Recipe: PB-Banana Coffee Smoothie

🧋 I know this recipe sounds weird for a few reasons, but trust me, it’s DELICIOUS and it makes a quick & easy light breakfast on the go.

1. The peanut butter: I was skeptical too, but it goes really well with coffee

2. Yes, that’s regular ground coffee, not instant. It gives a nice “crunch” to your smoothie.

TIP: If you want to boost the staying powder of this smoothie, add ½ to 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder! 🍌

Makes 1 smoothie.

Ingredients:

• ½ tbsp ground coffee 

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• ¾ cup (180 ml) of your milk of choice

• ¼ cup (60 ml) brewed coffee, chilled

• ½ frozen ripe banana (the riper, the sweeter)

• ice, as needed to thicken

• OPTIONAL: Add a small amount of honey or maple syrup to sweeten if necessary

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add more ice (if it’s too thin) or milk (if it’s too thick) to reach your desired consistency. 

2. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by nata_vkusidey from Getty Images 

Recipe: Homemade Nutty Choco-Banana Spread

🤩 Think of this as a healthier version of Nutella! Are you drooling yet?!

Use it on sprouted grain bread or rice cakes for a fast, easy, and delicious snack.

NOTE: To cut back on the sugar, experiment with the sweetness level, starting with just 1½ Tbsp and adding more if necessary.

Makes 16 servings:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tahini

• 1 large ripe banana, mashed

• ½ cup (50 g) cacao powder

• 3 Tbsp oat groats

• 3 Tbsp ground flaxseed

• 3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or a food processor. Pulse until it reaches a smooth consistency. Scrape into a glass container. Don’t get your face stuck in the jar 😜

2. This keeps best in the refrigerator. Enjoy! 

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by invizbk from Getty Images Signature 

Recipe: Cherry-Banana Smoothie

This smoothie recipe is DELICIOUS and it makes a great pre- or post-workout snack. 🍒

Plus, it’s a great way to sneak some more nutrients into your picky eaters!

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (120 ml) of your favorite milk

• ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

• Handful of baby spinach

• ½ cup (70 g) frozen pitted cherries

• 1 medium banana

• ½ cup (115 g) plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Place the first three ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to blend until well combined. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk. Serve immediately.

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by natashamam from Getty Images

Recipe: Banana Oat Cookies

🍪👨‍🍳These fast & easy cookies are a great homemade option any time you crave a sweet treat. 

You can use either old-fashioned rolled oats or instant oats – but the rolled oats will give you a chewier cookie. 

Makes 12 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe banana

• 1 cup (80 g) oats

• ⅓ cup (85 g) natural peanut or almond butter

• ½ Tbsp honey or maple syrup

• Optional: 2 Tbsp raisins or cacao chips

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350ºF/177ºC.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas and stir in the oats until well combined. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until mixed. The cookie dough will be sticky – but if it seems too loose, add some more oats until it reaches a cookie dough consistency.

4. Drop the dough by tablespoon onto your prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by Eugen Barbu’s Images

Recipe: Baked Banana Chips

These chips are a project – they take a long time to crisp in the oven, so make them when you know you’ll be home for several hours.

The trick to making good baked chips is to check them frequently. Because the chips aren’t uniform – not only in size, but in natural moisture/sugar content – they cook at different speeds. Also, not all ovens are perfectly calibrated to a baking temperature, so the time might vary.

Keeping an eye on them makes all the difference!

Ingredients:

• 4 large ripe bananas

• 4 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice

• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

• Small amount of sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cut the peeled bananas into ¼-inch slices and dip into the orange/lemon juice before placing on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with optional spices/salt and put the chips in the oven.

3. After about 90 minutes, remove from the oven and gently peel the chips up from the parchment paper to flip them over. (Note: if they don’t easily flip and still feel really sticky, bake a little longer before you flip them all.)

4. Cook for another hour or so (they make take up to four hours total!) and start checking on them for doneness – you’ll know they are done when they turn light brown and are starting to become dry and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.

5. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe by: Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by HandmadePictures from Getty Images