and peanut butter will always have my heart. And as I look back over the last few months of blogging, there is just not enough of it. So in case you had any doubt, let me reassure you that I will always and forever love that combination.

The other thing I realized I haven’t done in a while is cheesecake. In fact, I think the last cheesecake I made was this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake. I guess it was hard to come up with anything close to as good as that one. But let me tell you, we are in major cheesecake territory here.

These Funky Monkey Cheesecake Bars are pretty much dessert rock stars. The base is a fudgy brownie just thick enough to get your chocolate fix, but thin enough that it doesn’t overpower the bars. The cheesecake filling is a light and creamy, yet rich, combination of banana and peanut butter that will have you craving them well after your last bite. I thought about adding another layer of caramel and peanuts or chocolate ganache but I actually think that would have been too much. Sometimes you just shouldn’t mess with a really good thing.

Funky Monkey Cheesecake Bars

Fudgy brownie topped with a creamy layer of peanut butter banana cheesecake!

Makes: 24 bars

Ingredients

Brownie Layer:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
3 ounces (6 tablespoons / ¾ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
15 ounces (~1 cup) granulated sugar
2 large eggs OR 1 x-large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ ounces (~1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Layer:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature (light or regular)
11¼ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
7 ounces (~3/4 cup) mashed banana (~2 medium bananas)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs or 1 x-large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 13×9 pan with tin foil and coat with cooking spray; set aside
Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low to heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat
Stir in sugar
Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla
Whisk in flour and salt just until smooth (do not overmix)
Spread brownie batter evenly in prepared baking pan and set aside to make cheesecake layer
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese on high speed for until it is light and creamy (about 6 minutes)
Mix in sugar on medium-high speed for two minutes; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
Add the banana, peanut butter, vanilla and salt and mix on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes), again scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
Then, add your eggs, one at a time, mixing at medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 30 seconds)
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until edges begin to come apart from sides of pan and cheesecake is set
Refrigerate a couple of hours until cool and completely set
Cut into squares and serve; store remaining cheesecake in the refrigerator up o three days

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

And while we are talking about it, here are a few of my favorite peanut butter and chocolate recipes:

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Brownie Bites

Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

Peanut Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Icing and Chocolate Ganache

Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Toffee Bars

Blog, Recipes

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bake {gluten-free, dairy-free}

October 28, 2013 Keep It Sweet 17 Comments

This make-ahead breakfast bake is healthy, hearty and tasty! Full of pumpkin, bananas and oatmeal, you will feel good serving this to your family for breakfast.

Confession: This recipe is already on the blog.

But…. ouch! I realize that something like this is hard to photograph, but those pictures were just so bad. And the writing? I think it took me a year to find my voice. Every time I read an early post it just feels so awkward. It’s almost as bad as reading your diary from middle school. Yikes, was that really me?

I’m hoping to go through some other old posts to do them over as well. I’m sure some of my recipe directions weren’t as clear as they can be and I’d just really love to have better pictures of some poor desserts that are stuck looking ugly. Did this really happen? Did I think this was appetizing (scroll down)?

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bake {gluten-free, dairy-free}

This make-ahead breakfast bake is healthy, hearty and tasty! Full of pumpkin, bananas and oatmeal, you will feel good serving this to your family for breakfast.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces (~2 cups) rolled oats*
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1½ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
6 fluid ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk (skim milk or soy milk can be subbed)
4 fluid ounces egg replacement or egg whites (equivalent of about 3 egg whites)
5 ounces (~1/2 cup) mashed brown ripe bananas (~2 small or 1 large)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until mixed
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 23-28 minutes in middle of oven, or until a knife comes out clean from center
Serve immediately or store covered at room temperature up to three days; can also be wrapped and frozen for an easy weekday breakfast

Notes

*Check that your ingredients are labeled gluten-free if avoiding gluten
There is no added sugar to this recipe, if you are looking for a very sweet breakfast, I suggest topping with maple syrup
Additional toppings might include greek yogurt, nut butter, sliced almonds and cooked fruit

P.S. Head over to Erin’s site for a Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway!

And in honor of learning how to use a camera, I created a fun little GIF.

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Cinnamon Chip Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread

Blog, Recipes

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa Banana Bread

October 7, 2013 Keep It Sweet 17 Comments

This hearty but moist banana bread is healthy enough for breakfast while still being sweet enough to feel like a treat.

I have so much good stuff for you. There was basically a three-day baking marathon to get ahead on blog posts. The problem is, whenever I build up some recipe inventory, I have the hardest time waiting to share everything.

This banana bread isn’t quite the most exciting recipe of the bunch, but it was necessary. Sometimes you just need a baked good that isn’t going to give you an internal guilt trip if you eat it for breakfast! Plus, with the bazillion brown bananas on my counter, banana bread was inevitable (my frozen banana collection is already out of control).

