Banana Chip Muffins

These are healthy and delicious.  You can’t lose!

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together.  Beat in the bananas, egg, applesauce, and vanilla.  Mix the dry ingredients together and then stir into the wet ingredients.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Grease muffin tin and fill each up 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Low-Sugar Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Check this out.  It’s a super easy, super delicious pie that is great, even if you’re watching your sugar!!

Pie Crust:

First, make the  crust.  In a bowl mix:

1  1/4 cup flour

dash of salt

1/8 cup plus a splash fat free milk

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs canola oil

Add the liquids all together to the flour.  Stir with a fork just until combined.  Roll between 2 pieces of waxed paper with a rolling pin until it’s a large enough circle.  Place it in a 9 in pie plate.  Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork a few times to create air holes.

Bake at 350 for about 15 or until a little golden and crisp.

While the crust bakes, mix up the filling:

For the chocolate bottom:

1 Tbs cornstarch

2 Tbs Splenda

2 Tbs cocoa powder

dash of salt

Combine in small microwave safe bowl.

1/3 cup fat free milk.

Add gradually, stirring with a whisk.  Cook on high until thick, stirring with a whisk every 30-40 seconds (should only take a minute or two).

3 Tbs chocolate chips

Stir in and microwave again on Medium (power level 5) until melted through.

Spread onto the bottom of the baked pie crust.

2 cups sliced banana

Spread banana slices in crust on top of chocolate.

1 box Sugar-Free Instant vanilla pudding

Make pudding according to package directions.  Pour on top of bananas.

1 container Sugar-Free Cool Whip

Spread on top of pie.

Chill and serve!!!   Hope you enjoy this light summer treat!!

Low-Sugar Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today was a very busy day.  A lot going on with classes and rehearsals.  So when I got home, I went to the kitchen to relax and create a few fun recipes.  I found the idea for these cookies in this month’s Cooking Light magazine, but changed it arouond a bit to make it low sugar for my husband!

6 Tbs butter

1  1/2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup brown sugar (or Splenda brown sugar)

1/3 cup Splenda (or sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs (If you make it with regular sugar, use 1 egg and 1 egg white, but with Splenda it needs the extra moisture)

Chocolate chips (as many as you want!)

You can also add dried cherries, dried cranberries, or, like I did, Reese’s Pieces!

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 5 mninutes until lightly brown; stir occasionally.  Cool slightly.

While the butter melts, mix up the dry ingredients in a bowl:  the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir with a wisk.

In a mixer, place the sugars/Splenda and the butter.  Mix until blended.  Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and anything else you would like.

Drop dough by spoonful on greased baking sheets, about an inch apart.  Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool and enjoy!

Banana and Cream Coffee Cake

There’s nothing better than a delicious piece of coffee cake with your coffee in the morning, and this is one of my favorites.  It’s one of my mom’s recipes, and it even works using Splenda for a lighter option.

Filling:

1/2 c. granulated sugar or Splenda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Mix together and set aside.

Cake:

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar or 1/2 c. Splenda and 1/2 c. sugar

Cream together until light and fluffy.

2 eggs

1 c. mashed bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

Add, and beat together thoroughly.

1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream

Fold in. Set aside.

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Sift together, and then gently fold into creamed mixture, stirring just to blend.  In a well-greased bundt pan (or loaf pan), spoon 1/2 of the batter, then sprinkle 1/2 of filling.  Spoon on the remaining half of the batter, covering filling completely.  Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 of filling.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.  Let stand 10-15 minutes before turning cake out, loosening sides from pan.