Chocolate Chip Streusel Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Streusel Banana Bread

I know, I know. I’m on a JAB break. But this was already baked and the photos taken, so I’m posting it. That’s how I do.

Seriously, it’s been a weird week. When I stepped back from the blog, I found out something interesting. A few things, actually. I’ll share them momentarily.

I’ll also share this chocolate chip streusel banana bread, which is heaven. How can it not be? It’s the most perfect banana bread, all filled and topped with chocolate chips and the most delightful, crumbly streusel.

Read More
Autumn Glory Snack Cake

Autumn Glory Snack Cake

Guys. Seriously. Sometimes I really get happy with the desserts I make up.

If that sounds pretentious or immodest, please understand that I have a ton of baking fails as well, so whenever things go my way, I get super excited. This is one of those times.

This cake is autumn in a pan. When you bake it, your house will smell ah-may-zing. If we’re getting technical, this cake is the combined glory of cocoa, banana, pumpkin, and chocolate chips along with lovely fall spices like cinnamon and cloves. You’ve gotta bake it to believe it!

Read More
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (GF)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (GF)

Do you know what time it is? That’s right, kiddos. It’s back to school time!

As a teacher, I approach this time of year with a mingling of regret and excitement. I’m looking forward to a fresh new year, and I’m also looking forward to having my kids out of the house doing productive work. But you know, I do love the summer sunshine. And the flexible hours. So yeah…I’m torn.

With everything getting very busy (very fast, might I add), I need to be ready with great after-school snacks. When all of us get home from school, some refueling is definitely in order. These banana chocolate chip muffins are a perfect way to unwind and get ready for homework time, especially when I pair them with NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder. The kids are pretty happy to settle in with their muffins and Nesquik, and I do it right along with them!

Read More
Peanut Butter Cup Banana Cake

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Cake

Does the world need more dessert with peanut butter cups? Duh.

I’ve been on a banana kick this summer, and it’s probably just me making up for lost time. I barely posted any banana recipes in the first two years of the blog, so this summer it’s just bananas all the time. Plus, I don’t like to keep them on the counter in the summer. The bugs, they will come.

Plus, this feels like the right time to write about this cake. There’s a slice of it on my desk in my new office, and I’m looking out at the tree by my window and contemplating happy thoughts. Why not add a moist banana cake filled with both peanut butter cups and peanut butter chips to the mix? A gluten-free one, might I add?

Read More
Double Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Double Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

It’s 100 degrees out and we’re trapped in the house. Who wants to turn the oven on?

Well, I do. I know, I know. No-bake treats are all the rage this time of year, but heck, I like to bake. A baker’s gonna bake. That’s how it goes. That’s why somebody smart invented air conditioning.

Every weekend, I find myself staring at tired bananas. They call to me, and sometimes I ignore them. That’s usually when I’m just as tired as they are. But sometimes I cut them up and freeze them for smoothies that I never really make, and that’s an effort right there. But if I’m feeling really energetic and serious, I’ll bake them into something. And this double chocolate chunk banana bread is probably one of the best ways ever to use those bananas!

Read More
Hidden Treasure Banana Snack Cake

Hidden Treasure Banana Snack Cake

It’s been a week of adjustment as I move from one school building to another and take on my new job responsibilities. I’ll be adjusting for quite a while, but there are some constants in my life that keep me grounded.

My family, of course. My kids are still at that age when they want me around all the time, so I’ve been peeling them off me as I head to the car to go to work. It’s a nice feeling, being wanted. I know they won’t always feel that way, so I’m enjoying that. And Kenny is my rock, the one who listens to me talk endlessly when I’m decompressing after a long day.

But let’s not forget you all! JAB is one of my constants as well, and I love the rhythm of baking for the blog. Nothing is quite so relaxing as mixing things together. This week, I decided that the tired bananas on my counter needed a little more than just the usual treatment, so I got sneaky and put a cheesecake filling into the center. Hello, beautiful!

Read More
Butterscotch Pecan Banana Bread (GF)

Butterscotch Pecan Banana Bread (GF)

I know you’re all getting geared up for a three-day weekend (hooray!), so let me give you an easy breakfast option to make your celebrations even brighter.

Every time I post a butterscotch recipe, I talk about how I don’t ever remember to bake with it. But when I do, it’s the best flavor explosion. I’m trying to do it more often, and the overripe bananas on my countertop always present a fantastic opportunity.

If you are one of those people who craves moist (sorry if you dislike that word, but whatever) banana bread with crunchy pecans and sweet butterscotch chips, look no further. This bread is your soul mate! And it’s effortlessly gluten-free, too.

Read More
Banana Toffee Snack Cake

Banana Toffee Snack Cake

I almost called this “Banoffee Cake,” but then I remembered that we’re not in England.

Across the pond, “banoffee” refers to the combination of bananas and toffee, typically in the form of a creamy pie. I must be honest: it’s not my favorite way to do pie. I’d rather hang out with key lime any day.

But then I got to thinking: what if the flavors got put into a different textural context? It turns out that I love banoffee when it’s in a cake. Or to be more specific, a cake I can’t stop eating. Which is fine, because it’s pretty healthy!

Read More
Brown Sugar Banana Bread

Brown Sugar Banana Bread

Here’s what happens in life. You ready?

The gas light comes on in the car. Your six-month dental checkup comes due. You realize you didn’t pay your credit card bill. Somebody gets the promotion you deserved. Your favorite pair of shoes loses a heel in the middle of the workday. And the bananas lie forgotten on the counter, turning from green to yellow to spotty to brown.

But that last one has a definite upside because all you do is bake it into banana bread. Moist, delicious, banana bread filled and glazed with brown sugar. Just for those days when things aren’t going quite your way!

Read More
PB Chocolate Banana Breakfast Smoothie

PB Chocolate Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast used to be such a struggle.

It all came down to the word “should.” While I crave sweet every morning, I told myself that I should be getting my nutrients. In an effort to keep the sugar down, I’d make eggs or oatmeal and hate every bite. Those foods work great for me later in the day, but I just couldn’t get down with it.

Then I discovered the protein-packed smoothie. It was like a dream come true. Not only could I have my sweet breakfast, but it would also keep me full all morning. Plus, controlling the sugar content was pretty much up to me. As soon as this revelation occurred, I began blending up my favorite flavor combinations. And really, what’s better than peanut butter, chocolate and banana in the morning?

Read More
  • 1
  • 2