What I love about this recipe is that the banana bread came out moist but hearty. I had a habit of cutting off a bit at a time until a huge slice was devoured, but Matt also enjoyed it for snacks over the course of a few days. I think his favorite way to eat it was toasted with a smear of almond butter.

Quinoa flour is an ingredient I’ve never used before. It’s actually commonly used in gluten-free recipes (there are some here), which is why I bought it in the first place, but I had bookmarked this high protein banana bread on Madison’s site a few months ago and decided to try it out. Wondering where to get quinoa flour? I actually found it at TJ Maxx (random much?), but Whole Foods, health food stores and Amazon are probably good resources as well. I’m looking forward to playing around with it in future recipes!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa Banana Bread

This hearty but moist banana bread is healthy enough for breakfast while still being sweet enough to feel like a treat.

Makes: 8 nice-sized slices

Ingredients

2 ounces (4 tablespoons / ½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
6⅞ ounces (1¼ cups) white whole wheat flour
2 ounces (~1/2 cup) quinoa flour
10½ ounces (~1 cup) mashed brown banana (~3 medium)
1⅞ ounces (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 x-large egg lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk (any type will work, I used almond milk) at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3½ ounces (~1/2 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; lightly grease and flour a loaf pan; set aside
Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours; set aside
In a large bowl, combine banana browned butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla; whisk until all ingredients are combined
Add milk, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; whisk until combined
Slowly whisk in flour mixture and do NOT overmix; when flour is ALMOST combined, fold in chocolate chips; again, do not overmix
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean from center
Set aside to cool before removing from pan to slice

Notes

Very slightly adapted from Espresso and Cream
Store tightly wrapped with seran wrap for a few days; you can also freeze individually wrapped slices for future snacking
The brown butter isn’t prominent and you could likely just melt the butter instead, but I do think it added just a little something to the recipe

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

Get ready for more butter, more sugar, and more indulging over the next few weeks.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Vanilla Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Blueberry Banana Bread

Blog, Recipes

Vanilla Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread that is Low Fat and Whole Wheat

July 9, 2013 Keep It Sweet 19 Comments

Healthy banana bread full of delicious vanilla roasted strawberries.

It’s Tuesday but I feel like I am still recovering from the long weekend! I think it has something to do with 13+ hours of driving for a two-day trip, dancing all night long at my cousin’s wedding, and the hotel neighbors that found it necessary to blast music and yell at each other at 2am the night before we had a 6:30 departure time. That’s always fun.

But all in all, it really was a great weekend! The highlight was being reunited with my dad’s side of the family. We realized that it has been about twenty five years since all of the cousins were in the same place at the same time. There were seven of us then. This time around, with marriages, and a new generation, there were twelve of us. While there has been a lot of loss on that side of the family, it is a definite bright spot to see so many of us starting wonderful families of our own. Hopefully the next time we all meet, it won’t be so long from now and there will be even more of us.

I made this banana bread a few weeks ago when Matt’s friends were in town. There were a few extra brown bananas on the counter and I had a little baking marathon. The banana bread wasn’t as big of a hit as the blueberry pie, but it was a good healthy snack and breakfast addition.

The best part of baking this banana bread was the unbelievable aroma from roasting the strawberries. Next time I’m going to roast extra berries and use them as an ice cream topping. It was hard to put them right into the batter instead of eating them straight up!

Vanilla Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread that is Low Fat and Whole Wheat

Healthy banana bread full of delicious vanilla roasted strawberries. Source: Skinny Taste Makes 8 nice-sized slices

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

7 ounces (~1⅓ cup) sliced strawberries plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for roasting
6⅞ ounces (1¼ cups) white whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ ounces (~1/2 cup lightly packed) brown sugar
1 ounces (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 x-large egg whites at room temperature
10½ ounces (~1 cup) mashed brown banana (~3 medium)
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Roast strawberries; pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside
Toss sliced strawberries with vanilla and spread out on prepared baking sheet
Roast in oven for 20 minutes
While strawberries are roasting, prepare rest of banana bread
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt); set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light creamy; add egg whites and mix on medium speed for a minute
Scrape sides of bowl; add banana, applesauce and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined
Reduce speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients just until combined, do not overmix batter
Once strawberries are done cooking, gently fold them into batter; bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center of loaf
Allow to cool before removing loaf from pan
Best served immediately; store tightly wrapped in seran wrap up to 3 days at room temperature or freeze up to one month

Notes

Source: Skinny Taste

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Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

May 7, 2013 Keep It Sweet 15 Comments

I’m so glad that you seemed to enjoy my new weekly blog series! It makes me so happy to have a way of staying connected just a little more regularly. Definitely let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to include!

