Baked oatmeal.

It’s warm, comforting, filling, delicious, and perfumes the air with an irresistible aroma.

In other words, it is pretty much cold-weather breakfast perfection.

Name	Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal for One
Cuisine	Fusion
Prep Time	10 minutes
Cooking Time	40-45 minutes
Total Time	75-80 minutes
Servings	1 serving
Yield	1

This version is different than other varieties I’ve made in the past; whereas other baked oatmeals can be somewhat dense, (like a soft granola bar), this one is light and almost souffle-like.

Freshly baked sweet potato puree and low-fat milk ensure that there is enough moisture to keep the oatmeal from drying out, and the addition of both an egg white & a bit of baking powder yields a fluffy and airy texture.

Think oatmeal meets muffin…

… drizzled with sweet maple syrup and sprinkled with crunchy toasted pecans.

This is precisely the kind of winter breakfast that I want to dive into when the sun hasn’t quite risen and there is a distinct chill in the air.

I am more than satisfied with the outcome of this for-one recipe, and different fall/winter oatmeal flavor profiles are already ricocheting around in my head.

Pumpkin. Eggnog. Apple cinnamon. Gingerbread. Cranberry.

Needless to say, there is a lot of baked oatmeal in my very near future!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup milk (I used organic 1%)
• 1/3 cup sweet potato puree
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• maple syrup for serving, optional
• chopped toasted pecans for serving, optional

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 350-400 kcal

Protein: 9-10g

Carbohydrates: 70-75g

Dietary Fiber: 9-10g

Sugars: 18-20g

Fat: 5-6g

Saturated Fat: 1-2g

Cholesterol: 5-10mg

Sodium: 100-150mg

Potassium: 400-500mg

Vitamin A: 350-400%

Vitamin C: 15-20%

Calcium: 20-25%

Iron: 10-15%

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This will ensure your baked sweet potato oatmeal cooks evenly.

2. Prepare the Sweet Potato

Wash and pierce the sweet potato with a fork in a few places to allow steam to escape during baking. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until it’s soft and easily pierced with a fork.

3. Scoop and Mash

Once the sweet potato is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl and mash it until smooth.

4. Mix Ingredients

To the mashed sweet potato, add the rolled oats, milk, maple syrup or honey, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together until well combined.

5. Bake

Transfer the oatmeal mixture into an oven-safe ramekin or baking dish. Place it back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oatmeal is set and the top is slightly golden.

6. Serve

Remove the baked sweet potato oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. You can choose to top it with chopped nuts, fresh berries, or a dollop of yogurt for added flavor and texture.

As soon as I read through Emily‘s post on her Guilt-Free Carrot Bundt Cake, I knew I had to make it. Carrot cake is without a doubt my favorite kind of cake, as is evidenced in the many carrot-cake inspired recipes I’ve posted (see end of this post for links).

Name	Carrot Cake Bundt Bread
Cuisine	American
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cooking Time	45-55 minutes
Total Time	1 hour 10 minutes (approx)
Servings	12 servings
Yield	1 Bundt Bread

My initial intention of making Emily’s cake morphed into a desire to make a breakfast bread, but I loved the idea of baking the bread in a bundt pan.

My poor, unused bundt pan has been collecting dust for… years.

I think it was waiting for this recipe to come along!

It was worth the wait.

This bread is delicately sweetened with Sucanat, which is unrefined sugar cane that tastes faintly of molasses, and crushed pineapple. I don’t always include raisins and nuts in carrot cake, but this bread would not be nearly as good without them as they add both flavor and texture.

Sifting the whole wheat pastry flour ensures a light consistency, and a modest amount of canola oil combined with buttermilk, carrots, and pineapple keep the bread moist.

I found that the bread tasted even better after a few day of resting (tightly wrapped) in the fridge. The flavor intensified, and the texture softened even further.

The best aspect of this bread? You can eat it for breakfast, snack, or dessert… or even all three in one day 🙂

Carrot Cake Bundt Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Cream cheese glaze (see instructions below)

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 kcal

Fat:12g Saturated

Fat: 6g

Cholesterol: 57mg

Sodium: 230mg

Carbohydrates: 40g

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 26g Protein: 4g

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan to ensure the cake comes out easily.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set this dry mixture aside.

3. Cream the Butter and Sugar

In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add Eggs and Vanilla

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the pure vanilla extract. Mix well after each addition.

5. Incorporate Carrots and Wet Ingredients

Stir in the grated carrots, applesauce, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts (if using).

6. Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

7. Bake the Bundt Bread

Pour the batter into the greased and floured Bundt pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Glaze

Allow the Carrot Cake Bundt Bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle with cream cheese glaze.

Other carrot cake-inspired recipes from Healthy Food For Living:

• Vegan Carrot Cake Ice Cream

• Carrot Cake Sandwich

• Coconut Carrot Cake Granola

Another Thanksgiving full of food, family, and fun has passed, and attention has now shifted to the winter holidays. Along with gift shopping, holiday music-listening, and apartment decorating this time of year, I look forward to cooking & baking the foods I associate with winter – one of which is gingerbread.

I munched my way through the Autumn Date and Walnut Bread in no time, and soon thereafter found myself craving another seasonal loaf. One glance at Jessica’s Chocolate Banana Gingerbread on her blog How Sweet It Is, and I knew that an adapted version of that bread had to be the next baked good that I pulled from the oven.

