Tag Archives: banana

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It really is a shame that when I have browning bananas, my first instinct is to make cupcakes with them instead of a healthy smoothie.  This, my friends, is why I struggle with my weight.  But then again, it’s not really about the final product so much as the process.  Making cupcakes and frosting is just more satisfying than blending a bunch of fruit together.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  I’ve tried making banana cupcakes in the past but each time they ended up tasting more like banana muffins.  Then I came across these Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.  These cupcakes are light and cakey like a cupcake and not at all dense like a muffin.  Finally!

Because I didn’t expect these cupcakes to turn out as well as they did, I didn’t document anything but the final product.  I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it.  And I’m not going to sugar coat it – the only thing reduced-fat about these bad boys is the reduced-fat cream cheese I used in the frosting.  The rest is butter, sugar and white flour.  I’m not even going to kid you that these are good for you.  But look at it this way, since they are cupcakes, they are already portion controlled.  Just try to only eat one!

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • 1/3-less fat cream cheese

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Baking Bites blog

Piña Colada Smoothie

When I was in Clearwater, Florida two weeks ago, I went to the beach one day with my friend Lori while my other two friends went golfing.  The beach had a little tiki bar which we ponied up to while we contemplated lunch. After seeing the bartender hand a piña colada to the guy next to us, sinfully rimmed in honey and shredded coconut, we decided to forget our diets and forgo lunch for one of those decadent drinks. As we slowly enjoyed the high-caloried rum cocktail and licked the honey off our fingers, we talked about how a low-caloried Piña Colada Smoothie could easily be made at home, even as a cocktail with a shot of rum. With today being Lori’s birthday, it seemed only fitting that I post this in honor of her and our memories of the tiki bar that sunny day.

I’m weird about my smoothies and prefer them made with frozen fruit instead of ice. Frozen fruit tends to blend easier whereas with ice, I can never get it as smooth as I like.  I already had frozen pineapple in my freezer and also had leftover coconut milk from the mahi mahi dish I made last week so all I had to add was a banana.  The coconut milk adds the slightest coconut flavor without adding sweetness but if you like more coconut, consider adding in a little shredded coconut (but keep in mind, it will add more calories).  A shot of white or coconut rum will make this a low-fat piña colada that you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Piña Colada Smoothie (makes 1 smoothie):

  • 1/2 cup frozen chunk pineapple
  • 1/2 small banana, sliced
  • 1/2 cup light coconut milk

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry. To get even more decadent, rim your glass with honey and dip in shredded coconut for a fun presentation (like they did at the tiki hut – it was worth the sticky fingers!).

The ingredients:

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender.

Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry (or honey and shredded coconut).

Source: Me! 🙂

Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli

I’ve been very good (and very disciplined) on my diet but since it’s Valentine’s Day, I think it’s okay to splurge a little and have something chocolatey, don’t you think?  I found a recipe for a fried version of Chocolate and Banana Ravioli on Food Network’s website so I decided to adapt it to something a little healthier.  These Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli are baked, not fried, and include nothing else but chocolate-hazelnut spread, bananas, and walnuts.  Simple.  Since bananas are already naturally sweet, I didn’t see any reason to include additional sugar.  These have a yummy banana flavor and the Nutella is creamy and rich making these taste decadent without being terribly fattening.  If you don’t like Nutella, you could easily swap it out with your favorite chocolate chips or regular peanut-butter.  Eat these as-is, with a little bit of chocolate or caramel dipping sauce or a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Baked Chocolate and Banana Ravioli (makes 16 ravioli)

Recipe adapted from Food Network

  • 1 medium banana
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup Nutella
  • 16 wonton wrappers
  • non-stick spray

The ingredients:

Cut up the banana into small pieces or mash it in a bowl.

Add in chopped walnuts.

Lay out a wonton on a flat surface.  Place one teaspoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wonton.

Add one teaspoon of the banana mixture into the center of the wonton.

Using your finger or a pastry brush, brush the edges of the wonton with water.  Fold one corner over to the opposite corner and press the edges together.

Place ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet coated with non-stick spray.  Spray the tops of each ravioli with non-stick spray also and bake in a 350ºF oven for 11 minutes until golden brown.

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