So these cake bars are another item I made when filming for eHow. In case you aren’t familiar with what happens when you film any kind of cooking how-to, you actually have to make everything at least twice. There has to be a final product to show in the short time you have to film, but you also have to make everything while filming. I sent the film crew home with leftovers, but was still left with a crazy amount of desserts after the fact.

Well, when Matt was helping me clean up, I decided to taste a bite of the version of these cake bars I’d made a few days earlier. They were still really, really good. It was at that moment that I told Matt he had to take the plate away immediately. I knew I was in trouble.

The cake bars are moist and flavorful. I added the peanut butter chips because without them, the peanut butter flavor in the cake is very subtle. You actually don’t need the cream cheese icing, but really, you always need cream cheese icing.

Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 15 servings

Ingredients

Cake Bars:

¼ cup light sour cream or plain low fat greek yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
5⅝ ounces (~1½ cups) cake flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ounces (4 tablespoons / ½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
9⅜ ounces (~1¼) cups granulated sugar
2 x-large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cups mashed very ripe bananas (~2 large bananas)
½ cup peanut butter chips

Icing:

8 ounces light cream cheese
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake Bars:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish and set aside
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in sour cream and let stand
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed
Stir in bananas and mix on low speed; add flour and mix again on low speed low speed just until combined
Remove bowl from mixer and fold in sour cream; fold in peanut butter chips and do not overmix
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 27-32 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center; set aside and allow to cool

Icing:

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer for several minutes or until light and creamy. Add butter and beat until well combined
Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed; when sugar is incorporated, add vanilla and beat icing on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy; spread over cooled cake
Cover cake and store at room temperature up to three days

Notes

Adapted from my mom’s banana cake recipe

Funky Monkey Cheesecake Bars

P.S. Thinking about cooking or baking for Mother’s Day? Check out this very extensive round-up of Mother’s Day recipe ideas!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Cookie Butter Lava Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

October 19, 2012 Keep It Sweet 15 Comments

Healthy banana muffins with a surprise cookie butter filling.

I think I looked at about fifty different banana muffin and bread variations before finally deciding to make these muffins. My objective was to make something healthy but special. I didn’t want plain old banana bread and I sure didn’t want something that was boring and dry.

Luckly, I had bookmarked Jenny’s recipe for these banana muffins a few months ago. And since I wanted Matt to be able to enjoy the treat as well, I obviously had to trade out the peanut butter for something my husband wouldn’t make a face at.

Considering I’ve had an open jar of Cookie Butter forever, it was the perfect solution. The molten center full of oozing speculoos spread is the perfect surprise when you break open the otherwise wholesome banana muffin. The muffins are actually low in fat and have the perfect balance of healthy enough for breakfast but good enough for dessert. You know how I love that.

Oh, and considering I practically inhaled one when I went to just taste a sample, you know they are good.

Cookie Butter Lava Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Healthy banana muffins with a surprise cookie butter filling.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 14 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup Cookie Butter (or speculoos spread of choice)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup mashed brown bananas (about 2 medium)
3¾ ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
2 ounces (1/4 cup, packed) light brown sugar
2 x-large egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup low fat buttermilk
5½ ounces (1 cup) whole wheat flour
1¾ ounces (1/3 cup) oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside
In a medium bowl, mix together cookie butter and powdered sugar
Use a medium cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons) scoop to scoop a ball of cookie butter mixture into each cupcake liner
In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, oat bran, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (bananas through buttermilk)
Stir in dry ingredients just until combined
Use a large cookie dough scoop or ladle to evenly distribute batter into cups (over and around cookie butter filling)
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
Note: These muffins are best when they are still warm from the oven but are still good covered at room temperature for up to two days after baking. To get the full lava effect, microwave the room temperature muffins for about 7 seconds each.

Notes

Significantly adapted from Picky Palate

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You might also like:

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

Blog, Recipes

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

August 17, 2012 Keep It Sweet 26 Comments

Well, I think I am officially old.

My 28th birthday is on Tuesday and while I know that in the big picture that really isn’t old, I certainly feel it. After a late night out in the city last night, my body is just begging for a day of rest. A big difference from when I moved to New York six years ago.

In fact, a lot of things have changed in those six years. Jobs, twice. Boyfriend turned fiance turned husband. Sister turned real life best friend.* Studio turned one bedroom then into two. Jean size. Insecurities faded**. Passions realized. Parents seen more as equals. Views on life. Priorities. Dislike of goat cheese to love of goat cheese. Suits to chef coats.

