Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal is the breakfast that I have been eating on repeat. It is filling and heartwarming and diet-friendly all at the same time.
Who else decided to skip working on their Summer body this year? šš¼āāļø Ooops my bad!
Allow me to fix that with a healthy Fall breakfast!
This actually came about because I had an obnoxious amount of pumpkin puree left after making pumpkin bread a few weeks ago. It wasnāt enough to make a pie or anything really. I had long grown tired of my summer breakfast and craved something warm and comforting. Enter pumpkin spice oatmeal!
It is sooooo easy!
Throw it all in a bowl, microwave and smile as the Fall spices warm your soul.
Iāve even been making it ahead of time without the water and then bringing it to work! Itās like your own version of oatmeal packets. Man I miss those.
These Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins are packed with protein, fiber and fruit! The perfect breakfast or snack on the go!
There are those days where you want to have fun in the kitchen and experiment, and then there are those weeks during which you are so busy you try to remember what scrambling an egg feels like. Just me?
These Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins are for those times, because they are that power-packed breakfast or snack that will see you through even the most stressful times. Letās be honest, itās in these times when it is hardest to eat something healthy AND filling AND portable.
These protein bran muffins have seen me through flights (remember those? š), late-night kitchen services that bleed into early morning production shifts, professional bread school, and letās not forget jury duty.
Anyone who was on the Anna Delvey trial last Spring, yes, that Anna Delvey š±, saw me eat one of these muffins during our first recess every single day for 3 months!
I use LadyBoss Lean protein powder for these muffins because I’m obsessed! If you use a different brand, you might need to adjust the amount of buttermilk or add additional water.
They are that good. Filling, a little bit sweet, and full of protein.
They are moist with hints of banana and cinnamon. The pre-soaking of the wheat bran in buttermilk is the key to happiness here! It eliminates all the usual problems with bran muffins. Dry, sad and overly sweet to compensate.
I am sure health nuts and die-hard āinsert any diet hereā fanatics will cry out in protestation that āthese arenāt healthy!ā Let me just stop you all there. Sub whatever you want, omit all the sugar and use Stevia, but I donāt want to hear about it. Also, I have billed way worse as āmuffinsā here before! š
I make large batches of these Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins (usually three times the recipe printed below), cool them down completely and then freeze them in gallon Ziplock bags. I take them out as I need them. Usually I just throw one in my purse still frozen and it has thawed by the time I eat it, but a quick zap in the microwave also does the trick!
Preheat the oven to 400ļ° [not convection] and either grease 12 muffin cups or line with liners. [In the video I use Large muffin tins, you can do this too!]
Mix buttermilk and wheat bran and set aside to soak. In another medium bowl mix together all the remaining dry ingredients.
In a large bowl add egg white, sugar, oil, banana and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Gently stir the dry mixture followed by buttermilk mixture into the egg mixture. Fold until just combine and a few lumps remain. Fold in the blueberries being careful not to over mix.
Pour into prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool 5 minutes in tins and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ā They will keep 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. A 2x batch will make 18 large muffins.Ā LadyBoss Lean Protein Powder: https://ladyboss.com/store/?LB_aid=LindFarThis is an affiliate link: I may get a small amount of compensation if you purchase through it. First off, thank you! Second, I have been using it for years and I truly love it so you can trust that it is exceptional!Ā
This easy cinnamon banana crumb bread has a chewy, crunchy streusel topping and is the perfect way to use up those old bananas! Itās so easy that it is all made in one bowl with an immersion blender or in the blender!
In case youāve been holed up under a Quarantine Rock, let me tell you, banana bread fever has swept the virtual nation.
TBH youād be hard pressed to find a Food Bandwagon that I didnāt want to jump on straight awayā¦with the notable exception of rainbow bagels, becauseā¦just no.
So you know my banana bread cravings were instantly ignited and I HAD TO make some myself.
Now, Iām no psychiatrist, buuuut Iāve long been a banana bread addict, so I feel qualified to diagnose the cause of this craze. Banana bread is the ultimate comfort food and when life gets tough we cling to those edible comforts. Also itās way easier than the other carby craze ā sourdough. Waiting 14-36 hours for your comfort food takes a special kind of dedication.
If you want to hear me chat about my childhood banana bread memories or just want some Nutella swirl up in your banana bread fix, then skip on over to that post, but come back for the streusel!
I have at least 5 different banana bread recipes on AHC because banana bread is life, but this is my first banana crumb bread post. Iāve been making this recipe as mini muffins at the restaurant on and off for years. They are addicting! If I had to guestimate, Iāve probably eaten 50 gazillion of them.
Gahhh the streusel! š„°
In order to get that chewy, crispy streusel layer you basically just have to add so much crumb topping that some sinks inside the bread and you get a hidden soft layer under the perfectly crunchy top. To. Die. For.
