Grain-Free Banana Nut Granola

I have yogurt and granola every day for breakfast. And sometimes I eat it for lunch. And dinner. And before bed (but not all in one day), that would be weird. 

But am I addicted to granola? Well, it sure is habit-forming. Check. Will its "cessation cause severe trauma"? 

Let's not run that risk. 

This granola is packed with nutty goodness, so it jumpstarts my brain for a long day of classes.

So go ahead, get addicted.

Banana Nut Granola:

1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon raw honey

1 cup banana chips
1/3 cup raisins (or dried dates)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans

Mash the banana and stir in vanilla, honey, and peanut butter, until smooth. Coarsely chop the nuts and toss together in a separate bowl. Break or crush the banana chips; it doesn't work very well to chop them. They should end up about half-a-bite-size. Add banana chips and raisins to the nut mixture.

Combine the nut mixture to the mashed banana mixture to coat the dry ingredients. Spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F, stirring after 15 minutes.

Let the granola cool and harden before eating. It is fabulous with yogurt, coconut milk, almond milk, ice cream...use your imagination.

Store in an airtight container.

This recipe was inspired by The Urban Poser.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

It's amazing how adding one little word to a title can change one's whole attitude towards a recipe. Cake for breakfast? Pshh, no way, save it for dessert. 

Coffee cake? I'll have another slice, and thank you. 

Sorry to break it to you, but coffee isn't even an ingredient. It's just cake, plain and simple. Unless of course you drink coffee with the cake. Then it's a whole different story. Right? 

Obviously.

My mom created this recipe and made it for breakfast one morning during winter break. It's light, moist, and scrumptious. And, as always: grain, sugar, and guilt-free. A totally legitimate breakfast choice.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake:

1/3 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
a pinch of sea salt

4 eggs
15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup warm coconut oil or melted butter
1/4 cup raw honey

Mix together the coconut flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until light fluffy. Blend in the pumpkin and other ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and let the batter sit for about 3 minutes.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 glass baking pan. Pour in the batter and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes. Baking time varies depending on the pan size. It is done when the cake springs up when pressed.

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Today may be one of the best days of the year. 

Happy Daylight Savings Ends Day!

After those few seconds of confusion upon waking and noticing discrepancies between your phone and your clock (if you forget to change it, like me), there is nothing sweeter than the realization that Ben Franklin has given you an extra hour of sleep. 

But I was too excited to sleep, so I crept out of bed and made these muffins. They're a great way to start a cozy fall day.

For the muffins, you'll need:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup cream cheese

3 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of sea salt

1/4 coconut flour

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

To start, melt the butter and cream cheese and whisk them together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the vanilla, pumpkin, spices, and sea salt. Mix in the butter and cream cheese mixture until smooth. Fold in the coconut flour and chocolate chunks. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes in a prepared muffin tin.

These muffins are great with some butter or honey on top.

What will you do with your bonus hour today?

scb

Cashew Waffles

Life without waffles is no life at all.

With that in mind, let me share with you a great recipe for grain-free waffles that are also sugar-free!

Here's what you'll need to make 8 delicious waffles:

1 cup raw cashews

3 eggs

1/3 cup milk (any kind you prefer-almond, coconut, dairy, etc.)

3 tablespoons warm coconut oil

3 tablespoons raw honey

3 tablespoons almond flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of sea salt

Start by grinding the cashews in a food processor. They should be as tiny as possible. Then, mix the cashews, eggs, milk, coconut oil, and honey in a blender. 

Meanwhile, stir the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the blender and pulse until it looks like a nice batter. 

You're ready for the waffle iron!

Depending on your waffle iron, you may want to add a little oil before pouring on the batter.

A word of caution: I found that the batter expands way more than I expected, so just use a little at first!

The waffles are done when they no longer stick to the waffle iron and are a nice light brown color. The nuts will cause them to turn out a little bit darker than those made with grain flour. 

And though technically a breakfast food, feel free to enjoy these guys at any and every meal. 

This recipe is adapted from this blog.