Banana Crumb Cake

Banana Crumb Cake

Makes (2) loaf pans, (2) 8x8's or (1) 13x9

My good friend Cheryl turned me on to this recipe.  Easily the best banana crumb cake I've ever eaten.  So flavorful and moist, and the crumb filling/topping is to die for!
Source: Southern Plate

For the crumb cake:
2 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
2 c. self-rising flour
1 stick margarine
2 eggs
3 bananas
1 t. vanilla

For the crumb topping:
1 stick (1/2 c.) margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour (self-rising or plain)

Spray two loaf of 8x8 pans with cooking spray (you can also use a deep 13x9).  Place peeled bananas in mixing bowl, add sugar.  Mix until bananas are liquefied.  Add margarine, mix until creamed together with banana mixture.  Add all other ingredients and blend well.

In medium bowl, place all topping ingredients.  Cut together with a long-tined fork until well blended.  Pour 1/4 of batter into each pan, top with 1/4 crumb mixture.  Pour remaining batter over and top with remaining crumb mixture.  (If you are using a 13x9, pour 1/2 batter, than 1/2 crumb.  Then remaining batter and remaining crumb.)

Bake for 45-60 minutes for loaf pans or 8x8s.  For 13x9, bake for 50-70 minutes.
Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Classic Banana Bread

Classic Banana Bread

Makes 1 standard loaf and 1 mini loaf.

This will definitely be my go-to banana bread recipe for when I want the traditional, homestyle bread.  If you click here, you'll find another great recipe for banana bread, but it is definitely sweeter and tastes more like cake.  You won't go wrong with either, but they are definitely slightly different and both worth keeping in the regular rotation.
Source: The Dough Will Rise Again

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. Start by creaming the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, and mix until well-incorporated.

2.) Peel the bananas, place them in a bowl, and smash them well with a fork. Add them to the wet ingredients, and mix until combined. 

3.) Whisk together the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined; add half the milk, then another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the milk, and finally the remainder of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition.

4.) Spray your loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray; scoop the batter evenly into the pans or tins, only filling them halfway. This bread rises quite a bit, and if you fill them more than halfway, the bread has a tendency to collapse on itself, and you end up with an overbaked bottom, and a raw top! Bake muffins for 12-16 minutes, mini loaves for 22-25 minutes, and standard loaves for 45-50 until the edges are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 24.

These are easy and always a hit.  Such a great cupcake!
Source: 100 Things to do with a Cake Mix cookbook

1 yellow cake mix
1 box instant banana pudding
2 extra-ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
1 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tins by filling with liners.

Mix all ingredients; beat to combine well.  Fill muffin cups, 3/4 full, and bake for 18-20 minutes until beginning to become golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then cool fully on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8-oz. block cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

2 t. milk

1 t. vanilla

4 c. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth.
Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable.

Frost cupcakes.

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Makes 18-20 muffins.

Here's a winner recipe -- a muffin that's healthy and the whole family loves.  Enough sweetness from the honey, yet plenty of healthy ingredients to start your day right.  The wee one loves these for breakfast and as an after-nap snack, and I love that I can make them, freeze them, and pull them out one by one for a wholesome, homemade treat.
Source: Fit and Healthy with Debbie

2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add remaining ingredients to the food processor. Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.

At this point in the process, you can separate the batter into different bowls, adding dark chocolate chips, nuts, blueberries, or whatever you want to make a variety of muffins.  Or you can add one ingredient to the entire batter.  Or, like I prefer them, leave them plain!  They are still great!

Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes (mine only took 14-15 minutes), or until toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Baby Muffins

Banana Baby Muffins

Makes about 12 mini muffins.

These little guys are dense, and a little gummy, but the wee one loves them, and that's good enough for me!  And since they are so good for her, I let her have 2-3 some mornings.  :)
Slightly adapted from: The Iowa Farmer's Wife

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oats
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
1/4 c water
1 mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon (or nutmeg)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1 tsp olive oil

*the original poster makes her own by grinding organic oats in a coffee grinder.

Mix dry ingredients. Add flaxseed and 3 tbsp water and mix well. Combine water, banana, yogurt and oil until you have a smooth consistency. Grease a muffin tin with organic butter or olive oil. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350˚ for 15-18 minutes.