This easy cinnamon banana crumb bread has a chewy, crunchy streusel topping and is the perfect way to use up those old bananas! Itās so easy that it is all made in one bowl with an immersion blender or it can all be made in the blender!
Prep Time8mins
Cook Time50mins
Ingredients
Crumble:
57gButter, cold and cubedĀ¼ Cup
68gAll purpose FlourĀ½ Cup
46gLight brown sugar3 Tablespoons, packed
1gsaltĀ¼ teaspoon
Banana Bread Batter:
215gAll Purpose flour1 Ā¾ Cup
6gBaking soda1 teaspoon
2gsaltĀ½ teaspoon
6gcinnamon1 Ā½ teaspoons
272gBananasvery ripe (about 2 Ā½ large)
100gEggs2 large eggs
215gSugar1 Cup
80gButtermilk5 Tablespoons
138gButterMelted, 10 Tablespoons
Instructions
Crumble:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients for the crumble. Mix on low until the butter in completely incorporated. The dough should hold together in your hand when you squeeze it. If it does not, you can finish it by hand, squeezing until there are no more dry spots.
Alternatively you can make this all by hand: combine all ingredient in a bowl and rub the butter into the flour mixture until it holds together in one cohesive dough.
You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
For the Batter:
Preheat convection oven to 350Ā°F. Spray 1-lb loaf pan with cooking spray or spread butter over the entire surface. Coat the inside of the pan with sugar by pouring a bit in the bottom and then tilting the pan so that it evenly coats all the sides.
Melt butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. You want it to be melted but not hot. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl combine bananas, eggs, sugar, and buttermilk.. Immersion blend until smooth.
Quickly immersion blend flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and butter into the banana mixture until there are only a few remaining lumps. Be careful not to over mix batter.
Pour into prepared pan.
Crumble all the streusel on top of the loaf. Make sure you have some big crumbs and some smaller ones.
Bake about 50-60 minutes in preheated oven or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out with clinging crumbs.
These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! There is just one simple addition that makes them tower over all the rest! Stock up on Summerās bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.
I canāt eat cherry preserves with a spoon. That guilty pleasure is reserved for Nutella, peanut butter, and pasta sauce. (Oh, so that last one is weird?! Judgy)
So what to do with all the cherry preserves? Spoon a generous amount over black pepper honey ricotta on sourdough toast! Obviously.
You could use regular ricottaā¦but Iām Extra and I mixed mine up with some fresh cracked black pepper and a dollop of local honey. I keep a pre-sliced loaf of homemade sourdough in my freezer for just these moments. This particular batch was Smoked Paprika Sourdough. Imagine all those flavors marrying in your mouthā¦yup a little bit of heaven.
These fried Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts have a soft, tender lemon almond cake absolutely coated in a strawberry glaze made with a quick homemade strawberry jam! Positively divine!
These sensational Ginger Orange Almond Biscotti are a little bit spicy and bit sweet! They have notes of ginger, orange, cardamom and cinnamon all baked to crispy perfection. Perfect for dunking in coffee or just snacking!
Day 5 of the annual 12 Days of Christmas Cookies!
I try not to pick favorites. I want the cookies to know I love them equally.
But sometimes you just canāt help yourself and you find yourself gravitating to particular cookie.
This Ginger Orange Almond Biscotti was that cookie this year.
These are James Beard Award, Michelin Star kind of elite ranks.
These biscotti are sophisticated, sassy cookies.
The candied orange adds a bit a sweetness; the candied ginger adds a bit of bite and heat; the cinnamon and cardamom are spicy and warming; and the almonds add extra crunch to this magnificent cookie!
They were delicious dipped in coffee; they were as delicious on Day 1 as on Day 6; they were delicious in the morning before work; and they were delicious after dinner as the perfect sweet ending. Seriously āAll the timeā delicious.
These Pumpkin Spice Cake Donuts are packed with real pumpkin and warming spices then fried to perfection and glazed with a sweet cinnamon sugar. Pretty much Pumpkin Breakfast Perfection.
I was just casually walking home from Staples the other day when {BAM!} I was hit by a massive craving for a pumpkin spice donut. I am an unabashed, card-carrying member of the āPumpkin Spice for Life Clubā. #merica
I popped into Dunkin Donuts and picked up one, but one bite had me wondering, āwhereās the pumpkin?ā
It was orange like pumpkin, there was kind of a spice flavor, but absolutely zero pumpkin.
I took one more bite just make sure. Sadness.
Unacceptable.
There is no disappointment quite like a pumpkin craving let down.
So I went home, cast aside my printer cartridges and made some pumpkin spice cake donuts.
Like my Mom always said, āIf you want it done right, do it yourself.ā
Unless you live in Brooklyn where there are approximately 12 great donut shops per capita. Envy.
