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Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies

September 8, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

2014-09-02 Banana Cream Pie-605Creamy, custardy, vanilla filling, sandwiched between a layer of fresh bananas, nestled on top of a lightly sweetened crust. Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies are the perfect combination of fruit, protein, and a satisfying dessert. These little delights will leave you licking your fingers and fighting for seconds.

It was another busy week and a great weekend around here! Yesterday was a mellow day filled with family, fun, and even homemade sushi for a little date night in. Today, we went with our friends to the Selfridge Air Show, featuring the Blue Angels! The boys loved seeing all of their tricks in the sky. Check out a few of our favorite pictures 🙂

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Air Show

Speaking of favorites, if you ask Andrew his idea of the perfect dessert, he won’t hesitate to say, “banana cream pie”. When I first discovered this, I was shocked! When I think of dessert, I tend to think of MY favorite dessert, chocolate cake and ice cream. (I guess that’s two, but then again, how could you have chocolate cake without a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream? ;)) Ok, back to Andrew’s dessert. Let’s talk banana cream pie.

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It took me awhile to get over the fact that anyone would want to have bananas with their dessert. Over the years with Andrew, I have sampled a variety of banana cream pies from different restaurants and bakeries. A few years ago, I decided to take my own crack at it, and I made Andrew a banana cream pie for his birthday. I used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that was fairly involved, but well worth the effort. I couldn’t believe how much I liked it! All of the other banana cream pies that I had ever tasted didn’t even compare to this one. I loved the purity of the creamy, vanilla custard, with just a subtle layer of bananas. As much of a die hard chocolate lover that I am, I will confess that the whole banana cream pie idea has really grown on me. I’m still a chocolate lover at heart, but over time, I’ve started to develop my own special appreciation for this dessert.

There’s just one problem, though. When I hear the word “banana”, of course my mind first thinks, “fruit, healthy, good”, or something like that. But let’s be honest, that usually isn’t the case with your typical banana cream pie. Such a bummer! Especially, since I have such a new found appreciation for them. Well, let me introduce you to these Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies! These little guys pack a big punch both nutritionally AND on the taste front.

I used the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen as my inspiration, and from there, created a whole new, and even better banana cream pie. It’s easier, it’s creamier, it’s healthier! Everything we love about banana cream pie, rolled into a cute, mini, delectable little square. (Incase you’re wondering which pan I used for these, it’s the Wilton Brownie Bar Pan. I just got it and have been having a lot of fun with it lately!)

This is one banana cream recipe that will live up to it’s name and add some fruit (and protein) to your day, without weighing you down! These Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies are satisfying enough for a birthday celebration, yet healthy enough for breakfast!!!2014-09-02 Banana Cream Pie-633

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Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies

Yield: 12 square pies

Ingredients

    Crust:
  • 10 dates
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
  • Filling:
  • 8 dates
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 egg whites (1/2 cup whites)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup (2 percent) evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons agave
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 bananas (not too ripe, just yellow, but still firm), sliced about 1/4" thick
  • Almond meal or Cookie Dough Crumble to garnish
  • Cookie Dough Crumble:
  • 3/4 cup oat flour
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons agave
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. To make the crust:
  3. Combine dates and 1/4 cup water in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Then add oat flour, almond meal, vanilla, salt, and milk (add an additional tablespoon of milk if necessary), and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Scrape crust batter into a small bowl, and scoop 2 tablespoons into each tin of a mini square brownie bar pan, coated generously with non-stick cooking spray. Once batter is evenly distributed, spray the top of each crust with cooking spray and using two fingers, gently press down, and spread batter into an even layer to cover the bottom of each tin. Wipe off excess spray from top of pan with a paper towel.(Use 1 tablespoon crust for a mini cake pan or a regular sized muffin tin.)
  4. Bake crusts for 14-15 minutes (10 minutes for 1 tablespoon), until crust is set, and edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, and place on stove top or wire rack to cool.
  5. To make the filling:
  6. Add dates and 1 cup milk to blender or food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Scraping down the sides as needed. Pour mixture into a large sauce pan, and add egg whites, remaining 1 cup milk, evaporated milk, cornstarch, agave, and salt to the sauce pan, and whisk together. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until mixture comes to a boil, making sure to reach the edges of the pan- you don't want scrambled eggs. Allow mixture to continue boiling for 1 minute while stirring constantly- mixture will become very thick. Remove pan from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour filling mixture into a heat-safe bowl, and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding. Allow filling to cool slightly, until still warm but not hot, for about 30 minutes.
  7. When filling has cooled, scoop a small layer over each crust, and use the back of a small spoon to spread evenly, then top with 3 to 4 banana slices layered over the filling. Then top the banana layer with an even amount of the remaining filling. (If desired, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm Cookie Dough Crumble on top of the last layer of filling, and gently press the crumble into the filling.) Place plastic wrap directly over mini pies, and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional crumble or a dusting of almond meal before serving.
  8. For Cookie Dough Crumble topping:
  9. In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour and salt and whisk together. Then add the peanut and almond butter, milk, honey, agave, and vanilla, and mix together until thick and smooth. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until dough starts to puff up and look slightly cooked on top. Let cool, then break up slightly. (Remaining crumble can be placed in an airtight container in the freezer, and crumbled on top of pies immediately before serving.)

Notes

For healthy mini vanilla cream pies, omit sliced banana. This recipe works well with both skim and whole milk- whole milk will give it a slightly creamier consistency, but the difference is minimal.

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Cookie Dough Crumble Recipe

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Copyright © 2014 Elizabeth’s Home LLC

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes, Snack Tagged With: almond flour, almond meal, almonds, banana, dates, Gluten Free, healthy, kid friendly, make ahead, nuts, oat flour, pie, pudding, vanilla

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Frozen Yogurt

August 4, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

2014-07-03 Fro Yo-340Rich, creamy, peanut butter and chocolatey goodness packed into this perfect frozen yogurt. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Frozen Yogurt is loaded with protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants, and is incredibly good for you. Scoop up a huge bowl of this cool, refreshing and unbelievably healthy dessert, and savor the perfect ending to your summer day.

Happy Sunday! How was your week? Ours was, well, you guessed it, another busy one! Although, I suppose that’s to be expected with a two-month-old (Charlie turned turned two-months-old on the 30th!), a two-year-old, and a four-year-old. Actually, looking back on it, I guess this week was rather packed. Monday was fairly calm, and a fun little day around the house and in the yard. Tuesday, we had our friends over for a playdate in the morning. Charlie had his two-month check-up on Wednesday, and now weighs 12 pounds 12 ounces. (He’s doing great and is one healthy little guy. He has also been smiling a bunch lately!) Since the older boys were already home with a babysitter, I managed to sneak in a quick little grocery store trip on our way home, with only one kid! I mean, is that a treat or what?! 🙂 I guess it’s the little things! Thursday we met Andrew for lunch. (Weekly lunches with Andrew have become a tradition that we all really enjoy.) Friday morning we drove Andrew to the office, so that later that I could pick him up after work for our early date night out on that side of town.

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We had a great dinner, a fun shopping trip, and were home by 9:15! The perfect little date. Saturday, I had a SOLO shopping trip in the morning, (thanks to Andrew for holding down the fort for two hours while I was gone). In the afternoon, we headed to the park for a little ice cream social. James had the BIGGEST ice cream sandwich, and was downright adorable eating it. William opted for the push up and said “this is a good choice!”. Lol 🙂 They even got to take a ride on the cute little train. Today, with the sun shinning, and after all of the fun from the week, we decided to have a relaxing, yet productive family day.

Here are a few pictures and a little movie from all of the fun at the ice cream social yesterday.