As many of you know, I like to substitute some or all of the butter and oil called for in bread/muffin recipes with fruit or vegetable purees. I had an open can of pumpkin puree in the fridge (no big surprise there), and decided to add a fall-inspired ingredient to the wintery quick bread.

The pumpkin puree took the place of the butter, and I also subbed in white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose. I omitted the sugar, opting instead to rely on the robust flavor of the molasses and the inherent sweetness of the overripe bananas. I used a combination of low-fat buttermilk and 2% plain Greek yogurt, both of which contributed moisture to the butter-less bread. My final alteration was to use a modest amount of grain-sweetened chocolate chips, which have 1/4 the sugar of semi-sweet chocolate chips (4 grams of sugar for 2 Tbsp of grain-sweetened versus 16 grams of sugar for 2 Tbsp of semi-sweet).

This bread welcomes a smear of pumpkin butter:

Name	Pumpkin Banana Gingerbread with Chocolate Chips
Cuisine	American
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cooking Time	55-60 minutes
Total Time	1 hour 15 minutes
Servings	12 servings
Yield	1 loaf

… or a dab of butter. If you’re wondering what the heck I’m doing spreading butter on a butter-less bread, it’s because I like to use butter when I can really appreciate its rich taste and creamy consistency. Just the tiniest bit of butter melting on top makes the bread taste decadent for a minimal amount of added calories and fat.

I need to take a moment and thank Jessica for creating a recipe that brings together the delicious trifecta of banana, gingerbread, and chocolate! You can’t really taste my addition of pumpkin puree, but it does add moisture, nutrients, and a dark amber hue to the bread. This loaf is one that actually gets even better after a few days in the refrigerator. The bold flavors meld together and the texture remains moist and cake-like. The scattered bits of chocolate could almost fool you into thinking you’re eating dessert, but this bread is definitely healthy enough to fuel you through the morning rush or afternoon slump.

What with the inevitable food hangover from Thanksgiving still lingering, and the promise of holiday treats galore over the next few weeks, this Pumpkin Banana Gingerbread with Chocolate Chips is a great loaf to have on hand as a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of the season.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 medium overripe (almost black) bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
• heaping 1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips (such as Sunspire)

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 260 calories

Total Fat: 12g

Saturated Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 55mg

Sodium: 295mg

Total Carbohydrates: 35g

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 19g

Protein: 3g

Instructions

1. Preheat Your Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger).

3. Cream the Butter

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter until it’s smooth and creamy.

4. Add Eggs and Puree

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated. Then, mix in the pureed pumpkin and mashed bananas until well combined.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; it should be a thick batter.

6. Fold in Chocolate Chips

Gently fold in the chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for a richer flavor.

7. Bake

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Enjoy

Allow the Pumpkin Banana Gingerbread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice, and serve. It’s fantastic when enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee or tea.

When the warm and sunny days of summer roll around, there’s nothing quite like a slice of Strawberry Banana Bread to capture the essence of the season. This delightful twist on traditional banana bread adds the fresh, vibrant flavor of strawberries, making it a perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack.

We’ll share a simple yet scrumptious Strawberry Banana Bread recipe that will have your taste buds dancing with delight.

Although perhaps not quite as earth-shattering a flavor combination as peanut butter and chocolate, strawberries and bananas do make a delicious pair.

Name	Strawberry Banana Bread
Cuisine	American
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cooking Time	70 minutes
Total Time	1 hour 15 minutes
Servings	12 slices
Yield	1 loaf

So when a carton of ripe summer strawberries joined a bunch of quickly blackening bananas on our kitchen counter, their fate was sealed: strawberry banana bread was a given.

I started with a modified version of Joanne Chang’s banana bread, (from her cookbook, not the Food Network website; the recipes are slightly different), which has become my go-to recipe. I swapped in whole wheat pastry flour (for the all-purpose), cut down on the sugar (from over 1 cup to 3/4 cup), subbed in Greek yogurt (for the sour cream), and added in chopped fresh strawberries.

The pockets of sweet red berries add both moisture and flavor to an already tender and tasty quick bread, which gets even better after sitting at room temperature (tightly wrapped, of course) for 24 hours.

If you’re an add-in junkie, I bet a few handfuls of white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or semi-sweet chocolate chips tossed into the batter would yield a fabulous result.

I haven’t actually tried it yet, but a smear of peanut butter slathered on top of a toasted slice of this bread would also be a welcomed addition.

That being said, a nice thick slice unadorned is perfectly delectable!

Strawberry Banana Bread

by Lauren Zembron [adapted from Flour’s Famous Banana Bread by Joanne Chang (slightly different than the recipe posted on Food Network)]

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar, such as evaporated cane juice
• 2 large eggs, preferably organic
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
• 3 1/2 overripe medium-sized bananas, peeled & mashed (about 1 1/3 cups mashed)
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped hulled strawberries, preferably organic

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 250 calories

Total Fat:10 grams

Saturated Fat: 4-5 grams

Cholesterol: 50 milligrams

Sodium: 250 milligrams

Total Carbohydrates:40 grams

Dietary Fiber: 2 grams

Sugars: 22 grams

Protein:4 grams

Vitamin C: 15%

Calcium: 4%

Iron: 6%

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.

Mash the Bananas

In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until they are smooth and creamy.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

Add the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.

Add Strawberries

Gently fold in the diced strawberries. The strawberries will add a burst of fresh, fruity flavor to your bread.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool and Serve

Allow the Strawberry Banana Bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, slice and serve. Enjoy your delicious Strawberry Banana Bread!