*Well, that wasn’t exactly a change, just more of a realization

**Some

It is actually amazing how much has changed but then again there is a lot that stayed the same. Love of dessert. Partner in life. Balance of health and pleasure. Love of family. Drive, motivation, determination. Heart. Morals. Devotion to peanut butter, pumpkin, and fresh baked cookies. Joy in baking for others. Desire to eat only worth-it foods. And of course, a love of frozen yogurt.

You knew I’d tie this recipe in somehow. I’ve actually been meaning to make this recipe since the last frozen yogurt I made. It just took most of the summer for me to remember to put the ice cream maker bowl back in the freezer. Matt gets credit for that reminder.

This frozen yogurt is creamy and full of fudgy brownie chunks to add the perfect indulgent touch. The only thing missing is a little peanut butter swirl but I figured I’d be better off if I made a dessert my husband would also eat.

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

Caramelized bananas and fudgy brownies make the best frozen yogurt!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1 quart

Ingredients

3 large brown bananas cut into slices (about ¼ inch thick)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1½ cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
⅓ cup fudgy brownie pieces, size based on preference

Instructions

Place banana slices, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a heavy duty saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until bananas and sauce are very thick, stirring occasionally; remove from heat
Place two thirds of the banana mixture in a food processor or blender and puree
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, sugar and pureed bananas; fold in remaining banana mixture and brownies
Place in refrigerator for one hour or until mixture has cooled
Once cooled, freeze yogurt in ice cream maker as directed by manufacturer's instructions
Serve immediately or store prepared frozen yogurt in freezer until ready to eat (allow to defrost and soften a few minutes before serving)

Notes

Already frozen ripe bananas will work just as well as fresh
This frozen yogurt isn't overly sweet making it the perfect base for a touch of hot fudge or peanut butter sauce and whipped cream

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Frozen Yogurt

Oh, and beware. This yogurt barely lasted a full day in my house.

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Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

July 7, 2012 Keep It Sweet 24 Comments

Well, I think/hope that this will be the last banana recipe for a little while. As I said before, the banana consumption in my apartment has a direct correlation with our workout frequency and things are finally back to normal at home. We are headed to Napa later this week so the motivation of a trip filled with food and wine (plus actually wanting to fit into my summer clothes) has helped. Even Matt got motivated by vacation and is back on the Insanity track. Funny how my husband going back to the gym makes me want to workout more.

So this recipe is another win for not-so-decadent but satisfying. If you look at the ingredient list (peanut butter, oatmeal, bananas) you will probably agree that these could make for a breakfast on-the-go, afternoon snack OR dessert. They look a little bit like cookies but are a little softer and chewier, almost like a cookie/muffin top hybrid. The chocolate in the peanut butter is enough to satisfy my cravings and the sweetness in the bananas means that you don’t need to add any sugar. I may or may not have snuck a few of these right out of the freezer for a treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

Healthy chocolate, peanut butter and banana cookies.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 40 oatmeal bites

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (make sure to use a gluten-free brand if avoiding gluten)
1 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
1 cup mashed ripe banana (~2 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined
Use a mini cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to scoop batter onto prepared sheets about 1 inch apart
Bake 7-10 minutes or until they are firm

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Blog, Recipes

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

June 25, 2012 Keep It Sweet 43 Comments

Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular. No crazy ingredients needed.

Besides my tight shorts, another symptom of my less than stellar gym attendance is an abundance of browning bananas in my kitchen. They are the pre-workout snack of choice in our apartment and when they don’t get eaten it means Matt and I are slacking.

Let’s just say that this recipe and that pie are not the last banana recipes you will see for a while. Oops.

I claimed to have made this gluten-free treat for my sister, but after eating slice after slice of this surprisingly moist and flavorful banana bread, I’ll call myself out. It may be made with almond meal, but you will not miss the flour at all. The texture is almost spot-on and the blueberries and chocolate more than make up for anything you could possibly be missing.

Again, I chose the recipe because it is no-fuss gluten-free baking. Some other almond-meal based desserts I’ve made include Chewy Ginger Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular. No crazy ingredients needed.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Serves 8-12

Ingredients

120 grams / 4¼ ounces (~1½ cups) almond meal
100 grams (2 whole) eggs + 90 grams (3) egg whites, lightly whisked
2 fluid ounces / ¼ cup canola oil
170 grams / 6 ounces (~3/4 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
200 grams / 7 ounces (~1 cup or 2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried
½ cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 5x10 loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for blueberries and chocolate chunks; whisk just until combined
Gently fold in blueberries and chocolate chunks
Pour batter into prepared baking pan; bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is no longer wet and a knife comes out clean from center
Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing

Notes

Adapted from The Wannabe Chef