“Baked” cinnamon apple for one

I love fall. The changing weather, the festive decorations, and the amazing food are all things that make me so in love with this season. I try and take full advantage of all of it while it lasts so cooking with pumpkins and apples definitely makes my “to do” list!

Baked apples are such a great dessert that can be really figure friendly if you make it right. This recipe is super “skinny” but definitely super delicious! I think it has just become one of my favorite desserts! It is so easy and I know you all will love it!!

Ingredients

1/2 honeycrisp apple, cored
1 Tbl brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbl granola (mine was a maple, walnut, and chia seed flavor)
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

In a microwave safe bowl, place apple cut side up and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Place in the microwave for 2 minutes (I ended up cutting my apple up into pieces so it would cook faster). Remove from microwave and top with granola and ice cream.

Enjoy!!

Healthy breakfast banana bread pudding

Bread pudding is no longer just for dessert. This lightened up version uses non-fat milk, only two eggs, and mashed bananas to make it a perfect way to start your day!

If you aren’t into the bananas in this recipe, you could definitely substitute another fruit or just leave out the fruit all together and have a cinnamon spiced bread pudding that would be just as good!

Ingredients

8 sliced of bread (I used a mixture of whole grain and sourdough)
1 cup non-fat milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 banana mashed
walnuts, optional

Cut or tear bread into 1-2 inch pieces. Butter a baking dish and place bread inside.

In a bowl, combine milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, walnuts and mashed banana. Pour over bread. Press down on the bread so that it is submerged in the milk mixture. Allow to sit for an hour. I let mine sit overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Enjoy straight out of the oven, at room temperature, or cold!

Whole wheat dark chocolate blueberry muffin bread

This is for all you people who only eat the muffin tops.

This tastes exactly like a blueberry muffin, only like ten times the size and minus the muffin bottom that you secretly never want to eat. My dad will be so proud. He only ever eats the muffin tops and has literally asked me multiple times to find a way to just make muffin tops. Well, now I have found a way.

If you’re big into baked goods like me, you will love this bread. It’s dense, it’s moist, it’s chocolatey, it’s got blueberries in it, it’s got a streusel, it’s whole wheat.

OK, I have given you every excuse to make and love this bread. Make it!! Eat it! Love it!

Ingredients
Adapted from How Sweet It Is

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup blueberries tossed in a spoonful of cornstarch
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Streusel

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
pinch of salt
1 Tbl. butter melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside

In another bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined. Add in vanilla and milk and mix thoroughly. Add wet ingredients into dry and mix to combine. Add in butter and mix.

Fold in blueberries and chocolate and pour into loaf pan.

Mix together all ingredients for streusel and crumble over top of batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes.

Enjoy!

Superfood baked oatmeal

Oats – Superfood
Oats are low in calories and high in protein and fiber. They are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates which your body needs in order to sustain energy. They are also a rich source of thiamine, iron, selenium, and contain phytonutrients that help reduce heart disease and some forms of cancer. They also help lower cholesterol.

Blueberries – Superfood
Blueberries are one of the three major superfoods (along with spinach and salmon). They contain more powerful disease fighting antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. They also have some anti-aging benefits. If you eat one cup of blueberries daily, the increased level of antioxidant play an important role in prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, senility, cancer, and degenerative eye diseases.

Walnuts – Superfood
Walnuts are the flagship superfood nut. They are one of the few rich sources of plant derived omega-3 fatty acids. They are rich in plant sterols, which help lower cholesterol levels. They are also a good source of fiber, protein, folate, and vitamin E. Finally, they are the nut with the highest antioxidant activity.

This oatmeal keeps you full for hours and it is packed with many great foods to boost your health. It is a great “make ahead” breakfast that you can just keep in your fridge and reheat whenever you want some. It would also make for a great healthy dessert if you added some dark chocolate chips!

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbl butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine oats, 1/2 of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together milk, egg, 1 Tbl of butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Spray a baking dish with non stick spray and place bananas in a single layer of the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with half of the blueberries. Pour oat mixture over the top of the fruit, making sure it is an even layer. Drizzle milk mixture over the top of the oats. Make sure to distribute it evenly. Sprinkle remaining blueberries and walnuts over the top.

Bake the oatmeal for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set.

Remove from the oven and pour the remaining 1 Tbl butter over the top and serve!

*** This oatmeal can be reheated and eaten throughout the week!!

I used this book as a reference when researching the benefits of the superfoods in this recipe. If you are interested in learning more about them, this is a really great book to read! It has some amazing recipes, tips, shopping lists, and information that will put you on a really healthy track!

Whole-wheat rosemary raisin bread

Is it possible to have an addiction to bread? Because I think I may have that. There are few things as good as a freshly baked loaf of bread.

Maybe some butter on that bread. Yeah, that might be better.

But, freshly baked bread is pretty darn good on its own. Especially when it has rosemary and raisins in it.

By now, you all probably know that I have a mild obsession with Trader Joe’s. Is it sad that I just like walking around in there? No? You do too?! Anyways, my mom found some crackers there that have raisins and rosemary in them. Not only are these crackers amazing eating utensils for any dip, they are so tasty on their own. And that got me thinking – Would these flavors be good in a bread? Heck yeah they are!

Sweet/salty/carbs. What more do you need people? Oh, and to make you want this bread even more – this recipe is so easy. I basically did it in my sleep. Which is what I did in between all the breaks you have to take while making it. This bread is also one that can be made all year long. It would be really great around the holidays, but its delicious during the summertime too! (By the way, this bread is even more amazing when you slather preserves all over it 🙂 . )

Ingredients
Adapted from King Arthur Flour / How Sweet It Is

1 packet dry active yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, warmed but NOT hot
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl butter, melted
3 Tbl brown sugar
1/4 cup rosemary, chopped
1/3 cup raisins

In a bowl, combine yeast, milk and honey. Set aside for about ten minutes until it is foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add flours, oats, salt, butter, brown sugar, rosemary, and raisins. Pour in milk mixture and mix on low speed until the dough looks shaggy. Increase the speed to medium and knead dough for five minutes. It should begin to look smooth.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour.

Remove dough from the bowl and place in an oiled 9×5 loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let sit for 90 minutes. Pre-heat you oven to 350 degrees.

Once you oven is hot, bake bread for 35-40 minutes. The top will look golden brown. Allow to cool completely before eating.