These pumpkin spice cake donuts wonāt let you down. They are everything a pumpkin spice cake donut should be: pumpkin-y, spicy, moist and delightfully cakey.
This Coffee Donut Bread Pudding takes everything you love about breakfast and bakes it into one easy dish! Cake donuts baked in a coffee custard for the perfect addition to brunch!
Motherās Day is one of those sacred days; those Hallmark Holidays that remind us what is truly important in life.
Iāve talked a lot about my mom on this blog. There is a reason that so many of my posts are filled with memories and lessons from her: She has been the single most dominating and forceful influence in my life.
These old fashioned chocolate cake donuts are light and perfectly cakey with an explosion of chocolate flavor! The glaze gives them just a little extra sweetness. Perfection.Ā
Old FashionedĀ Chocolate Cake Donuts are my favorite donuts of all time.
Of All Time.
When Krispy Kreme in Atlanta stopped serving chocolate cake donuts, I stopped going to KK. True story.
In case youāve missed half of my posts ever, chocolate is mylovelanguage.
So you know that once I got over my fear of frying with the sour cream cake donuts, I HAD to create the perfect old fashioned chocolate cake donut.
Had to.
These are better than Krispy Kremeās chocolate cake donuts, and they are better than Dunkin Donuts.
They are light, yet cakey; chocolatey, yet perfectly sweet; they melt in your mouth like your favorite yeast donut, yet have substance like your favorite cake donut.
I know…That’s a lot to process. I’ll give you a minute.
The secret to the intense chocolate flavor, without the weight of adding liquid chocolate, is using the best Dutch processed cocoa powder you can lay your hands on (I use Droste), a little espresso powder, and a little extra salt.
This hot chocolate is incredibly rich, creamy and silky. It is decadence in a mug. Deep dark chocolate is balanced with a little salt to temper the sweetness and to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Happy Spring! Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can get to the chocolate. Because this is “I-don’t-care-if-it’s-400Ā°-outside” hot chocolate.
This is not your average, run-of-the-mill hot chocolate. This isnāt even amazingly chocolaty hot chocolate. No, no.
This is THE BEST hot chocolate.
I personally serve it with homemade marshmallows. Because marshmallows are not optional.
Not that I imagined you thought they were..
I take my chocolate very seriously, which is how I know that this hot chocolate is THE BEST.
Let me give you a quick run-down on my love affair with chocolateā¦
I have been head-over-heals obsessed with chocolate since Age 1. Under that fluffy white icing is a chocolate cake. You can see the love in my eyes. [Please also note that I did not face-plant into the cake like a typical 1 year old. #classyfromday1 ]
My second birthday and every birthday thereafter I had a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It was 4 tiers and the top tier was mine. All mine. [Thanks, Mom ā youāre the bomb!]
For 20-ish years, if there was a molten chocolate cake or flourless chocolate cake on the menu, you could bet your life that Lindsey (thatās me) was going to order that. The first time I ordered something different it sent shock waves through the Farr Family dinner table (this was the year I discovered bread pudding).
As I mentioned in this post, I always ordered chocolate ice creamā¦unless I ordered a scoop of chocolate AND something else, because ordering non-chocolate ice cream leads to regrets. And you know how I feel about those around hereā¦
There is always chocolate in my purse. If you ask, Iāll probably deny it because I donāt want to share. (Iām just being honest.)
I also always have a chocolate stash at home. If I donāt have chocolate chips on hand, itās because I just ate them all.
In my High School yearbook all Seniors were asked to complete the sentence āHappiness isā¦ā My answer was one word: chocolate.
I also studied chocolate in culinary school, but that is neither here nor there. I think #7 pretty much sums it all up anyways.
Basically I want my chocolate desserts to be rich and taste like {gasp} CHOCOLATE!
This hot chocolate isnāt just chocolate warmed up with some milk. No. This is somehow more chocolaty and rich than liquid chocolate. Oui, cāest possible.
Mind. Blown.
To achieve the perfect dark chocolate flavor you much use unsweetened cocoa powder and melted semi-sweet chocolate. You also must use milk (the real stuff that comes from cows. āMember that stuff?), because we all know that milk and chocolate are best friends and magic happens when they are combined.
But the real secret, the one thing that makes this hot chocolate better than all the other ones out there, isā¦the egg yolk.
Thatās right. I meant what I said about rich and creamy.
For all of you smarty-pantsā¦itās basically a hot chocolate anglaise in a mug. Youāre welcome.
If you want to up your hot chocolate game and take this hot chocolate from āthe bestā to āthe best everā, add homemade marshmallows. Those little pillows of sweetness melt into the rich, creamy hot chocolate andā¦well, swoon.
Do you see? Do you see what happens? It just. I mean. Gah. Tell me with a straight face that you donāt want to dive in there. Go on.