Ice Cream Social-13Ice Cream Social-11Ice Cream Social-24This recipe became one of my very very favorite desserts while I was pregnant with Charlie. I created this recipe months ago, practically in the dead of winter. However, when you’re pregnant, all bets are off as to which season is the ideal time to make frozen yogurt. Just because the snow was piled high outside, that didn’t stop me from creating a fun treat to fulfill a major chocolate peanut butter craving. The “mix-in” idea of this recipe reminds me of the summer before our wedding. There was a great little ice cream place, Ritter’s Frozen Custard, that was a little less than a mile from us. They had some seriously GOOD and dangerously delicious ice cream desserts. Our favorite item on the menu were their Glaciers, which were very similar to a Dairy Queen blizzard. They had a mountain of soft-serve frozen custard, swirled together with whatever candy toppings you choose. Our favorites were Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, followed by Snickers, Oreos, and Heath Bars. Sometimes just one, sometimes all. NEVER healthy 😉 But always amazing.

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It might not be custard, but this creamy dessert won’t weight you down. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Frozen Yogurt will certainly stand up to any Ritter’s Glacier. Sweetened mostly with dates, and a touch of agave and honey, it’s amazing how “not good for you” it tastes! Seriously, I know it looks a bit on the “weirdly healthy side”, especially for dessert, but once you give it a try, I bet you’ll be hooked like we are!

This recipe is pretty simple and easy to make. Just toss everything in the blender, let it chill for an hour, and then let it churn in the ice cream maker. A few easy steps and you’re on your way to enjoying the perfect summer dessert. I let my blender and ice cream maker do most of the work for me with this one!

I know that by now you’re probably quite familiar with me talking about how much I love my Vitamix. Yep, I still love it and use it almost daily. However, I’m finding that there are quite a few kitchen gadgets that I have that are simply amazing. I’m (overly) passionate about them and feel the need to share them with you! I’m even finding that it’s not necessarily the most expensive or high-end items that are always the best, either. I guess at some point I’ll have to do a post on “My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets”, but in the meantime, here’s one thing that I find myself using at least once a week, if not much more. My Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker has become one of my new favorite kitchen appliances. It’s fairly inexpensive and super easy to use. The only catch is, that it comes with a canister that has to be pre-frozen before you can add the ice cream or yogurt to it. HOWEVER, here’s my trick. I always leave it in my freezer. Every time I finish making ice cream, I quickly wash it out, dry it off, and stick it right back in my freezer. That way, I can whip up a fresh batch of frozen yogurt, sorbet or ice cream whenever my little heart desires. (And on hot summer days, that’s pretty often!)

Grab your blender, ice cream maker, and your sweet tooth, and be prepared to indulge in this incredibly healthy, decadent delight.

Also, stay tuned THIS THURSDAY, when I launch my TBT (throw back Thursday, incase you’re not familiar), post! It will definitely be a post you won’t want to miss! A great summer recipe and a chance to revisit our trip to Rome, what’s not to love?! So be sure to check back 🙂

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt:
  • 8 medjool dates, pitted
  • 2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons agave
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 dashes salt
  • Fudge Chunks:
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. To make frozen yogurt base: Add dates, yogurt, milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, agave, vanilla and salt to blender or Vitamix. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender as needed. Pour yogurt base into bowl or container, cover and chill in refrigerator for one hour, or up to two days. (If short on time, mixture can be added directly into ice cream maker, but will not be as firm.)
  2. To make the fudge chunks: In a small bowl, add peanut butter, cocoa powder, honey, water, vanilla and salt, and mix together with a metal spoon. Form fudge into a ball, and then flatten into a thin pancake, about 1/2 inch thick, using additional cocoa powder to coat hands and fudge as needed. (Fudge will be very sticky). Place fudge on a piece of plastic wrap dusted with cocoa powder, and wrap tightly. Place fudge in freezer for at least one hour to firm up. Once fudge has firmed up a bit, remove from freezer and plastic wrap. Place on cutting board and slice into chunks, about 1/8 or 1/4 inch in size, depending on preference. Store fudge chunks in bowl in freezer until ready to use.
  3. When ready to churn the ice cream, carefully pour frozen yogurt base into ice cream maker, turn on and allow mixture to churn for about 20 minutes, or until yogurt looks soft, but not fully churned.
  4. While yogurt is churning, gradually add the chilled fudge chunks to the frozen yogurt in the canister, and continue churning for an additional 5 minutes.
  5. Yogurt can be served immediately (text will be very soft), or scoop yogurt from canister into an airtight container and place in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until yogurt reaches desired firmness. (If yogurt gets too firm, especially the next day, place on counter for 20 minutes to thaw before serving.)
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You might also like this Light Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!