Reeses Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Reeses Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

Pinterest: Making banana bread that much better.  This won't replace my go-to banana breads: my long-time recipe and my "healthy" recipe, but it will definitely find its place in the rotation.
The original recipe calls for Mini Reese's Cups -- the ones you find near the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.  If you use my method, use the small foil-wrapped ones and cut each into four pieces.
Also, next time, I might reduce the oven to 325 halfway through and just extend the baking time if necessary.
Source: Cookies and Cups blog

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz bag of Reese’s Mini cups (Instead, I used 1 cup of quartered mini Reeses - the ones in the foil wrapping.  It's about 16 cut into fourths)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease your 8x4 loaf pan with butter or shortening.
In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl stir together your bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.
Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.
Fold in your Reese’s Mini cups and spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for approx 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack.

Banana Oat Bars

Banana Oat Bars

Makes 10 bars.

A perfect on-the-go, healthy breakfast!

Slightly adapted from: Steph Chows

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 c. quick oats

1/3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. flax seed (or, as I used, oat bran)

1/3 c. coconut, optional

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. fine grain sea salt

1 t. baking powder

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/3 c. raisins, dried cranberries, or dried fruit of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, vanilla extract, and applesauce. Stir in cinnamon, salt, and baking powder; then stir in flax seeds and coconut. Add in whole wheat flour and oats. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips and raisins.

Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut into bars.

Good-For-You Banana Muffins

Good-For-You Banana Muffins

Makes 24 muffins.

Another new option for The Mr.'s breakfast routine. This is a moist muffin (thanks bananas!) and fairly healthy (thanks whole wheat flour and oat bran!). It's even got your glass of O.J. already mixed in. I eliminated the suggested 1/2 c. vegetable oil in hopes of making it even better for you. And guess what? It worked! The original recipe also included 1 T. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, and 1/4 t. allspice -- feel free to add those to the dry ingredients if you are looking for a muffin with a warm, spicy taste.

Adapted From: www.AllRecipes.com

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. oat bran

2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

2 eggs

1 c. orange juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with 24 liners.

In one bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oat bran, baking soda, and baking powder. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients; add eggs, orange juice, and both sugars. Within the well, mix wet ingredients together. Then, incorporate into dry ingredients, but don't overmix. Fold in mashed banana.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way full; bake for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes.

A tasty twist on a classic bread.

1 yellow cake mix

1 box instant banana pudding

2 extra-ripe bananas, mashed

4 eggs

1/4 c. vegetable or canola oil

1 c. water

1 c. mini chocolate chips

powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, banana pudding mix, bananas, eggs, oil, and water. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Spoon in muffin pans that have been prepared with liners.

Bake for 18-19 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

A Note From The LL: If baking in mini loaf pans, set baking time to 35-38 minutes. Mini muffin pan? 13-15 minutes.

Peanut Butter-Banana Cupcakes

Peanut Butter-Banana Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Elvis would've loved these.

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant banana pudding

2 extra-ripe bananas, mashed

4 eggs

1/4 c. vegetable or canola oil

1 c. water

1 c. chunky peanut butter

cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together yellow cake mix, banana pudding, bananas, eggs, oil, and water. Stir in chunky peanut butter.

Spoon batter into a cupcake pan that has been prepared with liners.

Bake for 18-19 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

A Note From The LL: If you prefer to cook this in mini loaf pans, bake for 35-38 minutes. Mini cupcakes? Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Makes 4 mini loaves

This banana bread became my famous recipe while at college. For whatever reason, everyone loved (and still loves!) it. I'd take batches over to The Mr. and his fraternity brothers and they would each eat an entire loaf in one sitting. It's a super easy recipe, requires no skill, and can't even really be considered "homemade," but I'm afraid to try anything else because of the rave reviews it receives. Using the mini loaf pans is key. I've tried standard size pans and it just doesn't turn out as well.

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant banana pudding

4 eggs

1 c. water

1/4 c. oil

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat (4) mini loaf pans with non-stick spray. Throw all ingredients in a bowl and mix. (I do this with a mixing bowl and wooden spoon.) Smooth out any big clumps of cake mix. Divide batter evenly among mini loaf pans. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool. Slice. Serve.

These freeze well.