Banana biscuit cakes
Ripe bananas are soft, moist and are a great binder in biscuit cakes or muffins. In fact, they are very successful as a substitute for eggs in these recipes, and a similar function has apple sauce, pumpkin puree or a gelatinous mixture of flax or chia seeds and water. Their natural sweetness allows us to omit or reduce the amount of sweeteners, and again, that sugar from the fruit will cause the biscuits to darken finely from above. It will usually be a little thicker in texture and wetter than when we use the “right” ingredients and of course, it will have a more fruity taste.
In some cases, we really want that banana flavor, but if it is important for us to feel other foods or spices, then we should still use another substitute. For example, if you make muffins with berries and vanilla, you certainly don’t want them to feel like a banana. Do you understand what I mean ?!
When we talk about desserts for which it is necessary to have ripe bananas, it is certainly the most famous American “banana bread”, which in our country actually translates as banana cake. He really is. A real biscuit cake that is baked in a bread mold. It usually contains a larger amount of fruit, it is necessary to add very little sugar, it is wonderful, soft, and can withstand various adjustments. Since you can eat it with coffee for breakfast, then you can change and use part of the flour integrally, reduce fat and sugar, add nuts or dark chocolate, spices …
Just one such is this very chocolate banana cake, which is gluten-free in the basic version thanks to the choice of flour (ground nuts, oatmeal and rice flour), but I have listed many possible substitutes and whatever you decide on, it will be a cookie full of good ingredients, sweet, filling and quite nutritious for one cake.
Since I subsequently posted this aforementioned recipe, I left a few suggestions for versions from other blogs that seemed tempting to me. Maja has two versions on the blog – a healthier integral banana cake (from those breakfasts) and another classic banana cake, which is more of a dessert. In addition to these versions, I also took a look at Andrea’s marble cake with bananas and chocolate, which looks decorative and interesting.
Banana and chocolate muffins are another super quick way to take advantage of bananas. The recipe has been on the blog for a long time and the impressions I heard have always been positive. You can put chocolate or replace it with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, put only vanilla or use the spices I suggested. Muffins as muffins, very adaptable, are made in an hour, but also eaten in an hour. 🙂
When I finally decided to prepare this post (the idea has existed for a long time), I paid attention to the recipe again and decided to try to make it without sugar. Namely, from that period when it was published until today, a lot has changed, and that includes the fact that today I rarely eat sweets and that it is often without refined sugar, sweetened with fruit. I wrote down my impressions at the end of the recipe, but I will also mention here that the amount can be reduced, but the complete absence of sugar makes muffins of insufficiently intense taste. You will already see the suggestions in the original post.
Healthier versions of biscuits and granola tiles with banana
Similar to biscuit treats, banana serves as a binder and sweetener. Depending on the other ingredients, its characteristic taste is less dominant here, because healthier biscuits or baked tiles are usually made of oatmeal or some other flakes, with the addition of nuts, seeds, spices and the like. Most of these foods carry their own distinct taste, so the banana “drowns” a bit.
There is a recipe on the blog for my favorite “breakfast cookies” called healthy homemade granola cookies. In the original version, egg whites serve as a binder, but when asked by readers how it could be left out, I experimented a bit and realized that a banana is the perfect solution. You can read the details in the section with notes within the recipe, and I will only mention that it has become a domesticated version in our country lately. 🙂
Lean oatmeal cookies with coconut is another recipe that can serve you, and it was created as an adaptation of the basic version of oatmeal cookies, which was published as one of the first blog posts. Banana in this case replaces butter, the biscuit is enriched with the addition of cocoa powder, but you can definitely let your imagination run wild.
Baked oatmeal with banana is one of the two most common ways I use ripe bananas, except for putting it in the freezer. In fact, I often have them in the fridge, neatly packed and ready to fit in a bag and carry with me. It takes you five minutes to stir them, wait for them to bake and cut them into tiles. You can add various fine ingredients that you like – nuts, seeds, dried fruits … but you don’t have to. They are completely simple, they are kept in the refrigerator for more than a week and in my opinion they are one of the most cost-effective kitchen projects. 🙂
A few more ideas to consume spotted bananas
Pancakes with banana and oatmeal are one divine thing
The second of the two most common ways I use bananas that don’t end up in the freezer! They are most similar to those American little thicker pancakes, but more fruity and fuller in taste. For them, you need 25-35 minutes with all the frying, you need eggs, oatmeal, any flour, milk and of course, bananas. Again, you can add something you want (you have a couple of suggestions within the recipe), you can eat them on their own (they are enough on their own!), And you can serve them with all those various toppings, jams, nuts, various spreads or fruits like what you would and thin pancakes.
Maybe it will become your favorite weekend breakfast!
Pureed ripe sweet bananas can also serve as a binder for homemade granola, as in my chocolate granola with banana and coconut. Of course, you can also apply this procedure when making any, with various types of flakes, nuts, seeds, spices and dried fruit, and it will have a nice background fruity taste, it will be crunchy and caramelized.
In addition to all these suggestions, from ripe, but not quite gooey bananas, you can also make raw, unbaked desserts like carob bombs and cocoa powder. All desserts of this type are very adaptable, it is only important that they have such a texture that you can shape them into balls, leave them in the fridge for a while to harden and serve them the same day. Then it will be the most delicious, but I certainly can’t stand it for long because the banana will change the taste. Count on these treats as a quick fix when you want something sweet!
I hope that with this post I have revealed some new ideas on how to use ripe bananas and I believe that they will inspire you that instead of fruit ending up in a bucket, they now turn into delicious treats or meals in the form of nutritious drinks or pancakes. And yes, I hope that you will also adopt the habit of buying bananas with the intention of letting them ripen in order to provide yourself with supplies in the freezer or to equip yourself with oatmeal for the coming days!