Copyright © 2014 Elizabeth’s Home LLC

Filed Under: Dessert, Food, Recipes Tagged With: Chocolate, dates, freezer, frozen yogurt, fudge, Gluten Free, healthy, Ice cream, make ahead, peanut butter, yogurt

Oat Flour Chocolate Cupcakes

June 22, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Mothers Day James Birthday-34Moist, rich, fluffy cupcakes, topped with a decadent, chocolate fudge frosting. These Oat Flour Chocolate Cupcakes are seriously good, and shockingly nutritious.

Happy first official Sunday of summer! I can’t believe baby Charlie is 3 weeks old already! He is such an amazing addition to our family. William and James can’t seem to get enough of him and LOVE holding him. We’ve had a lot of fun this week as a family, and have been soaking up every minute of this precious time together. We also had a few bigger adventures this week, including a family shopping trip, and a date night out with Andrew (and of course Charlie, too). To top it off, Andrew even took all three boys this morning and sent me back to bed for a while! (What a little slice of heaven :))

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Mothers Day James Birthday-30When it comes to eating a bit on the healthier side, chocolate cupcakes are probably the farthest thing from that thought. A few months ago I had an idea to try and come up with a healthy solution to James’ request for “chocolate cupcakes for my birthday!”. I figured that starting well in advance would allow me to perfect them enough before the big day, and incase my idea was a total bust, I’d still have time to do something else. Well, I am super excited to say that since these were such a HUGE SUCESS, we have made quite a few batches over the last couple of months. I even made these again as a surprise birthday dessert for a special friend, and she raved about them!

Theses cupcakes are so soft and chocolatey, and the icing is rich, creamy, and oh so fudgy. We were all licking our fingers and going back for seconds (and thirds… and fourths). 😉

Plus, here’s an added bonus, they freeze incredibly well! I actually made a few batches of these right before Charlie was born, and I will confess that we have been enjoying them on a daily basis. 🙂

Save room for dessert, because these Oat Flour Chocolate Cupcakes are sure to knock your socks off! No one will ever suspect that these sweet little bites are actually THIS healthy. Packed with antioxidants and nutrients, these little chocolate cupcakes are definitely something special.

Print
Oat Flour Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 52 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

    Chocolate Cupcakes:
  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour
  • 1 1/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 tablespoons warm water
  • 8 large egg whites (1 cup whites)
  • 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon agave
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Frosting:
  • 20 medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 3 dashes salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
  3. In a blender or food processor, add dates and water, and puree together until mostly smooth. Then add in egg whites, yogurt, applesauce, agave, oil, and vanilla, and blend together until smooth. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl, and whisk in the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Let batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking, then stir again.
  4. In a mini muffin pan coated with cooking spray, spoon batter into each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
  5. For the frosting, add dates and water to blender or food processor. Process until mostly smooth, then add vanilla and whip until completely smooth. Add cocoa powder and salt and process for about one minute until smooth and creamy. Scrape into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for at least one hour to chill. Then frost cupcakes.

Notes

These cupcakes are great frozen. When frosting them to freeze, allow cupcakes to cool completely, then slice cupcakes horizontally, (removing about 1/3 of the top), spread frosting in the middle and replace top. Once frosted, "flash freeze" cupcakes on a freezer safe plate or baking sheet for about 2 to 3 hours. Then move frozen cupcakes to a ziplock bag or airtight container and store in freezer for up to three months.

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Copyright © 2014 Elizabeth’s Home LLC

Filed Under: Dessert, Food, Recipes Tagged With: cake, Chocolate, cupcakes, dates, freezer friendly, Gluten Free, healthy, kid friendly

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